Designing TBL prework that truly supports learning is something many of us wrestle with, regardless of discipline or experience level. We all want students to arrive prepared, confident, and ready to engage, yet finding the right balance in prework can be surprisingly challenging. When materials are too dense or complex, students feel overloaded before they even begin. When they are too light, teams lack the foundation needed for deeper application.

To set the stage for the workshop, participants will receive prework consisting of two short handouts—10 Common Cognitive Overload Pitfalls and 10 Strategies for Designing Effective Prework—along with a published reading on prework design (with publisher permission). These materials will prepare participants for the workshop team-based activities and analysis.

In this interactive workshop, conducted in Team-Based Learning format, we will explore how research-based Cognitive Load Theory (CLT) and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) offer practical tools for matching prework design to where learners are in their development.

We will begin with a quick readiness check and then shift into team-based analysis and discussion. Working in teams, participants will identify the flaws in a prework example that most inhibit learning and then use the Pitfalls handout provided as prework to identify design flaws. Through simultaneous reporting and whole-group synthesis, participants will make TBL-style choices from the 10 Design Strategies to strengthen the prework and then compare their redesign to an improved version crafted using CLT and UDL principles.

By the end of the workshop, participants will have a clearer sense of how to design prework that supports readiness, reduces unnecessary struggle, and sets the stage for richer team learning. Attendees will leave with practical tools, adaptable strategies, and renewed confidence in how they can help learners build expertise, step by step, and with the right level of challenge.