Hi,
What I'm going to say may be seen as heretical, but it's
worked great in my junior level genetics class. I love
TBL, but didn't want to waste precious class time letting
the groups decide percentages, so I don't give them the
option. As I state in the syllabus, their RAT grades will
be 50% individual, 50% team.
The practice RAT I offer at the beginning of the semester,
instead of being over the syllabus, asks basic genetics
questions so I can assess their backgrounds and
deficiencies. This doesn't count in their final grade,
but teaches them how the RATs work and gives me (and
them!) valuable information.
Just my 2 cents, and probably worth no more. But the
students love the RATs!
Mary Anne Nelson
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
Dr. Mary Anne Nelson
Professor; MARC Program Director
Department of Biology, Room 206A, MSC03 2020
University of New Mexico
Albuquerque, NM 87131
Phone: (505)277-2629 office
(505)277-1668 lab
(505)277-0304 FAX
E-mail: [log in to unmask]
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On Tue, 23 Jan 2007 17:08:38 -0500
Francine Glazer <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Hello,
>
> I'm teaching undergraduate genetics (junior-level
>majors) using TBL for
> the second time. My class has gotten stuck at the
>activity where they
> decide on percentages for individual/team/team
>maintenance activities.
> Three of the 5 teams seem willing to compromise
>extensively, a fourth
> team is willing to compromise within reason (i.e. they
>don't want to
> move too far from their starting position, but are
>willing to move
> some), and the fifth team... ahh, the fifth team!
>
> The fifth team started with a position dramatically
>different from the
> other teams (only 15% individual vs. 40, 40, 45, and 55
>for the other
> teams) and is absolutely refusing to give. Their
>delegate was taking a
> 'steamroller' approach and locked heads with team 4's
>delegate so that I
> sent all the delegates back to their teams and requested
>that they
> choose someone else.
>
> Now team 5 has a new delegate who at least is letting
>the other
> delegates have their say, but team 5 is stonewalling the
>process by
> refusing to compromise - even though it is clear that
>the rest of the
> class is all in accord.
>
> When we ran out of time, I said we will continue
>negotiations at our
> next class, but that I'd like the issue to be settled
>within about 20
> minutes, so we can move on to the first iRAT. I
>suggested that the
> teams each confer within their private discussion boards
>on WebCT and
> decide where/how much they are willing to give 'for the
>good of the
> class.' (Yes, I also spoke individually with each team
>to that effect.)
>
> I see on the discussion board that teams 1-4 are indeed
>deciding on
> where they can yield. Team 5, on the other hand,
>remains as intractable
> as ever.
>
> Help! All advice welcomed; I'm not sure what to do if
>they don't reach
> consensus.
>
> thanks,
>Fran
>
>
> --
>Francine S. Glazer, Ph.D.
> Professor, Biological Sciences
> Kean University
> Union NJ 07083
>
> Ph: 908-737-3661
>Fx: 908-737-3666
> http://www.kean.edu/~fglazer
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