Hi all,
I'm interested in this issue as well. I've had similar experiences. Most of my students, even those initially hesitant, end up positive about TBL. Many come back for other classes with me at least in part because of the way that I teach. However, there are some, who do not like it and, some, who are/ become quite hostile as the semester moves forward. Some of the reasons for the dissatisfaction that I've picked up from students are...
that they feel like they're teaching themselves (because they do the reading before the RATs and I don't lecture first)...
that they have too much else to do outside of class and want class to be something that they show up for (without having to prepare), take notes, cram for, and are done with...
that they found their teammates unhelpful/ had to do most of the work themselves (... one particularly unhappy student had a teammate that copied her individual integrative assignment and turned it in as his own)...
that they felt like the application exercises were 'busy work' (I think this has something to do not being graded.... I do not grade the topic specific application exercises only the integrative application exercise AND something to do with following the RATs which are graded... of course, it may also be that I just haven't hit the jackpot yet with my topic specific application exercises and they don't engage the teams enough... I keep trying though...)
It's funny, I had two classes this past spring that really came together nicely and one that just didn't. The one that didn't was a Friday afternoon class and I had a tough time getting students to stay past the RATs. Despite my efforts at working up activities that were key stepping stones to the integrative assignments, they just felt like they were 'done' after the RAT.
Anyway, I'll be interested in what others have to say.
Karla
Karla Kubitz, Ph.D., FACSM
Department of Kinesiology
Towson University
8000 York Rd
Towson, MD 21252
410-704-3168 (ph)
410-704-3912 (fax)
________________________________
From: Team Learning Discussion List [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Gary D Lynne
Sent: Wednesday, June 18, 2008 11:05 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Hostility over TBL
Professsor Smith, David:
You noted in your June 18 posting that:
"...students often dislike the whole approach at first, and a minority are actively hostile throughout the class and this is reflected in course evaluations. Others in this group have made similar comments."
I just tried TBL for the first time in a spring semester undergraduate class of 45-students. I, too, experienced the initial concerns by most, with many coming around to really praise the approach... but, with a vocal minority that became quite hostile as the semester moved forward (also expressed in class evaluations). I am especially interested in what you and others have found to be the most effective way to deal with this hostility! Perhaps it would be useful to understand its source, too: Why are they hostile? Next year I will ask! I really do believe that, overall, benefits of TBL > costs of TBL (economist speaking here!), but would like to work on ways to reduce/diffuse the hostility (reduce the costs side!).
Sorry if I am raising an old issue here... perhaps there is an archive that someone can point me to, in case this has already been discussed?
Thank you for any help you can give.
Gary
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://agecon.unl.edu/lynne
Phone: 1-402-472-8281
"We are always only one failed generational transfer of knowledge away from darkest ignorance" (Herman Daly)
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