Medical students need to be accustomed to independent learning, working in teams, articulating arguments, and applying knowledge to resolve clinical problems. Team-Based Learning (TBL) was one of the key focuses of the PBL Tutor and Basic Clinical Skills Instructor Workshop held on Thursday (9/7/2026) at the Faculty of Medicine Building.

The activity was attended by lecturers and laboratory technicians of the UIN Sunan Kalijaga Medical Study Program, featuring a team from the Faculty of Medicine of Universitas Diponegoro as the accompanying university. The workshop forms part of a series of preparations for the medical education learning system; one that positions students as active learners in developing clinical reasoning, collaborative skills, and decision-making ability in medical practice.

As the resource person, dr. Muflihatul Muniroh, M.Si.Med., Ph.D., explained that Team-Based Learning is a learning approach that places students as active participants in the learning process. Students do not simply receive explanations from lecturers; they first prepare themselves, study references, understand the scenario, and bring that prior knowledge into group discussion.

“The competencies that have been determined need to be translated into a planned learning process. Lecturers must therefore prepare material, construct scenarios, determine references, and design student readiness evaluations before learning begins,” she explained.

According to dr. Liha, the initial test in TBL is not merely a grading tool. Its results help lecturers map students' understanding, identify areas still requiring clarification, and make the conduct of discussions and practice more focused.

When students arrive with adequate preparation, she continued, the learning process can unfold more smoothly. Students become more willing to express opinions, raise questions, respond to their peers' thinking, and connect the concepts they are studying with the issues under discussion.

As a facilitator, dr. Liha also noted, lecturers must be able to direct students toward academically credible references, particularly relevant textbooks and scientific sources. In this way, students do not only obtain information, but simultaneously learn to search for, evaluate, and use references appropriately.

“Learning in a team is indeed a challenge for students. But when the process is facilitated well, learning can become more enjoyable and help them understand the material more deeply than studying alone,” she said.

These principles align with the direction of learning development in the UIN Sunan Kalijaga Medical Study Program, which positions Team-Based Learning as one of the strategic approaches in building student competencies.

This competency is closely related to the reality of healthcare delivery, which involves collaborative work across professions. In practice, doctors do not work alone; they interact with other health workers, patients, families, and the community.

Team-based learning is therefore not merely a teaching method; it is also an early space for shaping professional culture. Students are accustomed to preparing themselves, contributing within a team, respecting opinions, being accountable for their arguments, and reflecting on the learning process.

Ultimately, Team-Based Learning does not only change how lecturers teach, but it also changes how students learn. It is from within those discussion spaces that students are trained to arrive prepared, think together, test their understanding, and take responsibility for the knowledge they will one day apply in healthcare delivery. (humassk)