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Greetings, colleagues,

I have a question about timing and RATs - both individual and team.
THis is for a first year law course (83 students; 13 teams).

I'm using RATs (10 questions each) 6 times over the semester.
Students complete them individually, then in teams.
We have a 90 minute class. 
Some students are done within 15 -20 minutes.
Others take as much as 50-60.
When students are done, they are permitted to leave the classroom and chat about other things in the common areas. When all students have completed the individual RATs, the other students are invited to return and complete the team RATs. 

Because on of the skills I want students to work on is applying facts to legal principles, the RATs tend to include increasingly more complicated factual scenarios. This means that in the later RATS students have to read the equivalent of 2 or more pages of single-spaced text. 

To address the pacing issue I've tried limiting the time available for students to complete the individual and team RATs. THe last time I did this, many students focused on speed and lost points for jumping over important material in the questions. Close, careful reading under pressure is a skill I want them to develop. Speed reading is not. 

In the most recent RAT, the 4th in the semester, I faced the problem of both individual and teams finishing at very different times.  I'm trying to figure out a better way to conduct these to balance keeping more students engaged and providing sufficient time for individuals and teams to work through the analysis. 

For the next RAT, I am considering inviting students to arrive early to start the individual RAT, and then put a deadline for completing the individual RAT. Those who know by now that they want more time can come early (all of them are free 30 minutes before the class). That may resolve the range of time it takes students individually.  I am not sure about how to effectively address this time difference for teams.

I welcome any and all thoughts from this group.

Thanks, much.

Sophie




Sophie M. Sparrow
Professor of Law 
Franklin Pierce Law Center
2 White Street
Concord, NH 03301
603.228.1541 x. 1205
603.228.0386 FAX
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