Hi Derek, Scott, Gerry and TBL list members,
I am grateful for your insightful responses. I considered telling the
student that overhearing group work would not affect the grades much,
because the students decided (wisely) to set grade weights of
individual work at a very low percentage of their grade relative to
team work. However, we have had some recent honor board issues in
other courses at our College that are making folks fairly sensitive to
these sorts of topics lately. I decided to instead invoke the "5
minute rule" as suggested below. I'm pleased to report that it worked
really well. No one complained at the time or has since. I think many
were relieved because it did speed things up a bit, making more time
for discussion of the exercise. It is a very ingenious way of
automatically altering the time allowed to match the difficulty of each
assignment.
Thanks for your help,
Best wishes,
Holly
On Oct 11, 2004, at 10:23 AM, Derek R. Lane wrote:
> Holly (and Scott) and other interested TBL Listerserve members,
>
> One way to resolve the issue of individuals hearing what the teams are
> doing on Readiness Assessment Tests is to implement Michaelsen's "5
> MINUTE
> RULE." I do not allow the teams to begin working on their TRATS until
> after ALL individuals are finished with the IRATs. The advice I
> provide
> below is contingent upon effectively written RATs (see pages 41-44;
> 218-221
> in the 2004 Michaelsen, Knight & Fink TBL TBL textbook).
>
> Basically, I allow everyone in the class five minutes more than the
> slowest
> individual on the fastest team to finish taking their individual (and
> their
> team) tests. Let me explain by way of example.
>
> As students finish their individual tests, they place their individual
> scantron forms inside a team folder. As soon as everyone on one team
> has
> finished their individual test and placed them in the group folder,
> one of
> the team members brings the folder to me. I then announce to the class
> that the "5 MINUTE RULE IS IN EFFECT." Everyone now has 5 minutes to
> complete their individual tests. This procedure prevents individuals to
> benefit from overhearing teams talk about the TRATs--it also provides a
> quiet and respectful atmosphere for students who require silence to
> perform
> effectively on quizzes.
>
> I also use the 5 MINUTE RULE for the TRATs. As soon as the first team
> is
> finished with their TRATs I announce that the rest of the class has 5
> minutes remaining to finish their TRAT. This prevents teams from
> wasting
> class time as they know that nothing else can be going on in the
> classroom
> while they are finishing their test.
>
> When I was first exposed to Team-Based Learning as a graduate student
> in
> 1993, I was amazed that students (both graduate and undergraduate) were
> able to complete their IRATS within the allotted time. I have been
> using
> TBL primarily in communication courses with undergraduate students at
> the
> University of Kentucky since 1996. I've also used them with
> statistics and
> research methods courses. Students with learning disabilities are able
> to
> complete the IRATs in the time allotted without any problem. Though,
> when
> I have visually impaired students I have to provide a reader and
> another
> ajoining classroom (or office) so that the blind student can be given
> the
> IRAT orally. In many cases, the blind student finishes the IRAT well
> before any of the other individual students.
>
> The 5 MINUTE RULE should eliminate the problems associated with IRAT
> honor
> issues.
>
> As far as feedback from individual IRATS:
>
> I scan each of the individual IRATs as the teams are taking their
> TRATs. When the first team finishes their TRAT, they bring either the
> Team
> scantron form (or, the completed IF-AT form) to me. I record the team
> score on the board (for comparison purposes and for global feedback to
> the
> class) and place the IF-AT form (or Team scantron form) inside the team
> folder which I return to the team. Individual team members then record
> their individual scores, their team score, and (when appropriate) begin
> writing appeals.
>
> Hope this helps.
>
> -Derek
>
>
> At 10:10 AM 10/11/2004, you wrote:
>> Holly,
>>
>> I have encountered this student concern as well. My reply has been
>> that
>> I am not overly concerned about this happening as the RATs aren't the
>> same as an exam. It is an opportunity to receive feedback on their
>> understanding of the material read. More learning of the material
>> will
>> occur in the TRAT and associated learning activities. If a student is
>> unable to see the value of the feedback and wants to "get the answers"
>> elsewhere, they are only hurting themselves. They will not get the
>> feedback that is so helpful for later study.
>>
>> The number of points available from the IRAT relative to the exams is
>> small enough that "cheating" for a point or two advantage on an IRAT
>> will not change their grade. It will harm their learning and
>> therefore
>> their exam score.
>>
>> My students seem satisfied with this answer.
>>
>> Scott
>>
>>
>> Holly Bender wrote:
>>
>>> Hi Team based learning fans,
>>> I am now in the thick of my first semester using team based learning,
>>> and I am really thrilled with the results. I would appreciate some
>>> advice from those of you with more experience than I with the
>>> following
>>> question. I have a weekly exercise where my 17 teams of 6 students
>>> first do an individual RAT and then repeat this exercise with a team
>>> RAT. The students turn in their individual bubble sheets, and then
>>> as
>>> their team members finish up, continue to take the same test as a
>>> team.
>>> One student expressed concern during the exercise because she is an
>>> honor board representative. She was concerned that individual
>>> members
>>> might overhear a neighboring team's discussion and have an unfair
>>> advantage--either on purpose or inadvertently. She was suggesting
>>> that
>>> we have all teams wait to discuss their group answers until all
>>> individuals have passed in their sheets. I wasn't crazy about this
>>> idea because time is so tight. Have any of you encountered and
>>> addressed this issue?
>>> Thanks
>>> Holly
>>>
>>> Holly Bender, DVM, PhD, Diplomate ACVP
>>> Director, Biomedical Informatics Research Group
>>> Room 2254 Veterinary Medicine
>>> Department of Veterinary Pathology
>>> College of Veterinary Medicine
>>> Iowa State University
>>> Ames, Iowa 50011-1250
>>> ph. 515-294-7947
>>> fax 515-294-5423
>>> [log in to unmask]
>>> http://www.vetmed.iastate.edu/faculty_staff/profiles/hbender.asp
>>> http://www.birg.vetmed.iastate.edu/
>>
>> --
>> Scott D. Zimmerman, Ph.D.
>> Associate Professor of Biology
>> University of Wisconsin-Stout
>> 410 10th Ave.
>> Menomonie, WI 54751
>> Ph: 715.232.1448
>> Fax: 715.232.2192
>> [log in to unmask]
>
>
Holly Bender, DVM, PhD, Diplomate ACVP
Director, Biomedical Informatics Research Group
Room 2254 Veterinary Medicine
Department of Veterinary Pathology
College of Veterinary Medicine
Iowa State University
Ames, Iowa 50011-1250
ph. 515-294-7947
fax 515-294-5423
[log in to unmask]
http://www.vetmed.iastate.edu/faculty_staff/profiles/hbender.asp
http://www.birg.vetmed.iastate.edu/
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