Team-Based Learning in the Political Science Classroom: Comparing In-person and Online Environments

Abstract

Decades of research suggest that interactive classrooms enhance student engagement and improve comprehension. Team-Based Learning (TBL) is an educational strategy used first in medical settings and business schools and then expanded to social sciences and humanities that emphasizes small-group, active-learning, where most classroom time is devoted to group problem-solving. In a previous study, we showed in the political science classroom that TBL enhanced student appreciation for working in teams. Positive experiences with teamwork develop interpersonal skills that help our students get into the door in a competitive job market where entry positions demand skills for effective collaboration and communication. In this study, I determine the effect of the pandemic-induced requirement to use TBL in a virtual environment on student appreciation for working in teams. Due to the duration of the pandemic, this study includes data from multiple semesters. This study confirms that TBL is effective at improving student attitudes toward working in teams during in-person semesters, but data from online semesters does not demonstrate a significant impact on positive attitudes toward teams. I explore three possible explanations for this finding. I conclude that to capture the benefits of online team-based learning, we must consider new strategies to ensure all key elements of TBL are applied.

Keywords:

• Active learning
• collaborative learning
• critical thinking
• online learning
• small groups

Acknowledgments

This paper would not be possible without Dr. Charles Seidel’s seminal work with team-based learning at Baylor College of Medicine and Ross University. Special thanks to Dr. Seidel for inspiring me to use TBL and contributing to the formation of this research.

Special thanks to Benjamin Tracy White, PhD Candidate at the University of Texas at Austin, for his statistical consultation and expertise in supporting this project.

Notes

1 There are a variety of strategies to consider when determining group size. Sibley and Ostafichuk (2023) recommend groups of five to seven students. I chose six to avoid groups that become too small when students are absent from class and groups that are so big that subgroups form.

2 The value of teams survey was developed at Baylor College of Medicine (Value of teams survey) and has been used to assess the impact of TBL on student's appreciation of working in teams (Levine et al. 2004).

3 From the factor analysis, we include questions 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 12, 13, 15, 16, and 17 in the index. We confirmed the internal consistency for this group of variables, using Cronbach’s Alpha, which is 0.89 for this dataset.

4 IRB exemption granted by UT Research Management Suite, #20180501490.

5 On occasion, in-person TBL classes conduct application exercise discussions in the next class period. The discussion is a little less active when it is held in the next class period, but still survey results suggest positive attitudes in teams.

6 One caution: Even with discussions among the breakout groups immediately following the application exercise, Franklin et al. (2016) finds that student attitudes toward teams still lagged compared to in-person.

7 The majority of studies of TBL in health professions (58%) focus on one semester, course, or iteration of TBL (Reimschisel et al. 2017).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Holmsten Stephanie Seidel

Dr. Holmsten Stephanie Seidel is an associate professor of instruction at the University of Texas at Austin with a joint appointment in the Government Department and International Relations and Global Studies (IRG) program. She is also the associate director of IRG and co-director of the Brumley NextGen Scholars program. Her research focuses on the election of women, ethnic minorities, and minoritized women. She is the faculty director of the global virtual exchange learning community and leads study abroad in Chile and Paris. You can hear her on The Other Side of Campus, showcasing the teaching and research interests of UT faculty.