President's Message
Training and Certification
News from the Web
Dear Appy
In the News!
Community of Research and Scholarship Practice (CRSP)
TBLC Conference: "Methods, Mindsets, and Impacts"
TBL Tips

President's Message
Richard Plunkett, PhD, University of British Columbia

Dear TBLC Members,

My home base is the University of British Columbia's Okangan campus in Kelowna, in the interior of BC. I just spent a week at our sister campus in Vancouver, where I attended the TBLC 2026 Annual Conference, and as a bonus, the International Network for the Science of Team Science's (INSciTS) SciTS 2026 Conference and UBC's "Celebrate Learning Week." Tomorrow, I will introduce TBL to educators from all over British Columbia at a regional Teaching and Learning Conference. That means a lot of conversations about teams, learning, and collaboration!

My favorite part of these occasions is the human connections we make—reconnecting in person with folks we see rarely if at all, and creating connections with new friends and colleagues.

The common theme for both the TBLC and INSciTS conferences was "Methods, Mindsets, and Impacts," and "mindset" was the message I took home. The tone was set in the first plenary session, when Paul Haidet asked us to consider our perspectives toward our roles as educators. I carried this lens into each session and was reminded how important mindset is to the success of TBL.

We encouraged openness and curiosity in our learners when we ask them to engage actively, move beyond memorizing facts, build knowledge, and develop a capacity for learning. In our own practice, that same open and curious mindset helps us develop the flexible facilitation skills we need as educators.

I also reflected on the importance of confidence for both learners and educators. Confidence and curiosity complement one another, and both are strengthened when we create learning spaces where people feel safe to struggle, learn, and even fail. This message was reinforced during the closing "Learning with Larry" session, when Larry Michaelsen reminded us of the critical role teams play in TBL and how attitudes and mindset shape their success.

The TBLC and INSciTS shared a joint conference day. Our team presented "TBL 101," while their group offered "Team Science 101," giving everyone the right pre-work for a panel discussion led by Wayne McCormack. He challenged us to consider what we could learn from one another and how we might collaborate moving forward. It became clear how much the two groups have in common and how many opportunities exist for mutual benefit and partnership. I look forward to seeing what develops. 

I think I can speak for all of us in expressing appreciation and gratitude. Thanks to everyone who made the trek to UBC's beautiful campus, whether from Singapore, Italy, or downtown Vancouver. You brought incredible effort, heart, and energy to your workshops, presentations, and posters. And to all who attended, your participation brought the sessions to life. The dynamic interactions are where the real learning happens. 

We are grateful to those who made things happen—our Program Committee, our admin team, and the UBC Conferences and Accommodations office. Thank you so much!

In the TBLC, we are a collaboration and volunteer organization. We wish to invite you to participate, and we need to hear your voices. We have a place for you, whether it is on a committee or contributing some other way—please consider connecting with us and getting involved! As always, I would love to hear from you at richard.plunkett@ubc.ca. 

With warmest regards,
Richard Plunkett
TBLC President

Top ↑

Training and Certification
Sandy Cook, PhD

Update on the Pilot Module Design Series

We are excited to report on the progress of the Pilot Module Design Series. We have now completed all four modules. In the last newsletter, we highlighted the ABCDE framework for crafting clear Learning Outcomes. Modules two and three have the participants begin to craft their Applications and their Readiness Assurance Test Questions.

The focus of Module 2 was ensuring that participants' Applications used backward design to link to Learning Outcomes, follow the 4S's, could not be looked up, and encouraged teamwork. There was great sharing and creativity from the participants and facilitators.

The focus of Module 3 was ensuring that the RATs followed the best practices for crafting clear single best answer questions, linked to the prep material, and helped prepare the learners to be able to answer the Applications. 

In the last module, conducted in early May, we focused on the value of creating a Facilitator Guide and how this Series can help the participants complete several competencies in the Practitioner Certification process.

We have received great feedback from the participants. Here is one participant's thoughts about the series so far:

"The TBLC Module Design Series has been a true eye-opener, particularly the ABCD approach to module building. This framework provided a crystal-clear roadmap for aligning learning objectives with assessment. The entire design process feels highly structured, and professional. What sets this series apart is its seamless integration of the TBL pedagogy into the training itself. The workflow beginning with high-quality handouts perfectly modeled the learner experience. 

The most valuable aspect for me was the iterative nature of the afterwork: reflecting on our designs, making modifications, and receiving direct feedback from experts before moving into the next session. This 'learn-by-doing' approach, backed by expert guidance, is a must-have asset for any practitioner looking to elevate their module design."

- Dr. Varna Taranikanti, MBBS, MD, PhD (She/Her/Hers)
Professor, Oakland University William Beaumont (OUWB) School of Medicine

Top ↑

News from the Web
Robert Estes, PhD, University of Alabama at Birmingham

Members, are you interested in designing engaging, high-impact learning modules—or earning a certificate in the fundamentals of Team-Based Learning (TBL)?

If so, be sure to visit the TBLC website calendar for details on upcoming opportunities. Look for the next Module Design Series of workshops in August to explore innovative approaches to creating effective, student-centered learning experiences. 

Whether you're looking to refine your course design or deepen your expertise in TBL, these programs offer practical, forward-thinking strategies to enhance student engagement and success.

Top ↑

Dear Appy

When designing application exercises, I often struggle to decide between creating multiple critical-thinking questions or a single, more complex case study. Using several questions makes it easier to ensure that all course learning objectives (CLOs) are addressed, while a single, integrated case study better aligns with the "significant problem" element of 4S TBL and tends to feel more engaging and satisfying for both students and myself. Which is more effective?

This dilemma I've encountered often in my own teaching, and I don't think you're alone in feeling this tension. On one hand, using multiple critical-thinking questions gives a reassuring sense that all course learning objectives (CLOs) are being explicitly addressed. On the other, a single, well-crafted case feels more authentic, more engaging, and more aligned with the "significant problem" element of 4S TBL.

What has helped me is reframing the goal of the application exercise. Rather than asking, "How do I cover every CLO?" I try to focus on, "How do I create a learning experience that requires students to use their knowledge in a meaningful way?" When I approach it this way, I find myself leaning toward a single, more complex case.

A well-designed case has the potential to do more than it first appears. If constructed carefully, it can require students to integrate multiple concepts, weigh trade-offs, and make decisions under conditions of uncertainty—essentially doing what experts in the field actually do. In that sense, one case can address several CLOs simultaneously, even if they are not all explicitly visible at the surface. 

That said, your concern about ensuring full CLO coverage is valid. What has shifted my thinking is recognizing that coverage does not need to happen entirely within the written question—it can happen through facilitation.

This is where facilitation becomes critical. During the inter-team discussion, I intentionally use questioning to surface concepts that may not have emerged naturally. For example, I might ask:

• "What concept guided your decision here?"
• "What assumptions are you making?"
• Is there another way to interpret this situation using a different framework?"

These kinds of open-ended prompts encourage students to articulate their reasoning and often bring in additional CLOs that were not initially obvious. I've also found that differences between teams are incredibly valuable—one team may apply a concept that another overlooked, and that contrast becomes a powerful teaching moment. 

I've started planning my facilitation more deliberately as well. Before class, I identify which CLOs might be underrepresented in the case and prepare a few targeted prompts to bring them into the discussion if needed. This allows me to maintain the integrity of a single, significant problem while still ensuring breadth of learning. 

Equally important is how the session is closed. I now make a point of explicitly synthesizing the key takeaways and linking them back to the CLOs. The final step helps ensure that students leave with a clear understanding of how the activity connects to the broader learning goals. 

A useful middle ground I've found is to build multiple questions around a single complex case. This approach preserves the authenticity and engagement of a significant problem, while also allowing more explicit mapping to individual CLOs. It can also provide a degree of scaffolding—guiding students from lower- to higher-order thinking (for example, moving from identifying key information to making a defending decision). This can be particularly helpful for learners who are still developing confidence with  higher-level Bloom's tasks. 

Ultimately, the decision about which approach to use often depends on the level of learners, the complexity of the topic, and the expectations of the course. More novice learners or content-heavy topics may benefit from additional structure and scaffolding, while more advanced learners may be better served by a single, integrated problem that demands synthesis and judgement. 

So rather than choosing one approach over the other, I've found it most effective to be intentional and flexible—using a single complex case when the goal is deep, integrative learning, incorporating multiple questions when scaffolding or coverage is needed, and relying on facilitation as the bridge between depth and completeness. 

Top ↑

In the News!
Larry Michaelsen, PhD, Holly Bender, PhD, Michele Clark, PhD

From Foundations to the Future: Team-Based Learning Evolves

The second edition of Team-Based Learning: A Transformative Use of Small Groups in Teaching, edited by Larry Michaelsen, creator of Team-Based Learning, Holly Bender, and Michele Clark, draws on contributions from experienced educators across disciplines and contexts and provides a comprehensive yet practical guide to implementing Team-Based Learning (TBL) across a wide range of educational and professional settings. The book begins with foundational chapters that introduce the core principles of TBL, including how to get started, design effective assignments, and create meaningful pre-work that prepares learners for collaboration and success.

Subsequent chapters explore key topics as diversity and cultural identification, accountability through peer assessment, learner well-being, and the use of TBL in secondary schools, large classes, and non-academic environments. Notably, the chapters on technology and innovation highlight how digital tools—and emerging approaches such as AI—can enhance the effectiveness, flexibility, and accessibility of Team-Based Learning.

Overall, this second edition offers both solid foundations and forward-looking perspectives, making it a valuable resource for educators seeking to implement or strengthen Team-Based Learning in traditional, online, and technology-enhanced settings in a rapidly evolving educational landscape.

Top ↑

Community of Research and Scholarship Practice (CRSP)
Elizabeth Prabhakar, PhD

Members of the TBLC,

Announcing our brand new "Community of Research and Scholarship Practice" (CRSP), which was officially launched on 5 May 2026 at the Annual TBLC Conference in Vancouver, Canada. 

CRSP has a global reach and was established as a forum for knowledge exchange and to discuss the pleasures and pains of TBL. 

The virtual CRSP forum will be held every alternate month on the second Wednesday at 5 PM ET. Our TBLC admin will circulate details of the CRSP soon. The CRSP sessions will be take place on the "odd" months that are opposite the Trading Teaching Tips sessions. The first CRSP is set for July.

We invite all members to participate and keep TBL alive!

Top ↑

TBLC Conference: "Methods, Mindsets, and Impacts"

The excitement was palpable as the official TBLC Conference launched earlier this month at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver with the theme "Methods, Mindsets, and Impacts." Attendees enjoyed innovative workshops, oral presentations, posters, networking opportunities, and plenary sessions focused on the future of Team-Based Learning. Highlights included topics such as Agentic AI, inclusive design, psychological safety, authentic learning, and new approaches to developing confident TBL facilitators.

A major highlight was the groundbreaking collaboration with the International Network for the Science of Team Science (INSciTS), bringing together educators, researchers, and team scientists for the first-ever joint TBLC-SciTS day focused on advancing cross-disciplinary teamwork and learning around the globe. In this issue, three conference attendees contributed to TBL Tips. Get a flavor of their presentations through the practical and innovative suggestions they share in their contributions to TBL Tips.

See a summary of their contribution articles below with some photos from the conference:

Top ↑

TBL Tips

TBL Tip from Bradford, United Kingdom
Dr. Kristina Medlinskiene, Dr. Gemma Quinn, and Professor Simon Tweddell (University of Bradford, UK)

Bringing New Instructors into TBL: What Did We Learn? 

This workshop tackled a familiar challenge: how to prepare new instructors for Team-Based Learning (TBL) when time, resources, and access to formal training are limited.

With participants ranging from TBL novices to experienced educators, one message was clear—these challenges are widespread. Common barriers included limited institutional buy-in, time constraints, and wide variation in instructor experience. Preparing confident facilitators requires more than training; it requires a structured, supported approach.

A key insight was the distinction between design-ready and delivery-ready instructors. Not all faculty need to design TBL from the start. Focusing first on core facilitation skills allows for faster, more scalable onboarding. However, instructors must still understand TBL principles and purpose to ensure consistency and quality.

Participants identified minimum competence standards for TBL delivery:

• Good understanding of TBL and 4S application exercises
• Facilitate learning—not lecture
• Manage time effectively
• Create psychologically safe environments
• Align activities with learning objectives
• Embrace a mindset shift from content delivery to facilitation

For rapid onboarding, practical strategies stood out:

• Observing experienced facilitators
• Using structured teaching guide
• Peer support and mentoring
• Early, in-class coaching

Sustained development is essential. Peer observation, feedback, and communities of practice help build and maintain instructor confidence over time. 

Bottom line: While ideal conditions are rare, programs can succeed with clear expectations, structured onboarding, and ongoing support—developing confident TBL instructors and maintaining quality at scale. 

TBL Tip from Claverton, Bath, Somerset, United Kingdom
Steve Cayzer and Ernie Ghiglione

Agentic AI for authentic learning in TBL

In practice—whether in medicine, engineering, or education—professionals must interpret incomplete information, weigh competing perspectives, and justify decisions under uncertainty. Authentic learning engages with such messy and complex problems. This means engaging with ideas in ways that feel real, purposeful, and connected to the world beyond the classroom -and that's exactly where agentic AI can make a difference. Rather than simply delivering answers, agentic AI can act as a thinking partner: helping to explore questions, test ideas, and guide inquiry dynamically. 

By creating AI "agents" that represent different viewpoints—each with their own knowledge, assumptions, and biases—educators can design authentic learning activities where learners engage in dialogue rather than simply receive information. These agents can be historically grounded, professionally situated, or even role-based (e.g. clinician, patient, policymaker), allowing learners to interrogate perspectives and develop their own reasoned judgements. 

Here are some tips if you decide to use agents that you might create:

• Give the agents 'personality.' Provide plenty of context, including background information. Agents should have realistic constraints in how they behave (biases, perspectives, partial knowledge, culture...).
• Give the learners lots of support in how to interact with the agents. Perhaps provide prompts or question stems to guide students (e.g. "What is your strongest claim?" or "What are you uncertain about?").
• Keep focus on learning outcomes: avoid technical rabbit holes. If needed, provide follow-up resources for those who want to go deeper. 
• Use facilitation to help teams articulate and compare their reasoning. Make sure you are prepared for different scenarios (e.g. if the group converges on one answer or is evenly split).
• Think about what you want your students to experience (uncertainty, importance of semantics, culture, etc.) and build this into your wrap up. Make the learning outcome explicit. 
• Decide how students will access agents (e.g. separate chats, shared prompts) and ensure the process is simple, reliable and secure (e.g. university internal platform).

Rather than viewing AI as a threat to academic integrity or student effort, this approach positions it as a catalyst for deeper learning. It shifts the focus from simply producing answers to interrogating them, helping students develop the skills to think critically about information, rather than accepting it at face value. In doing so, educators can shift the focus away from "getting the right answer" towards "eliciting information and interpreting responses" — a crucial skill for professional practice. 

TBL Tip from the United Kingdom and the USA
Lauren Anderson, PhD, Diana Langworthy, PhD, Cortny Williams, PhD, Kristina Medlinskiene, PhD

Designing for Difference: Small Shifts, Big Impact on TBL

While TBL is inherently collaborative and engaging, many educators find themselves reacting to accommodation letters rather than designing activities that benefit all learners with diverse needs. At the 2026 TBLC Conference in Vancouver, we facilitated a workshop focused on rethinking how we design Team-Based Learning (TBL) for increasingly diverse learners. Our session encouraged participants to shift from retrofitting TBL to designing for difference from the start.

We discussed Universal Design for Learning (UDL) as a practical framework to support this shift. Rather than viewing accommodations as individual exceptions, UDL encourages educators to anticipate learner variability and embed flexibility into core course design. This approach aligns with the social model of disability, which emphasizes that barriers to learning are often created by the environment—not the learner. 

In our Applied Exercise, participants were invited to apply these ideas across different phases of TBL. Interestingly, most chose to focus on pre-work, recognizing its critical role in shaping learner readiness and engagement. This emphasis led to rich discussions and practical ideas around how small adjustments in pre-work design can have a significant impact on the overall TBL experience. 

A key takeaway was that meaningful change does not require a full redesign. Instead, small, intentional shifts can make a real difference. Three practical approaches that emerged from participant discussions included:

• Provide multiple ways to engage with content
  - Offering a mix of formats—such as concise readings, short videos, or structured notes—allows learners to choose how they access material, supporting different needs without increasing workload.
• Add structure and guidance to pre-work
  - Clear instructions, guiding questions, and signposting help learners focus on what matters most, reducing cognitive load and improving readiness for the readiness assurance process.
• Be explicit about expectations and purpose
  - Clearly linking pre-work to in-class activities helps learners understand its value, increasing motivation and engagement.

It's important to acknowledge that UDL strategies should be explored across the spectrum of the TBL module. To support ongoing implementation, we shared the UDL Table Menu, a practical tool with strategies across pre-work, readiness assurance, and application exercises, along with a Small Wins Action Plan to help educators begin with one manageable change today. 

Designing inclusive TBL doesn't require perfection—it starts with one intentional step.

Top ↑

If you are planning on attending the Team-Based Learning Collaborative (TBLC) 2026 Annual Conference, May 2-6, 2026, at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, this is a reminder to bring a laptop or electronic device for Paul Haidet's Plenary Session on Sunday, May 3, 2026, from 5:15 PM - 6:15 PM PDT. The session will include an interactive portion of the presentation where attendees will be able to actively participate electronically. 

Online registration for the conference is currently closed, but if you missed your chance to register ahead, don't worry! On-site registration will be available in Vancouver!

The TBLC 2026 Annual Conference is an opportunity for those just starting out with TBL. We will be offering the Fundamentals of TBL workshop series, which teaches the basics and best practices of TBL. We will also be offering 12 workshops after the Fundamentals series that will allow both new and seasoned practitioners to build upon their approach to TBL. Click here for the full schedule!

If you have any questions about the program of the TBLC 2026 Annual Conference, please reach out to support@tblcadmin.org. We hope to see you in Vancouver!

The Team-Based Learning Collaborative (TBLC) invites all educators to attend our 25th Annual Conference, May 2-6, 2026, at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. "Team-Based Learning: Methods, Mindsets, and Impacts" will be the central theme of the conference. Share this email with your colleagues and get them involved with TBL! Online registration will be closing April 21, 2026, at 11:59 PM EDT, however on-site registration will be available in Vancouver. 

The TBLC 2026 Annual Conference is an opportunity for those just starting out with TBL. We will be offering the Fundamentals of TBL workshop series, which teaches the basics and best practices of TBL. We will also be offering 12 workshops after the Fundamentals series that will allow both new and seasoned practitioners to build upon their approach to TBL. Click here for the full schedule!

If you have any questions about the program of the TBLC 2026 Annual Conference, please reach out to support@tblcadmin.org. We hope to see you in Vancouver!

Wayne McCormack, PhD

Plenary: Teaching with the Science of Teamwork: Methods, Mindsets, and Impacts Across Education and Research
Date and Time: Monday, May 4, 2026 from 8:15 AM - 9:15 AM PDT
Presented by: Wayne McCormack, PhD, University of Florida

Modern scientific discovery depends on teamwork, yet most students rarely have opportunities to develop effective collaboration skills without intentional instructional design. The Science of Team Science (SciTS) has identified key mechanisms that enable research teams to collaborate productively, while Team-Based Learning (TBL) provides a structured instructional design that creates similar collaborative dynamics in the classroom. Together, these perspectives offer a powerful framework for intentionally teaching teamwork.

This session introduces a unified model for teaching collaboration organized around these interacting elements: methods, mindsets, and impacts. Methods refer to the structures that shape teamwork (e.g., team formation, interdependent decision tasks, and structured discussion). These methods influence team mindsets, such as shared understanding, accountability, and productive engagement. In turn, these mindsets produce impacts including stronger team reasoning, improved learning outcomes, and the development of collaboration skills essential for modern interdisciplinary research. 

The session will incorporate brief TBL-style application exercises to illustrate how different instructional choices influence team interaction and outcomes. These examples highlight how principles from the Science of Team Science can inform the design of collaborative learning environments and help faculty think more intentionally about the relationship between instructional methods, team mindsets, and learning impacts.

In this way, TBL can be understood not only as an instructional strategy, but also as a structured environment that mirrors the collaborative dynamics studied in the Science of Team Science. 

About Wayne McCormack: I have been using TBL to teach biomedical science graduate students since 2006. Topics include immunology, genetics, cell biology, responsible conduct of research (RCR), patient safety, clinical ethics, health systems & disparities, medical genetics, and medical physiology. I led an educational research project that found that, in contrast to lecture-based RCR courses, which have negative impact on ethical decision-making, a TBL curriculum for RCR training led to positive impact on ethical decision-making. I have conducted numerous TBL workshops locally at the University of Florida, at many other educational institutions, and at national and international conferences. I am a past-President of the TBLC, and continue to serve the Steering Committee as an Expert Consultant. I am also serving as Past-President and on the Board of Directors for INSciTS.

We hope you enjoy what we are sure to be a very engaging plenary discussion. Register for #TBLC26 today!

As a reminder, to explore potential synergies, the TBLC 2026 Conference will overlap with the International Network for the Science of Team Science (INSciTS) Conference, which will be taking place May 6-9, 2026, at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, as well. 

We hope to see you in Vancouver!

With the TBLC 2026 Conference just around the corner, we would like to draw your attention to one of our featured workshops: Designing for Difference: Universal and Inclusive Design in TBL. This session will be presented by Ifunnaya Patricia Achi, University of Bradford, School of Pharmacy, Optometry, and Medical Sciences, Lauren Anderson, St. John's University, Diana Langworthy, University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy, Kristina Medlinskiene, University of Bradford, Cortny Williams, University of Western States, and Rachel Wood, Bradford University.

Designing for Difference: Universal and Inclusive Design in TBL
Presented by: Ifunnaya Patricia Achi - University of Bradford, School of Pharmacy, Optometry, and Medical Sciences
Lauren Anderson - St. John's University
Diana Langworthy - University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy
Kristina Medlinskiene - University of Bradford
Cortny Williams - University of Western States
Rachel Wood - Bradford University
Date & Time: Monday, May 4, 2026 12:30 PM - 2:15 PM PDT

Educators are encountering a growing wave of accommodation requests and diverse learner needs owing to a higher than before enrollment of neurodiverse and non-traditional learners—often without the time, clarity, or confidence to respond effectively. This workshop offers practical, ready-to-use tools that help instructors—"sprinkle" inclusion into existing materials rather than overhaul entire courses. Grounded in Universal Design for Learning (UDL), the Social Model of Disability, and Inclusive Pedagogy, this session integrates both evidence and lived faculty experience. Our survey of TBL practitioners revealed recurring barriers—time constraints, lack of resources, uncertainty about how to modify team activities, and misconceptions about equity. Complementary work on a pre-class individual readiness assurance test (iRAT) demonstrates that universal strategies can enhance engagement and perceived fairness for all students, not only those with accommodations. 

