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I teach an undergraduate human biology course for nonmajors, and I have used TBL for the past 3 semesters, starting Spring 2009. All has gone very well. I enjoy using TBL, the students enjoy it, attendance is better, etc. I can’t imagine going back to traditional lecturing.

My question concerns the testing process, both RATs and unit tests. I end each unit with a test, mainly multiple choice, to assess individual student learning. I do not give a mid-term and there is no cumulative final, just the last unit test at the end of the course. The first semester I tried TBL, there was a lot of grumbling over the back-to-back tests i.e., unit test on the material we’re finishing one day and then RATs on the new unit the following class period.

My solution has been to assign a few homework questions on the new unit. The assignment is worth minor points, but does give students some incentive to open the text. I collect homework at the beginning of the class, then lecture on some of the new material. We take the RATs on the second day of the new unit. Typically questions for the RAT are on a different chapter in the text book than the one I just lectured on. I’m really not happy with this work-around though because students are not prepared yet, of course, for any application activities, and I’m stuck lecturing on the first day of the new unit.

How does everyone else handle this situation? Do you typically give unit tests or only a mid-term and a final? Should I just ignore the grumbling and insist they prepare for and take the RATs the class after the unit test? Is there a better way to build in a day off from testing during the transition from one unit to the next?

Thank you for any advice you can offer.

Dianne York
Lecturer, Biology
Lincoln University, PA
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