Opening the black box of team-based learning (TBL): A study of verbal interactions in online application sessions

Context: In team-based learning (TBL), an instructional strategy that encourages in-depth team discussion and deep learning, interactions in terms of sharing, co-construction, constructive conflict and procedural interactions are important. Since TBL has also been applied online in recent years, the question is whether these interactions are sufficiently present in an online setting. Aim: Gain insight into the nature and extent of these types of interactions in online TBL application sessions and to what extent these vary between teams and sessions. Methods: We made audiovisual recordings of 12 TBL teams in two online application sessions during assignments. Transcripts were coded and analyzed using a framework derived. Results: Teams spent more than 85% of their time on all four types of interactions in both sessions. The largest proportion of time was spent on sharing and co-construction. Constructive conflict occurred to a limited extent. We observed variation in proportion of time spent on and the distribution of the four types of interactions between teams and sessions. Discussion: All interactions important for achieving deep learning occurred in online TBL application sessions. However, the effective use of these types of interaction should not be left to chance.