Please note that online registration will be closing on April 21. On-site registration will be available in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. We hope you enjoy this and our other exciting workshops.

This message is a call to our membership for those who wish to be considered by the Nominating Committee as potential candidates. This year, we have also added a new Member-at-Large (MAL) position.

The following positions are up for election this year:

• Member-at-Large (New): The focus of this Member-at-Large (MAL) will be on expanding practice of TBL in international postsecondary education settings, and in disciplines beyond medical and health sciences education. This MAL will collaborate with the Steering Committee and the TBLC community to promote TBL internationally. Requiring effective collaboration skills, this role will be instrumental to furthering the reach of TBL and engagement with the TBLC. This individual will need to understand the dynamics of higher education across disciplines, and in a global context, as well as how TBL can enhance the educational experience for both faculty and students in all disciplines.
  
  
• Treasurer: The Treasurer oversees the financial records of the TBLC according to standard accounting practices, and, whether performed personally or through the Collaborative’s management staff, is responsible for safeguarding the TBLC funds. The Treasurer shall receive quarterly reports from all individuals and Committees that manage funds and/or keep TBLC accounts. He or she presents periodic reports on the financial status of the TBLC to the Steering Committee and a full report to the membership at the Annual Business Meeting. The Treasurer shall be elected for one term of two years and may be re-elected for one additional term for a total of four years.

Steering Committee meetings are held via Zoom every month and additional business may be conducted through email. 

If this opportunity to expand your influence in Team-Based Learning while advancing the work of TBLC fits your personal career goals, then you are invited to submit your nomination for these positions. Self-nominations are welcome!

Please click here to submit your nomination.

The deadline for nominations is March 20, 2026.

The Team-Based Learning Collaborative (TBLC) invites all educators to attend our 25th Annual Conference on Team-Based Learning scheduled for May 2-6, 2026, at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The theme for this year's conference is "Team-Based Learning: Methods, Mindsets, and Impacts."

The Early Bird Deadline to register is 11:59 PM EDT March 15, 2026!

May 2-6, 2026

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Conference Highlights: Pre-conference workshops are scheduled for May 2 and May 3, 2026. These sessions will provide attendees with the Fundamentals of Team-Based Learning, including the creation of modules and effective implementation strategies.

The conference will have two plenary addresses presented by experts in the field of TBL. Our plenary speakers are Dr. Wayne McCormack, Distinguished Teaching Scholar and Professor at the University of Florida, and Dr. Paul Haidet, Director of Medical Education Research at the Penn State College of Medicine.

The conference will also include hands-on workshops, oral presentations, and a poster session. While pre-conference Fundamentals workshops will provide attendees with the basics of Team-Based Learning, sessions on Innovation and Research & Scholarship will challenge attendees to further develop their skills or collect, analyze, and publish their work in Team-Based Learning.

Once again, the Early Bird Deadline to register for #TBLC26 is 11:59 PM EDT March 15, 2026!

For conference lodging and travel information, click here. The deadline to reserve your stay and ensure the conference rate is April 1, 2026! 

As a reminder, to explore potential synergies, the TBLC 2026 Conference will overlap with the International Network for the Science of Team Science (INSciTS) SciTS Conference, which will be taking place May 6-9, 2026, at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver. Those who register for the TBLC Conference will be given a $200 USD discount code for the SciTS Conference. That discount code will be available in your confirmation email! 

For more information, visit the TBLC 2026 Annual Conference website. We look forward to seeing you in Vancouver in May!

With the TBLC 2026 Conference just around the corner, we would like to draw your attention to one of our
featured workshops: Beyond the Prompt: HITL Critical Reflection and Peer-Led Facilitation in GenAI-Rich TBL Courses. This session will be presented by Crisianee Berry, East Carolina University, and Annetta Dolowitz, University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Beyond the Prompt: HITL Critical Reflection and Peer-Led Facilitation in GenAI-Rich TBL Courses
Presented by: Crisianee Berry - East Carolina University
Annetta Dolowitz - University of Alabama at Birmingham
Date & Time: Monday, May 4, 2026 12:30 PM - 2:15 PM PDT

Generative AI is reshaping how students prepare for and complete TBL activities, often outside the instructor view, raising concerns about integrity, cognitive depth, and equitable workload. In response, a Human‑in‑the‑Loop (HITL) Critical Reflection Model was developed from coaching theory and critical reflection scholarship to guide human–AI collaboration at the level of concrete teaching artifacts—quiz items, rubrics, application prompts, and peer‑evaluation tasks. The framework defines a five‑phase cycle (EXPLAIN/PLAN → PROMPT → OBSERVE/CHECK → REVISE/IMPLEMENT → DEBRIEF/DOCUMENT), each supported by targeted reflective questions.

Don't forget the Early Bird Deadline to register for #TBLC26 is 11:59 PM EDT March 15, 2026! Please note that online registration will be closing on April 21. On-site registration will be available in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. We hope you enjoy this and our other exciting workshops.

President's Message
Certification
News from the Web
ETBLC News
Dear Appy
NEWS Flash
TBLC 2026 Annual Conference and the Science of Team Science Collaboration
New Members in the News

President's Message
Richard Plunkett, PhD, University of British Columbia

Dear TBLC Members,

In my institution we are in the middle of a program-level curriculum review. This naturally leads to thinking about what we expect from those who successfully complete our classes or degree programs. Some outcomes are measurable skills or competencies and other are intangible qualities, such as fostering the development of "lifelong learning." How can we inspire a sense of wonder and curiosity? A phrase I often use in class is, "Don't take my word for it!" When I relinquish my role as the "authority" on a subject, I encourage students to make discoveries of their own. I am very glad to tell them I don't know everything, because that leaves room for us to be surprised and even amazed when we learn new things.

This notion comes up when we talk about the "AI revolution" in our classrooms, workplaces, and everyday life. In education, I see if as an invitation to get back to basics—sort of like the curriculum review we engaged in—and an opportunity to (re)define learning outcomes and create authentic assessments. I have been co-facilitating a series of brown-bag conversations in my faculty, ostensibly on the topic of generative AI in education, but really a higher-level dialogue on the question, "What kinds of thinking do students have to do themselves for learning to occur?" We have had robust discussions on knowledge vs. understanding, productive struggle vs. spinning one's wheels, and discomfort vs. anxiety related to uncertainty in learning. We have concluded that genAI can have a role in helping or hindering all of these things.

This brings us to a question I have about genAI in my TBL classroom. I have been considering a different approach to what I have used in the past. I have always allowed students total access to books, notes, and the internet during team application activities. As genAI abilities to answer complex questions improves, I am thinking of "closed-book" team activities. I would love to hear from others, so here is my question to all of you:

Q: In a TBL learning environment, do we let students access genAI for team application activities?

You can submit your ideas by clicking here. We will collect your responses and discuss them in a future edition of our newsletter!

As always, we welcome your ideas, inspirations, and feedback, and you can feel free to contact our leadership team, or send me a message at richard.plunkett@ubc.ca. I am looking forward to hearing from you and engaging with you in TBLC activities. I hope to see you at the TBLC Annual Conference in Vancouver, May 2-6!

With warmest regards,
Richard Plunkett
President, TBLC

Top ↑

Certification
Sandy Cook, PhD

ABCDE Model

This ABCDE model is one that I have often recommended to educators crafting Learning Outcomes (LOs) as it incorporates Biggs and Tang’s¹ recommendations and helps with the alignment of the LOs and the activities. Plus it is very useful in crafting the LOs for TBL modules. This framework's mnemonic is A (Audience) B (Behavior) C (Condition) D (Degree) E (Learning Environment). The letter E (learning environment) is often assumed. Lecture, small group, project based, or TBL (of course). The E you choose can have an important effect on the rest of the LOs. Of course, in our situation, we focus the impact of TBL as the E.

A (Audience) and B (Behavior) are the most common elements that people use when crafting their LOs. Understanding your audience is critical in making sure your material/module/session is appropriate for their education/skill level. In TBL, it is also important to make sure the behavior is observable, appropriate for teamwork, and ideally a good mix of lower and higher order behaviors (from Blooms Taxonomy).

The elements of this ABCDE model that are rarely intentionally considered, but I believe are important, especially in TBL, are C (Condition) and D (Degree). Condition refers to the assessment task being planned to enable you to know if the learner has met the behavioral requirements. This is important in TBL to determine if the behavior (B) is appropriate to the format/structure of TBL learning environment. If the condition is based on individual performance — then you may need to revise the behavior of the LO to align to TBL. You will also need to decide if you are assessing the behavior in the RAP or Application section of TBL.

D (Degree) is the most confusing. This is related to Biggs and Tang's element on creating the grading criteria. In addition, I believe it helps the facilitator to map out the "correct" answer in a facilitator guide, especially for Applications. Are you clear on what is the "answer" you are looking for? In RATs, you may have an expected % correct for the individuals (or teams) to achieve. This tells the learners what you are expecting. For the applications, your expectations may be less numeric, but you will still need to know what "accurately, appropriately, reasonable, effective... etc." looks like.

Remember:

• A - Audience: Who is learning
• B - Behavior: What the learner will be able to do
• C - Condition: Under what conditions the learning occurs
• D - Degree: How well the learner must perform
• E - Learning Environment: The instructional context

Below is an example showing how the ABCDE model can be used to develop learning outcomes for a Team-Based Learning (TBL) module.

At the end of this TBL module (E), the learners (A) will be able to:

• When given a series of RAT questions (C), correctly answer (B) 70% (D) of the questions representing the key elements of TBL.
• Debate and Share (B) at least one reasonable (D) method for creating TBL teams through TBL Application and team discussion (C).
• Strategize (B) at least one effective solution (D) to overcome common barriers to implementing TBL through application and discussion.
• Craft (B) at least one Learning outcome (D) using all elements of the ABCDE mnemonic through TBL application and team discussion (C).

We are not the only group using this model. Dakota State has a website and video that also describes the model you might find useful (https://support.dsu.edu/TDClient/1796/Portal/KB/ArticleDet?ID=148325).

¹ Biggs, J., & Tang, C. (2011). Teaching for Quality Learning at University. Maidenhead,
UK: Open University Press.

Top ↑

News from the Web
Robert Estes, PhD, University of Alabama at Birmingham

Get ready for the 2026 Annual Conference of the Team-Based Learning Collaborative (TBLC)! This year's theme, "Team-Based Learning: Methods, Mindsets, and Impacts," will bring educators and researchers together May 2-6 at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Registration is now open on the TBLC Website or the TBLC 2026 Conference Website. There you will also find helpful information, including the conference program, plenary speakers, workshops, and a FAQ section. Be sure to check back regularly, as additional details and updates will be added as the conference approaches. 

We also have exciting news about the TBLC website. The Collaborative is partnering with Mantis Media of Rochester, New York, to redesign the site. The new website will be easier to navigate and will feature richer, more engaging content about the Collaborative and Team-Based Learning (TBL). 

Stay tuned as we work behind the scenes to create a website that better supports both current members and those new to the TBLC, and that more effectively advances our shared educational mission.

Top ↑

ETBLC News
Marina Di Carro, Antonella Lotti, and Giuseppe Borzellino

The Experience of the Italian Community of Practice

The Italian Team-Based Learning (TBL) Community of Practice was founded in 2021 by Antonella Lotti, Professor of Educational Design and Teaching and Learning Strategies at the University of Foggia, and Marina Di Carro, Professor of Analytical Chemistry at the University of Genoa. The initiative arose from their shared experience in training instructors in TBL at several Italian universities and aimed to address the sense of isolation often experienced by educators implementing TBL in contexts where the methodology is not yet widespread. 

Drawing inspiration from the international TBL community, the founders aimed to establish a national space where Italian instructors could share experiences, and exchange effective strategies grounded in traditional TBL principles.

The Community of Practice was established as an online network and meets monthly. Participation is open to instructors with basic TBL training or prior experience, allowing discussions to focus on design and implementation rather than introductory issues.

Since 2024, the community has been coordinated by Antonella Lotti, Marina Di Carro, and Giuseppe Borzellino, Professor of General Surgery at the University of Verona. The facilitators cyclically revisit key aspects of TBL design and new challenges, such as the use of AI.

The main benefit of the community lies in peer-to-peer dialogue. Participants share successes and difficulties, receive feedback, and explore disciplinary perspectives. This exchange supports continuous improvement, reinforces alignment with TBL principles, and promotes reflective and rigorous teaching practice. Currently involving around 15 active members and having engaged approximately 40 instructors nationwide, the Italian TBL Community of Practice represents a meaningful model of professional development. 

Top ↑

Dear Appy

Dear Appy,

I teach a first semester undergraduate general chemistry course in TBL. I provide lecture videos, slides, textbook reading, and other resources to the students to help them prepare for each module. However, students spend insufficient time preparing, and/or are unable to prepare effectively. As a result, these students rely on the better prepared students in the team during the t-RAT and activity. How do I motivate the students to do the pre-work beyond the iRAT and how do I help them develop their study skills so that they can be better prepared for the module?

Jane

Dear Jane,

This is a great question, and you are not alone in this matter. First-year undergraduate students come with widely different backgrounds and experiences in the physical sciences but also in their ability to study independently. The pre-work is an essential part of TBL as it provides the foundation knowledge needed for the TBL module. In physical sciences like chemistry, physics, and mathematics, acquiring this background knowledge can be particularly overwhelming, especially for students with lower backgrounds. Here are a few strategies that can help students prepare more effectively and motivate them to engage with the process:

• Encourage students to experiment with various metacognitive strategies. Many first-year students simply do not know how to study effectively. For example, many students will watch lecture videos like they watch a movie, without engaging with the material. Another common study strategy students use is rote memorization, where they just read and reread the content until they can recite it. While these strategies may have been sufficient in middle and high school, they are not adequate in college classes. Introducing students to effective learning strategies [1, 2] and encouraging them to use and adapt those strategies to their own learning styles can help them prepare more effectively for the in-class RAP and activity. Examples of commonly used strategies may include taking notes while watching the lecture videos, writing summaries in their own words, writing down questions they have about the concepts, study-groups (why not their own team?), self- quizzing, do more practice problems on the concepts they find difficult, etc. In my general chemistry course, students can submit a summary of their pre-work and use it during the i-RAT.
• Introduce time management strategies. Another skill students tend to lack is time management. [1, 3] They wait until the last minute to do the pre-work, which does not give them enough time to get a sufficient grasp of the material. I typically recommend they give themselves at least three days for a thorough preparation. I also motivate students to schedule their preparation by turning in a ‘pre-work calendar’ for a little extra credit. Essentially, students block time on their outlook calendar to do the pre-work and specifically outline what they will do during those times. For instance: on Monday at 2pm-3pm, watch lecture videos 1 and do 5 example problems.
• Use your teaching/learning assistants if you have any. Learning assistants (LAs) are senior peers who went through a pedagogy course and took the same class previously. They form a cohesive team with the instructor and support students both inside and outside of class. They have proven to be a great resource in many instructional settings, as they promote student confidence and belonging in the classroom. [4] Learning assistants can also be a great resource for the TBL classroom. I normally recruit learning assistants who took my TBL class. As peers, they can share strategies that were helpful to them when doing their own preparation for the modules. They also have office hours where they can answer students’ questions about the material. Students are typically less intimidated when seeking help from peers than from the professor.
• Look up your institution's resources. Many institutions offer resources to students to develop their study skills and time management skills. Many also provide peer-tutoring resources. Encouraging students to take advantage of these resources can promote their success in the TBL classroom.

References:

[1] Muteti, C. Z.; Zarraga, C.; Jacob, B. I.; Mwarumba, T. M.; Nkhata, D. B.; Mwavita, M.; Mohanty, S.; Mutambuki, J. M. I realized what I was doing was not working: the influence of explicit teaching of metacognition on students’ study strategies in a general chemistry I course. Chemistry Education Research and Practice 2021, 22 (1), 122-135, 10.1039/D0RP00217H. DOI: 10.1039/D0RP00217H.

[2] Mutambuki, J. M.; Mwavita, M.; Muteti, C. Z.; Jacob, B. I.; Mohanty, S. Metacognition and Active Learning Combination Reveals Better Performance on Cognitively Demanding General Chemistry Concepts than Active Learning Alone. Journal of Chemical Education 2020, 97 (7), 1832-1840. DOI: 10.1021/acs.jchemed.0c00254.

[3] Kornell, N.; Bjork, R. A. The promise and perils of self-regulated study. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review 2007, 14 (2), 219-224. DOI: 10.3758/BF03194055.


[4] Clements, K. A.; Zepeda, C. D.; Leich Hilbun, A.; Todd, T.; Clements, T. P.; Johnson, H. J.; Watkins, J.; Friedman, K. L.; Brame, C. J. “They Have Shown Me It Is Possible to Thrive within STEM”: Incorporating Learning Assistants in General Chemistry Enhances Student Belonging and Confidence. Journal of Chemical Education 2023, 100 (11), 4200-4211. DOI: 10.1021/acs.jchemed.2c01224.

Top ↑

NEWS Flash
Larry Michaelsen, PhD, Holly Bender, PhD, and Michele Clark, PhD

We're excited to share that a new edition of Team-Based Learning: A Transformative Use of Small Groups in  Teaching (2nd edition) is on the way! This updated volume brings together leading voices in the TBL community to offer practical guidance, fresh perspectives, and real-world examples of how TBL continues to evolve across disciplines and learning environments. 

Designed for both new and experienced practitioners, the book highlights best practices, innovative applications, and emerging uses of technology. Throughout the chapters, QR codes link to short video reflections, allowing readers to hear directly from other TBL experts, adding rich, authentic voices to the content. 

Stay tuned for release details. We're excited to share this important new resource with the TBLC community!

Top ↑

TBLC 2026 Annual Conference and the Science of Team Science Collaborating together to present information on the magic of teams
Wayne McCormack, PhD

Wayne McCormack, Past President of the International Network for the Science of Team Science (INSciTS), shares his journey exploring Team-Based Learning (TBL) and the Science of Team Science (SciTS). His work highlights how insights from research on teams can inform and strengthen teaching practice, helping to bridge the gap between what we know about effective teams and how we actually design and support teams in the classroom.

I first encountered Team-Based Learning (TBL) twenty years ago while addressing two persistent challenges in biomedical sciences graduate education: teaching and assessing scientific thinking and preparing students for the ethical and collaborative realities of research.

In my graduate immunology course, lectures covered core concepts, but exams required students to interpret data and design experiments—skills they had not been explicitly taught. TBL helped bridge that gap. Readiness Assurance Tests (RATs) provide regular knowledge checks, while application exercises give students structured practice applying concepts in ways expected on exams and in the lab.

TBL also transformed my Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) course. Instead of lectures and inconsistent discussions, students prepare through readings and engage in team-based case analyses of real ethical dilemmas. Using a pre/post ethical decision-making (EDM) assessment, this TBL approach was shown to reduce the declines in ethical reasoning often reported in traditional RCR training and produce modest gains.

Later, while directing our Biomedical Sciences PhD program, my focus expanded to teamwork in research training. Recognizing the growing importance of cross- disciplinary collaboration in NIH-funded research, I developed the Clinical and Translational Science (CTS) Teams model, where PhD students from different disciplines collaborate on shared research aims within their doctoral work. This experience led me to the Science of Team Science (SciTS) community and to my current work exploring the intersection of team science and team-based learning.

The parallels between Team-Based Learning (TBL) and the Science of Team Science (SciTS) are striking. TBL demonstrates how diverse teams can drive deep learning, while SciTS connects research and practice to strengthen cross-disciplinary collaboration with real-world impact.

Can insights from SciTS help TBL practitioners better understand the team structures and processes that create even more productive and satisfying learning teams? Explore this question and more at the 2026 TBL Collaborative Conference in Vancouver, which overlaps by one day with the 2026 SciTS Conference. Consider staying a few extra days to take a deeper dive into SciTS—and take advantage of a registration discount for both conferences. I look forward to seeing you there!

Wayne T. McCormack, PhD
Distinguished Teaching Scholar & Professor
University of Florida College of Medicine
Past-President, Team-Based Learning Collaborative (TBLC)
Past President, International Network for the Science of Team Science (INSciTS)

Top ↑

New Members in the News
Dr. Danish Ahmad

Dr. Ahmad is pleased to share with TBL members a recent open-access publication from colleagues at the School of Medicine and Psychology at the Australian National University titled: 

"The practices and strategies for implementing team-based learning in pre-clinical medical education: a systematic review" (February 2026)

This systematic review provides a comprehensive global overview of how medical schools are implementing Team-Based Learning (TBL) across pre-clinical Years 1 and 2.

Beyond mapping international adoption, the paper highlights:

• Country-by-country analyses of TBL implementation
• Discipline-specific insights across the foundational sciences
• Detailed descriptions of practice across all stages of TBL
  - Preparation
  - Readiness Assurance
  - Application Exercises
• Outcomes related to student learning and performance

Importantly, the review synthesizes best practices and practical strategies that may support institutions already using TBL or those considering its adoption as a core approach in medical education. It offers an evidence-informed perspective on how TBL continues to evolve and strengthen outcomes in medical curricula worldwide.

This article can be accessed here: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12909-026-08713-x

With best wishes,
Dr. Danish Ahmad
School of Medicine and Psychology
Australian National University

Top ↑

It is once again time to begin thinking about selection of those to serve on the Steering Committee of the Team-Based Learning Collaborative (TBLC). This is the governing body that determines the direction of TBLC and all our various programs and activities. 

This message is a call to our membership for those who wish to be considered by the Nominating Committee as potential candidates. This year, we have also added a new Member-at-Large (MAL) position.

The following positions are up for election this year:

• Member-at-Large (New): The focus of this Member-at-Large (MAL) will be on expanding practice of TBL in international postsecondary education settings, and in disciplines beyond medical and health sciences education. This MAL will collaborate with the Steering Committee and the TBLC community to promote TBL internationally. Requiring effective collaboration skills, this role will be instrumental to furthering the reach of TBL and engagement with the TBLC. This individual will need to understand the dynamics of higher education across disciplines, and in a global context, as well as how TBL can enhance the educational experience for both faculty and students in all disciplines.
  
