TBLC Poster Award Winners

We would like to extend our congratulations on behalf of the TBLC to this year’s poster award winners Alison Hartley, Josie Fraser, John Purvis, and Simon Tweddell. Their poster abstract was titled “Developing a Long-Loop Assessment using Team-based Learning”. See abstract below.

Bradford School of Pharmacy implemented a new programme in 2012, delivered using team-based learning (TBL). Students study themes that spiral, revisiting key concepts each year with increasing depth, breadth and complexity. Faculty were concerned about knowledge loss during summer. Our solution? An assessment that incentivizes students to revisit key concepts before return to University.

Students were asked to revise previous learning during summer vacation. In week 1 we held a 40-question iRAT, drawing on end of year assessments from the preceding year. Questions on concepts that were important to the next stage, or those shown to be challenging (based on item analysis) were used. The tRAT was taken in students’ new teams. The long-loop assessment was summative (incentivizing preparation).

The assessment was perceived as successful by faculty and students. Faculty said discussions during the tRAT demonstrated that students had engaged with key concepts from the previous stage. There was evidence of peer learning, faculty witnessed team members explaining difficult concepts. Student feedback was mixed. 380 students took long loop assessments, but only 26 responded to the survey. Most negative comments regarded ‘pressure’ to work during vacation; but overall students understood the principle (88% of respondents) and 62% found it educationally useful.

30% of respondents spent <5 hours preparing; almost 50% spent 5 - 20 hours; and 20% spent >20 hours preparing. Even students who had not prepared well were reminded of core concepts prior to the next stage of learning.

Long-loop assessment reactivates knowledge from previous stages. TBL principles create a motivational framework for student preparation, help students engage with new teams, and prepares students for the next stage of the programme.

Thank you,
TBLC Admin Team