Learning Teams and the Online Learner

Abstract

L earning teams were developed to promote active learning among students in distance education. This is a teaching-learning strategy that was adapted from collaborative and team-based learning concepts. In an online environment, promoting active learning is a challenge as students, often in large class sizes, work independently rather than meeting regularly in a traditional classroom. Collaborative learning enhances motivation to learn, knowledge retention, and understanding of content in a variety of classroom settings. 1-4 Learning teams were implemented to promote active learning, increase student engagement and collaboration, and efficiently manage large class sizes. The purpose of this column is to describe the use of learning teams as a teaching-learning strategy in distance education graduate nursing courses. Learning Team Instructional MethodThe learning team instructional method described here included 3 steps: preterm learning team formation, mastery of course objectives as learning teams, and evaluation of the experience. 4 Course announcements were posted prior to the beginning of the term to describe the concepts and advantages of collaborative learning, with ways the courses would use learning teams to enhance learning and maximize connection to peers. Course requirements included the following: all course assignments would be completed by learning teams, learning teams would consist of 3 students, and requests for specific learning team partners could be made in advance of the new term. If students did not request learning team partners, faculty assigned students to a team.At the start of the term, all students reviewed the course learning team policy that outlined faculty expectations and student responsibilities. Faculty expectations included that each learning team partner would participate fully in course work through group discussions about course content and by equal contribution to completing assignments. Student responsibilities included planning for course due dates, synthesizing course content through required reading and written assignments, and exchanging constructive feedback with learning team partners. A written collaboration statement on each submitted assignment indicated that all students contributed equally to and agreed with the final submitted assignment.At the end of each course, students were invited to evaluate their learning team experience. Students were asked to write a reflection about advantages and disadvantages of participating in learning teams to complete course assignments. Student reflections provided narrative data that were used to evaluate learning teams as a teaching-learning strategy. In addition to written student reflections, 5 faculty were interviewed to provide their perceptions of advantages and disadvantages of teaching in courses using learning teams. Faculty narrative data were also used to evaluate the teachinglearning strategy.Institutional review board approval was provided by the university to use the anonymous written student reflections and obta...

The effect of interprofessional team-based learning among nursing students: A quasi-experimental study

“…Professional education ultimately aims at preparing students for their future expected roles and to function optimally in the health-care team. Given that the health-care professions are facing a range of challenges including an expanding aging population with complex health-care needs (Lynch, Ash, & Chadwick, 2010), the introduction of new technologies (Nichols, Malone, & Esden, 2016), a shortage of manpower and striving for a greater standard of care (Bridges, Davidson, Odegard, Maki, & Tomkowiak, 2011;Croker & Hudson, 2015), they are increasingly expected to work as a team and provide high-quality care to patients (Thompson et al, 2015).…”