  
• Treasurer: The Treasurer oversees the financial records of the TBLC according to standard accounting practices, and, whether performed personally or through the Collaborative’s management staff, is responsible for safeguarding the TBLC funds. The Treasurer shall receive quarterly reports from all individuals and Committees that manage funds and/or keep TBLC accounts. He or she presents periodic reports on the financial status of the TBLC to the Steering Committee and a full report to the membership at the Annual Business Meeting. The Treasurer shall be elected for one term of two years and may be re-elected for one additional term for a total of four years.

Steering Committee meetings are held via Zoom every month and additional business may be conducted through email. 

If this opportunity to expand your influence in Team-Based Learning while advancing the work of TBLC fits your personal career goals, then you are invited to submit your nomination for these positions. Self-nominations are welcome!

Please click here to submit your nomination.

The deadline for nominations is March 20, 2026.

As a reminder, the Team-Based Learning Collaborative (TBLC) invites all educators to attend our 25th Annual Conference on Team-Based Learning scheduled for May 2-6, 2026, at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The theme for this year's conference is "Team-Based Learning: Methods, Mindsets, and Impacts."

May 2-6, 2026

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Conference Highlights: Pre-conference workshops are scheduled for May 2 and May 3, 2026. These sessions will provide attendees with the Fundamentals of Team-Based Learning, including the creation of modules and effective implementation strategies.

The conference will have two plenary addresses presented by experts in the field of TBL. Our plenary speakers are Dr. Wayne McCormack, Distinguished Teaching Scholar and Professor at the University of Florida, and Dr. Paul Haidet, Director of Medical Education Research at the Penn State College of Medicine.

The conference will also include hands-on workshops, oral presentations, and poster session. While pre-conference Fundamentals workshops will provide attendees with the basics of Team-Based Learning, sessions on Innovation and Research & Scholarship will challenge attendees to further develop their skills or collect, analyze, and publish their work in Team-Based Learning.

Don't forget the Early Bird Deadline to register for #TBLC26 is 11:59 PM EDT March 15, 2026!

For conference lodging and travel information, click here. The deadline to reserve your stay and ensure the conference rate is April 1, 2026! 

As a reminder, to explore potential synergies, the TBLC 2026 Conference will overlap with the International Network for the Science of Team Science (INSciTS) SciTS Conference, which will be taking place May 6-9, 2026, at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver. Those who register for the TBLC Conference will be given a $200 USD discount code for the SciTS Conference. That discount code will be available in your confirmation email! 

For more information, visit the TBLC 2026 Annual Conference website. We look forward to seeing you in Vancouver in May!

President's Message
ETBLC News
News from the Web
Training and Certification
TBL Tips
Dear Appy
TBLC Connection
Trading Teaching Tips

President's Message
Richard Plunkett, PhD, University of British Columbia

Dear TBLC Members,

I would like to wish every one of our members—wherever you are in the world—a very Happy New Year! As we welcome a new calendar year and reflect on all that we have accomplished in 2025, I want to express my sincere gratitude to everyone who has contributed their time, energy, and passion to our shared work. 

First and foremost, thank you for being TBLC members—you are the organization. I am deeply appreciative of all our volunteers who make our efforts possible, and I would especially like to recognize those serving in the often-thankless roles on our Executive and Steering Committees. 

I also want to acknowledge the dedicated volunteer members of our standing committees, whose work supports our conferences, training programs, outreach and education initiatives, and so many other ways we serve our members and the global TBL community. Finally, my sincere thanks to the team at JulNet, who manage our activities and business affairs and provide essential administrative and technical support. We are truly grateful for all that you do.

Looking ahead, I am truly excited about the coming year, the new ideas taking shape, and the realization of plans we have been developing together. We are especially thrilled to launch our new TBL Module Design Series, a workshop designed to answer a question we hear often: "I've completed my TBL Fundamentals training—where can I go from here?"

We will also continue to support TBL users who wish to advance along along the certification pathway, from TBL Fundamentals to TBL Practitioner and TBL Trainer-Consultant. In addition, we remain deeply committed to the importance of educational research and scholarship. We are proud to support this work through TBLC Research Grants and by formally recognizing your contributions with annual awards, including Best Research Paper and Best Scholarship Paper. 

My goal as your President and my wish for the TBLC is to expand our global TBL community, and strengthen or ties with the collaborative. One way we can do this is to invite our colleagues to the party! I've learned from Larry Michaelsen that the best way to convince others of how well TBL works is for them to observe it first-hand—I encourage you to invite others to come see it in action! Likewise, I invite every one of you to get involved with the TBLC as a volunteer. Please join the party!

As always, we welcome your ideas, inspiration, and feedback. Please feel free to reach out to our leadership team or contact me directly at richard.plunkett@ubc.ca. I wish you all a wonderful 2026, and I look forward to hearing from you, and to seeing many of you at the TBLC Annual Conference in Vancouver. 

Top ↑

ETBLC News
Simon Tweddell, EdD, BPharm, PFHEA, FRPharmS, University of Bradford, UK

Need a Hand with TBL? Let's Make It Easy!

Whether you're just starting out or wrestling with a tricky TBL challenge, I'm here to help! I've launched a training and consulting service offering personalized TBL coaching and mentoring, plus in-person workshops designed around your needs. 

I can also deliver the full set of five workshops that make up the "Knowledge of the Fundamentals of TBL" Certificate—on site and in-person. Support can be 1-to-1, online, or face-to-face, and yes, I'm happy to travel worldwide for workshops!

I can also offer custom online workshops (though not the online Fundamentals program, to avoid competing with TBLC/Cognalearn). All sessions are delivered by me or other TBLC-certified Trainer-Consultants. 

With 13+ years of hands-on TBL experience and over a decade helping educators worldwide introduce TBL to universities and schools, I know what works—and what doesn't. 

Want to learn more? Visit www.talenteducation.co.uk or email me at simon@talent-es.co/uk. I'd be happy to arrange a no-obligation online meeting to explore what you need.

Dr. Simon Tweddell, EdD, Director of TALENT Educational Services Ltd. and Professor of Pharmacy Education.

Testimonial:

"The TBL Fundamentals course was a seminal educational experience for me. I have been involved in education for more than 20 years, and this is the best course I have attended. The content was comprehensive and relevant, and I felt prepared to design and lead my own TBL sessions after attending. I was particularly impressed by the delivery of the material, all done in TBL format, which emphasised the advantages of this teaching modality and allowed me to experience the material from a learner's perspective. Professor Tweddell and his team were superb, role-modeling effective facilitation brilliantly throughout. I would highly recommend this to others interested in learning TBL."

-Dr. Andrew MN Walker, MRCP, FHEA, PhD, Lecturer/Honorary Consultant Cardiologist, University of Leeds/Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, UK.

Top ↑

News from the Web
Robert Estes, PhD, University of Alabama at Birmingham

Interested in learning more about upcoming TBL workshop opportunities? Be sure to visit the TBLC website for the latest dates and details. We are excited to offer a new Module Design Series, with information on upcoming sessions, times, costs, registration, and contact details all available online. 

You can also find information about the TBL Fundamentals Series on the website, including 2026 dates and options for both virtual and in-person participation. For this and more, we encourage you to explore the "Calendar and Events" section of the TBLC website. 

Top ↑

Training and Certification
Sandy Cook, PhD

The Training & Certification Committee could not do its work without the dedication of so many of you who serve as mentors and reviewers—thank you for your contribution of time and expertise. We are grateful for your support.

If you have questions about certification, becoming a reviewer or mentor, challenges about the process, please feel free to reach out to me. I'm always happy to help! (sandy.cook@duke-nus.edu.sg). 

We have a total of 19 Certified Practitioners who are still active members of TBLC.

 4 were certified as of last year!

And 47 practitioner mentees in progress of certification!

None of this could be accomplished without the help of the many reviewers. A special thank you to those who reviewed the 2025 portfolios:

• Neal Carter, Brigham Young University-Idaho
• Sandy Cook, Professor Emeritus, Duke-NUS Medical School
• Charles Gullo, The Valley College of Osteopathic Medicine
• Sarah Lerchenfeldt, Oakland University
• Brooke Nodeland, Sam Houston State University
• Ernesto Ocampo, Universidad Católica del Uruguay
• Gustavo Patino, Western Michigan University

In addition, our new TBL Module Design Series begins February 3 from 8:00 PM - 11:00 PM ET. If you've completed the TBL Fundamentals and are looking for support in developing your own TBL module, we encourage you to check it out! Apply here.

Top ↑

 

TBL Tips
Zachary R. Noel, PharmD, PhD, FCCP, BCCP, University of North Carolina Eshelman School of Pharmacy

Using AI to assist with peer feedback efforts

Providing high-quality peer feedback is a persistent challenge in Team-Based Learning (TBL). Even with rater training and structured criteria, students often default to vague or overly positive comments, driven by time constraints and socioemotional concerns (e.g., fear of harming relationships or "being too harsh). This study examined whether generative AI could serve as a practical support to improve the quality of qualitative peer feedback without undermining how feedback is received. 

In a randomized study of 129 third-year PharmD students in a TBL-aligned course, teams were assigned to either self-generate (SG) feedback or AI-assisted feedback. Both groups received guidance aligned with the Task-Gap-Action (TGAP) framework. The AI-assisted group, however, used a carefully designed, partially completed prompt: students supplied their evaluative judgements about peers' behaviors and contributions, while AI helped structure and articulate the feedback message. 

Using TGAP-based coding, AI-assisted feedback demonstrated significantly higher quality across all domains. Students using AI were approximately four times more likely to provide specific, actionable suggestions for improvement and substantially more likely to clearly identify strengths and performance gaps. Nearly two-thirds of AI-assisted comments met strong criteria across all TGAP components, compared with only a small fraction of self-generated comments. 

Importantly for TBL practitioners, these gains did not come at a socioemotional cost. Despite being more direct and improvement-focused, AI-assisted feedback was received just as positively as self-generated feedback, with very few students reporting negative effect. 

Several design considerations are critical. AI was intentionally positioned as a thought partner, not a replacement for judgement. The prompt was pre-vetted and behaviorally anchored, and students were still responsible for supplying observations and evaluative decisions. This approach does not replace the need to teach students what effective feedback requires, nor does it eliminate the importance of clear performance criteria. Instead, AI appears to reduce the cognitive and emotional burden of message construction, allowing students to focus more fully on observation, evaluation, and actionable goal setting—core outcomes of effective peer evaluation in TBL. 

The link to the full text article can be found by clicking here.

Top ↑

Dear Appy

Dear Appy,

I hope this message finds you well. I wanted to share some insights regarding the peer feedback process at my institution, where students provide qualitative (narrative-type) feedback on their peers. In this process, they identify the single most valuable contribution of each team member and suggest improvements for enhancing team effectiveness. Faculty members also provide qualitative feedback to assess whether students meet the established standards.

One challenge we face is that much of the feedback is insincere, vague, and often sugar-coated. what can I do to improve the quality of feedback?

-Peering In

Dear Peering In,

I believe it's crucial to motivate students to provide high-quality peer feedback that is genuinely usable for the recipients. We feel improving the quality of peer feedback is essential for fostering a culture of constructive criticism and self-improvement. TBL serves as a platform where teammates can learn from one another, appreciating different approaches to problem-solving through collective contributions. This process allows ample opportunities for interaction, enabling students to observe the strengths and weaknesses of their peers. There are several strategies to enhance the quality of peer feedback based on Michaelsen and Schultheiss's helpful tips. (Michaelsen, L.K. & Schultheiss, E.E. 1989-). 

Training During Orientation Week:

• Workshops on effective feedback techniques, emphasizing expectations for quality feedback.
• Structured rubrics, focusing on ownership, specifically relevance, and constructiveness based on Michaelsen and Schultheiss's helpful tips. 
• Real-life examples illustrate how constructiive feedback can lead to improvement, helping students connect feedback to personal growth.

Grading and Evaluation:

• Consider implementing a grading system for student feedback, allowing them to see how their comments align with expectations. 
• Consider a dual review system in which faculty members provide qualitative feedback on peer submissions, highlighting strengths and areas for improvement. This ensures that each student's feedback is reviewed by both primary and secondary reviewers to maintain balanced evaluations.

Accountability Measures

• Students who do not meet rubric requirements can redo their feedback until is is satisfactory. 
• Encourage students to reflect on their peer feedback experiences (metacognition) and how they've applied feedback in the past. 

Despite these measures, a small number of students hesitate to provide constructive criticism, often resorting to vague statements or repeating the same feedback verbatim for all team members. 

To address this, consider:

• Debriefing sessions: Facilitating student-student and student-faculty pairing in small groups that would guide them in providing valuable feedback and understanding its implications. 
• Rewards: Recognizing and rewarding exceptional feedback may foster a culture that values constructive criticism. 
• Incorporating Technology: Implementing AI tools to analyze feedback submissions for patterns can help faculty address common issues in feedback quality. (See the TBL Tips section above for ideas). 
• Curriculum Integration: Using peer feedback as a reliable assessment tool for evaluating professionalism (Burgess et al). This would promote accountability and collaborative growth.

By implementing these strategies within TBL, we can promote a culture of quality peer feedback that enhances team effectiveness and encourages self-improvement and accountability among students. 

Thank you for considering these insights. I look forward to your thoughts.

Warm regards,
Appy

References: 

Michaelsen, L. K., & Schultheiss, E. E. (1989). Making Feedback Helpful. Organizational Behavior Teaching Review, 13(1), 109-113.
https://doi.org/10.1177/105256298801300114 (Original work published 1989)).

Burgess A, Roberts C, Lane AS, Haq I, Clark T, Kalman E, Pappalardo N, Bleasel J. Peer review in team-based learning: influencing feedback literacy. BMC Med Educ.
2021 Aug 12;21(1):426. doi: 10.1186/s12909-021-02821-6. PMID: 34384418; PMCID:
PMC8359024

Top ↑

TBLC Connection: YOU Are the TBLC!
Charles Gullo, PhD, Caroline Wilson, PhD, and Michele Clark, PhD

Like many organizations, TBLC has faced challenges in terms of growing its membership, despite the strong efforts of several committees. Declining membership signals an important opportunity for growth. Because membership is vital to the success of our organization, the Membership Committee remains committed in promoting TBLC and fostering greater participation across our community.

We need your help!

In response to these challenges, we are excited to launch a renewed effort to increase engagement and deepen connections within TBLC by focusing on broadening participation at all levels of membership, especially among our current committee members.

One example of potential help is with Trading Teaching Tips (Triple T, TTT, T3) sessions, which are designed to provide excellent hands-on, interactive professional learning opportunities. Even though these sessions offer tremendous value to our members, attendance has been lower than we hoped. All members, especially committee members, please actively participate in T3 sessions and promote such activities within your professional networks. Check out the T3 archive if you can't make it to a meeting (requires member login). 

Members, please continue to help with your insights, ideas, and participation to help move our vision forward. Whether by sharing suggestions to support this cultural shift or by contributing a short piece to the TBLC newsletter, your voice truly matters. 

Thank you for your continued commitment to TBLC. Please take a few minutes to complete this short survey by clicking here. 

For more information:

• T3 sessions: Contact Charles Gullo (charles.gullo@thevalleycom.org)
• Newsletter contributions: Contact Michele Clark (michele.clark@unlv.edu)
• Membership information: Contact Rebecca Orr (rorr@collin.edu)

For all other questions or concerns, please email support@tblcadmin.org and note your area of interest in the subject line. 

Top ↑

Trading Teaching Tips (Triple T, TTT, T3)

Trading Teaching Tips (Formerly Social Hour) brought BIG CHANGES to the TBLC Social Hour in 2025, and we are continuing this effort in 2026! To focus on many different inclusive, active teaching practices, the Membership Committee is excited to continue these bimonthly sessions called to be held in the "even months" continuing in 2026 as it was in 2025.

Recordings of the previous TTT sessions can be found in the archive (members website). Recordings of the previous Social Hour sessions (prior to TTT starting) can be found here (members website).

Update for February TTT

The February TTT will be 12:00 PM EST Wednesday, February 11, 2026.

Presenter: Zachary R. Noel, PharmD, PhD, BCCP, FCCP, Associate Professor at the University of North Carolina Eshelman School of Pharmacy
Title: AI-Supported Peer-Feedback in Team-Based Learning
Description: In this session, we will explore how artificial intelligence can be used to support peer feedback in team-based learning (TBL). We will discuss findings from a recent randomized study and examine how AI-assisted feedback influenced both feedback providers and recipients. 

Be on the lookout for more information regarding the February TTT. Keep an eye on your inbox! 

To register for the February TTT, click here.

Curious about what happens during a TTT session?

If you haven't participated in one, we invite you to a recent recording featuring one of our members discussing how TBL is applied outside of academia. The session is lively, insightful, and a wonderful way to experience the engaging spirit of our TTTs. To watch this session, click here.

Top ↑

President's Message
Certification
New from the Web
TBLC Officially Launches New Podcast
Discover and Share the New TBLC Brochure!
Members in the News
Dear Appy
Exciting Opportunity: Join the New Member-Guide Program
Trading Teaching Tips (TTT)

President's Message
Richard Plunkett, PhD, University of British Columbia

Dear TBLC Members,

I sincerely hope this finds each of you doing well. It is my distinct privilege and a genuine pleasure to deliver my first message as your President. I am inspired by those who came before me—the previous leaders who served as examples and role models, and offered guidance and mentorship. Likewise, I am thrilled at the chance to work with colleagues in the TBLC community to build momentum.

I would like to give a special thanks to Dr. Will Ofstad for his outstanding service as President of the TBLC. Although his role as Past President may be less visible, Will will remain an invaluable member of our collaborative leadership team.

On a personal note, I am deeply grateful for his wise advice, steady encouragement, and gentle nudges (and I fully intend to keep reaching out whenever I get stuck!). Will established a meaningful framework of Growth, Gratitude, and Community as the foundation for our collaboration, and I am committed to carrying this vision forward.

In the TBLC, we are fortunate to be part of an increasingly global community of colleagues and peers who share strong commitment to learner-centered education. I see this dedication firsthand in every interaction I have with you. At the European TBL Community's Symposium this summer, the conference theme was innovation in TBL, and all the activities were energized by a shared excitement at the conference program rightly called "spirit."

The spirit was present in the fall TBLC Virtual Forum, where the subject was TBL Without Borders. While participants and presenters alike were discussing TBL outside of formal academic environments—in coaching, patient care, workforce training—the message came through loud and clear: no matter what the setting, we genuinely care about the learners.

I invite you to engage with one another through the TBLC. There are so many ways to share your enthusiasm and add your voice to our community! You can join our online "Trading Teaching Tips" sessions, ask "Dear Appy" a question, or submit your favorite module to our Resource Portal.

You might also consider contributing by serving on a TBLC Committee—your experience and ideas can make a real difference. And don't forget what first inspired you to use TBL and how you discovered the TBLC — then invite a few friends to join us and share in the excitement!

Finally, I want to personally invite each of you to the 2026 TBLC Annual Conference from 2-5 May at my own institution, the University of British Columbia's sister campus in Vancouver, Canada. The conference theme will be "Team-Based Learning: Methods, Mindsets, and Impacts." I hope to see you there! In the meantime, please do not hesitate to reach out to me at richard.plunkett@ubc.ca because I would love to hear your thoughts, ideas, and concerns.

With warmest regards,
Richard Plunkett
President, TBLC

Top ↑

Certification
Sandy Cook, PhD

A quick reminder: The next online Fundamentals of TBL Series will be offered in January 2026—you can find details and register here.

If you know colleagues or friends who want to deepen their understanding of the TBL process, please encourage them to sign up! The cost is $562.09 (through InteDashboard).

For those who prefer an in-person learning experience, the Fundamentals Series will also be available during the Annual TBLC Conference, May 2-5, 2026, in Vancouver, BC, Canada. Stay tuned for upcoming details here.

It's a wonderful opportunity to connect, learn, and grow within our global TBL community!

NEW Module Design Series!

If you've completed the Fundamentals and are struggling where to start in adapting or designing your own TBL module, we're excited to announce the NEW Module Design Series! The sessions are scheduled for February 3, March 3, April 7, and May 12, 2026, from 8-11 PM ET. The series will be a synchronous, online workshop. 

The pilot series is available at a special rate of $350 USD for all participants. After the pilot, the next run of the series will be $700 USD for members, $840 USD for non-members, and $350 USD for trainees/students. Contact me (sandy.cook@duke-nus.edu.sg) if you have questions, or support@tblcadmin.org if you are interested in signing up for the February run and we will send you the registration link as soon as it is ready.

This is a fantastic opportunity to gain hands-on guidance and bring your TBL modules to life—don't miss out!

Top ↑

New from the Web
Robert Estes, PhD

Discover the Benefits of TBLC Membership!

Are you new to the TBLC and ready to explore all that membership has to offer? Visit the "Explore Benefits of Membership" link on the non-member homepage—or click "Benefits of Membership" under the "Be a Member" tab at the top of the page.

On the Member Website, you'll find details about valuable member resources, including access to the Resource Bank, certification opportunities, membership guides, research grants, and collaboration networks.  

The TBLC Community offers a wealth of professional growth opportunities — your next step toward connection, collaboration, and innovation starts on the website!

Top ↑

TBLC Officially Launches New Podcast
Lauren Vicker

After years of discussion among members of the Marketing Committee, the Team-Based Learning Collaborative (TBLC) is thrilled to announce the launch of its own podcast! Under the name and logo of the "TBLC Podcast," we'll be sharing monthly conversations with educators and professionals who are using Team-Based Learning (TBL) in creative and impactful ways.

Our first five episodes feature:

• Dr. Rebecca Andrews-Dickert - sharing her experience completing the Practitioner Certification Program.
• Dr. Simon Tweddell - discussing his engagement within the TBLC from the UK and the activities of the European Collaborative. 
• Rachel Wood - highlighting how she uses TBL with neurodivergent learners in secondary schools.
• Tim Franz - describing his journey from TBL skeptic to true believer. 
• Tom Jansen - exploring how he integrates TBL into his work with Scouting America, both in the U.S. and internationally.

We hope members will share these episodes with colleagues and friends outside the Collaborative to spark interest and expand our community. Each new episode will be posted on LinkedIn as soon as it's released—making it easy for members to like, comment, and share, all of which helps raise TBLC's visibility and grow our social media presence. 

