A Synchronous Hybrid Team-Based Learning Class: Why and How to Do It?

Irene Cheng Jie Lee; Peiyan Wong; Suzanne Pei Lin Goh; Sandy Cook

doi:10.1007/s40670-022-01538-5

A Synchronous Hybrid Team-Based Learning Class: Why and How to Do It?

Med Sci Educ. 2022 Apr 26;32(3):697-702. doi: 10.1007/s40670-022-01538-5. eCollection 2022 Jun.

Authors

Irene Cheng Jie Lee¹, Peiyan Wong^{1

2}, Suzanne Pei Lin Goh^{1

3}, Sandy Cook¹

Affiliations

¹ Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore.
² National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
³ KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore, Singapore.

Abstract

COVID-19 pandemic has transformed much of the medical curriculum delivery from in person to online. Given that interpersonal interaction facilitates team cohesion and professional identity formation, prolonged online learning with minimal social interaction might impact these competencies in medical education. To mitigate the impact of prolonged social isolation, we conducted synchronous team-based learning (TBL) classes, where half the class is physically present and the other is connected via an online platform, termed hybrid TBL. We present practical tips in implementing hybrid TBL for educators teaching in large-sized classes, should conditions exist where not all students can attend in person.

Keywords: Engagement; Interpersonal interactions; Large TBL classes; Pandemic teaching; Professional identity formation; Team dynamics.