Peer-Assisted and Team-Based Learning: A new hybrid strategy for Medical Education

ABSTRACT Medical education has been significantly changing in the last years, mainly due to new conceptions of the teaching-learning processes that advocate the employment of active methods of learning, such as Team-Based Learning (TBL). Peer-Assisted Learning (PAL) is a long-established strategy that has been used in several undergraduate courses. This study describes a pilot test of a new model of PAL developed with an adapted TBL strategy, that was called “PAL-TBL method”. The test occurred during Human Physiology classes with first-year Medical undergraduate students from Universidade de Pernambuco - Garanhuns Campus, Brazil. The PAL-TBL was designed as a teaching-learning methodology to improve academic education. Here, the organizational dynamics and the design of the activities carried out from 2016 to 2017 are reported. The resulting PAL-TBL methodology is characterized as the following: (i) timing I or material preparation (context/scenario) and study/analysis of the material by the participants; (ii) timing II or verification of prior knowledge (individual and team test), questioning and feedback and (iii) timing III or applying the concepts learned. It is worth mentioning that the end of timing II consisted of a moment for evaluating the team’s work and the materials used. Material production happened through the interaction between student-tutors and the (supervising) professor, aiming to share experiences as well as to elucidate the importance of using active methods during the academic development of useful competencies for medical practice. The methodology developed allowed students to reflect extensively on the problems presented in the class discussions, allowing for a richer learning experience. Further applications of PAL-TBL in advanced years of the course will be done to confirm the benefits of this hybrid strategy for medical education.

摘要 近年来医学教育发生了显著变革，这主要源于教学过程的新理念倡导采用主动学习方法，例如基于团队学习（Team-Based Learning，TBL）。同伴辅助学习（Peer-Assisted Learning，PAL）是一项在多门本科课程中得到广泛应用的成熟教学策略。本研究介绍了一种结合改良版基于团队学习策略开发的新型同伴辅助学习模式的预试验，该模式被命名为“PAL-TBL教学法”。本次预试验于巴西伯南布哥大学加拉纽斯校区的人体生理学课堂中开展，受试对象为该校一年级医学本科生。PAL-TBL教学法旨在通过规范化的教学方法提升医学教育质量，本研究详述了2016至2017年间该教学法的组织流程与活动设计方案。该教学法的核心流程分为以下三个阶段：(i) 第一阶段：素材准备（即创设情境/案例）与学员自主研读、分析素材；(ii) 第二阶段：前置知识验证（含个人测试与团队测试）、答疑与反馈；(iii) 第三阶段：运用所学知识解决问题。值得说明的是，第二阶段结束时会设置团队作业与所用教学素材的评估环节。教学素材的编制由学生助教与指导教授协作完成，旨在分享教学经验，并阐明在医学人才培养过程中采用主动学习方法对提升临床实践所需核心能力的重要意义。该教学法可引导学员对课堂讨论中提出的问题进行深入思考，从而获得更丰富的学习体验。后续将在本专业高年级课程中进一步应用PAL-TBL教学法，以验证该混合式教学策略在医学教育中的应用价值。