Lauren Vicker from the Marketing Committee is currently serving as host and conducting interviews. The original theme music was composed and performed by Dr. Joseph Loporcaro, of the University of Rochester. And editing is done by Josh Ramos, of Wolf Cry Productions. Support for the podcast comes from the Marketing Committee Chair, Tom Jansen.

The TBLC Podcase is currently on Libsyn and episodes can be found as this link: https://sites.libsyn.com/585580, as well as Apple podcasts, Firefox, Spotify, and Chrome.

Members are encouraged to suggest topics and guests that will be of interest to TBL users as well as professionals working in related fields in education, business, leadership, social sciences, marketing, and administration. Feel free to send suggestions and feedback to members of the Marketing Committee at marketing@tblccoms.org. 

Top ↑

Discover and Share the New TBLC Brochure!
Tom Jansen

The new Team-Based Learning Collaborative (TBLC) brochure is here—and it's the perfect tool to introduce colleagues, administrators, and potential members to the power of Team-Based Learning. This beautifully designed, information-packed resource highlights the TBLC's mission, vision, and core values, and showcases the many member benefits available—research grants, mentoring, certification programs, teaching resources, and professional networking opportunities through conferences, forums, and Communities of Practice.

Ideal for sharing at conferences, departmental meetings, or with potential members, the brochure provides a clear, engaging overview of how TBLC supports learner-centered education and empowers educators to enhance teaching through teamwork, accountability, and active learning.

Help grow our global community—share the new TBLC brochure and inspire others to join the movement dedicated to transforming education through collaboration and evidence-based teaching. To view the new TBLC brochure, click here.

Top ↑

Members in the News

Dean Parmelee

After 21 years at Boonshoft School of Medicine—18 as Dean of Medical Education—Dean "retired" in July 2022, but quickly returned to the work he loves. From his new home in New York City, he collaborated with the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and led an expanded faculty development series on Team-Based Learning for Weill Cornell-Qatar.

He also co-founded Alacer Medical Education Solution (www.alacermedicaleducation.com), an organization that partners with medical schools to support faculty development, promotion, and accreditation. In addition, Dean joined a Manhattan-based psychiatric practice specializing in telemedicine, ketamine, and TMS therapies.

A passionate advocate for teaching innovation, he continues to mentor TBL colleagues across disciplines, contribute to research on the scholarship of teaching and learning, and review manuscripts for leading journals, including Academic Medicine, Medical Educator, and BMJ.

Wayne McCormack

Wayne McCormack, professor at the University of Florida, has recently received several prestigious honors recognizing his exceptional contributions to education and team science:

• Lifetime Achievement Award - UF College of Medicine Society of Teaching Scholars (March 2025).
• Distinguished Educator Award - the Rebecca Jackson Award for Outstanding Achievement in Education Innovation - Association for Clinical & Translational Research (April 2025).
• Senior Fellow - International Network for the Science of Team Science (INSciTS) (July 2025).

These recognitions highlight his enduring impact on innovative teaching and the advancement of collaborative research.

Lauren Vicker and Tim Franz

Lauren Vicker and Tim Franz, of St. John Fisher University, recently published an opinion piece, "4 Ways to Better Grade Team Projects," in the October 14, 2025, edition of Inside Higher Ed. Read it here.

The article offers practical strategies for making team assessment fairer and more effective — an issue many instructors grapple with. Lauren and Tim also recently released their new book, Making Team Projects Work: A College Instructor's Guide to Successful Student Groupwork (Taylor & Francis, 2025), which expands on their proven approaches to building and evaluating high-performing student teams. 

Top ↑

Dear Appy

Dear Appy,

I'm a medical educator looking to extend the Team-Based Learning (TBL) and I'm looking for something that goes beyond teaching content to imitate real-world clinical decision-making. Is there anything I can add to strengthen active learning? Something that goes beyond teaching content to imitating real-world clinical decision-making. How can I take TBL to the next level in medical education?

- Searching for Synergy

Dear Searching for Synergy,

Great question! You're right — TBL is a powerful tool in medical education, and its potential expands far beyond simple case discussions. TBL supports not only mastery of content, but also the development of teamwork, systems thinking, and interprofessional communication, which are key competencies in medical education as well as other disciplines. TBL has proven effective for knowledge acquisition and peer learning, but its use often remains confined to isolated cases during application activities that are not contiguous with clinical processes. What if we take it to another level where application exercise becomes an integral part of the daily health professional training, especially in chronic health problems? One innovative idea is to design a "Collaborative Clinical Pathway" model that links TBL with the workflow of medical practice. 

Here are some ideas for utilizing a Collaborative Clinical Pathway model:

1. Collaborative Clinical Decisions - Readiness assurance tests [IRAT/TRAT] will still be performed in class, based on prior readings about a selected problem, from cases seen in clinical encounters. The IRAT and TRAT aim at solidifying the students' basic knowledge, supporting them in building the essential foundation for clinical decision-making. During clinical encounters, teams will be tasked to produce team-generated outputs that reflect real-world clinical tasks for their patients being discussed. The 4-S applications may request them to share a SOAP note (Subjective, Objective, Assessment, Plan) or management plan. A draft a discharge summary might be the presented as a gallery-walk activity. Finally, a specific choice decision should be agreed upon by the teams (i.e., a modified SOAP note or a discharge summary that would be simultaneously reported).
2. Cross-Team Consults - During clinical rotations, in primary care units or hospital settings, teams can be asked at critical junctures, to mutually "consult" each other regarding additional information about the patient under their care, simulating interdisciplinary collaboration (e.g., calling cardiology or infectious disease). In this case, team members will be playing alternative roles of primary care physicians, and specialists, while "Cross team consults," will be a team decision. Facilitators should be trained to steer the discussion towards creating appropriate "critical junctures," prompting teams to opt to specialists' consultation (i.e., a cardiologist or respirologist as appropriate). This is expected to reinforce collaborative problem-solving.
3. Dynamic Role Assignments - Within teams, students may rotate through clinical roles (e.g., intern, resident, consultant, public health officer), as they engage in clinical decision-making. This fosters appreciation of interdisciplinary perspectives and sharpens leadership, communication, and delegation of skills. Additionally, it helps all team members provide their perspective opinion on the significant problem and see the obstacles in tackling it.
   Longitudinal Team-based follow up: In clinical rotations, following up chronic patients by the same team may provide a chance for longitudinal assessment of the management plan, and making changes that can be re-assessed. Team members may rotate roles during this longitudinal journey to master each role. Planning this as a longitudinal application exercise will serve the essential 4 Ss, namely Significant Problem, Same Problem, Specific Choice, Simultaneous Reporting.
   - Significant Problem: Chronic health problems in a community (i.e., hypertension, DM, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease etc.) provide powerful resources for significant, realistic case-based educational material.
   - Same Problem: One of these problems could be assigned to learners' teams to address over a period of months (which could be a summer project), when they will be able to discuss it in the same community.
   - Specific Solution/Choice: Teams will be brainstorming for a solution/choice, which could be as simple as reducing risk factors such as smoking cessation or implementing healthy eating habits. It could also be studying cardiac or renal impact (other systems for the same chronic problem) in order to reach possible solutions; team members may pursue some of the following activities:
   A. Writing SOAP (Subjective, Objective, Assessment, and Plan), depending on the chosen case.
   B. Role-playing: Some roles include a nutritionist, physician, pharmacist, dentist, or Occupational therapist, etc.
   - Simultaneous Reporting: The team will work to analyze the problems and report the solution, or suggest interventions back to their class at the same time. 
4. Integration of Technology - Use an app-based platform where each team's decisions are logged and tracked over the patient's "journey." The system may generate feedback dashboards showing the management plan alignment with evidence-based guidelines and peer teams' performance. The Application may also be used as a log-book to track teams' decisions, outcomes achieved, patients' satisfaction or improvement of patients' signs that will help teams' handover to each other. It may also avoid duplication of solutions reported by teams. Some of these apps may add simple analytics to depict objective-attainment, while sequential collaborative decisions will be documented in progress notes, for quality check. 
5. Reflective Quality Improvement - All teams reconvene to analyze decision points, communication breakdowns, and learning opportunities. Using the Quality Improvement [QI] metrics will help assess the efficiency of solutions/interventions chosen by the teams. Through the use of iterative 4-stage PDSA cycle [Plan, Do, Study, Act], the teams will be able to see the gaps in intervention and plan the following team task accordingly.

The Collaborative Clinical Pathway model may therefore help students develop two other essential clinical competencies; namely technology and quality improvement.

These modifications of the educational process provide some suggestions to move the TBL from being just an in-class teaching strategy to a miniature simulation of real-world medical teamwork where knowledge, communication skills, systems thinking, and sequential accountability coverage. Not only do learners gain mastery of medical content, but they also practice the collaborative skills that underpin safe, effective patient care.

So, the next time you run a TBL session, I encourage you to take it a step further, from being a classroom activity, to an opportunity of a team-based drill for clinical life.

-Appy

Top ↑

Exciting Opportunity: Join the New Member-Guide Program
Michele Clark, PhD

During a TBLC Conference, past Membership Committee member Rick Goedde heard a keynote speaker ask, "Why doesn't the TBLC have a mentor program?" Rick immediately saw the value—after all, teachers mentor students every day. Why not connect new TBL instructors with experienced colleagues who could answer questions, share facilitation tips, and brainstorm classroom strategies?

With the Membership Committee's help, Rick launched the Member-Mentee Program in May 2020. Since then, participants have shaped their mentorships in different ways—some lasting a year, others just a meeting or two — but all gaining valuable insights and support. Over the past five years, the program has continued to grow and evolve. To better reflect the supportive relationship between mentor and mentee, it has been renamed the New Member Guide Program. 

If you've been a TBLC member for less than a year and want to learn from a seasoned TBL practitioner, sign up for the New Member Guide Program! You will be paired with a mentor, your TBL Guide, who will help you with your "burning questions" during your first year as a TBLC member. you'll have the chance to connect through Zoom or another platform to discuss challenges, share ideas, and strengthen your TBL practice. Sign up here: https://teambasedlearning.site-ym.com/page/NMMP-Mentee. 

Looking for a meaningful way to give back? Become a mentor! Help new members grow their confidence and skills while supporting the TBLC Community and advancing effective TBL practices. Contact anyone on the Membership Committee if you are interested. 

Top ↑

Trading Teaching Tips (TTT)
Caroline Wilson

Trading Teaching Tips (Formerly Social Hour) brought BIG CHANGES to the TBLC Social Hour. To focus on manu different inclusive, active teaching practices, the Membership Committee is excited to continue the bimonthly sessions called "TRADING TEACHING TIPS (Triple T, TTT) to be held in the "even months" continuing in 2026 as it was in 2025.

Recordings of the previous TTT sessions can be found in the archive (members website). Recordings of the previous Social Hour sessions (prior to TTT starting) can be found here (members website).

Update for December TTT

Be on the lookout for more information regarding the December TTT. Keep an eye on your inbox! 

To register for the December TTT, click here.

Curious about what happens during a TTT session?

If you haven't participated in one, we invite you to a recent recording featuring one of our members discussing how TBL is applied outside of academia. The session is lively, insightful, and a wonderful way to experience the engaging spirit of our TTTs. To watch this session, click here.

Top ↑

Applicants who are current TBLC members, or from a TBLC member institution are eligible to submit a proposal. Applicants may submit only one proposal. Applicants or supporting institutions must have been a TBLC member for at least the past 2 years prior to the time of application. Proposals with multiple investigators will be accepted; however, at least one investigator must meet the TBLC membership requirement. Previously successful applicants are not eligible to apply.

Deadline for Submission: December 5, 2025

Proposals are to be submitted here. If you have any questions or trouble submitting, please reach out via email before October 31 to support@tblcadmin.org.

Thank you,
Elizabeth Prabhakar, PhD
TBLC Research and Scholarship Chair

Research and Scholarship Committee
TBLC Certification
News from ETBLC
News from the Web
Members in the News
Dear Appy
TBL Tip
TBLC Connections
Trading Teaching Tips

Research and Scholarship Committee
Elizabeth Prabhakar, Chair

Contribute to the TBLC e-Journal - Join the Research and Scholarship Mentoring Programme!

The TBLC Research and Scholarship (RS) Committee is excited to launch a mentoring programme designed to grow the scholarly footprint of Team-Based Learning (TBL) and promote publications in the upcoming TBLC e-Journal.

We invite members of the TBL community to participate as mentors or mentees. In either role, you can propose "cool ideas in TBL" and collaborate to turn them into impactful scholarly projects.

Interested? Submit your name and idea title to support@tblcadmin.org.

We'll share the list of participants and proposed ideas in an upcoming newsletter. Let's innovate, collaborate, and publish together!

Top ↑

TBLC Certification
Sandy Cook

What's Next After Fundamentals?

The TBLC is excited to announce a new education series designed to help you take the next steps after completing the Fundamentals Certificate.

We have heard that, when creating TBL module(s), applying the principles in practice can be more challenging than expected. To support you in this challenge, we have created a new program called the TBL Module Design Series. The Series will consist of 4 modules:

• Learning Outcomes
• Applications
• Readiness Assurance Tests (RATs)
• Facilitator Guides

In each module, you will apply the fundamentals of TBL design to craft the elements of your module(s) while receiving peer and facilitator feedback.

This series will pilot in February 2026. To participate, you should have completed the basic principles of TBL covered in TBL Fundamentals Certification and have a course/module you want to convert to TBL.

The series will provide you with significant progress toward Knowledge Competency 2 - Module Design, which is part of the portfolio required for the TBL Practitioner Certificate.

The session will meet monthly (February, March, April, and May). You will have approximately 4 weeks between each session to complete your work on your module, and to give and get feedback to/from your peers and the facilitators.

We expect each session to run around 3-4 hours. The cost of the series will be $700, but for this pilot, we are offering a 50% discount - $350.

The dates and times for the series have not yet been set -- we'd like to first see who is interested and where participants are located. If you'd like to join, please contact Morgan Rash (morgan@tblcadmin.org), and we'll add you to our mailing list to help with scheduling. We are also looking for Certified Practitioners and Trainer/Consultants who might want to co-facilitate these sessions. Let Morgan know of your interest.

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me (sandy.cook@duke-nus.edu.sg). 

Top ↑

News from ETBLC
Dr. Graeme Jones, FRSC, CChem, SFHEA

European Team-Based Learning Community Symposium 2025 at Bournemouth University

On the 7th and 8th of July, 50 European TBLers congregated to our annual celebration of all things TBL at the seaside in sunny Bournemouth -- and, as promised by the local organizer Dr. Jonny Branney, it was really sunny.

It was a delight to welcome visitors from further afield, including a delegation of 'nice' Minnesotans and the worldwide TBL President Richard Plunkett from the University of British Columbia. The meeting was held in the Fusion Building of the Talbot Campus (which was fab) and was sponsored by CognaLearn.

Talks ranged from across a multitude of topics. There were exemplars of introducing TBL into various courses in health, science, and the arts, with a focus on the benefits to the institution in terms of student learning outcomes and, in our straightened economic times, economic efficiencies. 

The challenges of AI were the focus of one of the plenaries. The use of AI to aid the production of TBL materials, in particular 'realistic scenarios' and 'authentic patient experiences' for application activities was highlighted in a number of talks as well as using AI to refine peer to peer feedback and even creating AI teammates!

The perceptions of TBL by staff and students, including interestingly, neurodivergent students, as well as a group of patients who had learned about controlling chronic pain using TBL, were presented. There was an enlightening discussion with five Bournemouth nursing and paramedic students around their experience of TBL - we should do this more. 

A full list of all presentations can be found by clicking here. Thanks to all those who presented!

Socials included Fish and Chips on the beach on Sunday evening (ETBLC Chair Graeme took a 2-hour long walking detour to find the beach hut), pizza and drinks at The Snug on Monday, and the ETBLC running club had a run out on Tuesday morning. Lots of delegates took the opportunity for a dip in the sea.

Thanks again to Jonny Branney and the local organizing committee for such a fantastic conference venue and socials, and thanks to all the delegates for such stimulating conversations and a great learning environment.

The ETBLC Committee is interested to hear from any European Institutions outside of the British Isles who would be willing to host the 2026 meeting. Please email Grame Jones (g.r.jones@keele.ac.uk) with expressions of interest.

Top ↑

News from the Web
Robert Estes, PhD

Don't miss the important TBLC 2025 Virtual Forum, TBL Without Borders: Expanding the Reach of Team-Based Learning!, scheduled for Friday, October 10, 2025. This forum is a vital platform for sharing and learning. Find all the details and REGISTER HERE. Your participation is essential to the success of this event!

The TBLC also wants to celebrate our members' educational and leadership achievements by featuring them in the "Members in the News" section of the TBLC Newsletter. Don't miss this opportunity to share your accomplishments with our community. Whether it's a project, article, or recognition, we want to hear about it!

Submitting your news for the "Members in the News" section is simple. Just go to the "Member Resources" tab at the top of the TBLC members' homepage and click the "Members in the News Submission" link. This will take you to a form where you can share your news with us.

Top ↑

Members in the News

TBLC is excited to announce three members and their recent accomplishments!

Wayne McCormack - University of Florida
Wayne T. McCormack, PhD, a past-president of the TBLC and current expert advisor to the board of directors, was recognized in April by the Association for Clinical & Translational Science with the Distinguished Educator Award: The Rebecca Jackson Award for Outstanding Achievement in Education Innovation. 

Micki Spiller - Parsons, New School and Pratt Institute
Pratt Institute grant sponsored teaching video on "College Teaching in the First Year", using TBL/group learning published on Vimeo. link here: https://vimeo.com/1108590764/b42897e46d?share=copy

Anita Love - Nottingham Trent University, UK
As a relatively new member of the TBLC I would like to share some exciting news arising from the Team Based Learning pilot at Nottingham Trent University (NTU) which I was a part of both in the delivery of the training and in the roll out of the pilot and in the evaluation of the findings.  In 2022, the Centre for Academic Development and Quality within NTU launched a two-year pilot of Team-Based Learning (TBL). This built on our institution's success of using the SCALE-UP pedagogy, the TBL Pilot aimed to explore the effectiveness of Team-Based Learning as an alternative active collaborative learning strategy across various disciplines and levels of study.   The research was conducted across seven academic schools with 22 modules participating and 2,000 students. The research took a mixed methods approach and the resulting evaluation has empirical (type 2) evidence to show that TBL improves students' academic behavioural confidence: particularly in areas  such as responding to questions, managing workload, and engaging in academic debate. It also showed improved module outcomes, especially at the lower end of the grade spectrum and enhanced student confidence and belonging.   For more information regarding the evaluation and to be sent a copy of the report please contact anita.love@ntu.ac.uk.

Top ↑

Dear Appy

Dear Appy,
We are encountering a persistent issue during our TBL sessions. During the tRAT, students often race through the questions with minimal discussion or deliberation. Instead of debating the reasoning behind each option, the team defers to whoever knows the right answer, quickly selecting it and moving on. There is little peer teaching or critical reflection, and students rarely consult prep materials or justify their reasoning. I'm unsure how to promote deeper engagement during this phase. How can we re-engineer the tRAT to encourage meaningful discussion and collaborative learning?

- Frustrated with Fast Teams

Dear Frustrated with Fast Teams,
Thank you for this important and relatable question. Superficial engagement during the tRAT undermines one of the core purposes of team-based learning: peer-to-peer learning through accountable reasoning. When the most knowledgeable team member simply dictates the answer and others acquiesce, opportunities for collaborative dialogue and deeper understanding are lost.

This phenomenon is well-documented in TBL literature. According to Michaelsen and Sweet (2008), the power of TBL lies in students having to defend their choices and challenge each other’s reasoning--a dynamic that is absent when teams prioritize speed over deliberation.

Strategies to Enhance tRAT Discussion:

1. Rotate Roles Within Teams
   Assign rotating roles as spokesperson, devil's advocate, evidence-checker, or summarizer. This ensures each student contributes and slows down the decision-making process, giving space for explanation and argumentation. Fatmi et al. (2013) emphasize that structured roles enhance both cognitive engagement and interpersonal accountability.
2. Use Metacognitive Prompts
   Before teams can submit their tRAT response, ask them to briefly justify their choice in a sentence of two (in writing or aloud). This promotes elaboration and gives quieter team members a chance to contribute (Clark et al. 2021). Questions like, "What makes this the best answer, and why are the others not correct?" drive reflection and debate.
3. Random Cold Calling for Rationale
   Warn teams that you may randomly call on any team to explain their reasoning to the class after the tRAT. This creates a low-stakes accountability environment. Knowing they may be called upon encourages richer in-team discussion beforehand.
4. Modify Timing or Reveal Options Sequentially
   If feasible, give teams time limits per item or reveal questions one at a time rather than the full set at once. According to Parmelee and Michaelsen (2010), this structure forces focus and can reduce the tendency to "rush to the end."
5. Use Peer Evaluation as a Long-Term Lever
   If teams know they will be evaluated by peers on their preparation and contribution, they are more likely to engage meaningfully during all team phases -- including the tRAT. Peer evaluation builds long-term norms of responsibility and trust (Sweet & Michaelsen, 2012).

Ultimately, as facilitators, we must explicitly communicate that the tRAT is not just about getting the correct answer; it's about surfacing diverse reasoning. Remind students that their greatest learning happens when they disagree constructively, not when they nod along. Consider introducing these structures gradually, with clear rationale, to help shift your classroom culture from fast answers to deep dialogue.

Wishing you stronger conversations ahead.

-Appy

References:

Clark, M. C., Merrick, L. C., Styron, J. L., & Dolowitz, A. R. (2021). Orientation principles for online team based learning courses. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, 2021(165), 11–23. https://doi.org/10.1002/tl.20433

Fatmi, M., Hartling, L., Hillier, T., Campbell, S., & Oswald, A. E. (2013). The effectiveness of team-based learning on learning outcomes in health professions education: BEME Guide No. 30. Medical Teacher, 35(12), e1608–e1624. 
https://doi.org/10.3109/0142159x.2013.849802

Michaelsen, L. K., & Sweet, M. (2008). The essential elements of team‐based learning. New
Directions for Teaching and Learning, 2008(116), 7–27. https://doi.org/10.1002/tl.330

Parmelee, D. X., & Michaelsen, L. K. (2010). Twelve tips for doing effective team-based learning
(TBL). Medical Teacher, 32(2), 118–122. https://doi.org/10.3109/01421590903548562

Sweet, M., & Michaelsen, L. K. (2012). Team-based learning in the social sciences and
humanities: Group work that works to generate critical thinking and engagement. Stylus
Publishing, LLC.

