A Survey of Medical Students’ Points of Views about the Outcomes of
Immediate Feedback Assessment Tool in Team-Based Learning™ at
Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Iran
Background & Objective: Utilizing the immediate feedback assessment to Technique (IF-AT)
in team-based learning is a controversial issue due to its high cost. The aim of this study was to
investigate medical students’ views about the outcomes of using IF-AT regarding the
cooperation rate and method of students in team-based learning activates.
Methods: This descriptive study was conducted in 2016 at the School of Medicine, Tehran
University of Medical Sciences, Iran. The study population consisted of medical students who
had experienced both team-based learning methods (with and without IF-AT). Convenience
sampling was performed based on the willingness of students to complete a researcher-made,
valid, and reliable questionnaire. Data were analyzed using SPSS software.
Results: The IF-AT is designed for use in multi-response questions. Based on pre-determined
patterns, the answer was hidden under a surface which was scratched off by students after
discussing the answer. Of the 139 participants, 55.5% stated that utilizing IF-AT caused an
increase in the time of discussion, and 38.8% believed that it had small or very small effect on
the participation of students who would not previously take part in the discussion. In addition,
84.2% noted that the use of this tool increased the accuracy of answers. 85 (61.1%) believed
that IF-AT made team discussion more exciting. Moreover, 53.2% noted that it enhanced the
depth of the discussion, and 60.4% stated that discussions became more serious. However, the
majority of students (50.3%) believed that it had little effect on the integration of knowledge of
other subjects in answering questions. The students’ views in the open question, in addition to
approving the quantitative results, showed that students may wait for other teams to reveal the
answer before using their form.
Conclusion: The students believed that the use of the IF-AT has positive effects on
participation in team work. Although it may be a costly method, due to its positive effects from
the perspective of students, the cost associated with buying or producing of the tool seems to be
economical. In order to prevent the creation of a competitive educational environment, it is
recommended that students be made effectively aware of the goals and rationales of using this
tool. Student orientations should be done in multiple time intervals and must be taken into
consideration on other related circumstance, such as professional code of conduct training.
Key Words: Team-based learning, Active learning, Immediate feedback assessment Technique,
Medical student
