I use the VARK learning styles survey ( http://www.vark-learn.com/english/page.asp?p=questionnaire ) and also licensure area (I teach ed tech to all students who are seeking a license to teach) to create teams. Since I have a small class (24) then I do it in front of the class. After explaining the importance for heterogeneity in teams I then call for all the males with a V score and I put each one in a different group - then females with a V score and so on. As I do this I talk aloud so the students will know how I am doing this. For example this team needs a R with a secondary licensure or this team needs an A with an elementary licensure. I have asked students on a survey at the end of the course if they think the way teams are created should change and the majority say that they like the way I did it.
Also Jim, could you post a link or the bibliographic information for the article that you mentioned.
Thanks,
Karen Milligan
Teacher Education
Carson-Newman College
On 8/30/10 3:00 AM, "TEAMLEARNING-L automatic digest system" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
There are 3 messages totalling 145 lines in this issue.
Topics of the day:
1. team transparency (3)
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Date: Sun, 29 Aug 2010 10:10:54 -0700
From: Jennifer Imazeki <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: team transparency
Hi all,
How important do you think it is to do the creation of teams in class?
I'm asking because I was planning to create teams in class by having
students line up according to different characteristics and then
counting off. However, I want to make sure that both 'good' and 'bad'
students are distributed across teams and I'm not sure how to do that
without identifying the less-good students (in my mind, I am defining
'good' and 'bad' students by how well they did in the lower-division
prereq classes, which are important preparation for this particular
course). On the first day, I am having them fill out a short survey
that I will use to gauge how to create the teams and I *could* just
create the teams myself and walk in the second day and tell the
students which team they are on. Does anyone think this would be a
terrible thing to do?
thanks,
Jennifer
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 29 Aug 2010 11:00:45 -0700
From: "Sibley, Jim" <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: team transparency
Hi
Because we deal with big classes....we always do an online survey....followed by instructor team creation....followed by classroom announcement
We done this on 20 plus courses with no major issues
We do explain our team formation criteria during the team announcements
When a small number of students complain that they want to form their own teams.....I point them at the Brickell team formation article...say that if they can provide me with a page long rebuttal to article advocating and SUPPORTING with evidence student created them are more effective...then I tell them I will allow them to self-select...no student has ever taken me up on it
Jim Sibley
Sorry for brief message -sent from my iPad
On 2010-08-29, at 10:13 AM, "Jennifer Imazeki" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> How important do you think it is to do the creation of teams in class?
> I'm asking because I was planning to create teams in class by having
> students line up according to different characteristics and then
> counting off. However, I want to make sure that both 'good' and 'bad'
> students are distributed across teams and I'm not sure how to do that
> without identifying the less-good students (in my mind, I am defining
> 'good' and 'bad' students by how well they did in the lower-division
> prereq classes, which are important preparation for this particular
> course). On the first day, I am having them fill out a short survey
> that I will use to gauge how to create the teams and I *could* just
> create the teams myself and walk in the second day and tell the
> students which team they are on. Does anyone think this would be a
> terrible thing to do?
>
> thanks,
> Jennifer
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 29 Aug 2010 11:45:49 -0700
From: Mark Maier <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: team transparency
<html>
<body>
Hello Jennifer and List,<br><br>
Let me also ask for the wisdom of the group about an alternative method
that I am tempted to try this year. <br><br>
In the past, I've used heterogeneous, instructor-chosen groups. Group
work in the class session that I introduce these groups, usually a couple
of weeks into the semester, goes notably better than previous sessions
with randomly-created groups. I mix skill levels, paying attention
gender, race and ethnicity (so that women or minorities are not isolated)
and to the odd or disruptive students, or other special needs such
as English-language learners.<br><br>
That's how I've formed groups for the last twenty years. This spring, I
was confronted by a colleague who suggested that I try in-class group
formation based on the procedure described below. She maintains that
students know who was the "smarty" and who was the
"dummy" put in groups formed by the instructor, and don't like
it. She pointed out that this alternative method helps students
identify good behavior in groups and, in her experience, it leads to
well-functioning groups.<br><br>
The alternative works as follows: first, students identify qualities
desired for group members (typically the list will include: shows up on
time; always comes prepared; has a sense of humor; listens to others
etc.) Students are then asked to rank themselves (privately) on these
attributes. Groups are then formed by choosing an attribute, and asking
students who ranked this highly to raise their hands. Counting off one,
two... etc. put those students in group one, two,...etc. Then go on to
the second attribute, ask again for students who ranked themselves
highly, count off for group number. Proceed until all students have been
distributed to the desired number of groups.<br><br>
Has anyone had experience with this alternative method? <br><br>
Thanks,<br><br>
Mark<br><br>
<font size=3>At 10:10 AM 8/29/2010, Jennifer Imazeki wrote:<br>
<blockquote type=cite class=cite cite="">Hi all,<br><br>
How important do you think it is to do the creation of teams in
class?<br>
I'm asking because I was planning to create teams in class by having<br>
students line up according to different characteristics and then<br>
counting off. However, I want to make sure that both 'good' and
'bad'<br>
students are distributed across teams and I'm not sure how to do
that<br>
without identifying the less-good students (in my mind, I am
defining<br>
'good' and 'bad' students by how well they did in the lower-division<br>
prereq classes, which are important preparation for this particular<br>
course). On the first day, I am having them fill out a short survey<br>
that I will use to gauge how to create the teams and I *could* just<br>
create the teams myself and walk in the second day and tell the<br>
students which team they are on. Does anyone think this would be a<br>
terrible thing to do?<br><br>
thanks,<br>
Jennifer </blockquote>
<x-sigsep><p></x-sigsep>
<br>
Mark H. Maier<br>
Department of Economics<br>
Glendale Community College<br>
Glendale, CA 91208<br>
[log in to unmask]<br>
818-240-1000 Ext. 5468<br>
FAX 818-549-9436<br>
</font></body>
</html>
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End of TEAMLEARNING-L Digest - 27 Aug 2010 to 29 Aug 2010 (#2010-124)
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