Top ↑

TBL Tip

TBL and the Absolutely Other: How to Preserve Critical Thinking in the Age of AI
John Douglas Macready, PhD, Philosophy Department, Collin College
Donna Cain, PhD, Biology Department, Collin College

Abstract: Team-based learning (TBL) fosters critical thinking by exposing students to the Other—the unknown, uncertain, or unfamiliar. This encounter happens most clearly in application exercises, where students face challenging problems that require reasoning, analysis, and collaboration. Differences in perspective create intellectual friction, pushing students to engage with counterclaims and evidence to discover new insights. By contrast, generative AI reduces this friction, making answers easier to reach but limiting the deeper practice of critical thinking. In the following article, learn more about the concept of the Other and why it is important in higher education with the influence on AI.

Team-based learning (TBL) creates an essential condition for critical thinking: an encounter with the absolutely Other. Critical thinking requires opening ourselves to the unknown, the strange, the difficult—the absolutely Other. We ask whether our current beliefs could be mistaken, and we evaluate contrary evidence. We expose ourselves to uncertainty, ambiguity, and ambivalence to come closer to truth. In TBL this encounter occurs most prominently in the application exercises.

During application exercises, students are confronted with an unknown factor that must be discovered from knowledge they gained in the readiness assessment process. Students must employ imaginative modeling, discursive reasoning, comparative analysis, and calculations to discover this unknown factor. They must also work collaboratively, and this entails listening and communicating their reasons for their proposed solutions or answers with others with whom they might disagree. The difficulty of the problem, combined with differing perspectives, creates an intellectual friction that students can only alleviate by discovering something new from counterclaims and counterevidence. This experience of the absolutely Other is where critical thinking is practiced and learned.

The emergence of generative AI in higher education, and the opportunity to offload critical thinking to AI, has grown exponentially. Large language models reduce the friction of otherness to make arriving at solutions and answers easier and more efficient. Yet, this efficiency diminishes critical thinking, as the recent MIT study by Natalia Kosmyna, et al. has suggested. 1 What is at stake in cognitive offloading is a genuine encounter with otherness and the prospect of discovering something new, which is the outcome of critical thinking. As the philosopher Byung-Chul Han has pointed out, “Artificial intelligence lacks precisely the negativity of rupture that allows something genuinely new to begin. Artificial intelligence ultimately continues the same. Intelligence means choosing between (inter legere). All it does is make a choice between options that are given in advance, ultimately between ‘one’ and ‘zero’. It does not move, beyond what is given, to untrodden paths. …Genuine thinking brings forth a new world” 2 The “new world” is what one lacks at the beginning of the learning process and acquires at the end through the difficult encounter with the absolutely Other, which calls into question our current knowledge (“the negativity of rupture”), forcing us to consider new claims and evidence to restabilize our knowledge. This is the kind of critical thinking that TBL makes possible.

In higher education, the absolutely Other is something students must confront in a variety of disciplines, although the confrontation may look different from one subject to the next. In the life sciences, for example, students need to become adept at deductive reasoning, starting with general principles and multiple pieces of evidence to arrive at a single, specific conclusion. Students often struggle with this, as many of them are accustomed to generalities that arise from inductive reasoning, and this Other way of thinking is uncomfortable and messy. They want one ‘right’ answer that applies universally, and AI delivers this answer without having to weigh options and settle on the ‘best’ answer that may not be universal. The beauty of using TBL for critical thinking tasks, such as solving case studies in a microbiology class, is that students are required to consider evidence and challenge common misconceptions in their journey towards an answer. And through this type of journey, they become more open to the notion that while science itself may be absolute, our human perception of science is constantly changing and evolving as new evidence emerges that refines our understanding. The hidden gift of TBL is learning to think for oneself, and it is a gift all educators would do well to preserve.

References:

Kosmyna, Nataliya, Eugene Hauptmann, Ye Tong Yuan, Jessica Situ, Xian-Hao Liao, Ashly Vivian Beresnitzky, Iris
Braunstein, and Pattie Maes. "Your Brain on ChatGpt: Accumulation of Cognitive Debt When Using an AI Assistant for Essay Writing Task" arXiv preprint arXiv:2506.08872 (2025).

Byung-Chul Han, Non-Things: Upheaval in the Lifeworld, trans. Daniel Steuer (Cambridge: Polity, 2022), 43.

Top ↑

TBLC Connections

Reimagining K-12 Education: Deeper Learning Through Team-Based Learning
LaTonya Amboree, M. Ed

Fifteen years ago, as a classroom teacher, I attended the annual Team-Based Learning (TBL) conference and was instantly captivated. TBL combined everything I valued as a teacher—rigorous learning, collaboration, student agency, and authentic engagement. Although TBL remains rare in most K–12 classrooms, I am convinced it has tremendous potential to transform how students learn.

While working as a high school social studies teacher and later as a district instructional coach, I had some success implementing TBL modules sporadically throughout the school year. Sweet and Michaelsen's (2012) book served as a key resource in designing my modules, offering strategies to promote critical thinking and meaningful student engagement. 

My experience with TBL made me appreciate not only its immediate classroom impact, but also how it aligns with broader educational goals. Over the last two decades, education research has emphasized the importance of developing not just academic knowledge, but also 21st-century skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, collaboration, communication, creativity, and social-emotional capabilities (Parsi, 2015). Collectively known as deeper learning, these skills help students understand concepts deeply and apply their learning in real-world contexts, preparing them for a rapidly changing, technology-driven world. 

Because TBL naturally integrates these deeper learning competencies, it holds great promise for K-12 classrooms. Yet realizing this promise requires addressing persistent challenges, including literacy gaps, lesson planning, student accountability, classroom management, access to instructional materials, aligned assessments, critical thinking development, and technology integration.

Before implementing TBL in my social studies classes, these challenges felt overwhelming -- but implementing it transformed my teaching:

Implementing TBL required significant preparation and creativity. While time and resources remain barriers to K-12 implementation, AI tools are beginning to change that reality. Teachers now have powerful tools to modify preparation readings, provide personalized learning supports, automate readiness assurance questions, and generate relevant application activities -- making TBL more accessible in K-12 friendlier than ever. While it requires careful planning to address the aforementioned challenges, the payoff is clear: students master content and build critical 21st-century skills. Now is the time for educators to bring TBL to more classrooms. 

References:

Parsi, A. (2015). Deeper learning: Policies for a 21st Century education. NASBE.
https://www.nasbe.org/deeper-learning-policies-for-a-21st-education/

Partnership for 21st Century Skills. (2015). Core content integration and learning and innovation skills [PDF]. Marietta College. https://www.marietta.edu/sites/default/files/documents/21st_century_skills_standa
rds_book_2.pdf

Sweet, M., & Michaelsen, L.K. (2012). Team-based learning in the social sciences and humanities: Group work that works to generate critical thinking and engagement. New York: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.

Thornhill-Miller, B., Camarda, A., Mercier, M., Burkhardt, J.-M., Morisseau, T., Bourgeois-Bougrine, S., Vinchon, F., El Hayek, S., Augereau-Landais, M., Mourey, F., Feybesse, C., Sundquist, D., & Lubart, T. (2023). Creativity, critical thinking, communication, and collaboration: Assessment, certification, and promotion of 21st century skills for the future of work and education. Journal of Intelligence, 11(3), 54. https://doi.org/10.3390/jintelligence11030054

Top ↑

Trading Teaching Tips

Trading Teaching Tips (Formerly Social Hour) brought BIG CHANGES to the TBLC Social Hour. To focus on many different inclusive, active teaching practices, the Membership Committee is excited to continue the bimonthly sessions called "TRADING TEACHING TIPS (Triple T)." The Triple T is held in the "even" months.

Recordings of the previous TTT sessions can be found in the archive (members website).
Recordings of the previous Social Hour sessions (prior to TTT starting) can be found here (members website).

October TTT: Wednesday, October 8, 2025 from 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM EDT

Not Just for College Students: Adapting TBL for Outside Academia
LaTonya Amboree, M. Ed. (Senior Specialist, Region 4 Education Service Center)

During this TTT, we will discuss the benefits and challenges of applying TBL in settings outside of academia. TBL has been successfully applied in a variety of settings outside of academia, including K-12 and workplace settings. Applying TBL in settings outside of academia provides many benefits. It also offers some challenges. After a brief presentation of the benefits and challenges to applying TBL in settings outside of academia, participants will share tweaks to traditional TBL that help make it successful in their K-12 or workplace settings!

Be on the lookout for more information regarding the October TTT. Keep an eye on your inbox!

To register for the October TTT, click here.

Top ↑

• Institution
• Type of workshop requested
• Approximate number of participants
• Date you'd like the workshop to be held
  

President's Message
2026 Annual Conference
News from ETBLC
Certification News
Dear Appy
TBL Tips
TBLC Connection
Website Updates
Trading Teaching Tips

President's Message

Dear TBLC Colleagues,

As we stand at the midpoint of 2025, I find myself grateful for this remarkable community we continue to build together - rooted in growth, sustained by gratitude, and flourishing through our commitment to one another.

Celebrating Growth

This year has already seen tremendous strides forward. From our engaging Annual Conference at Chapman University in March to the planning of new Fundamentals workshops and virtual sessions, we've reaffirmed that growth is not a solitary journey, but a team celebration. Together, we have refined teaching practices, expanded our certification programs, and embraced emerging technologies and pedagogies that support active, inclusive learning.

I am especially proud of how we have continued to encourage each other to work at our "edge capacity," transforming challenges into opportunities. Whether exploring AI in education, implementing creative new curriculum strategies, or coaching colleagues through change, we have kept our focus on intentional improvement - on becoming better educators, better leaders, and better human beings.

Gratitude in Action

Reflecting on the prior two years has reminded me that gratitude is not just a feeling - it's an action. We see it in every shared resource, every mentoring conversation, and every gesture of support. Thank you for showing up for one another. Your willingness to contribute ideas, time, and expertise has inspired an upward spiral that makes our collaborative stronger with each passing month.

Let us not forget to celebrate a simple thank you and small notes of appreciation that fuel our motivation. As we approach the coming academic cycle, I encourage you to pause and express gratitude - to students, to peers, to mentors. A few kind words can change the course of the day, a semester, or even a career.

Strengthening Community

Community has always been our foundation. Over the past year, we have seen firsthand how connection fuels our mission. From spontaneous hallway conversations to structured virtual forums, our members continue to lean in, share openly, and build networks that transcend institutional and geographical boundaries. We are stronger together.

I invite you to carry this spirit forward. Plan a local TBL meet-up, volunteer for a committee, nominate a colleague for the Larry Michaelsen Award, or simply extend a warm welcome to a new member. Our collective strength lies in our willingness to open doors for others.

Looking Ahead

The second half of 2025 holds much promise. A warm welcome to our new TBLC President and esteemed colleague, Dr. Richard Plunkett, guiding our teams and committees as we update our strategic focus to prepare for the next Virtual Forum and the 2026 Annual Conference. We will continue to explore how fun, curiosity, and innovation transforms the student and faculty experience and helps us grow our community of world-class educators, developers, and mentors. Let's keep championing active learning, expanding our scholarship, and lifting each other up as we walk this path together. 

A Shared Charge

Thank you for making the TBLC a place of belonging, growth, and gratitude. I am honored to learn and lead alongside you.

With appreciation and anticipation,

Will Ofstad    Outgoing President,    Team-Based Learning Collaborative

Top ↑

2026 Annual Conference

Save the Date: TBLC 2026 Annual Conference
Incoming President Richard Plunkett, PhD

I would like to extend a personal and sincere invitation to all of you to the TBLC 2026 Annual Conference, May 2-5, 2026. we will meet at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. The largest of UBC's campuses is situated at the western tip of the Point Grey Peninsula, surrounded by ocean and forest, with easy transit access to downtown Vancouver, an international airport, and everything the Lower Mainland of British Columbia has to offer!

Over 60 percent of the population of British Columbia live in the metropolitan Vancouver region, and it is one of the most multicultural and diverse regions in Canada. There are innumerable things to do and see - food, museums and art galleries, gardens and parks, plenty of outdoor activities, and did I mention food?

On the UBC Vancouver campus itself, you can visit UBC's world-renowned Museum of Anthropology, the Beaty Biodiversity Museum, or the Belkin Art Gallery. When the spring sun is shining, the UBC Botanical Garden, Nitobe Memorial Garden, and the UBC Rose Garden will be in full bloom. 

Of course, the real reason to join us in Vancouver is, well, us! You are part of a community of dedicated colleagues, educators, and scholars who share a vision of expanding the reach of the practice and study of TBL. There is nothing like the shared enthusiasm and energizing momentum that arise when like-minded people come together around common values and goals. I can't wait to see you all in 2026!

Call for Conference Location - 2027 (and beyond!)

The TBLC is a collaborative venture, and we want you to help us find a home for the Annual Conference in 2027, or even farther in the future. If you would like to bring the TBLC Annual Conference to your part of the world, or have an idea for a great location, please do not hesitate to contact support@tblcadmin.org, or email me at richard.plunkett@ubc.ca. We are excited to hear from you!

Top ↑

News From ETBLC

Dr. Graeme Jones, FRSC, CChem, SFHEA

The University of Bradford recently hosted academic staff from Queen Mary University of London, University College Cork in Ireland, and across their own institution for a series of five workshops that comprise the Certificate in the Knowledge of the Fundamentals of Team-Based Learning.

It was held over three days in one of Bradford's dedicated TBL rooms, and the event welcomed over 30 educators. The atmosphere was lively and engaging - friendships were formed, ideas exchanged, and just the right amount of healthy competition sparked among the five participating teams.

 
Participants at the Bradford Conference.

The workshops were led by TBLC-certified Trainer-Consultants Dr. Gemma Quinn and Professor Simon Tweddell, with valuable support from Dr. Kristina Medlinskiene and Kathryn Harris, both current participants in the TBLC Practitioner Certification Programme. 

Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. One participant shared:

"I just wanted to say how much I truly enjoyed the TBL Fundamentals Programme. It was a great experience, and I'm especially glad to have had the chance to meet all the facilitators. I found it particularly inspiring that we learned about Team-Based Learning through the TBL method itself - it made the process so engaging and meaningful."

We plan to repeat this programme again next June (provisionally Monday 8th to Wednesday 10th June 2026).

Top ↑

Certification News

What's Next?
Sandy Cook, PhD

Have you just attended an introduction to Team-Based Learning and want to dive deeper? Great! Your next step is the 5-module Fundamentals of TBL series. It's offered four times a year: January, June, October (online) and in person at the Spring Annual Conference. You'll experience TBL in action, learn the essential principles and elements, and earn Certification of Participation - plus a 1-year TBLC Membership.

Or maybe you've already finished the Fundamentals series and are excited to convert your course or module to TBL...but the concepts suddenly feel fuzzy when you sit down to start. Or maybe you've made a first attempt and want some feedback. The good news is that there are two great ways to get support:

Option 1: New Applied TBL Series (Coming late 2025!)
This upcoming 4-module series will guide you step-by-step in applying what you learned in Fundamentals to a real-course/module with feedback along the way. Completing this series will put you halfway toward earning your Practitioner Certificate. If you're interested, let us know at support@tblcadmin.org or sandy.cook@duke-nus.edu.sg and we'll make sure you're the first to hear when it launches. 

Option 2: Practitioner Certification Pathway
You can also jump right into the Practitioner Certification program. You'll be paired with a mentor who will work with you one-on-one to help you convert your course/module and develop your portfolio that shows your understanding of core TBL principles. 

Along with the certification, you'll receive a TBLC pin, and opportunities to support others through portfolio reviews, co-teaching workshops, and mentoring. 

Questions about certification? Feel free to reach out to me at sandy.cook@duke-nus.edu.sg. I'm happy to help!

Top ↑

Dear Appy

Several of my colleagues have started to use AI to help generate questions for their TBL classes. I have heard a lot about the use of AI in an educational setting (both good and bad), but I still feel too intimidated to try to use it myself. I just don't know where to start. Do you have any advice?

You are not alone - there are many educators who feel they are not ready to use artificial intelligence (AI) and/or just don't know where to start. There is so much information out there that it can feel overwhelming. We are lucky that several TBLC members have already been active in this area and have given webinars and workshops that specifically focus on the use of AI in a TBL setting, including the use of AI to generate iRAT/tRAT questions and application exercises. A good place to start is to check out their 'targeted' resources - most are geared toward new users, and they are specifically focused on the use of AI within a TBL setting. Our friends at InteDashboard have hosted some of these webinars and Q&A sessions given by TBLC members and you can find them on their webpage - you have to register for workshops (and can still register for past workshops to view video recordings) but registration is free: https://www.intedashboard.com/team-based-learning-training.

There are also several excellent AI-based workshops given at the 2025 TBLC Annual Conference, and you can find abstracts for these on the TBLC website: https://julnet.swoogo.com/tblc25.

As noted by Drs. Richard Plunkett and Amy Stone in their recent Q&A session hosted by InteDashboard (Integrating AI in TBL), talking to colleagues at your institution or within learning communities (TBLC!) who are using AI about what works for them can be an important step towards understanding the potential use and capabilities of AI as well as helping give you the confidence to get started.

All the AI-related webinars and workshops that I have attended have shared one piece of common advice - you need to put your fear and/or concerns aside and just dive in and get started. You will make mistakes and learn as you go and that's OK. The first step is to select the specific AI tool, also referred to as large language model (LLM), that you would like to try and use. There are many different ones out there, e.g. ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Llama. As noted above, talking to colleagues who are already using AI in an educational setting can help guide your selection. You could also try several to see which one(s) works best for you and your specific needs. Most LLMs offer either free access and/or free trial periods. You should also check to see if your institution already has an institutional account for any of the LLMs.

Perhaps even more than which AI tool we use, writing and entering effective prompts into the LLMs asking for help with specific tasks (e.g. writing iRAT/tRAT questions) is critical for success. During one of the TBLC 2025 Annual Conference workshops, Drs. Elizabeth Prabhakar and Nahla Gomaa taught us how to use the 'TRACI' framework to help write effective prompts. This framework reminds you to include 5 key components in your prompt:

1. Task (e.g. 'Create 10 multiple choice questions for topic X')
2. Role (e.g. 'You are a professor who has taught topic X for multiple years')
3. Audience (e.g. 'Questions will be answered by first-year graduate students')
4. Create (e.g. 'Each question should have 5 plausible answer options, questions should map to lower-level Blooms taxonomy, questions should map to class learning objectives)
5. Intent (e.g. 'The questions should help students to be ready to answer higher level Blooms taxonomy questions for this topic')

Another framework which can be used to help write prompts is 'RODES' - Role, Objective, Description, Example, Sense Check. This was discussed by Drs. Amy Stone and Richard Plunkett during their recent InteDashboard Q&A session. It is essential that you carefully review all content that the LLM generates and keep working with the LLM to try to correct and improve it by updating/revising your prompts until you get the quality product that you want. You are the expert (not the LLM!), and you should be able to recognize when the output generated does not make sense, is not appropriate, or is simply wrong (LLMs can 'hallucinate' and generate output that is incorrect and not grounded while still sounding plausible to a non-expert).

As with most things in life, the more effort you put into it, the more you get out of it. Consider putting one hour of your time aside each week to experiment using AI for a specific task, e.g. writing iRATs/tRATs, and work from there. The consensus from most educators using AI is that although it can take a while to experiment and find what works best for you and gives you the quality output that you want, this time is well worth it. In the long-term, using AI can help you streamline class preparation and other educational efforts. 

It is noteworthy that there are several downsides and/or concerns with using AI to help prepare classes. First, you should check to see if your institution has specific policies and guidelines and, if so, you will want to follow them. You may also want to consider your stance on transparency. For example, will you let students know that you are using AI or class preparation? Are you ready to address their questions and concerns about this? How will you handle data security to protect student and institutional data? You should never share student or institutional data with publicly accessible LLMs. A final concern to consider is the topic of biases. LLMs are trained on and 'learn' from publicly available data sets. Minority groups and opinions are not always represented within these and this can result in the creation of content that reinforces biases.

I hope this is helpful!

Top ↑

TBL Tips

The Impact of TBL: A Story from Academia
Brian Griffith, PhD

Team-Based Learning Drives Engagement in WVSOM's New Graduate Program

The West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM) launched its inaugural Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences program this academic year, designed to prepare students for entry into professional schools such as medical, dental, and other allied health programs. One standout feature of the curriculum has been the innovative use of Team-Based Learning (TBL) within the intensive six-credit hour biochemistry course.

Students participate in six clinically focused TBL sessions, each designed to reinforce foundational knowledge while building skills in teamwork and clinical reasoning. The topics include:

1. Overview of Metabolism
2. Glucose Metabolism
3. Hartnup Disorder
4. Gout
5. Thiamin and Other Vitamin Deficiencies
6. Nutritional Disorders, including calcium and copper deficiencies

These collaborative sessions challenge students to apply what they've learned in meaningful, real-world contexts - promoting critical thinking and deepening understanding. 

At the conclusion of the course, student feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Many cited the TBL sessions as the highlight of their graduate experience, applauding the active learning format and emphasis on teamwork.

"In my opinion, the dynamics of managing a small cohort of 24 students makes for a far more impactful TBL experience compared to coordinating similar activities in classes with over 200 students," said Dr. Brian Griffith, course director.

This photo showcases the inaugural class of WVSOM's Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences program.

The early success of TBL in the graduate program highlights WVSOM's commitment to innovative, student-centered education. As the program continues to grow, Team-Based Learning will remain a cornerstone in preparing the next generation of healthcare professionals. 

Top ↑

TBLC Connection

Suzan Kamel-ElSayed - Announcement

Dr. Suzan Kamel-ElSayed, a member of the Team-Based Learning Collaborative (TBLC), is serving as a guest editor for an upcoming Researh Topic in Frontiers in Physiology, in collaboration with Dr. Serena Kuang (Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine) and Dr. Sean Michael Wilson (Loma Linda University). The theme of the topic is Innovative Technologies and Pedagogical Strategies Reshaping Medical Physiology Education.

