Christine... you are not alone, so, not to despair, at least if misery
benefits from company! I have had the same experience with students when
the course required for their majors (I also have students in the course
who are enrolled on their own choice, an elective in their majors, who more
generally appreciate TBL). The explanation, I believe, is straightforward
enough: For these students it is not only required, but they actually have
to take personal initiative to learn something (which TBL better ensures)!
Said somewhat differently, they are now required to both take the course
and required (they cannot be successful in a TBL course unless they work at
it) to learn the material they are not interested (at least they did not
choose the course on their own) in studying!
Gary D. Lynne, Professor
Department of Agricultural Economics and
School of Natural Resources
103B Filley
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Lincoln, NE 68583-0922
Website: http://www.agecon.unl.edu/facultystaff/directory/lynne.html
Phone: 1-402-472-8281 Cell: 1-402-430-3100
This message and any attachments are confidential, may contain privileged
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"We are always only one failed generational transfer of knowledge away from
darkest ignorance" (Herman Daly)
"We do not just have our own interests. We share interests with others.
Empathy is neither altruistic nor self-interested. It rather exemplifies
the implicit solidarity of human nature" (Robert Solomon)
Christine
Kuramoto
<[log in to unmask] To
KYUSHU-U.AC.JP> [log in to unmask]
Sent by: cc
Team-Based
Learning Subject
<TEAMLEARNING-L@L some disappointing feedback
IST.OLT.UBC.CA>
06/11/2009 08:20
PM
Please respond to
Christine
Kuramoto
<[log in to unmask]
KYUSHU-U.AC.JP>
Hi Everyone,
I am just finishing up my second course using TBL and have had some
disappointing feedback. I teach medical English (in Japan), so basically
it's an English as a Foreign language class concentrating on medical
terminology. The negative feedback came mainly (I think) from students who
hate English as a subject. They basically have English foisted on them
from junior high through high school as a means to the end of passing
university examinations. Many of them don't want anything more to do with
English after entering university, so would prefer to be left alone to
sleep through lectures. I got some pretty strongly worded comments in the
student feedback to the effect of "how dare you expect us to use English in
class in our teams?!" They are calling for the class to be an elective
rather than compulsory, which is something I agree with,but don't have any
control over.
So, my question is, do any of you teach students using TBL in compulsory
courses where a large number of students would rather be taking any other
subject but yours? I honestly think it has nothing to do with TBL and
everything to do with their feelings about English--but what is a
conscientious teacher to do? I think that TBL is great for the course
--100 students who would be sleeping if they weren't in teams. But even the
enthusiastic students are making comments like "you should divide teams
into students who want to use English and those who don't"-- which would
basically nullify one of the important principles of TBL.
On a brighter note, my boss has decided to use TBL in a course next
Fall--so there is hope for the spread of this excellent teaching strategy
here at Kyushu University.
(heavy sigh)
Christine
--
*******
Christine Kuramoto, Assistant Professor: Medical English
Kyushu University, Department of Medical Education
Faculty of Medical Sciences
3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, 812-8582 Japan
Phone: (+81)92-642-6186 Fax: (+81)92-642-6188
E-mail: [log in to unmask]
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