Figure 1.

Results of randomized controlled trial of team-based learning versus individual learning. (A) 80 students were recruited into the study, and randomized to learning in a small group or individually. The mean scores (± SEM) on predict and recall questions are shown for the two groups, along with the significance (Student’s t test) and effect size (calculated as difference in means between groups divided by pooled standard deviation, using Cohen’s d). In addition, students were asked how satisfied they were with the learning environment, and there was no significant difference between the study groups. (B) Students who indicated that they prefer to learn in teams had no significant difference in exam scores compared to students who indicated that they prefer to learn as individuals (P value calculated using Student’s t test and effect size calculated using Hedges’ g, due to the different group sizes). (C) The median score on predict questions of students with a high prior course grade was significantly higher than for students with a low prior course grade, indicating that performance on these questions was correlated with prior performance in the course (P value calculated using Student’s t test, and effect size calculated using Cohen’s d).