I try to use a sponge activity, something to get the students to start
thinking about applying the material but not so important an application I
want it to be an integral part of the course. Ideally, there is a little
bit of reading and quiet preparation/thinking that the individuals who
finish the IRAT early can start on, then the quicker groups can do the
activity together. It doesn't always work out to being a "4 S" TBL
assignment, as there may not be simultaneous reporting, but if it is
significant, it can engage the students in the material while they wait
for the other groups to finish.
Sometimes I do this with small or new ideas I'm not sure about how well
they'll go over - if they seem to go over well, I'll carry it on to the
next class session. If not, I can debrief it, filling in the groups that
didn't get through it all.
I find this issue of the different length of time for teams to finish to
be one of the most challenging issues in TBL. I hate to rush a very
deliberative, but slow team, but I also hate to have teams finish quickly
and have to wait around for others to finish. What do others do to fill
that time for the quickest versus the slowest team?
Molly Espey
Applied Economics and Statistics
Clemson University
> Hi,
>
> I have been using TBL for about 3 years with considerable success in
> Political Science courses, so am fairly experienced. I use the IFAT forms
> in multiple-choice RATs, and use individual, team and peer assessment.
>
> Does anyone know what to do with the few minutes in between the IRAT and
> TRAT, when people are waiting for team members to complete the individual
> RAT? Or when different teams complete the TRAT at different speeds, some
> just wing through it and other teams have to ponder longer.
>
> I have up to now told the class that I do not rigidly time the IRATs or
> the TRATs, but give reminders to be aware of others and to try to complete
> in a timely manner, but there are always the same students who tend to
> take longer.
>
> I have also handed out reading materials in preparation for future
> classes, or given them worksheets. In the case of teams, they have
> ongoing projects to work on together.
>
> The noise level tends to increase for the whole class during this 'dead
> time' and laptops tend to be opened, making it even harder for those who
> take longer to finish.
>
> I am reluctant to rigidly time these as I want to avoid the time pressure
> constraints, but any ideas would be welcome.
>
>
>
> Rosalind Warner
>
> Okanagan College
>
> Department of Political Science
> 1000 KLO Road
> Kelowna, BC
> V1Y 4X8
>
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