The effectiveness of Team-Based Learning : a meta-analysis.

Abstract

Team Based Learning (TBL) is a pedagogical method developed by Larry K. Michaelsen as a response to the problems of large classes (e.g., low student motivation, low levels of student participation, low class attendance) (Parmelee, 2010). Since its development, TBL has been widely used by educators in many fields and in many countries (Parmelee, 2010; Sweet & Michaelsen, 2007). In this study, a meta-analysis was conducted on existing TBL research. The hypothesis of the study was that the use of TBL will have some effect on student academic outcomes. The moderating effects of country of origin, outcome measure type, education level, and course subject were analyzed. On average, across all studies, TBL seemed to produce better academic outcomes than the comparison pedagogical methods.