Team-Based Learning (TBL) (JiTL)-Off to On: Best Practices for Online Team-Based Learning

Off to On: Best Practices for Online Team-Based Learning

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"Off to On: Best Practices for Online Team-Based Learning" (Clark et al., 2018) is a comprehensive white paper addressing effective strategies for transitioning traditional face-to-face Team-Based Learning (TBL) to online environments, aligned with the Quality Matters (QM) Rubric for Higher Education. With growing online higher education enrollments and increased employer demand for real-world skills, the paper stresses adapting TBL’s four essentials—properly formed teams, team assignments promoting learning and development, frequent feedback, and accountability—to online formats.

The paper identifies four critical components for successful online TBL delivery: Orientation, Readiness Assurance Process (RAP), Application Exercises, and Peer Evaluation. Each component is analyzed with recommended best practices linked to QM standards, ensuring quality and consistency in online teaching.

1. <strong>Orientation:</strong> Emphasizes providing clear course-specific information, forming instructor-assigned teams, introducing the TBL approach including its collaborative and critical thinking foundations, and fostering social presence through instructor and student introductions. Addressing technological needs and promoting accessibility are also vital to prepare students for online teamwork and engagement.

2. <strong>Readiness Assurance Process:</strong> Focuses on preparing students for team collaboration and accountability through structured activities such as individual and team readiness assurance tests (iRATs and tRATs), appeals, and immediate feedback. The paper highlights challenges of pacing and interaction in asynchronous settings and suggests investing time early in team-building and clear communication norms, leveraging technology for integrity and feedback, and ensuring course organization facilitates collaboration.

3. <strong>Application Exercises:</strong> These build higher-order learning by applying concepts in solving significant, specific problems requiring teams to make decisions and report simultaneously, a hallmark of TBL. The paper discusses designing these exercises considering synchronous/asynchronous delivery, space/time dimensions, and leveraging technology to support collaboration, provide feedback, and enable data analytics for monitoring participation and outcomes.

4. <strong>Peer Evaluation:</strong> Critical for maintaining individual accountability, this process must be transparent, include multiple formative and summative cycles, and use technology to collect and analyze quantitative and qualitative data effectively. The paper highlights the importance of articulating rationale for peer evaluation to students, ensuring fairness, managing bias, and providing timely, actionable feedback to promote teamwork skills.

The paper concludes that successful online TBL requires thoughtful adaptation to the unique temporal and spatial features of online learning, effective use of technology, clear course design, and fostering social and cognitive presence. The evolving paradigm necessitates flexibility, creativity, and ongoing adherence to quality standards to enhance student engagement, learning outcomes, and teamwork skills in virtual settings.

Keywords

Online Team-Based Learning

Quality Matters Rubric

Orientation in Online TBL

Readiness Assurance Process

Application Exercises

Peer Evaluation

Team Collaboration

Asynchronous Learning Challenges

Technology in Online Education

Student Engagement