The problem was that the teams all seemed to choose the same
option
Allow fewer choices. One possibility, which I use, is to assign the
teams to problems. Another is to ask them to do more than one problem.
A third is to give each team all the problems but in different
sequences. Call an end after a fixed time and have each team present
one of the problems, chosen at this time, not earlier. Another is to
ask them to elaborate on or defend their decisions in specific, explicit
ways.
Teams can actually do lot, given the need to solve multiple problems.
Unfinished problems can be assigned for individual work.
The second is related to my not knowing when and how exactly to fit in
the 'bits of lecturing' that I'd still like to do
There is evidence that remembering falls off very rapidly after the
first few minutes of lecturing. (This is referenced in Wilbur
McKeachie's book "Teaching Tips.") So, despite how we all learned (or
didn't), lectures should be short, or, at least, broken up into parts of
no more than 20 minutes. Fit in 10-15 minute lectures at the times you
think they are needed.
(and that the students still seem to want)
I don't know why this is, exactly. I teach statistics and the whole
trend of the last 20 years in this and mathematics has been against
lecturing and toward activities, eg, doing problems, discussing,
writing, presenting results. When I think back on my own teachers, the
ones I learned the most from had students doing more things in class and
interacted more with students in class (even in a room with 80
students). This mostly focused on specifics, and in math that usually
means problems. (I include advanced mathematics, not only math through
calculus.) This is what mathematicians do with each other every day, at
meetings and back home. Lots of mistakes get made, and lots of trial
and error occurs. At the end of the day, knowledge is advanced.
Students want a lot more lecturing than TBL allows (versus
problem-oriented activities of all sorts). Learning in statistics and
mathematics is shown by doing, not by listening. Sometimes I can tell
people useful things from my accumulated experience as a statistical
consultant for almost 30 years. (I usually have a handout that is
somewhat more formally written than my lecture.) This may not resemble
in any way the students' notion of a lecture.
When lectures are done, I have no information about what students have
learned. When students have done team activities and reported them,
then I have a much better idea what they have learned. By this
criteria, lectures are a big loser and TBL, with demonstrations of
learning, is a big winner. The students win because they have shown me
how to do the kinds of work that they will have to do on the exams.
I teach students with all backgrounds, but they all have a previous
college degree. They have all developed strong views of how classes
should be taught, including what lectures do. I suspect that some of
them expect the lectures will give them clear, sharp guidance as to what
they must know (that is, memorize) to be successful on exams. With
statistics or mathematics, being successful means being able to do
problems, while knowing facts is of relatively little use. It is clear
to me that many students don't know this when they start my course. I
think they expect lectures that will solve their problems. I, by
contrast, expect them to solve problems themselves (and active learning
methods are highly effective at this).
I usually allowed them to ask one question per team before the IRAT
(most often they didn't ask any questions... not sure why... seems like
they would).
This is the most variable thing in my class. If students ask questions
at the start, then they have done their work to prepare and sometimes I
cancel the IRAT. I would think they would catch on and come with plenty
of questions ready, but they don't seem to. You could give credit for
asking a question that is at least as good as any question on the RAT.
If someone asks a question that in on my RAT, I tell them the answer.
The whole class starts to see some benefit in asking questions
beforehand.
When I interrupt their work on appeals, I ended up doing the work
they should have been doing. When I waited until they were done, they
seemed bored and ready to leave (... we've done our work for the
day...). Any suggestions/ thoughts/ experiences?
I give the groups an answer key and have them grade their own TRATs when
they are done. You don't need to hand out a paper key, but if you do,
you can give it to each group when they finish their TRAT. This gives
the group some followup work besides appeals. You could have them find
the information that supports the standard answer. After that is all
over, give them a fixed time to write an appeal. Better, have the
appeals handed in at the end of class or at the next class, but don't
set aside time for them at all. Best of all, have some team activities
that must be started as soon as the TRATs are done.
Regards,
David Smith
David W. Smith, Ph.D., M.P.H.
Associate Professor, Biostatistics
The University of Texas School of Public Health
San Antonio Branch Campus
voice: (210) 562-5512
e-mail: [log in to unmask]
or [log in to unmask]
-----Original Message-----
From: Team Learning Discussion List [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
On Behalf Of Kubitz, Karla
Sent: Tuesday, August 10, 2004 12:50 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Some TBL questions...
Hello all,
As I look to my second semester using TBL, I've a couple of
questions that I thought I'd like to pose to the list.
The first is related to a problem that I seemed to have with my
topic specific assignments (the activities that follow a RAT and
challenge the teams to apply the material in it). The problem was that
the teams all seemed to choose the same option from among the various
options I'd provided (e.g., choose the individual from among those
described that would be most likely to adhere to an exercise program...
or choose the athlete from among those described that you would most
likely recruit for your sport team). Of course, when they did that,
there was little further discussion of the problem... sort of seemed
like they saw the activity as 'done/ problem solved'. I realize that I
may need to tweak my options a bit to somehow make this less likely to
happen. At least I now know which option they all tend to choose.
However, it also occured to me that I could change the assignment...
make it more focused on defending an assigned choice instead of making a
choice. I'm not sure though whether it'd still fit the TBL approach or
not. Therein lies the question.
The second is related to my not knowing when and how exactly to
fit in the 'bits of lecturing' that I'd still like to do (and that the
students still seem to want) after the RATs. Here's how I did things
last semester. The students entered and sat with their teams. I
usually allowed them to ask one question per team before the IRAT (most
often they didn't ask any questions... not sure why... seems like they
would). Then they'd take the IRAT. When the team members were done
with the IRAT, they'd put their scantrons in the folder and turn the
folder in to me and begin on the TRAT. While the teams were working on
the TRAT, I'd go downstairs briefly and run the IRATs through the
scantrons so that they'd be graded before the teams took them back.
When the teams'd finished the TRAT, they'd post their team score on the
board (along with the items they'd missed as a team) and they'd collect
their folders and begin working on appeals. Sometimes I'd interrupt
their work on appeals to go over a few things related to the items they
missed as teams. Sometimes I'd wait until they were done with appeals
to do it. Sometimes I'd wait until the next class period (before the
topic specific assignments). None of the above approaches seemed ideal.
When I interrupt their work on appeals, I ended up doing the work they
should have been doing. When I waited until they were done, they seemed
bored and ready to leave (... we've done our work for the day...). Any
suggestions/ thoughts/ experiences?
Thanks. Karla
Karla A. Kubitz, Ph.D., FACSM
Dept. of Kinesiology
Towson University
Towson, MD 21252
410-704-3168 (office)
410-704-3912 (fax)