The impact of learning modality on team-based learning (TBL) outcomes in anatomical sciences education

Team-based learning (TBL) is an instructional methodology that has been increasingly used in anatomy and physiology education in recent years. The appropriateness of TBL methods for students with diverse preferred sensory learning modalities has not been adequately examined. This study aimed to show the influence of students preferred sensory modality for learning on TBL and traditional academic outcome measures (tests, assignments, etc.). 157 American undergraduate Communication Sciences and Disorders students taking anatomy and physiology courses took the VARK, a questionnaire quantifying their preferred learning modality. These students traditional and TBL measures of academic success were compared by preferred learning modality. A one-way MANOVA failed to find any difference in TBL or other academic outcomes by preferred learning modality (p = .252). The results of this study support the effectiveness of TBL methods for undergraduate students regardless of what sensory mode they prefer to receive information