ERIC Number: EJ1410910
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2024
Pages: 14
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1551-2169
EISSN: EISSN-1551-2177
Team-Based Learning in the Political Science Classroom: Comparing In-Person and Online Environments
Holmsten Stephanie Seidel
Journal of Political Science Education, v20 n1 p119-132 2024
Decades of research suggest that interactive classrooms enhance student engagement and improve comprehension. Team-Based Learning (TBL) is an educational strategy used first in medical settings and business schools and then expanded to social sciences and humanities that emphasizes small-group, active-learning, where most classroom time is devoted to group problem-solving. In a previous study, we showed in the political science classroom that TBL enhanced student appreciation for working in teams. Positive experiences with teamwork develop interpersonal skills that help our students get into the door in a competitive job market where entry positions demand skills for effective collaboration and communication. In this study, I determine the effect of the pandemic-induced requirement to use TBL in a virtual environment on student appreciation for working in teams. Due to the duration of the pandemic, this study includes data from multiple semesters. This study confirms that TBL is effective at improving student attitudes toward working in teams during in-person semesters, but data from online semesters does not demonstrate a significant impact on positive attitudes toward teams. I explore three possible explanations for this finding. I conclude that to capture the benefits of online team-based learning, we must consider new strategies to ensure all key elements of TBL are applied.
Descriptors: Electronic Learning, In Person Learning, Teamwork, Political Science, Online Courses, Active Learning, Educational Environment, Undergraduate Students
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A