Hello to everyone I have just finished reading the book on TBL and was impressed. However, I am not clear on a number of items and request your help. I am going to trial run this in my Economic Development course in the spring and I have divided the text and am in the process of writing study guides and RATS (quizzes?) on those sections. First question....how long are those RATS and in what format? Multiple choice is what I am understanding so far. Is this correct? This class is MWF for fifty minutes which I realize is short but I live with what I am given so how much time for these and for the group do you think? Then what I thought I would do is focus on one country.......say Vietnam for this semester because I am very familiar with that country and have them work in groups to suggest policy for a particular issue (such as urban giantism, population, rural development) based on research they are asked to do outside of class. I don't think that asking the students to grade each others work or assess the quality will work here. This is a VERY SMALL college, 650 students, and they are for the most part good friends with one another. They are all in the same classes etc. So how to assess the group work would be another question. Finally, for a final group project, I would like to have them choose another less developed country and write a report considering each of the issues they considered for Vietnam. Too much, not enough. Should I give a mid term and a final also.......? Any help is greatly appreciated. Lori D. Bell, Ph.D. Economics Professor Blackburn College Department of Business and Economics I refuse to believe I am a piece of dust scuttering through uncaring space. I believe I count--that I have work to do--that there is need of me... With my last breath, I sing a psalm. - Rita Duskin