Featured Member: Parto Khansari

Parto Khansari
Associate Professor and Chair
California Northstate University
College of Pharmacy
Phone: (916)686-8549
pkhansari@cnsu.edu

Discipline: Pharmacology/Neuropharmacology

My TBL Experience: I began using TBL in 2009. I am actively involved in cultivating TBL delivery in pharmacy education, mentored over 10 faculty members to implement TBL at CNUCOP and through TBLC Consultant training, and have conducted several workshops at national and local conferences on implementing TBL.

Improvement in TBL: To enrich the review sessions and apply the principles of TBL, my colleague, Dr. Leanne Coyne, and I introduced the addition of team exam review. These team exams have a similar format to individual midterm exams, with the exception that answering the questions is a team effort. In a research study, we explored students’ perceptions of the benefits of having team exams prior to major exams. The findings of the study confirms that students believed team exams help them to identify class content that is challenging to them, recognize gaps in their knowledge, and strengthen their skills through discussion and debate with their team.

Citation: Khansari P and Coyne L. An Innovative Approach to Enhance Learning & Teaching by Incorporating Team-Exams into Team-Based-Learning. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education 2014; 78 (5) Article 111.

How has the TBLC assisted me?: The landscape of effective teaching is changing rapidly. The educational process is no longer a transfer of information; rather, an active engagement of students to acquire, evaluate and apply knowledge. The shift in transforming the educational process requires skill, well-thought infrastructure and support from other educators. The Team-Based Learning Collaborative is just the place where innovation is encouraged, best practice is shared and support is offered unconditionally. I joined the TBLC in 2009 and became TBL Trainer Certified in 2014 and I believe this is undoubtedly, was one of the most enriched decision I made in my career.

TBL Presentations:

  1. Khansari P, Coyne L. TBL 101 and Creating an Effective TBL Module, San Francisco, CA (2016)
  2. Khansari PS, Create effective TBL modules, CNU Elk Grove, August 31, 2016.
  3. McDowell, JA Jr., PS Khansari, G Kubat, T Ho, C Porter-Fraser, RM Alajajian, H Yang, T-J M Kreys, JK Cusick, CT Doan, A Nauli, K Hassell, S Clark, HT Tran. Plussing the Interview Day with an Authentic Team-Based Learning Experience at a College of Pharmacy. AACP Annual Meeting 23 June 2016.
  4. Khansari P, Coyne L, Frausto S, McClendon K. Assessment of Student Learning Outcomes in Team-Based Learning in Pharmacy Education. AACP Annual Meeting, Chicago, July 2013
  5. Vinall, R., Khansari, P., Ofstad, W., and Clark, S. Methods to foster individual engagement, intrinsic motivation, and accountability to enhance team-based learning. 2016. Annual TBLC conference. Albuquerque, NM.
  6. Khansari P, Coyne L, Ofstad W, Building an Assessment Framework for a TBL Classroom. 2015. Annual TBLC conference. Podium presentation, St. Petersburg, FL.
  7. Khansari P, Coyne L, Ofstad W, An Introduction to Teaching and Assessment in A Team-Based Setting, Sacramento State Nursing School (2014)
  8. Khansari P, Coyne L, Ofstad W, Pathways to Expand the Effectiveness of Teaching and Learning, California Northstate University (2014)