Incorporating team-based learning in a drug information course covering tertiary literature

Teaching tertiary literature in a drug information class can be uninteresting to students so a new innovative teaching technique was incorporated—team-based learning (TBL). After two years of using TBL, the grades for tertiary literature were compared with the two previous years when standard lectures were used. Because this technique reinforces the subject matter by having each student take an individual test and then a team test, the increased scores emphasized TBL over standard lecturing. For the two years before incorporating TBL, the average score was 81%, whereas the subsequent average was 90%. Students particularly liked to physically look up answers using the databases provided, which resembled real life experience. Times to set up the technique as well as finding adequate physical space for teams to collaborate were study limitations. Overall, TBL provided a new method for students to understand tertiary literature.