Lorna Finnegan, PhD, RN
Associate Professor and Department Head
Department of Health Systems Science
University of Illinois at Chicago College of Nursing

Email: lornaf@uic.edu

I have been using TBL in two PhD-level statistics courses since 2012. Prior to class, students complete the readings and study guides, and they practice data analysis using statistical software. Each four-hour class session is one module. The individual and team readiness assurance questions assess basic understanding of concepts and statistical output. During the application activities, teams solve data analysis problems that they will likely encounter in their future scientific work. Students enjoy each class, and the four-hour class sessions go by very quickly. Students also perform very well on the final exams, and they are able to apply their statistical knowledge in future courses and in their dissertation work.

In addition, I also mentor many faculty in my department who are implementing TBL in various undergraduate and graduate core and clinical courses in the College of Nursing. Many of these courses are delivered online with large student enrollments.