Evaluating physician associate students’ perceptions of an online team-based learning session on stroke medicine

Abstract

Background and aims: Team-based learning (TBL) is an effective, active learning strategy that has been validated and used in medical schools. It consists of three phases; preparation, readiness assurance tests and application exercise. It follows a ‘flipped classroom’ model where assessment takes place at the beginning and encourages team discussions that emulate clinical practice. TBL has been used in medical education; however, there is a lack of literature on its use specifically in physician associate (PA) education. We therefore explored the perceptions of a Stroke TBL session among PA students in a UK PA Programme.

Methods: The study took place during the COVID-19 pandemic; therefore, TBL was implemented virtually using online video conferencing platforms. The students’ perceptions were then analysed using anonymous online questionnaires sent to them shortly after the session. The questionnaire included specific questions comparing TBL to other teaching methods such as problem-based learning (PBL).

Results: Overall, the students felt that TBL was an effective teaching method that was better than other methods such as lectures and PBL.

Conclusions: This was a small study of a single TBL session that provided rich qualitative data around students’ perceptions. It is a good foundation for developing TBL further in UK PA Programmes. We encourage further use of this strategy with further studies in this area.