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