MAILING LISTS

Hi Christine

My genetics course is listed in our central curriculum as "team intensive",
so my students expect that they will be required to develop team behavior
that would lead to success in the professional world.  This means that
absences must be reported in advance not only to the boss (me) but to the
other members of the team so that they can plan accordingly.  When a student
knows in advance that they will miss class (a field trip, family funeral,
job interview, etc.) then I generally allow the student to take the iRAP
immediately before they depart campus, and to leave notes on their iRAP
sheet for their team members.  That way they participate as fully as
possible, and can receive both grades.

Of course, not all misses are foreseeable.  Since my class is at 8:00 am, an
email to me (before the start of class) that copies all of the team members
is sufficient as a starting point for 'notification in advance'.  I then
evaluate the nature of the absence.  If it is a skip, then the student gets
a zero on the iRAP and the tRAP.  If it is not a skip, then I drop the
grades.

I'd be interested to know if anyone has figured out a good way to have
students make up tRAP activities after they have been administered to the
class?

Tammy


On 4/20/10 1:30 AM, "Jamie Sneddon" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> Hi Christine
> 
> I've had a few students not show for RAT, and have given zero for both
> the iRAT and tRAT component. I see this as fair; it would be hard to see
> how a student might justify that they had contributed to the tRAT
> component mark.
> 
> Of course, if they are sick or otherwise unable to attend then I assess
> the component fairly. But no excuse, no mark.
> 
> If you want to teach being part of a 'real' team, then finding out an
> overseer (teacher/employer) notices your absence and doesn't give
> acknowledgment for the work of others is also the 'real' world in action.
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> Jamie
> 
> 
> 
> Christine Kuramoto wrote:
>> Dear Friends,
>> 
>> I have a question about absent team members.  In the past I've always
>> given students the tRAT score from their team when they missed a RAT
>> day and a 0 for the iRAT. I'm teaching the same 100 students in their
>> second round of TBL and notice the same guys tend to skip class as the
>> last time. My students had a tendency to be quite lenient on their
>> peer evaluations, so the skippers got the team points and still got
>> pretty good peer evaluations last year (with a few brave members
>> commenting "you should come to class more" but still not lowering
>> their scores much).
>> 
>> I'm beginning to wonder if I should step in and say that absent
>> students won't get the team score for the tRAT. The tRATs are what
>> saved a few of them from failing last year. Am I teaching them that
>> it's OK to be lazy and let your team take responsibility for it? Or
>> should I be looking at the bigger picture that says, "See team! You
>> have the power to let them sink or save them. It's up to you."--which
>> is then teaching them the responsibility of being part of a team and
>> what the real world is like.
>> 
>> Hmmmmm. . .
>> 
>> Please let me know what you think.
>> 
>> Thanks!
>> Christine
>>