While many teachers use the word "quiz" instead of "test" in the Readiness Assurance Process, Larry and Dean's emphasis on the purpose of "readiness" is extremely important.
As for "quiz" vs. "test," I have found that--like so many things about teaching--that the word you use is far less important than the way you present/position/embody/process the experience for the students.
Some folks just call them "Readiness Assurances" and leave the quiz/test debate by the wayside.
-M
-----Original Message-----
From: Team-Based Learning [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Larry Michaelsen
Sent: Tuesday, November 24, 2009 11:05 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: follow up to "i-Clicker strategy for very large TBL class"
For what it is worth. The key thing is using Readiness Assurance to teach and remind students why you are giving tests before/without lectures. They DO understand "test" and I want them to learn and constantly be reminded that this is a special kind of a test that has a real purpose--and a benefit for them.
Larry
--
Larry K. Michaelsen
Professor of Management
University of Central Missouri
Dockery 400G
Warrensburg, MO 64093
[log in to unmask] <---PLEASE NOTE NEW E-MAIL ADDRESS !!!
660/543-4124 voice
660/543-8465 fax
>>> Joel Dubois <[log in to unmask]> 11/24/09 9:28 AM >>>
Regarding the discussion about a month ago re: using clickers for
RATs, I have two follow up questions & one more general question
about the naming of RATs:
1. Has anyone experimented with doing iRATs via some on-line
instructional system (we use WebCT, but I've also used Blackboard)
prior to coming to class, and then having teams to tRATs in class?
The down side is that there's no way to restrict using books and
notes on the iRAT, but for me that's not an issue since I allow books
and notes due to the complexity and foreignness of the material I
teach (Asia religions & cultures). Also there's no guarantee that
students won't "help" each other on the iRAT from nearby computers.
Still I tried this once and found that there was still some good
discussion during tRATs, which I required students to do without
books or notes. I also appreciated having more class time for team
assignments.
2. Has anyone tried doing peer evaluations with clickers? Or found
some more efficient on-line method than paper and pencil? I find it
grueling to have to do two rounds of peer evals when I have several
TBL classes, especially if one of them is large.
3. As a side question, I am wondering about alternative naming of
RATs. I have heard prior discussions of "test" vs. "quiz" and
realize the arguments against that latter of the two. But I think
most students have a hard time understanding "reading assessment" or
"readiness assurance," and wonder about using something like "start-
of-unit test," "start-of-unit assessment," or "team preparation
assessment."
Thanks in advance for your input...
Joël Dubois
------------------------------------------------------------------
Dr. Joël Dubois, Associate Professor, Asian Religions
Department of Humanities & Religious Studies
Mendocino Hall 2011, 6000 J Street
California State University, Sacramento
Sacramento, CA 95819-6083
(916) 278-5332 // Fax #: (916) 278-7213
http://www.csus.edu/indiv/d/duboisj/home.html
------------------------------------------------------------------
On Oct 16, 2009, at 10:42 AM, Sweet, Michael S wrote:
> Friends,
>
> I am working with someone in history to overhaul a 80-300 student
> class into full-on TBL.
>
> Due to the volume of paperwork that so many students would
> generate, we are planning to use clickers for RATs and Application
> activities.
>
> Our two choices are CPS and i-Clicker. CPS allows students/groups
> to be working on different questions at the same time, while i-
> Clicker does not. However, we have had many, Many, MANY stability/
> reliability problems with CPS, so we're going with i-Clicker.
>
> Here's my plan:
>
> (1) In addition to each student having a clicker, each team will
> have one additional clicker that the teacher brings to and takes
> from class, distributed and collected on RAT days.
>
> (2) Students will be given the quiz form on paper, upon which they
> circle their individual answers. The quiz will consist of 10
> knowledge-level questions and 5 conceptual/analytical/application
> questions.
>
> (3) At the given time, the teacher will activate the i-Clicker
> receiver and the whole class will march through the quiz, keying in
> their individual answers one-at-a-time using their individual
> clickers.
>
> (4) Once that is complete, then the teams will convene and march
> through ONLY the five higher-level questions, using their team
> clicker. They will have, say, five minutes to talk about question
> number 11, after which the teacher opens up the response system and
> they key in their answers to get immediate feedback. Then they
> have five minutes to talk about question number 12, after which
> they teacher opens up the response system and they key in their
> answers to get immediate feedback. Then question 13, and so on.
>
> Obviously, this is not ideal, as it makes the team discussions a
> little herky-jerky. But that is an inconvenience/awkwardness that
> will be predictable and shared by everyone, as opposed to the
> different handful of random folks every time who's clicker will not
> register, does not work, etc.. In a large, lower-division,
> REQUIRED class, we are going to have plenty on our plates to get
> students on board with TBL ("Navigating the bumpy road" and so on),
> and I am loathe to introduced the extra anxiety and frustration of
> a flaky clicker system into it.
>
> Your thoughts?
>
> -M
>
>
> Michael Sweet, Ph.D.
> Faculty Development Specialist
> Division of Instructional Innovation and Assessment (DIIA)
> University of Texas Austin
> MAI 2206 * (512) 232-1775
>
> "Teaching is the profession that makes all other professions
> possible." - Todd Witaker
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