Team-Based Learning: Does it develop Graduate Capabilities?

Many universities have generic graduate attributes that students should achieve upon graduation. Accreditation criteria for health programmes may also require students to demonstrate specific skills and capabilities as part of the outcome standards for their initial education and training. Previous studies have reported that students who learn using Team-Based Learning (TBL) believe that it benefited their professional growth. Students considered that early acquisition of advanced critical thinking, teamwork and communication skills, and speciality practice knowledge empowered nurses to provide safe patient care with confidence. TBL improved the students’ comprehension, retention of information, critical thinking, and attitudes about the course.

The University of Bradford introduced a new, innovative and highly integrated MPharm programme designed using educational evidence, theory and best practice and delivered predominately by the student-centred learning and teaching strategy TBL. The Bradford MPharm team was awarded a national Collaborative Award for Teaching Excellence (CATE) by AdvanceHE in 2017 ( https://www.bradford.ac.uk/news/2017/cate-award.php ). We believe that this pedagogical approach better prepares students for future clinical practice through taking active and collaborative learning methods which result in students taking deeper approaches to learning, enhanced attainment and developing key higher level skills and capabilities needed in the clinical setting.

This project aims to investigate the extent to which graduates and their employers believe learning using Team-Based Learning has contributed to the development of their graduate skills, attributes and capabilities.