You can view the full description here: Research Topic Overview

If you think your work has contributed to this area, we believe your participation could help reshape the future direction of this important conversation. If you are interested in contributing, please conform your participation using the following link: Confirm Participation

We aim to finalize the lead group of contributing authors within the next two weeks, so we can begin publishing ahead of the final submission deadline: February 28, 2026.

This Research Topic will be hosted in Frontiers in Physiology, with support from Chief Editor Dr. Geoffrey A. Head (Integrative Physiology).

• Impact Factor: 3.2
• CiteScore: 6.5

Frontier will provide editorial and promotional support throughout the process, and the topic will have a dedicated space in the journal to highlight and increase the visibility of our collective work. 

For publishing-related inquiries, you may reach the Frontiers team directly at physiology@frontiersin.org.

Top ↑

Website Updates

TBLC is on Social Media!
Stay in the loop with everything TBL by following the Team-Based Learning Collaborative on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Pinterest! You'll get the latest updates, news, and announcements - all in one place. Just follow us on your favorite platform to stay connected!

Speaking of Connected...
Have you updated your TBLC bio lately? Keeping your bio up to date makes it easier for others to find and connect with you - whether they're fellow TBL users or potential collaborators. 

Here's how you update your TBLC bio:

1. Go to the "My Profile" tab at the bottom of the member home page. 
2. Click "Manage Profile." 
3. On the "Manage Profile" page, click "Edit Bio" under the Information & Settings section.

You can update your contact info, list your areas of expertise, and even add links to your social media profiles like Facebook and LinkedIn! Let's stay connected and keep building the TBL community!

Top ↑

Trading Teaching Tips

Trading Teaching Tips (Formerly Social Hour) brought BIG CHANGES to the TBLC Social Hour. To focus on many different inclusive, active teaching practices, the Membership Committee is excited to continue the bimonthly sessions called "TRADING TEACHING TIPS (Triple T)." The Triple T is held in the "even" months.

Recordings of the previous TTT sessions can be found in the archive (members website).
Recordings of the previous Social Hour sessions (prior to TTT starting) can be found here (members website).

August TTT: Wednesday, August 13, 2025 from 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM EDT

Transforming Healthcare Education through the use of ScholarRx and TBL
Brian Griffith, PhD (Associate Professor, Biomedical Sciences, WV School of Osteopathic Medicine)
Charles Gullo, PhD (Associate Professor, Medical Education, Gullo Counseling)

During this TTT, we will discuss what ScholarRx is and what it can do for healthcare educators. We will discuss how people who teach using TBL in the health sciences use Bricks and the ScholarRx platform to complement their teaching. Both pros and cons will be brought up. We will discuss with participants, what the future of platforms that curate content and incorporate learning sciences holds for those who teach using active/experiential learning. 

Be on the lookout for more information about the August TTT. Keep an eye on your inbox!

To register for the August TTT, click here.

Top ↑

President's Message
ETBLC
TBLC Annual Conference Summary
Training & Certification March Committee Update (TCC)
Dear Appy
Website Updates & New Features
Trading Teaching Tips

President's Message

Connections Across Many Miles

There’s something quietly powerful about the moment when you walk into a room filled with educators, as colleagues and kindred spirits. It’s our shared challenges, the spark of ideas leaping from one voice to another, and the common mission that inspires us all: to learn, to teach, and to grow together. In our busy day-to-day rhythm of meetings, lesson plans, and assessments, we sometimes forget just how vital our educational community really is.

This past week, I was fortunate enough to be reminded of that very truth during a visit with my dear colleague, Dr. Anne Marie O'Brien, with the Technological University of the Shannon in Athlone, Ireland. For those of you who know Anne Marie, you can imagine how the visit unfolded: with laughter, stimulating conversation, and more libations than is reasonable by any medical standard. The Irish countryside offered a perfect backdrop, with rolling green hills, a stay near beautiful Athlone castle alongside the Shannon river, and a visit with the family.

When you connect with colleagues and friends in the TBLC, of course you speak about pedagogy, innovation, and what the next conference and workshops have in store. But perhaps more profoundly, you may find yourself talking about family, adventure, and the humanity in our work, creating a sense of belonging in all we do. It reminds me of a maxim for instruction by Irish poet Oscar Wilde “Education is an admirable thing, but it is well to remember from time to time that nothing that is worth knowing can be taught.”   It clarifies our true role, not just as transmitters of knowledge, but as cultivators of curiosity, wonder, and the truths that experience and adventure can reveal.  Sometimes you just need to escape the classroom.  And in moments like my visit with Anne Marie, I’m reminded that we can only do this work well when we’re also engaging with one another on these adventures.

So, this is both a reflection and a gentle call to action: Let’s continue to invest in our relationships across programs, time zones, and job titles. Let’s lean into the network of thinkers and innovators we’re lucky enough to call colleagues. Whether it’s sharing a new strategy over email, collaborating on a multi-institution initiative, or simply having a chat (ideally with a good beverage), let’s make sure we’re tending to the roots of our community.

After all, as Wilde once wrote, “The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the grandest intention.” In education, those small acts of encouragement, support, and inspiration ripple far beyond what we can measure. And often, they start not in the classroom, but with one another.  Thank you Anne Marie for your kindness, and here’s to continuing the conversation and connections, across many miles.

Thank You for Supporting the TBLC

Our community is built on the contributions of each and every member. I ask for your continuing support to advance the collaborative, through these Charges to the Membership:

Warmly,

Will Ofstad    President, Team-Based Learning Collaborative

Top ↑

ETBLC
Dr. Grame Jones, University of Keele, UK

Those in Europe in July, please join the ETBLC to explore how to use the latest tech tools to make Team-Based Learning even more effective and engaging. 

TBLC President-Elect, Prof. Richard Plunkett, is the latest addition to the line-up of speakers.

Top ↑

TBLC Annual Conference Summary
Caroline Wilson, Chapman University, Host Institution

The TBLC Annual Conference took place March 22–25 at Chapman University in Orange, California. We welcomed attendees from 20 U.S. states and 7 countries—Australia, Chile, Denmark, Great Britain, Oman, Taiwan, and Vietnam—who came together around the theme: “Active Inclusive Teaching and Learning: Igniting Curiosity & Belonging.”

Conference highlights included inspiring plenary sessions by:

• Michael Nelson - "All in This Together: Fostering a Sense of Belonging with TBL"
• Annette Burgess - "Empowering Educators: Transforming Learning and Teaching Through Team-Based Learning"

Michael Nelson during his Plenary Session at the 2025 TBLC Conference.

Annette Burgess during her Plenary Session at the 2025 TBLC Conference.

Attendees also enjoyed a full schedule of workshops, oral presentations, poster presentations, networking opportunities, and even a lively game of Bingo!

Fundamentals of TBL participants, March 23, 2025

During the first two days of the pre-conference, 24 attendees completed the Fundamentals of TBL Certification Workshop.

Fundamentals participants participate in an application exercise.

Thanks to funding from Chapman University's Faculty Development Council On-Campus Conference Award, granted to Caroline Wilson, several Chapman University members were able to participate in the training. 

In addition to participants from across the U.S., we were excited to welcome attendees from Denmark, Australia, and Oman - a truly global group!

Another big highlight of the conference was the presentation of the very first Larry Michaelsen Award! This award was created to recognize outstanding contributions to Team-Based Learning and the TBLC community, and was proudly awarded to Michele Clark.

Michele has been an important part of TBLC for years. She served as Membership Chair for an entire decade (2011-2021) and has continued to support the Membership Committee since then. She's also one of the authors of the 2018 white paper, Off to On: Best Practices for Online Team-Based Learning™,  which has helped so many people make the shift to online TBL. During the COVID-19 lockdown, Michele was a guiding light for many educators navigating the sudden move to online teaching.

TBLC Members congratulate Michele Clark (From Left: Chris Burns, Paul Haidet, Michele Clark, Caroline Wilson).

TBLC President Will Ofstad presents the award to Michele Clark.

Michele first started using TBL back in 2005 at UTMB Galveston, in a face-to-face undergraduate course called Case Management of Vulnerable Populations. When she moved to UNLV in 2006, she took her passion for TBL online - bringing it into both undergraduate and graduate classes, including fully asynchronous ones.

The conference ended with the popular "Learning with Larry" session. TBLC founder Larry Michaelsen led a discussion about best approaches to motivate teams.

Larry Michaelsen presented "Learning with Larry" at the 2025 TBLC Conference.

Thanks to all who attended the conference, with special thanks to the JulNet team and program organizers, David Fuentes and Todd Kelson. See you next year in Vancouver, Canada, at the 2026 Annual Conference, May 2-5, 2026!

Top ↑

Training and Certification March Committee Update (TCC)
Sandy Cook, PhD

We were excited to offer a more tangible symbol of recognition for our Trainer/Consultants and Practitioners at this year's Annual Conference through commemorative pins.

If you've completed the Fundamentals and are interested in continuing your TBL journey, we encourage you to proceed in the process by being assigned a mentor who can support you in developing your modules and working toward your Practitioner Certification.

You can find more details about the certification and review process by clicking here.

For questions, feel free to reach out to support@tblcadmin.org or Sandy Cook at sandy.cook@duke-nus.edu.sg

Top ↑

Dear Appy

Dear Appy,

At my institution, we are struggling with students cheating on both the iRATs and tRATs. All RATs are done in class using the InteDashboard platform. Students have been caught opening pre-work materials during the RATs and sharing them with their neighbors. How can we minimize cheating during these assessments?

Thank you!

Thank you for your questions. Cheating is very challenging for both faculty and academic institutions. Maintaining a classroom with academic integrity is necessary to promote equality among students as well as to gauge student performance adequately. This is especially important during TBL sessions, when assessing students' pre-class preparation is done via graded iRATs and tRATs. Let us look at various ways to deter students from cheating during these assessments.

Clear Classroom Rules/Expectations

Laying out clear rules about what is expected during the RAT time is so important to maintain a classroom environment with integrity. Some important things to consider are:

• How much time should you have for each RAT question?
• What type of devices can students use for the RAT?
• What can the students do if they submit the RAT early?

I would recommend that students do not have their phones available during RAT times and that assessments be made on laptops or tablets that are easily viewable to the instructor.

To keep the integrity of the iRAT/tRAT system, students should not open prework during the in-between time, so it is important that students close their devices if they finish the RATs early. We have allowed students to bring non-content related books to class so they can engage in fun reading if they finish the RAT early. Faculty or other staff must be willing to police students during RAT time to make sure these rules are being followed. 

Most importantly, faculty and institutions must have strict policies that are clearly enforced when students are caught cheating. If the students do not feel there are any consequences for their actions, they are not deterred from these behaviors.

Safe Exam Browser/Lockdown Software

If you are using the InteDashboard platform, it offers a Safe Exam Browser feature that locks down the students ability to open another program on their laptops. This will prevent students from accessing prework materials on the same device while they are in the RATs. For this to be effective, students should not have additional devices (i.e., phones) available to them during the assessment.

Ungraded RATs

Conventional wisdom would have us believe that without associated points, students would not be motivated to study for assessments. If the RATs were ungraded, could it possibly deter students from cheating? Would removing graded RATs remove the extrinsic motivation to complete the prework, thus breaking down the structure of the TBL entirely? In one study of pharmacy students by Eudaley et al (2022), they found that having an ungraded RAT did not significantly impact the students’ motivation or their performance on examination items. They compared two cohorts of students, one with a graded RAT and one with an ungraded RAT and found that the removal of points did not significantly impact student performance on summative assessments. In fact, they found that by removing the pressure to perform on the RATs, the students were more engaged in the material and still felt the desire to learn the prework content to contribute to team discussions.

References

Chamorro Urroz, CD. Five tips for creating cheat-proof classes. Times Higher Education. 2023. https://www.timeshighereducation.com/campus/five-tips-creating-cheatproof-classes

Eudaley ST, Farland MZ, Melton T, Brooks SP, Heidel RE, Franks AS. Student Performance on Graded Versus Ungraded Readiness Assurance Tests in a Team-Based Learning Elective. Am J Pharm Educ. 2022;86(9):ajpe8851. doi:10.5688/ajpe8851

Top ↑

Website Updates & New Features
Robert Estes II, PhD, University of Alabama at Birmingham
nrestes@uab.edu

I wanted to share a couple of updates that will make the TBLC website even more helpful for our members:

Stay Up to Date

Be sure to check the website regularly for updates, current events, and special announcements

Feature of the Month

This month, we're highlighting the TBLC Practitioners & Trainer-Consultants Class of 2025! Visit the sits to check out the feature, along with other news and announcements. You'll also find a list of trainer-consultants and their geographical locations. Both the "Feature of the Month" and the trainer-consultant list can be accessed at the bottom of the homepage.

Trading Teaching Tips (Formerly Social Hour)

Our Social Hour has been rebranded as Trading Teaching Tips! Archives of past sessions - including topics like "Team-Based Learning and Jazz Listening Skills" and "Rethinking Grading: Approaches to Balance Learning and Performance" - are now available on the member site.

To access:

1. Head to the Member Resources tab at the top of the page.
2. Select Archives to find the recordings of Trading Teaching Tips, past Social Hours, and webinars.
3. Check the website calendar for upcoming Trading Teaching Tips sessions.

We hope these updates make it easier to stay informed and find resources tailored to your interests. Let me know if you have any questions!

Top ↑

Trading Teaching Tips

2025 brought BIG CHANGES to the TBLC Social Hour. To focus on many different inclusive, active teaching practices, the Membership Committee is excited to continue the bimonthly sessions called "TRADING TEACHING TIPS (Triple T)." Look for upcoming information for the June session in your email inboxes and on the TBLC LinkedIn page. The Triple T is held in the "even" months.

April 2025 TTT - Enhancing Team-Based Learning Discussions with Generative AI: Overcoming the Limitations of Specific Choice.

To view the full TTT Archive, click here.

Top ↑

President's Message
TBLC Community Announcement and Call for Member Input
ETBLC
TBL in the Gulf Region
Dear Appy
Certification in Team-Based Learning - The How's and Why's
TBL Tips
Website
Donations
Trading Teaching Tips

President's Message

Dear Colleagues,

As you will soon arrive in (usually) Southern California, let me offer an early welcome to the TBLC 2025 Annual Conference! We're thrilled to have you join us for learning, networking, and professional growth.

While you are here, I encourage you also make time to explore the region. Whether you're looking to unwind by the beach or drive into the region's diverse culture, Orange County is a wonderful place to go out and visit. As a tip from a long-time Californian, when you have a little free time, grab a friend, hop in a cab, and see the sights after you finish your pre-workshop readiness assignments.

A Visit to the Coast

This year's conference is hosted on the campus of Chapman University in Orange, about a 30-minute drive to the coast. Watch those surfers from the Huntington Beach pier, take a stroll around Laguna Beach, and nearby parks, or spend a few hours shopping in Newport. You will enjoy those ocean views with plenty of dining and nightlife nearby. While you are there, drop by the Laguna Art Museum or the outdoor sculptures at Sherman Library & Gardens.

Dinner on the Town

Orange County's food scene is excellent, offering everything from Michelin-starred restaurants to hidden local gems. For a little variety, head over to Anaheim's Packing District (about 15 minutes by cab) for upscale food vendors and craft cocktails, and we can have a beer at Monkish Brewing on the way out with world-class hazy IPAs. 

Discover Little Saigon

For an immersive cultural experience, visit Little Saigon, the largest Vietnamese community outside of Vietnam, about a 20-minute drive from campus in Westminster. Wander through the Asian Garden Mall for souvenirs or bargain with the many vendors in the Jewelry Center on the second floor for a new pair of diamond earrings (yes, real, yes, a deal). Head downstairs for a bowl of pho, bahn xeo (crispy Vietnamese crepes), and a strong iced coffee with sweetened condensed milk. Karaoke lounges and boba tea are nearby as needs arise. 

Nightlife & Entertainment

Enjoy live music at The Observatory in Santa Ana, sip on drinks at The Blind Rabbit in Anaheim, or catch the Angels play the Dodgers at Anaheim Angel Stadium. If you brought the kids, skip all that and go directly to Disneyland and California Adventure. End the evening with a feast and jousting tournament at Medieval Times.

From all of us at the TBLC, we hope you enjoy the visit, time together with colleagues, and everything Orange County has to offer. Welcome, and have a fantastic conference!

Thank You for Supporting the TBLC

Our community is built on the contributions of each and every member. I ask for your continuing support to advance the collaborative, through these Charges to the Membership:

At your service,

Will Ofstad    President, Team-Based Learning Collaborative

Top ↑

TBLC Community Announcement and Call for Member Input

By Larry Michaelsen

I am delighted to announce that the second edition of Team-Based Learning: A Transformative Use of Groups in Teaching is well underway, with Holly Bender and Michele Clark joining me as co-editors. We are supported by an outstanding group of chapter editors who are both talented and experienced in implementing TBL in a wide variety of teaching situations.

The first three chapters have been updated, but still cover the basics of:

1. How TBL is different from and more powerful than other group-based teaching approaches,
2. How to get started with TBL, and
3. The importance of using well-designed application assignments and how to create them.

The remaining nine chapters reflect the changes that have taken place since the first edition was written over 20 years ago. As a result, they have either been completely rewritten or are brand new. (See appendix below for the updated and new chapters):

Updated and New Chapters:

1. Beyond Small Groups: Harnessing the Extraordinary Power of Learning Teams (Dee Fink)
2. Getting Started with Team-Based Learning (Larry Michaelsen)
3. Creating Effective Assignments: A Key Component of Team-Based Learning (Larry Michaelsen and Arletta Bauman Knight)
4. Creating Effective Pre-work Assignments: Setting Students Up for Success (Holly Bender, Patricia Beyers Pelzel, and Jonathan Cox)
5. The Why and How of Peer Evaluations in TBL (Cortny Williams)
6. The Impact of TBL in Highly Diverse Team Environments (Michael Sweet)
7. The Impact of TBL on Motivation and Mental Health (Dean Parmelee and Maryam Alizade)
8. Choosing the Technology that Fits Your TBL Needs (Jonathan Cox, Michele Clark, and Holly Bender)
9. Artificial Intelligence and TBL (Nellie Goetz, Patricia Beyers Pelzel, Jonathan Cox, and Holly Bender)
10. Team-Based Learning in Large Classes (Pete Ostafichuk)
11. Using TBL in Elementary and Secondary Schools (Oscar Urmeneta)
12. Using TBL to Ensure the Relevance of Training Programs in Governmental Agencies, Nonprofit Organizations, and For-Profit Organizations (Liz Winter and Tom Jansen)
13. Show Us the Evidence (Wayne McCormack, Paul Haidet, and Karla Kubitz)

A Call for YOUR Input

A unique feature of the second edition is an exciting opportunity to make it both more user-friendly and more engaging by linking specific content to short video clips using QR codes (in print version) or URLs (in the electronic version). *However, we need your help. YOUR experiences are what we want to highlight. So start thinking about a TBL story you would like to share! We will be gathering video clips over the next few months, beginning with collecting videos from the TBLC 2025 Conference attendees throughout the day on Sunday, March 23.

*For example, the description of how to form TBL teams in Chapter 3 will be linked (via QR code or URL) to a video clip (very old - probably filmed in 2002 - but still relevant: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRNpaA8pU_0) that shows me actually forming teams in one of my classes.

Top ↑

ETBLC News

By Simon Tweddell, PhD, and Graeme Jones, PhD

ETBLC members Jonny Branney, Rachel Wood, Patricia Achi, and Kristina Medlinskiene are being funded to attend this year's TBLC Conference in California. The ETBLC plans to continue to support selected members annually.

A New ETBLC Chair

In January, Dr. Graeme Jones, from the University of Keele, UK, became the new chair of the ETBLC. Graeme's focus is on increasing the number of shools and universities using the TBL model within Europe and "growing the number of communities of practice within European countries."

ETBLC Symposium, Bournemouth University, UK, 7th - 8th July 2025

Join the ETBLC in sunny Bournemouth for the 4th European TBL Community Symposium! The first keybote speaker will be Professor Simon Tweddell, University of Bradford, who will discuss the impact and outcomes of TBL on his students, his school, and his career.

Announcing the closing plenary by Dr. Graeme Jones, Keele University, UK, and Chair of the European TBL Community, who will lead a discussion on contemporary issues in TBL, such as the threats and opportunities presented by the ongoing rapid advancements in technology, notably artificial intelligence. 

There will be workshops, lightning presentations, a panel discussion with students and graduates, and more. Look for a further keynote announcement very soon!

For more information and to register, use the link below or the QR code:

https://tinyurl.com/ycz78wfw

Top ↑

TBL in the Gulf Region

By Simon Tweddell, PhD

Simon Tweddell was fortunate to be invited to facilitate a TBL Workshop at the Medical Education Conference for the GCC region (Gulf Cooperation Council) held from 10th to 12th February at Sultan Qaboos University in Muscat, Oman. TBL is relatively new to the Gulf Region and the Arabian Peninsula, so it was fantastic that he could explain TBL and demonstrate how it works to an audience of medical educators from the region. Dhofar University in Salalah, Oman, is currently setting up a new medical school and will be using TBL as one of its learning and teaching strategies, so they are keen to learn about TBL and to become leaders in TBL in Oman and the wider region. The conference will help in cooperation with the Committees of Deans of Medical Colleges in the GCC and has the following goals:

1.  Provide a forum for sharing innovative ideas and educational innovations related to teaching and learning, assessment, mentoring, and well-being in medical education.
2. Build and enhance participant skills in teaching, leadership, professional development, well-being promotion, and educational scholarship. 
3. Establish a network of medical educators committed to educational excellence and well-being in academic medicine.

The program included themes on AI, Simulation, Competency-based medical education, faculty development, educational scholarship, and evidence-based medical education, well-being and burn out in faculty and students, and professionalism. 

The TBLC and the ETBLC are delighted to support the development of TBL in the Gulf Region, and we're very pleased that some fo the faculty from Dhofar University are joining the TBLC Conference.

Top ↑

Dear Appy

Dear Appy,

I hope to get more use out of the Readiness Assurance Process by increasing reflection and metacognition. I am also concerned that with multiple choice questions, I can't tell whether the responses indicate guesses or real knowledge. Are there different ways to do the iRATs other than traditional MCQs?

