Team Learning in Medical Education: Initial Experiences at Ten Institutions

PURPOSE: In the midst of curricular reforms that frequently call for reducing lectures and increasing small-group teaching, there is a crisis in faculty time for teaching. This paper describes the initial experiences of ten institutions with team learning (TL), a teaching method which fosters small-group learning in a large-class setting. METHOD: After initial pilot studies at one institution, nine additional institutions implemented TL in one or more courses. RESULTS: Within 18 months, TL has been used in 40 courses (from.5% to 100% of the time) and all ten institutions will increase its use next year. CONCLUSIONS: We surmise that this relatively rapid spread of TL into the medical curriculum is due to the sound pedagogy and efficiency of TL as well as the modest financial resources and support we have provided to partner institutions.