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:
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-----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)