Sincerely,
Irate at iRATs

Dear Irate,

Have you considered Confidence-Based Testing (CBT)?  The basic idea is to have students indicate their confidence level in answering the readiness assurance questions.  There are several different ways to have learners gauge their confidence.  You might leave this separate from the grade or have it included in the grade.  One option would be to ask the student's level of confidence in answering each specific question.  You might have a Likert scale from "This is a complete guess" to "I am absolutely sure."  You can set this up using the LAMS software, allowing students to see team members' confidence levels during the tRAT.  You could also allow them to do this if you are using a paper-and-pencil method.  If you want to include confidence in the grade, you could do so in a few ways.  First, you might use "point spreading" (known as "Mark hedging" in LAMS and "Confidence-Based Testing" in InteDashboard). 

Have you considered Confidence-Based Testing (CBT)?  The basic idea is to have students indicate their confidence level in answering the readiness assurance questions.  There are several different ways to have learners gauge their confidence.  You might leave this separate from the grade or have it included in the grade.  One option would be to ask the student's level of confidence in answering each specific question.  You might have a Likert scale from "This is a complete guess" to "I am absolutely sure."  You can set this up using the LAMS software, allowing students to see team members' confidence levels during the tRAT.  You could also allow them to do this if you are using a paper-and-pencil method.  If you want to include confidence in the grade, you could do so in a few ways.  First, you might use "point spreading" (known as "Mark hedging" in LAMS and "Confidence-Based Testing" in InteDashboard). 

A useful additional activity is having students review their confidence and performance on each question and discover how accurately they assess their abilities.  It might be worthwhile to couple this reflection early in the semester with a summary of the Dunning-Kruger effect of new learners being overconfident and under-competent.  In the early stages, students are often unaware of all the essential information they do not know.  Moving quickly from unconscious incompetence (where you think you know but don't) to conscious incompetence (where you know you don't know) is very important.  They will then be more open to learning.  Having learners reflect on their confidence and competence might lead them to reassess key assumptions that led them to incorrect conclusions.  You could ask them to explain their reasoning on items they answered incorrectly but on which they were confident.

Sources:

Kampmeyer, D., Matthes, J. & Herzig, S. (2015). Lucky guess or knowledge: a cross-sectional study using the Bland and Altman analysis to compare confidence-based testing of pharmacological knowledge in 3^rd and 5^th year medical students. Advances in Health Sciences Education. 20:431-440. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10459-014-9537-1

Kruger, J., & Dunning, D. (1999). Unskilled and unaware of it: How difficulties in recognizing one's own incompetence lead to inflated self-assessments. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 77(6), 1121-1134. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.77.6.1121

Top ↑

Certification in Team-Based Learning - The How's and Why's
By Sandy Cook

You may have asked yourself two main questions: Why should I get a TBL certificate, and how do I go about doing that? Let me start by describing the various certificates that TBLC offers and the benefits/values you will get from the experiences. 

While many have learned about TBL through many books and videos available; having the opportunity to experience and hear from people who have developed TBL modules provides a richer learning experience, and the chance to ask questions. The Fundamentals certificate is an excellent introduction to the key elements of the skills and concepts needed to begin creating TBL modules. It also allows you to meet individuals who have gone through the process. In addition, if you go through one of the TBLC sponsored Fundamentals program, you will receive one-year TBLC membership and access to a new member guide. That gives you access to extra information on the TBLC website and networking. 

Once you are ready to convert your learning experiences into TBL, consider the Practitioner Certificate. Here, you will be assigned a mentor who will guide you through developing a portfolio that demonstrates your understanding and application of a TBL module, as well as a person to reach out to as you continue to convert your modules. Once you have received your certificate, you can build up your resume by reviewing other Practitioner portfolios and co-facilitating fundamental workshops, sharing your experiences, and inspiring new people to add TBL to their learning repertoire. In addition, these experiences can provide you with additional insights and ideas for enhancing your TBL modules.

Finally, if you enjoy mentoring others, you are encouraged to complete the Trainer/Consultant Certificate. Again, you will be assigned a (new) mentor to help you through your portfolio as you mentor, ideally, an aspiring Practitioner. Mentoring, reviewing portfolios, and facilitating additional workshops are terrific learning opportunities and will enhance your resumes. 

In summary: 

Top ↑

TBL Tips

Coach for a Cause: Supporting a Successful "First-Time" using TBL
By Diana Langworthy, PharmD, BCPS

Developing and deploying your first TBL module can be a daunting task. I'm sure we can all recall a time when a module in our early TBL careers didn't sail so smoothly. 

In 2023, the U of MN College of Pharmacy launched its new MNspire Curriculum, which incorporates weekly TBL modules and greatly expanded our need for qualified TBL facilitators. 

So how did we get instructors to buy-in to this tall order of creating new TBL modules? Our TBL workgroup developed a coaching process to increase "first-time" success with the aims of creating buy-in and joy for the instructors and consistency and cohesion for our students.

The coaching process involves the following steps:

1. Identify content teams and assign lead facilitators for each module.
2. TBL lead facilitators are asked to review TBL 101 and facilitation instructional videos (developed in-house).
3. Assign a coach to each module and conduct a backwards design meeting at least 2 months in advance.
4. Content team works to finalize a first draft of their module.
5. Coach reconnects with content team to provide feedback, assess overall TBL Fidelity (per our fidelity standards) and anticipated timing of the draft. 
6. Coach attends immediate pre-brief rehearsal and finalized TBL session to provide direct observation feedback, technology/flow support, and at times, on the spot facilitation modeling.

We have noticed great success with this model with all instructors thus far returning as TBL instructors for a subsequent year, we have observed instructor growth in facilitation skills, we have also expanded interest in TBL to our foundational science faculty who have also joined in the fun!

For more info, send me an email at dlangwor@umn.edu.

Top ↑

Website

By Robert Estes, PhD

The TBLC Annual Conference is just around the corner! Be sure to check out the TBLC website for information and updates regarding this year's conference. This year’s theme is “Active Inclusive Teaching and Learning: Igniting Curiosity & Belonging”. On the public website, click the “Calendar and Events” tab at the top of the page to find a link to the annual conference webpage. It’s not too late to register or to modify an existing registration. On the conference website you can find information on pre-conference workshops, including the “Fundamentals of Team-Based Learning” workshop. You can also find information on presentations, a program schedule, and session registrations. You can check the FAQs page for additional details about the conference. There are also links to information on things to do while in Orange County including places to eat and things to see and do. We hope to see you at the TBLC annual conference, 2025!

Top ↑

Donations

The TBLC is a voluntary organization and relies on the service of its members for success. If you feel you can contribute your time to a committee then please let us know via support@tblcadmin.org. In addition, if you or your organization is in a position to be able to donate a $110 membership, or any other sum larger or smaller, then you can do so here.

Top ↑

Trading Teaching Tips (Formerly Social Hour) Updates

2025 brought BIG CHANGES to the TBLC Social Hour. To focus on many different inclusive, active teaching practices, the Membership Committee is excited to announce new bimonthly sessions called "TRADING TEACHING TIPS (Triple T)." Look for upcoming information for the April session in your email inboxes and on the TBLC LinkedIn page. The Triple T will be held in the "even" months in 2025.

If you'd like to catch up on the 2024 social hours, the Social Hour archives lists ALL the amazing sessions. Some of the most recent topics included "How I used Narrative-Medicine tasks in TBL," Ella's Law: A Virtual Patient Team-Based Learning Lesson Plan for Engaging Pathophysiology Students," and "A Final with Friends? Using TBL to Assess Acquisition of Skills Through an Evidence Based Practice Course." Enjoy!

Top ↑

President's Message
ETBLC
TBLC Connection
Certification
Dear Appy
TBLC Tip
Website Updates
Social Hour Updates

President's Message

I want to open the new year by calling for the support of Paula Boersen, a 2023 TBLC Fundamentals graduate, who is working with Jolanda Mol at LUMC in the Netherlands.

During her participation in the Dutch Wakeboarding Championships in July 2024, Paula's life crashed, quite literally. Broken cervical vertebrae and a spinal cord injury followed, leaving this loving and single mother of Mila (2) facing immense challenges.

Paula is unwavering in her commitment as an educator, Five months after her accident, she gave her first TBL workshop. If you can offer support for medical aids and a wheelchair-accessible vehicle, please consider donating. https://tinyurl.com/PaulaTBLC.

Reflecting on 2024

For the TBLC, 2024 was a year of growth, gratitude, and community. In classrooms, workshops, and virtual spaces, we have fostered innovation and deepened our commitment to student success, and faculty excellence through team-based learning.

Growth - Education is transformative, and 2024 was no exception. We explored new techniques to enhance TBL, leveraged technology and AI, and adapted to shifting educational landscapes. Whether refining course design, implementing active learning strategies, or supporting faculty development, our collective efforts have transformed teaching and learning. Growth is not just about change. It is about intention, resilience, and continuous improvement. 

Gratitude - None of this would be possible without the dedication of our educators, faculty developers, and institutional leaders. We are deeply grateful for your passion, tireless efforts to inspire, and unwavering support of students and colleagues alike. Every lesson taught, every mentorship moment, every leadership initiative, and every shared insight contributes to a thriving academic community. Thank you to the members of TBLC for all you do.

Community - Education is not solitary; but built on collaboration, shared knowledge, and meaningful relationships. We have strengthened our networks, engaged in rich discussions, and supported one another throughout the year. As we move forward into 2025, let us foster an inclusive, encouraging, and lifelong learning culture. Let this continue at our Annual Conference, March 22-25, as we explore Active Inclusive Teaching & Learning: Igniting Curiosity & Belonging.

As we set our sights on the year ahead, may 2025 bring new opportunities, continued inspiration, and the fulfillment that comes from shaping the future of education. wishing you a year filled with purpose, joy, and success!

Updates from the Team!

• Check out the first TBLC Podcast (appreciate our Marketing Committee): https://tinyurl.com/TBLCpodcast.
• January 2025 - TBL Fundamentals Series kicked off January 14, five online workshops.
• March 22-25, 2025 - TBLC Annual Conference and TBL Fundamentals Preconference (Chapman University, Orange, California).
• Changes to the TBL Social Hours and schedule are being made. Look for an official TBLC announcement regarding the 2025 sessions!

Thank You for Supporting the TBLC

Our community is built on the contributions of every member. I would like your continued support to advance the collaborative, through these Charges to the Membership:

At your service,

Will Ofstad    President, Team-Based Learning Collaborative

Top ↑

ETBLC

New Chair of ETBLC

Dr. Graeme Jones from the University of Keele, UK, will be taking on the role of chair of the ETBLC starting in January. Graeme has been an EBLC practitioner since 2014, and the work of the Keele Team-Based Learning Group was recognised in 2021 by Royal Society of Chemistry Team Prize for Excellence in Teaching and in 2022 by an Advance HE Collaborative Award for Teaching Excellence. Graeme says, 'Over my two-year tenure, my focus will be on increasing the take up of TBL within Europe and growing the number of communities of practice within European countries.'

TBLC Conference Support

ETBLC has supported four ETBLC members to attend the TBLC Annual Conference in 2025 in California. ETBLC members were invited to apply for a fee reduction of $250 to offset some of the high cost of attending the conference. The recipients are Jonny Branney from the University of Bournemouth, and Rachel Wood, Patricia Achi, and Kristina Medlinskiene from the University of Bradford. This year is the second one that the ETBLC has given support to members attending the conference, and it is our intention to continue to provide this support annually.

Top ↑

TBLC Connection

The Marketing Committee of the Team-Based Learning Collaborative (TBLC) has been discussing the idea of a TBLC podcast for several months. To gauge interest, the committee has decided to release a few episodes. 

The first episode is about the TBLC Practitioner Certification, with Dr. Lauren Vicker, of St. John Fisher University, interviewing Dr. Rebecca Andrews-Dickert, of Sam Houston State University. This podcast is audio-only and found on the TBLC YouTube page. The next episode will be released soon. 

Please leave your comments on YouTube or email the TBLC Support Team.

To listen to the first episode of the TBLC Podcast from December 2, 2024, click here.

To view the full TBLC YouTube page, click here.

Special thanks to Lauren Vicker, member of the TBLC Marketing Committee, for her efforts on the TBLC Podcast.

Top ↑

Certification

Certification in Team-Based Learning - The How's and Why's
By Sandy Cook

You may have asked yourself two main questions: Why should I get a TBL certificate, and how do I go about doing that? Let me start by describing the various certificates that TBLC offers and the benefits/values you will get from the experiences. 

While many have learned about TBL through many books and videos available; having the opportunity to experience and hear from people who have developed TBL modules provides a richer learning experience, and the chance to ask questions. The Fundamentals certificate is an excellent introduction to the key elements of the skills and concepts needed to begin creating TBL modules. It also allows you to meet individuals who have gone through the process. In addition, if you go through one of the TBLC sponsored Fundamentals program, you will receive one-year TBLC membership and access to a new member guide. That gives you access to extra information on the TBLC website and networking. 

Once you are ready to convert your learning experiences into TBL, consider the Practitioner Certificate. Here, you will be assigned a mentor who will guide you through developing a portfolio that demonstrates your understanding and application of a TBL module, as well as a person to reach out to as you continue to convert your modules. Once you have received your certificate, you can build up your resume by reviewing other Practitioner portfolios and co-facilitating fundamental workshops, sharing your experiences, and inspiring new people to add TBL to their learning repertoire. In addition, these experiences can provide you with additional insights and ideas for enhancing your TBL modules.

Finally, if you enjoy mentoring others, you are encouraged to complete the Trainer/Consultant Certificate. Again, you will be assigned a (new) mentor to help you through your portfolio as you mentor, ideally, an aspiring Practitioner. Mentoring, reviewing portfolios, and facilitating additional workshops are terrific learning opportunities and will enhance your resumes. 

In summary: 

Top ↑

Dear Appy

Dear Appy,

My students often give superficial or insincere feedback on peer evaluations. When I ask students about the peer evaluation process, they often tell me they are uncomfortable with the process because they will be in classes with the same students again and do not want to make their peers feel attacked or judged. How can I increase the quality of peer feedback, and help my students better understand the purpose of the peer feedback process?

-Peering into the Feedback

Dear Peering into the Feedback,

TBL naturally creates conditions that enable teammates to learn how they interact with others. Structured formative and summative peer feedback assignments are part of the TBL process and align with career readiness. https://learntbl.ca/peer/. 

Explain how peer-to-peer formative feedback offers an opportunity to improve learning behaviors before the final peer-to-facilitator summative assessment, allowing students to practice writing a summative outcome report. Emphasize that students become experts in their teams' learning behaviors and that you rely on accurate reporting to assign a fair grade.

One strategy to enhance awareness of how giving and receiving feedback promotes learning is incorporating metacognitive prompts into the TBL process and/or into peer assessment assignments. Metacognition is the awareness or analysis of one's learning process, or the ability to reflect on one's performance (Flavell 1979). There are many opportunities to integrate metacognition into TBL sessions (Tanner 2012). 

The pre-work can include planning prompts like "What resources do I need to complete this assignment?" or "how can I best prepare for this TBL session?" The answers to these questions in TBL often consider teammates as resources, spurring the individuals to be a resource for their peers.

During the TBL session, metacognitive prompts that monitor the learning and performance process include "How did your ideas compare with your neighbor's ideas?" or "What could we do differently mid-session to address [this challenge]?" Answers to these questions promote a deeper understanding of the content and enhance teammates' awareness about how they are participating in the TBL process.

After the TBL session, metacognitive prompts that evaluate learning and performance include "How was the way you and your teammates approached this TBL session different from the last session?" or "What worked well in this TBL session, and what do I want to do differently in the next session?" or "What advice would I give myself based on what I know now if I started the TBL session all over again?" Answers to these questions provide a holistic comparison of the TBL session to the standards and characteristics of high-performing teams. They also inform the participant or team of where they are in the development process and what changes should be made to progress.

Integrating metacognitive prompts into TBL activities enhances self-awareness of learning behaviors and awareness of teammates' behavior. This awareness allows one articulate specific feedback and understand why it is important to share. Further, the metacognitive process spurs the desire to receive feedback to fill the gaps in one's perception of one's learning behavior. 

Developing A Peer Evaluation Plan Sibley, J Retrieved from https://learntbl.ca/peer.
December 2024

Flavell JH (1979). Metacognition and cognitive monitoring: a new area of psychological inquiry. Am Psychol 34, 906-911.

Tanner KD (2012). Promoting student metacognition. CBE Life Sci Educ. 11(2):113-20. 
doi:10.1187/cbe.12-03-0033.

Top ↑

 

TBLC Tip

Do you have a New Year's resolution to incorporate more technology into your teaching? Check out the Online TBL Tech Resource developed by Suzan Kamel-ElSayed and Charles Gullo, TBLC Membership Committee partners. If you want to add additional technologies to the resource, please email support@tblcadmin.org.

Top ↑

Website Updates

Have you heard? The TBLC 2025 Annual Conference will occur from March 22 to March 25 at Chapman University in Orange, California. Be sure to check out the website for information on the program schedule, poster and oral presentation information, and a list of workshop facilitators. Information about pre-conference workshops, including the Fundamentals of TBL certificate series is available. Those registered for the conference also have access to a customizable meeting agenda. Information regarding speaker details, networking opportunities, and exhibitor information is also available. During the conference, be sure to check the website for updates and general information, including the program schedule, schedules for workshops, training sessions, posters, and oral presentations. Registration for the conference is easy. Just go to the TBLC website and click on the meeting link on the scrolling bar at the top or go to the conference information link at the bottom. Clicking either will take you to the conference information page, which includes a link to register. 

Top ↑

Social Hour Updates

2025 will bring BIG CHANGES to the TBLC Social Hour. To focus on many different inclusive, active teaching practices, the Membership Committee is excited to announce new bimonthly sessions called "TRADING TEACHING TIPS (Triple T)." Look for upcoming information for the February session in your email inboxes and on the TBLC LinkedIn page. The Triple T will be held in the "even" months in 2025.

If you'd like to catch up on the 2024 social hours, the Social Hour archives lists ALL the amazing sessions. Some of the most recent topics included "How I used Narrative-Medicine tasks in TBL," Ella's Law: A Virtual Patient Team-Based Learning Lesson Plan for Engaging Pathophysiology Students," and "A Final with Friends? Using TBL to Assess Acquisition of Skills Through an Evidence Based Practice Course." Enjoy!

Top ↑

President's Message
ETBLC
Training & Certification Updates
TBL Tips
Members in the News
Dear Appy
TBL Connection
Website Updates
Social Hour Updates

President's Message

Living Above the Line!
Oh, stress. You might be feeling it now! The world is certainly chaotic. Maybe there are deadlines and responsibilities pending. Have you taken a new role, asked to do more? Are there any projects or initiatives not going well? Is there friction clouding an important relationship? Stress can be motivating, like an electric shock, but over time it is definitely harmful. Too much stress can be disabling, and stress makes us blind to new possibilities and limits our creativity when the fight or flight response takes over. I write with personal inspiration this month, with a program accreditation visit on the very near horizon and new administrative duties within the school. I am trying hard not to be stressed. So, I’ll take a break from focusing on the epinephrine and take a deep breath. It is time to think more productively.

We have all heard that pressure makes diamonds, but people forget to mention that high blood pressure is deadly! We certainly can’t grow ourselves or others without challenge, so how can we make potential stressors positive and healthy? We know as educators and coaches that people need to be working at their edge capacity to approach mastery; are we working in the zone of proximal development?

Our mindsets have so much to do with making challenge something positive. On average, humans tend not to react well to challenge (someone tell my students). So how should we approach it? There are many leaders and frameworks to lean on to help set the compass. Here are a few of my favorites, all teaching related lessons:

The Blue Angels -- Glad to Be Here!
Glad to Be Here is a shared sense of gratitude, commitment to the team, shared goals, and embracing the struggle to always improve with a positive energy.

Teams and individuals that embrace a positive mindset as a core belief improve communication, inspire commitment and buy-in to group objectives. This fosters gratitude and new perspectives to recognize opportunities versus simply focusing on challenges… Glad To Be Here® offers a purpose greater than self, which galvanizes people and focuses individuals and teams on WHY they do what they do. Why am I doing something, and why does it matter?
- John Foley, https://gladtobehere.com/

The 7 Habits -- Abundance vs. Scarcity Mentality
Abundance mentality is a belief that there are plenty of opportunities, resources, and successes to go around. Those living with an abundance mentality tend to be present, optimistic, generous, and self-aware, with a focus on development, celebrating others, and embracing new opportunities. This mindset encourages collaboration, sharing, and a positive view of the future.

Most people are deeply scripted in what I call the Scarcity Mentality.  They see life as having only so much, as though there were only one pie out there.  And if someone were to get a big piece of the pie, it would mean less for everybody else.  The Scarcity Mentality is the zero-sum paradigm of life…. Instead, I have an abundance mentality: When people are genuinely happy at the successes of others, the pie gets larger.
- Steven R. Covey, The 7 Habits ofHighly Effective People

Conscious Leadership -- Above the Line and Below the Line
Making growth and learning the response to challenge, rather than fear and stress. Staying open, conscious, and not needing to be defensive or right. Be motivated by play, purpose, presence, partnership, and unconditional love.

Below the line motivation is any motivation that comes from fear, threat or lack. If I’m doing what I do because I feel a lack of approval, control, security or oneness then I’m being motivated from below the line.
- Jim Dethmer, https://conscious.is/

Above the Line video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLqzYDZAqCI

There are many problems that will challenge us every day. Take a step back. What if we focused on growth, being grateful, and working with a community of wonderful people? These are the keys to Living Above the Line. The alternative is stress, scarcity, conflict, flying solo, and being closed. Every day is a choice. So, where do you want to be today?

Save these Dates!

I am happy to share a few upcoming TBLC events, including our 2025 Annual Conference date and
location. Mark your calendars.

• January 2025 - TBL Fundamentals Series kicks off January 14, five online workshops
  - More information on the January 2025 TBL Fundamentals Series and to register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/tbl-fundamentals-series-january-2025-tickets-1005063842007
• March 22-25, 2025 - TBLC Annual Conference (Chapman University campus, Orange, California)
  - More information on the TBLC 2025 Conference and to register: https://julnet.swoogo.com/tblc25
• Open Call - The TBLC Executive Committee is seeking your input on potential candidates for the Larry Michaelson Award. If you have someone you would like to nominate, please provide their name and a paragraph why, emailed to me (wofstad@westcoastuniversity.edu). 

