Bill (and other Listserv participants),
Let me apologize in advance for my extended response.
I started using TBL in 1994 after taking an Organizational Behavior course
with Larry Michaelsen as a doctoral
student. I was studying interpersonal communication at the University of
Oklahoma and was fortunate to test TBL in
communication courses for my doctoral dissertation which I completed in
1996 (see excerpt below).
Although I was skeptical, I was amazed to find that student learning
outcomes (e.g., affective, cognitive, and behavioral) were significantly
greater in TBL courses when compared to traditional lecture-based courses.
I have been arguing for the last decade that the reason for the significant
learning outcomes is the interaction that occurs (between students and the
content, students and other students, and students and instructor) in the
classroom.
I have been using TBL for a variety of undergraduate and graduate
communication courses for the past decade (I was recently tenured at the
University of Kentucky in the College of Communications and Information
Studies). For me, the key to a successful experience is to establish my
credibility and expertise in the first couple of weeks of whatever course I
am teaching. To do this, I ask a series of questions BEFORE the Individual
Readiness Assessment Tests to make sure students understand that I know the
material and that I am not expecting them to "learn it on their own" but
that I am expecting them to read because I am not going to be regurgitating
textbook material in class. The interaction generally requires no more
than 3-5 minutes but provides students with the opportunity to clarify
issues they may have with the reading before they are assessed with the
individual and team RATs. The questions I ask make it clear that I know
that content and that I am serious about them reading the material before
class. I tell them that I am more concerned with application, evaluation,
and synthesis of course concepts than I am with basic knowledge or
comprehension. Additionally, I let the students know that we cannot
possibly apply the content if they haven't taken the time to read in
advance and have a basic understanding of the content.
I am convinced that the two most important elements in TBL are: 1)
individual accountability and 2) the interaction that occurs as students
apply course concepts and demonstrate their competence as they solve
problems.
If you've read this far, perhaps you will allow me to share some resources
I have found especially useful in explaining to my graduate students and
other colleagues across our campus how and why TBL works.
Beyond the 1997 text by Michaelsen, Knight, and Fink, there are two
additional references that may prove especially useful for people that have
concerns about application-oriented activities and encouraging interaction:
1) Michaelsen, L.K., Knight, A. B., & Fink, L. D. (1997). Team-Based
Learning: A Transformative Use of Small Groups. Westport, CT: Praeger
Publishers (Greenwood Press).
http://www.greenwood.com/books/BookDetail.asp?dept_id=1&sku=H863
Michaelsen and Black (1994) is one of my favorite articles to provide an
introduction to TBL. It is also a great reference for curriculum
development. I generally share this reference as an introduction for
colleagues and graduate students interested in using TBL:
2) Michaelsen, L. K., & Black, R. H. (1994). Building learning teams: The
key to harnessing the power of small groups in higher education,
Collaborative Learning: A Sourcebook for Higher Education (Vol. 2). State
College, PA: National Center for Teaching, Learning & Assessment
Finally, it may be helpful (even to those of you who have attended Larry or
Dee's workshops on TBL) to watch how Larry encourages interaction. There
is an outstanding Internet Resource sponsored by the Baylor College of
Medicine focused on Team Learning in Medical Education. The link is
provided below:
3) http://www.bcm.tmc.edu/fac-ed/team_learning/intro_to_team_learning.html
When you point your browser to the Baylor page, scroll to the bottom of the
page and click on the Real Video icon that will link to a 60 minute
streaming video file that contains a talk Dr. Michaelsen gave to the Baylor
faculty titled "Active Learning in Lectures: Alternatives for Making
Teaching in Large Classes Interactive." Pay especially close attention to
the debriefing process and how Larry encourages workshop participants to
"defend" their answers. His use of humor is especially effective as he
points out differences in group answers.
One last point. In several conversations with Larry Michaelsen (and Dee
Fink) over the past several years I have determined that there are at least
three conditions (related to the instructor) under which TBL should NOT be
used:
1) If the instructor has not mastered the content that is to be taught;
2) If the instructor is not willing to relinquish the instructional
spotlight and some classroom control (e.g. not willing to move from sage on
stage to guide on side); and
3) If the instructor does not know what s/he wants the students to DO with
the course concepts (e.g., curriculum).
Just my two cents.
-Derek
================================================
**In my dissertation (Lane, 1996 THE USE OF PERMANENT LEARNING TEAMS IN
TEACHING INTRODUCTORY COMMUNICATION COURSES: ASSESSING THE IMPACT OF
COMMUNICATION ON HUMAN LEARNING) I wrote,
"What is learning? Why does it occur? What role should/does communication
play in the learning process? This study has investigated learning as an
active process—different from learning as a static outcome. Knowledge is
created and pursued through communication. Educators change not just what
people know, or even what they can do, but who they are. This study has
argued for a reconceptualization of learning from a communicative
perspective. The bottom line is that learning teams do impact student
learning and illustrate the important impact student communication has on
the learning process.
