MAILING LISTS

I'll forward this helpful post from Laura Madson back out to the list since it's topical right now. . .

-M


-----Original Message-----
From: Team-Based Learning [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Laura Madson
Sent: Wednesday, November 03, 2010 2:18 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: TBL in introductory undergrad courses

Hello Eddy, Bill, and everyone -
I use TBL in my large-enrollment (N=140 students) Introduction to Psychology classes that typical enroll first- and second-year students. My students are generally from poor, rural areas in New Mexico. About half of the student population is of Hispanic descent and half are Anglo. I consider use of TBL in Intro Psych successful in that student attendance has improved, student attrition has decreased and student grades have improved since I switched to TBL.

Over the years, I've found myself spending more and more class time explicitly telling students why I use TBL and confronting their existing models of teaching and learning.

In "selling" TBL at the beginning of the term, I make liberal reference to the Hart Report
(http://www.aacu.org/advocacy/leap/documents/re8097abcombined.pdf) that clearly indicates employers value team skills. I attached the information I use to sell TBL. None of it is specific to psychology so it might be helpful to other TBL instructors.

I also explain that, despite all their previous experiences in formal education, they do not have a flip-top head into which I can vomit information (i.e., lecture). Although the usual cues that they are learning (e.g., a notebook full of stuff, a feeling of boredom and/or outright pain during class) may be absent, they are still learning. One of the reasons I use TBL is because I want to give students the experience of learning while having fun! 

Although I still encounter some resistance, I've noticed fewer comments about "she didn't teach us anything" on my instructor evaluations since I started giving these explanations.

Cheers,
lm

--
Laura Madson, Ph.D.
Associate Professor and Graduate Director Department of Psychology New Mexico State University Box 30001/MSC 3452 Las Cruces, NM 88003 [log in to unmask]
(575) 646-2502