Awarded for:

1. Contributions toward innovative practices and strategies in TBL
2. Growth and development of TBL initiatives and members
3. Collaboration and leadership within TBL and across organizations
4. Extraordinary and consistent achievements in TBL

Thank You for Supporting the TBLC

Our community is built on the contributions of each and every member. I ask for your continuing support to advance the collaborative, through these Charges to the Membership:

At your service,

Will Ofstad    President, Team-Based Learning Collaborative

Top ↑

ETBLC

Dr. Simon Tweddell (right, image) and Dr. Gemma Quinn (left) from the University of Bradford in the UK recently gave a webinar organised by InteDashboard explaining how they transitioned their entire pharmacy programme from a teacher-centred didactic programme toa student-centred one, delivered predominantly by Team-Based Learning. The new programme was designed to better engage students through active and collaborative learning and to integrate pharmaceutical sciences with pharmacy practice to show the relevance of science to practice based problems. This involved a change management process that applied the following:

• Selling the vision to faculty members to inspire them to change and be agents for change.
• Selling the vision to the leadership of the school and university to support the change.
• Selling the vision to students so that they understand how we learn and that the change would be of benefit to their learning and development.

Simon explained how he and Gemma helped faculty members understand and use TBL by inviting Dr. Larry Michaelsen to run a series of workshops introducing them to TBL. A few months later, this was followed by Dr. Michael Nelson and Dr Rebecca Moote, pharmacy faculty from Regis University in Denver, sharing their experiences and expertise in using TBL in their pharmacy programme.

“Our aim was to get buy-in from most of our faculty members and give them the confidence and support they needed to design and deliver their first few TBL modules.”

“Having staff teams support each other as they plan, write and deliver their TBL modules was also vital; we know that peer learning works so well in students…well, it also works for faculty members!”

Gemma explained that they are TBL purists at Bradford and stick to the pedagogy as designed by Larry. The only modification is the addition of an optional ‘Student Support Session’ between the release of the study guide and the RAP to answer questions, clarify any issues, and provide the opportunity to contextualise the new learning. It is also often to talk with a patient with one of the conditions being studied in that particular TBL module.

Gemma also explained how teams are asked to provide a written rationale for their decisions in team application exercises, which they submit via InteDashboard. In each TBL module/unit, one of their answers is graded, with the majority of the grade (80%) coming from the rationale for their answer and their explanations of why they have discounted other options.

Simon explained how they support new faculty members by running the workshops that comprise the Knowledge of the Fundamentals of TBL Certificate, a programme they have since extended to faculty members to the broader university and external faculty in the UK and Europe.

Simon also explained the importance of preparing students to learn using TBL. “It’s vital that students understand how TBL works, how it optimises the learning process, and the skills they develop as a result of studying through a TBL programme.”

Simon and Gemma also discussed how they see an increase in attainment, progression and satisfaction because of their TBL programme. It has also led to a significant increase in applications to study the programme, an increase in the results of the National Student Survey, and a subsequent and considerable rise in their position in the national MPharm programme league tables.

Simon also discussed the outcomes of a government-funded project that evaluated the impact of Team-Based Learning and other active and collaborative learning forms in different academic programmes at Bradford and two other UK Universities. The outcomes and tips for scaling up TBL at the institutional level can be found here: www.aclproject.org.uk.

Finally, Simon and Gemma explained how TBL is also being used in postgraduate programmes (online, synchronously, and asynchronously), in CPD programmes and on work-based training away days, and how their experiences of TBL in higher education were being translated to secondary schools in the UK, Ireland, and Spain.

Gemma and Simon closed the session by providing the following advice when scaling up TBL:

• Seek advice and support from others who have also done this
• Take the time to plan and prepare
• Share your vision with faculty members early on
• Form faculty teams to develop the TBL teaching resources
• Peer review and provide feedback on the teaching resources
• Develop an evaluation plan
• Prepare students for learning using TBL
• You will make mistakes -- it is an iterative process. Learn and reflect on each experience
• Keep to the pedagogy and believe in it - it works!

Recent graduate quote:

“I’ve really enjoyed my experience of Pharmacy at Bradford University. I loved the way the course was designed, how it spiralled and slowly stepped up each year. In year one we were introduced to simple biology/chemistry/math skill and basic pathophysiology of diseases. Over the year, this core knowledge was built on step-by-step, allowing us to learn and grow at a good pace. In 1st year I can recall being shocked when were told we would hardly have any taught lectures. 5-years on, I can safely say with great appreciation that it is one of the best features of the programme. Team-Based Learning is revolutionary, being able to brainstorm about case studies, learn from each other, bounce ideas, build our communication/public speaking skills is so vital and these skills are necessary for life, not only for a career in pharmacy. I also loved that where possible patients and expert speakers were brought into sessions to allow us to gain”

Top ↑

Training & Certification Updates

Training & Certification Committee Annual update (TCC), by Sandy Cook.
 
The Training & Certification Committee could only do its work with the help of so many of you as mentors and reviewers. We offer a huge thank you!
 
In addition, if you have any questions about getting certified, being a reviewer, being a mentor, or having challenges while doing the process, please feel free to contact me at sandy.cook@duke-nus.edu.sg.

We have 67 Certified Trainer/Consultants who are still active members of TBLC.

• 2 were certified as of October 2024

We have a total of 20 Certified Practitioners who are still active members of TBLC

• 7 were certified as of October 2024

None of this could be accomplished without the help of the many reviewers. A special thank you to those who reviewed the 2024 portfolios:

• Leanne Coyne, West Coast University
• Judy Currey, Deakin University
• Amy DeJaeger, University of Manitoba
• Chris Edison, University of Alabama at Birmingham
• Julie Estis, University of South Alabama
• Karla Kubitz, Towson University
• Sarah Lerchenfeldt, Oakland University William Beaumont SOM
• Michael Nelson, Drake University
• Brooke Nodeland, Sam Houston State University
• Gustavo Patino, Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine
• Shawn Simonson, Boise State University
• Liz Winters, Liz Winter & Associates LLC
• Nathalie Zgheib, American University of Beirut

Top ↑

TBL Tips

A unique way to get all students to do TBL prework.

David Prandi, DVM, PhD.
Veterinary School
Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona
Spain

Getting prework done is a real challenge for teachers, as a growing percentage of students are reluctant to read.

To reverse that situation, teachers can use the “social hook” to their advantage.

In 2020, I started using Perusall, a Web-based Collaborative Reading Annotation System (WCRAS) designed by Eric Mazur (a pioneer of Peer Instruction, a type of peer learning at Harvard University).

How does Perusall work?

• The teacher can upload any document for prework, including video, into the platform.
• Students can annotate the text, images, or video throughout a document.
• Students can also establish a dialogue with their peers, asking questions, commenting responses, and upvoting comments
• This social learning component is transferred home, and the collaborative discussion of the content has been shown to increase motivation and produce better academic results than a conventional class or solo preparation.
• The system uses Artificial Intelligence to assign a grade from 0 (irrelevant contribution) to 1 (relevant contribution) and sometimes 2 (remarkable contribution).

I consider prework done if students get a score of at least 1.

The published studies (536 according to the ERIC database) also show that the more frequently used, the greater the benefit in terms of academic results.

For example, I found that a 7-minute video generated an average of 1 hour of student-to-student interaction with 99 participating students, 194 comments, and an average score of 0.97 (from 0 to 2).

It is important to note that I do not mandate that students use Perusall, but most do use it.

For more information: https://www.perusall.com/research-academic-publications-list and https://www.perusall.com/

Top ↑

Members in the News

Dr. Maryam Alizadeh is an Associate Professor of Medical Education in the Department of Medical Education, TUMS. She has been a member of the Team-Based Learning Collaborative (TBLC) for approximately one year; however, her engagement with Team-Based Learning spans over 15 years. Throughout this time, she has been fortunate to work alongside her esteemed mentor, Dr. Dean Parmelee, who is an exceptional mentor and inspiring individual. During the past year, she was honored to receive a TBLC grant, which enabled her to lead an umbrella review on Team Based-Learning in HPE. Alongside Dean Parmelee, David Taylor, and Olga Rostkowska, she was honored to be the lead presenter for a workshop titled "Unlocking the Power of AI to Enhance Learning in Team-Based Learning" at the AMEE 2024 conference in Basel. This experience allowed the team to share innovative strategies for integrating artificial intelligence into TBL, ultimately enriching the student learning experience. They received overwhelmingly positive feedback, attracting over 50 participants in a space designed for 30. The team is excited to plan a repeat of this workshop for the next AMEE conference in Barcelona in 2025.

They recently published the umbrella review on Team-Based Learning in Health Professions Education in BMC Medical Education. This review involved a comprehensive analysis of over 23 articles, providing valuable insights into the effectiveness and implementation of TBL in various educational contexts. Maryam looks forward to continuing her contributions to the TBLC community and further advancing the practice of Team-Based Learning in medical education.

Dr Jonny Branney, Principal Academic in Nursing & Clinical Sciences, Department of Nursing Science, was delighted to represent Bournemouth University at the UK Teaching Excellence Award Ceremony 2024 in Edinburgh on 3rd , October 2024, where he received a National Teaching Fellowship! The National Teaching Fellowship Scheme (NTFS) recognises, rewards, and celebrates individuals who have impacted student outcomes and the teaching profession. Jonny’s impact on education centres around f implementing Team-based Learning (TBL) in the nursing curriculum at BU and beyond. He has supported colleagues at BU in adopting TBL, including Dee Hughes, who recently became a certified TBL Practitioner for his work introducing TBL to the MA Scriptwriting programme. TBL has become embedded in the nursing curriculum, and the paramedic science programme, led by Adam Bancroft. Jonny has also delivered workshops nationally and internationally to support other educators adopting
TBL, including in the US, Netherlands, and Australia. He is now utilising TBL in his research and professional practice. Earlier this year, he and his team (Ryan Muldoon, Lecturer in Adult Nursing; Joe Barry, NHS Somerset) earlier this year received a TBLC Research Grant for “A qualitative usability testing study of TBL pain science classes for patients with chronic back pain.” Patient interviews have been transcribed, and they are eagerly awaiting the final results; preliminary results suggest this approach was popular with patients. However, the team hopes to progress to the next stage and seek funding for a feasibility trial. While the National Teaching Fellowship is an individual award, this would not have been possible without significant support from many colleagues. Key influences and amazing colleagues from the TBLC (too many to name all!) include Professor Simon Tweddell and Dr. Gemma Quinn of the University of Bradford, both National Teaching Fellows.

Dane Minnick just took a new position at the University of South Florida as the Evelyn Duvall Endowed Chair of Family Development and Assistant Professor in the School of Social Work.

Lauren Vicker, St. John Fisher University, reports that "Making Team Projects Work: A College Instructor's Guide to Successful Student Group Work" by TBLC members Lauren Vicker and Tim Franz was released in October by Routledge Taylor & Francis. Franz and Vicker have presented on teamwork and team projects at the TBLC Conference and have hosted two TBLC social hours. This newly released book contains both an instructor guide and a student guide with many worksheets, templates, and sample grading forms that can be used in any content area. Franz is a Professor of Psychology, and Vicker is a Communications Professor Emeritus, both at St. John Fisher University in Rochester, New York. They have written, presented, and team-taught the subject of group dynamics for over 20 years, using Team-based Learning in the past five years. Both are members of the TBLC Marketing Committee and the Social Media Subcommittee.

TBLC members Thomas Newpher (Duke University), Minna Ng (Duke University), and Caroline Wilson (Chapman University), with colleagues Margaret Tarampi (University of Hartford) and Nicholas Fish (Chapman University) presented “Team-Based Learning in Neuroscience Education: An Interactive Demonstration and Exploration of Evidence-Based Findings and Real-World Classroom Experiences,” at the 2024 annual Society for Neuroscience (SFN) meeting in Chicago, IL on Saturday, October 5. Newpher and Ng submitted the proposal as a professional development workshop, so SFN attendees could learn more about this impactful active learning strategy.

Attended by over forty neuroscientists, highlights of the workshop included an introduction to TBL with a RAP on TBL 101 (Newpher), then application activities related to designing effective teams and learning experiences that focused on promoting equity and inclusiveness within teams (Ng and Tarampi). Next, there was a discussion of how the TBLC could support mentorship, research, and service for those interested in career development (Wilson). Nicholas Fish then shared his student perspective on why a TBL class made a difference in his learning. He compared it to his other courses, where students are less engaged. The workshop concluded with a panel discussion, where participants shared their own experiences with TBL and asked questions of the presenters.

Workshop participants simultaneously report their answers during the application exercise.

Top ↑

Dear Appy

Dear Appy,
Discussions amongst different teams are an essential element of TBL. Recently, several teams have not been engaging after the intra (within) team discussion. How do I best facilitate meaningful discussions amongst the different teams?

Thank you for this question! Engagement is a crucial component of TBL delivery, and teams must have strong discussions with one another to fully elicit knowledge and expertise in the space. As a facilitator, you have an important role in asking the right questions to encourage teams to have discussions while not leaning into lecture-based delivery. Here are a few suggestions to foster engagement in these discussions:

• Set clear expectations and foster buy-in to the process. Be transparent with individuals about how the discussion among teams is an essential component of the TBL process and how it is an opportunity to hear from other teams what they processed and discussed. this allows individuals to hear diverse perspectives while sharing their processing and thoughts. Share with individuals that it is an expectation to engage in these conversations as part of the learning process.
• Create facilitation questions prompted by team discussion. As teams have intra (within) team discussions, circulate the space to hear key discussion pieces from each team. Create facilitation questions based on what you are hearing from each team. These questions can then be used to ask a team to expand on their discussion further when they share the rationale for the preferred answer with the other teams during inter (among) team discussions.
• Be mindful of the language you are using. When training others to use TBL, you may interact with individuals from higher education, workforce development, or primary and secondary education. Using inclusive language is necessary to allow each individual to identify how TBL can work in their space. This inclusive language will make individuals feel more bought into the delivery method and more actively engaged in discussions.
  Similarly, each individual in a classroom has a different background and experience they are bringing into the discussion. Using inclusive language, models for other individuals to do the same and builds a safer learning environment where teams will feel more comfortable engaging in rich conversation amongst one another.
• Be prepared with general facilitation questions and guidance. The following questions and guidance prompt initial team discussion and promote additional conversation.
  TEAMS HAVE DIFFERENT ANSWERS
  - If teams have different answers, you can begin by asking either the majority or the minority why they chose the answer that they did.
  - If teams disagree, have teams argue against their answer or play devil's advocate by arguing for another team's answer.
  ALL TEAMS HAVE THE SAME ANSWER
  - If teams all chose the same preferred answer, ask them why they chose their answers, then why they did not choose the other options.
  - Is there something about one answer you did not pick that if changed, would make it your preferred answer?
  - Ask teams, now that they have decided on their preferred answer, what about actually doing that answer may be challenging?
  
  Elicit discussion about the challenges of following the preferred course of action. This is a way to get a deeper discussion, even when everyone agrees with the answer.
  - What about A was not appealing?
  - What is a situation when a non-preferred answer might become preferred?
  - What else would you need to know before this non-preferred answer becomes preferred?
  - How easy was this decision within your team?
  
  GENERAL GUIDANCE
  - Ask open-ended questions to encourage deeper critical thinking.
  -Ask open-ended "why/why not" questions to encourage the group to continue discussions with each other.
  - Encourage participants to talk about the struggle to reach consensus when they are doing report-outs.
  - Remind participants that sometimes there may not be a perfect answer, just as in real life. Pick the best answer for the situation presented.

Top ↑

TBL Connection

Don't forget to sign up for the TBL Listserv. It's free to join, and you will receive emails about TBL news, questions, and celebrations. You can choose to get a digest email if you don't want to fill up your inbox. This Listserv is for ANYONE that does TBL: you do not have to be a member of the TBLC, use any technologies, or even be that familiar with it! All are welcome! Click the link to sign up TODAY!

Top ↑

Website Updates

Are you up to date on current events in the TBLC? Be sure to check out the website for updated information on current and upcoming events. The TBLC website is a great place to find information on topics like calls for posters or paper abstracts, grant submissions, future workshops or social events, and future meetings. The latest updates section also includes a “Feature of the Month” segment, which currently highlights the call for poster and oral presentation abstract for the 2025 annual meeting in Orange, California.

Are you interested in teaching TBL online or adding technology to your face-to-face TBL courses? The TBLC website is an excellent source of information regarding current technologies that can assist with implementing TBL, whether your course is online or in-person. Information on available technology can be found under the “Member Resources” tab on the member’s home page, and which includes information on resources for video conferencing, course design and implementation, peer evaluation, and assessments, among others. Check out the TBLC website for information on these technologies and others that can enhance the learning experience for students in your TBL courses.

Top ↑

Social Hour Updates

Check out the Social Hour archive to see what you've missed the last few months during our monthly social hour! Here are some of the recent topics:

Social Hour - January 2024
TBL in Sports and Coaching

Social Hour - February 2024
A Longitudinal Intervention to Teach and Assess Empathy in Health Professional Students

Social Hour - March 2024
TBLC Annual Conference Recap

Social Hour - April 2024
A transformative student learning experience using the virtual human patient simulator as an application exercise in Team-Based Learnng - a pilot study

Social Hour - May 2024
Handling Conflict in Teams

Social Hour - June 2024
Synergizing ScholarRx and Team-Based Learning: Transforming Medical Education

Social Hour - July 2024
Social Hour Improv: Artificial Intelligence, TBL in clinical medicine, and prework discussions

Social Hour - August 2024
Team-Based Learning and Jazz Listening Skills

Social Hour - September 2024
Student Self-Efficacy in TBL: How Important is Orientation

Social Hour - October 2024
How I used Narrative-Medicine tasks in TBL

Social Hour - November 2024
Ella’s Law:  A Virtual Patient Team-Based Learning Lesson Plan for Engaging Pathophysiology Students

Look for upcoming changes to our Social Hours beginning in January 2025. Hosts are still needed to lead us in discussions on your TBL journey, special topics, and/or innovations you'd like to share with our members and audience! Email support@tblcadmin.org to schedule a date!

Top ↑

• Best Scholarship paper (reviews: systematic, literature, or integrative); theoretical framework; methodological; commentary, impact on student collaborative learning, engagement; programme, course or curricular development, assessments; neurodiversity; team dynamics; wellbeing; sustainability or other established criteria.
• Best Research paper (primary research assessing TBL components, processes or outcomes, or establishing best practices, quantitative, qualitative or mixed methods).

Articles nominated for this award must have been published in a peer-reviewed journal in the last two calendar years (2024 or 2023), be consistent with the entire TBL process, and align with the mission of the TBLC. At least one author must be a member of the TBLC and one author must be registered to attend the 2025 TBLC Annual Conference to accept the award.

Deadline for submission - November 15, 2024

Don't miss your chance to submit your paper!

Nominations are to be submitted using the form by clicking here.

If you have any questions or trouble submitting, please reach out via email before November 15, 2024, to support@tblcadmin.org.

I am writing to let you know that the TBLC Membership fee will increase beginning January 1, 2025.

Over the last few years, we've held membership fees stable. In fact, the last time fees were increased was 2018. Since that time, expenses for maintaining the TBLC have risen due to inflation, and it's become necessary to increase fees to provide the programs and services you expect.

Membership fees for the TBLC are relatively low compared to other professional organizations, and we hope the TBLC offers strong value for the membership fees you provide. Membership in the TBLC offers you the following:

• Opportunity for Continuing Professional Development
• Networking via the TBLC Social Hour
• Access to the TBLC Resource Bank, Online TBL Tools, TBLC Newsletter, and new member guides
• Access to a bibliography of TBL-related research papers
• Opportunity to enhance your understanding of TBL and elevate your TBL practice
• Chance to develop your career through the three levels of certification offered by the TBLC
• Opportunities to develop your career through leadership within the TBLC, undertaking collaborative research, developing international networks, and presenting at conferences
• Reduction in conference fees for attendance at the TBLC Annual Conference, the Virtual Forum, and regional conferences and events
• Opportunities to network with like-minded colleagues both within and outside of your disciplines regionally, nationally, and internationally
• Opportunities to share your TBL experiences and learn from the experiences of others
  

Individual Membership fees will increase by $20 a year (i.e. from $90 to $110 for Category 3 members). We've also increased the savings you can make by renewing for 2 years ($180 - a saving of $40) or 3 years ($255 - a saving of $75).

Institutional fees will rise from $360 (for 5 members plus an administrator) to $450 with the charge for additional members rising from $72 to $90.

If your membership fees are due after 1st January 2025, you can renew early at the current rates throughout the rest of 2024.

If the raise in membership fees are likely to cause you hardship, please do reach out to us for a discussion via support@tblcadmin.org.

We wish you continued success as TBL educators, and if you have any suggestions for improving the benefits afforded to you through TBLC membership, please let us know via support@tblcadmin.org.

The TBLC is a voluntary organization and relies on the services of its members for its success. If you feel you can contribute your time to a committee, then please let us know via support@tblcadmin.org. In addition, as we are a voluntary organization, if you or your organization is in a position to be able to donate the equivalent of a $110 membership or any other sum, whether this is larger or smaller, then you can do so by clicking here.

Thank you,
Simon Tweddell
TBLC Treasurer

• Best Scholarship paper (reviews: systematic, literature, or integrative); theoretical framework; methodological; commentary, impact on student collaborative learning, engagement; programme, course or curricular development, assessments; neurodiversity; team dynamics; wellbeing; sustainability or other established criteria.
• Best Research paper (primary research assessing TBL components, processes or outcomes, or establishing best practices, quantitative, qualitative or mixed methods).

Articles nominated for this award must have been published in a peer-reviewed journal in the last two calendar years (2024 or 2023), be consistent with the entire TBL process, and align with the mission of the TBLC. At least one author must be a member of the TBLC and one author must be registered to attend the 2025 TBLC Annual Conference to accept the award.

Deadline for submission - November 15, 2024

Nominations are to be submitted using the form by clicking here.

If you have any questions or trouble submitting, please reach out via email before November 15, 2024, to support@tblcadmin.org.

• Best Scholarship paper (reviews: systematic, literature, or integrative); theoretical framework; methodological; commentary, impact on student collaborative learning, engagement; programme, course or curricular development, assessments; neurodiversity; team dynamics; wellbeing; sustainability or other established criteria.
• Best Research paper (primary research assessing TBL components, processes or outcomes, or establishing best practices, quantitative, qualitative or mixed methods).

Deadline for submission - November 15, 2024

Nominations are to be submitted using the form by clicking here.

If you have any questions or trouble submitting, please reach out via email before November 15, 2024, to support@tblcadmin.org.

Thank you,
Elizabeth Prabhakar
Chair, TBLC Research and Scholarship Committee