The State of Team-Based Learning

1. The State ofTeam-Based Learning

2. I asked for Stories… and discovered that the REAL stories are the Students

3. See student stories at:http://www.vetmed.iastate.edu/pathfinder/birg/testimonial.html

4. What did you see that was: • Positive? • Negative? • Not sure?

5. Why did the first young woman think that the groups “worked” so well?

6. Do you: • Agree? • Disagree?

7. My conclusion… Students are NOT very aware of how the different aspects of the setting affect their behavior:

8. I asked about IF-ATs… and confirmed that they REALLY make a difference

9. Impact of IF-ATs 1=no difference to 10=truly revolutionary

10. My conclusion… Anyone who fails to use the IF-ATs is missing a truly “golden opportunity.” But… What about the other 17%?

11. I asked about: • “Ideas to share” • “Persistent/annoying problems” • “Tweaks to Peer Evaluations?”

12. Most mentioned “Problem”: • Getting student “buy-in?” • Peer evaluations? • Getting faculty “buy-in?” • Challenge of developing effective tests/assignments?

13. Most mentioned “Problem”: • Peer evaluations? • Getting student “buy-in?” • Challenge of developing effective tests/assignments? • Getting faculty “buy-in?”

14. Student reactions to RATs “My students hate the RATs--they hate any 'testing'--and that sours their attitude about the group application process.” Versus “Be patient when you implement TBL - students may complain at first (particularly if it is brand new to them), but they eventually accept and even enjoy it!”“The Students love it, try it.

15. Why do some students hate RATs & others see them as a valuable learning experience?

16. Your task…Develop a hypothesis about why students resist (or accept and maybe even enjoy) the RATs.

17. Student Reactons to RATs: • Lots of student resistance to RAts. • In between. • Students eventually accept (and even enjoy) RATs.

18. Your task…Develop a hypothesis about why students resist (or accept and maybe even enjoy) the RATs.

19. Faculty Explanations--Most faculty appear to believe the “problems” are due to: • “My Students” • “My Subject”

20. Students are rational and will try to “beat the system” to avoid being treated unfairly: • Absolutely--doing well is beyond their control. • Relatively--other students might get preferential treatment.

21. Why do students resist giving honest peer evaluations?

22. Peer Evaluations: • Lots of student resistance to giving “honest” feedback. • In between. • Students seldom, if ever, “game” the system to give equal scores.

23. Your task…Develop a hypothesis about why students resist (or don’t resist) giving honest peer evaluations.

24. Key TBL Principles: • Groups properly formed/managed • Individual & team accountability • Assignments must promote both learning & team development • Frequent, timely & discriminatory performance feedback.

25. Idea to improve peer evaluations: • Make sure that students have clear evidence about their peers. • Use formative feedback along the way. • Do them on-line--gets more and better data and doesn’t burden the instructor. • Make a “case” for their value in preparing students for the future. • Give face-to-face individual feedback; ask for “Predictions.”

26. Idea to reduce resistance to TBL: • Give practice RAT (e.g. over syllabus). • Time for Q’s (from groups) before RAT. • Give comparative scores and grades. • Give brief overview of upcoming unit--including what students should DO. • Mid-term evaluation of how things are going in class and in teams.

27. Idea for implementing TBL: “If there's a concept I particularly want to make sure students review, I'll mark an incorrect answer as correct on the RAT. Teams appeal, and in the process really solidify their understanding of the material. Also because they know I will occasionally do this, they are vigilant in checking all wrong answers for possible appeals.”

28. Idea for implementing TBL: “After each TBL session, spend a couple of minutes modifying your application focused exercises and readiness assurance test exercises based on how the items performed in class.”

29. Idea for implementing TBL: “In order to optimize the effectiveness of your application exercise, submit it to at least two persons for critical review before using it with your students. Ideally, these two persons would be another faculty content expert and a mature student who has previously participated in TBL.”

30. Idea for implementing TBL: “If I have a student who is absent during RATs, I let them make up the iRAT and give them the team RAT score on their first absence. If they miss another RAT, I let them make-up the iRAT, but use their iRAT score for both the iRAT and tRAT. Peer reviews typically penalize the student for absences, and individual RAT scores are already lower than team RAT scores. With those two conditions already occurring, I don't need to give zeros for team RATS.”

31. Is “teaching to the test”: • A good thing? • A bad thing?

32. My conclusion… “Teaching to the test” is essential…as long as we are teaching to THE TEST.

33. Questions about TBL? www.teambasedlearning.org