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Professor Mohammed Elbagir Ali Elameen,
FRCP Dean of Alfajr
College for Science
and Technology
There is enough evidence from pedagogical research and
learning theories to support the advantage of small-group learning
methods over traditional methods (lecture). Team-Based learning (TBL) is a type of
small-group learning that possesses all the generic features that characterize
small-group learning. Alfajr College for Science and Technology (ACST),
established in 2015, adopted the TBL method in all its ten programs with very
good outcomes.
ACST uses TBL as an instructional strategy
described by its inventor professor Larry Michaelson in the late
1970s. He is a faculty member in the business school at Oklahoma University,
USA.
The main issue of TBL is to help the student learn how to apply concepts, rather than simply learn about them.
So, the focus in TBL is on learning rather
than on teaching. TBL dictates
the development of a small-group into a cohesive team with trust among the
students. TBL involves transforming the process of the small group into a
learning team. The achievement of these changes needs a significant shift
in the learning objectives and the role played by both instructors and students. The primary
learning objective in TBL is to ensure that students have the chance to
practice using course concepts to solve real-life problems. This is why some of
the TBL class-time is utilized on ensuring that students master the course
content while a large part of the TBL class time is spent on using the course content
in solving problems.
Consequently, the instructor’s role changes from just giving information to designing and
managing the overall process of learning while the student’s role shifts from
just passive recipient of information into accepting the responsibility of
learning about the objective to prepare themselves before the in-class
activities. These changes are not easy to achieve, they require strict steps:
the group needs to be properly formed and managed; students need to be
accountable for the work quality including their
individual and teamwork; and the student must
have immediate feedback. The team assignment must be challenging to promote
learning and team development.
Steps of applying TBL:
For TBL to be effective redesigning of the course is
needed to implement it in three phases as follows:
·
Phase One:
-
Before coming
to the classroom on the specified day (in-class activity), the instructor
identifies the instructional goals and objectives (this implies what the student
will be able to do). Then divides
the course into macro units and identifies the key concept
for each unit.
The macro units are the instruction units that consist
of activities that expose the students
to the course content
-
The students
should be prepared through the individual readings and comply with the planned
activities (Lectures, Seminars,
Assignments
…..etc)
·
Phase Two: (In-class activities):consists of the followings:
-
The Readiness Assuring
Process (RAP) which consists of:
o
individual test (individual Readiness Assurance Test-iRAT)
o group test (group
Readiness Assurance Test-gRAT) using immediate feedback assessment technique (IF AT)
-
The Appeal process
-
The Instructor
feedback (essential clarification presentation), which will be based on the
results of the two tests and students appeal.
·
Phase Three:
The final stage of TBL is the team application (tApp); in this activity
students will be provided with tasks to deepen their understanding of the
concept by solving real-life problems. This part of the in-class activities
uses most of the in-class time.
Alfajr College for Science and
Technology practiced the TBL strategy after executing the necessary training
and availed the required tools. The training involves the following:
-
Training of
the instructor on the concept of TBL, identifying their role and on-hand
training on its application by series of workshops.
-
Training the student on the concept
of TBL and identifying their role.
-
Training the administrating staff on their role
The College also conducted training workshops
in TBL in other institutes, for example the Sudan Medical Specialization Board where TBL issues became
one of the topics used frequently in the Master of Health Professional
Education.
The College availed
the required tools.
·
The Immediate Feedback Assessment Tool (IF AT).
·
Modifying the large lecture room in a way
that allows group sitting.
·
Upgrade the IF
AT into an electronic device (Tablet) for the iRAT and the gRAT.
The college conducted researches and published several
papers on the subject. In this issue of the Journal,
there is a cross-sectional study entitled (Medical Students’ Perception and Satisfaction towards Team-Based
Learning at Alfajr College for Science
and Technology, Sudan,
2022) authored by Sara Ali and her colleagues. The study showed that the
overall positive opinion of students was strongly in favor of various aspects
of TBL.
We consider ACST to be the first institution in Sudan to
use TBL in its proper way. ACST harvested the fruit of this innovative learning
strategy in the performance of its students during their studying in the
College and waiting to see the result on the graduates.