Hi All,
He really likes it, and it was one of the classes
in which we recorded and transcribed team conversations over the course of an
entire semester.
-M
From: Team Learning
Discussion List [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Smith, David W
Sent: Wednesday, June 18, 2008
8:12 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: TBL for Statistics
course
I've been doing this for about 14 years
now. I teach introductory biostatistics in a
None of the students is in love with statistics; they have
put it off until graduate school.
Most of the students have trained in nonquantitative
professions or disciplines.
They are often clinicians, nurses, nutritionists, etc, as
well a physicians. This means they are experienced in dealing with individuals
but have no concept of the measurement of or inference about a population.
The one characteristic that they most have in common is that
they are usually itelligent and competent in the profession or discipline they
have trained in before. Somewhat surprisingly, they are often unsure and
uncomfortable in taking on biostatistics.
Another disadvantage is that they have all had a math class
a long time ago and where they learned very bad habits and impressions of what
math is and they can get quite upset when a graduate statistics class isn't
what they know it should be. By this, I mean that they expect set-piece
problems, which have known solutions, often in the back of the book, and they
expect to succeed by doing problems of that sort.
I found TBL to be an especially valuable technique because
it overcomes several of the student preconceptions and anxieties with
statistics. But don't misunderstand. The students often dislike the whole
approach at first, and a minority are actively hostile throughout the class and
this is reflected in course evaluations. Others in this group have made similar
comments.
The students learn more this way. The better ones take on
much bigger challenges than they would with traditional didactic methods. They
appreciate the opportunity to learn more and become more professional.
My principle innovation is giving exams following the same
pattern as the RAs, namely individual exam followed by a group exam, after
which I distribute an answer key for them to grade their own group exam. No one
leaves the room with any doubts about how they did.
I found it hard to get started doing this in statistics
because there was no one else with experience, though many others have used TBL
with other sciences. I think the best analogs to biostatistics are physics and
economics; I think biostatistics, at least as I teach it, falls somewhere in
between.
I strongly recommend TBL for the standard material of
statistics. I have some additional group activities that involve analysis
problems of a bigger type and writing activities, which I now regard as the
most critical activities in my class.
Statistical work requires clear written and oral
communication, in both directions, using standard English and standard
statistical and mathematical notation. I got this, and some other ideas, from
the Reform Calculus movement which has been going on since the 1990s.
Regards,
David Smith
Biostatistics Division
University of
From: Team
Learning Discussion List on behalf of Smruti Patel
Sent: Tue 6/17/2008 8:25 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: TBL for Statistics course
I'm using TBL for the first time (having just "discovered" it
a couple of months ago) for my Statistics courses this summer. I just had
my first class today and it was great!
I was wondering if anyone else is using TBL to teach Statistics and if I could
pick your brain, get some advice, steal some ideas, etc ....
Thank you,
Smruti
:)