Candice,
I've been using TBL in my architectural theory course for a couple of years and in particular can speak to your second issue.
My class also requires a longer term research project. In the pre-TBL days this was a paper but one of the reasons I moved to TBL was increased class size so reading full-length term papers is also out of the question! This year for the first time I am trying to do a semester-long application project that happens primarily in class. It has some bugs, but it generally working pretty well. My class meets once per week for 2.5 hours. I alternate every other week between readings/RATs and readings/lecture/application work. I think this could also work for a class meeting 2-3 times per week, just dividing the components into smaller chunks. Typically my students spend around 1-1.5 hours in class on the application project every other week.
The focus of the application is on applying theory through design via a version of SimCity. Each team member has an assigned role (through random draw) such as "housing developer," "parks official," "neighborhood association president." Their ultimate goal for the semester is to develop a neighborhood plan that reflects the core text for the semester. The course is divided into themes, each of which looks at a different way of addressing the issues raised in this core text. On the application weeks, I give them an example of how this has been done by real designers and ask them to apply the same tactics to their project, building on what was done in the previous weeks. For example, in the "informal cities" week I give them a project that is also discussed in a reading and ask them to apply its strategies. It has been tight to get everything to happen within the time of the class but they're getting better at making quick decisions. Typically at the end of each application day, each team puts their work (drawings) up and the class votes on which ones they want to discuss. The team work finishes this week with a set of drawings that they will prepare in class (today actually) and then submit online. Each team member will then create drawings based on the priorities of their individual characters. The team work isn't graded (although I will score it and use if needed) but the individual work will be. In the future I would like to grade both team and individual work.
Essentially, the overall project has a set of rules that build toward a final goal. Each week I give them a set of parameters to address specifically. Each week becomes something of an independent application exercise but they build over time, with synthesis happening (hopefully) at the end of the semester. I'm guessing that ethical reasoning requires somewhat similar kinds of thinking - decision-making about a situation according to a set of rules or ideas. The result could vary depending on the rules or rhetorical framework used to address the issue (I'm thinking you looks at things like utilitarianism, relativism, etc.). You can still use the 4 S's and I particularly recommend having all teams look at the same principles and address the same issue. I used to have each team take on a different case study or situation and have found the TBL method to be much more effective. Backwards design also helps a lot - what do you want them to understand at the end of the semester, how can you guide them to make decisions that lead them to this?
Please feel free to contact me if I can help,
Nadia
Nadia M. Anderson
Assistant Professor, Architecture
Extension Specialist
Iowa State University
515-294-0339
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On Nov 12, 2012, at 9:18 AM, "Small, Candice B." <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>> wrote:
Hi all,
I am a very enthusiastic newcomer to TBL. In the spring, I will be teaching for the 5th time a general education class on ethical reasoning where group work is emphasized. I will have approximately 20 students, the majority freshmen with a handful of sophomores.
Students tend to really like the class, but there are always struggles with the group work aspect. I’m hopeful that a TBL approach will help. A couple issues I’d like some feedback on:
1. The slacker student. I always have one or two students who just have other priorities (and often very short-term judgment skills: For example, students who are pledging to a fraternity and everything else takes a backs seat.) I have a strict attendance policy and my groups create contracts that allow them to ‘fire’ non-contributing members. But no matter how bad it gets (and sometimes it gets quite bad), I’ve never had students been able to follow through with the contract. I think that’s mostly because they’re freshmen and know each other well, but also because who likes conflict? I’m hopeful that the TBL approach will create more peer pressure and keep the teams functioning better, but I suspect I’ll have a couple that just don’t get with the program. What do you do about students like this?
2. The course is required to have a group researched argument, which they then present orally. This is a long-term project, taking multiple weeks. All the TBL readings I’ve done have emphasized working in teams during class time, and application exercises with the 4 S’s. Has anyone built up to a bigger project?
I’ve gathered tons of ideas from this listserv’s archives and Michaelsen’s books; I look forward to hearing your thoughts!
Best,
Candice
Candice Benjes-Small, MLIS
Head, Information Literacy and Outreach
McConnell Library, Radford University
540.831.6801
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