Although the use of Learning Teams requires advanced planning, the
advantages may make it well worth the effort. However, we should continue
to create and evaluate teaching methods to help ensure the most effective
learning environments possible. Great clarity and understanding is possible
if researchers can continue to refine answers to such fundamental questions as:
What is learning? Why does it occur? What role should/does communication
play in the learning process? What today is impossible for us to do in
education, but if it could be done, would fundamentally change the entire
educational process?
The answers to these questions can be found through investigations of
innovative instructional strategies. Team-based learning makes students
accountable and responsible for their learning and allows them to construct
knowledge through communication. Learning occurs as a result of
communication as students apply knowledge and make connections. If the
difference between knowing and teaching is communication, and the
difference between passive reception and genuine learning is active
communication, this study provides evidence that active communication is
facilitated by learning teams in communication classes."
At 03:13 PM 2/9/2004, you wrote:
>Hi everyone,
>Like Karla, I also just started team based learning this semester and I
>seem to have a similar problem with teams not willing to defend their
>answers. For example, last week they completed a case study on
>speciation of maggot flies
>(http://www.sciencecases.org/maggot_fly/maggot_fly.asp) and each of
>the 6 teams wrote their short answers (without explanations) on the
>board at the same time. It seemed to me that if 4 of the teams came to
>the same answer then the other 2 teams felt they must be wrong. I even
>tried to indicate that I thought the minority answers were better but
>the teams seemed content and felt they had finished. I am wondering if
>this part of the team builiding process and it might just take some
>time. However, I still feel I could have done something differently.
>
>Some of my students are also making comments that may be common, but
>they do make me feel a little bit uneasy about the team-based learning.
>A few have said things like:
>I don't like that we are forced to learn this all on our own.
>When are you going to lecture, I don't learn anything from the others
>in my team.
>I don't have any notes and I don't know what to study for the test (
>even after I explained that their notes during team discussions were
>their notes for the class and they will have open book tests)
>
>Are these common or are they warning signs that I am not doing
>something right???
>
>Bill Bromer
>
>
> "Derek R. Lane" <[log in to unmask]> 02/09/2004 12:59:45 PM >>>
>Karla,
>
>The problem may be that you are not having the students simultaneously
>reporting. If you have specific choices and each team is required to
>make
>a choice and report at the same time, you will actually have more
>interaction and enthusiasm as the teams "defend" their answers.
>
>Just a thought.
>
>-Derek
>
>At 12:28 PM 2/9/2004, Kubitz, Karla wrote:
>
> >Hello all,
> >I'm new to team based learning, having implemented it in my classes
>just
> >this semester. I've a question that those with more experience might
>be
> >able to help with. I've come up with team assignments that fit
> >Michaelsen's criteria... same problem, make a specific choice,
>sharing
> >responses at the same time, etc. and they seem to 'work' when the
>teams
> >are working towards making their choices. For example, I gave the
>teams a
> >set of handouts about different ways to measure physical activity and
>told
> >them I was doing a research study and needed them to decide which was
>the
> >best way. The students seemed interested and involved. However,
>things
> >seem to fall a bit flat after they report their answers. That is,
>there
> >seems to be minimal interest in what the other teams have decided or
>in
> >talking about the differences in the answers and the rationales
>behind
> >those answers. They seem to be thinking... we're done... time to go.
>I
> >guess I'm not sure how to facilitate that last bit of the process.
>Any
> >suggestions? Karla
> >
> >Karla A. Kubitz, Ph.D., FACSM
> >Associate Professor
> >Department of Kinesiology
> >8000 York Avenue
> >Towson University
> >Towson, MD 21252
> >410-704-3168 (ph)
> >410-704-3912 (fax)
>
>*********************************************
>Derek R. Lane, Ph.D.
>Associate Professor
>Department of Communication
>231 Grehan Building
>Lexington, KY 40506-0042
>
>(859) 257-4102 (office)
>(859) 257-4103 (fax)
>
>[log in to unmask] (email)
>
>http://www.uky.edu/~drlane (web page)
>*********************************************
>
>Bill Bromer a.k.a. bb "Take nothing on its looks;
>University of St. Francis take everything on evidence.
>500 N. Wilcox There's no better rule."
>Joliet, IL 60435 Charles Dickens
> Great
>Expectations
>Phone: (815) 740-3467
>Fax: (815) 740-4285
>E-mail: [log in to unmask]
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