Have only used TBL once (1-semester, spring, 2008); we did have a larger percentage drop in the class than in the previous 8-offerings, losing 5-6 students out of 50+... over twice as many than is typical. What was really interesting to me (again, only 1-semester of data here!) were the late drops/withdrawals... way after the time in which any kind of reimbursement for fees, etc., was possible. We normally would see this kind of behavior very infrequently. Apparently the intensity of dislike for the approach built as the semester moved along, in the subgroup that did not like TBL... perhaps something that can be offset with mid-term evaluations, etc. Given this experience, we will work during the mid-term period the next time the approach is tried to reduce these numbers (we were blind-sided by this phenomenon, not knowing during the semester the intensity of feeling against TBL in the subgroup).
We will know more by next spring... the non-TBL version of the class (a different section/instructor) is offered in the fall semester.
Gary D. Lynne, Professor
Department of Agricultural Economics and
School of Natural Resources
103B Filley
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Lincoln, NE 68583-0922
Website: http://agecon.unl.edu/lynne
Phone: 1-402-472-8281
"We are always only one failed generational transfer of knowledge away from darkest ignorance" (Herman Daly)
