Team Based Learning Strategy Applied to Pharmacy Based Courses Patricia Sealy * School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medical Sciences, The University of the West Indies, Trinidad and Tobago * Corresponding author: Dr. Patricia Sealy, School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medical Sciences, The University of the West Indies, Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, Bldg 39, Champs Fleurs, Trinidad and Tobago, Tel: 868-683-2939 or 6621472; E-mail: patricia.sealy2@sta.uwi.edu Rec date: Feb 12, 2015, Acc date: Mar 06, 2015, Pub date: Mar 14, 2015 Copyright: © 2015 Sealy P. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Abstract Objective: To assess students’ performance in courses of the school of pharmacy’s curriculum. Design: The Team-Based Learning strategy was used as a means to instruct students compared with the Traditional Learning strategies of instruction for two courses in the school’s curriculum. Assessment: There was a significant difference (p 0.048 to ≤ 0.001) in grades A to C for the Complementary/ Alternative Medicine and Nonprescription Drugs course in academic year 2014-2015 compared with the previous year. A significant difference (p ≤ 0.002) was only observed in grades B and C for the Immunology and Microbiology course relative to the previous year. Conclusion: The Team-Based Learning strategy may account for the observed differences in the grades. It is hoped that students are better able to retain and recall the course content as they progress in the curriculum. This may ensure that learning outcomes are achievable and/or demonstrative when students enter the practice environment. Keywords: Team based learning; Teaching and learning strategy; Learning outcomes; Problem based learning; Pharmacy education Introduction The School of Pharmacy (SOP), in the Faculty of Medical Sciences, The University of the West Indies (UWI), St. Augustine Campus is one of two Pharmacy Schools located in the Caribbean. The SOP is located in the twin island Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. Education in Trinidad and Tobago is free up the tertiary level. Students transition seamlessly from the primary to secondary and then to tertiary levels of education. Students have been conditioned to pass multiple choice examinations in primary and secondary school, but they have not been taught to be critical thinkers. So upon entering university, students are expected to apply the strategy learnt from the primary and secondary levels. However, no one takes the time to assist them in making the transition for study at the university level. Team-based learning (TBL) is a recent phenomenon in medical education to replace or supplement large group lectures [1, 2]. TBL utilizes an active small-group based instructional strategy that is applied to large groups; it is teacher‐directed, good for any skill‐based information and encourages team development. In TBL, tests (multiple choice questions [MCQs]) are given to students individually, followed by the same test taken as a team on the scheduled lecture day. The tests are based on an assigned reading of the course content. This exercise is completed at the start of the class and forms the basis for the discussion thereafter. It is essential that the teams are formed so each team is composed of students of varied intellectual abilities and/or experiences given the context of the material to be studied. The team usually consists of five (5) to seven (7) students. The process culminates with the introduction of an application assignment (such as a clinical vignette or a problem), where the teams are encouraged to use the knowledge gained to complete the assignment. The process of defending and discussing the feasible answers contributes to increased learning. A range of weighting is set for each test. Peer evaluation is an important aspect of the grading criteria and is applied at the end of the semester. Students will complete a peer evaluation based on: contribution to the team, attendance, preparation for the activity, and respect for the ideas of others; a minimum amount of points is distributed among the members of the team. Therefore, TBL is based on the following four principles: • Teams must be carefully formed and managed • Students must be accountable for individual and team work. • Students must receive frequent and timely feedback from the faculty. • Teams must use their collective knowledge, skills, and values to choose a specific solution and defend their choice. While the TBL Strategy was not executed explicitly in principle, an adaptation was deliberately applied in the instruction of two courses in the SOP curriculum in the academic year 2014-2015 to ensure that students engage the material as the semester progressed. Traditional teaching methods were used (in previous years) in both courses and included the powerpoint lecture format; while multiple choice questions, extended matching questions and/or short answer questions constituted the methods of assessment for the Immunology and Microbiology (IM), and the Complementary/Alternative Medicine and Nonprescription Drugs (CAMND) courses [3-credits each]. In addition, a project is normally included in the CAMND course and a laboratory in the IM course. Sealy, J Pharma Care Health Sys 2015, S2:002 DOI: 10.4172/jpchs.1000-S2-002 Review Article Open Access J Pharma Care Health Sys Innovations in Pharmacy Education ISSN:2376-0419 jpchs, an open access journal Journal of Pharmaceutical Care & Health Systems J o u r n a l o f P h a r m a c e u ti c a l C a r e & H e a l t h S y s t e m s ISSN: 2376-0419