I believe RATs should be at a basic definition, rule, concept level. Even very good students will not remember everything they read, so even my A students typically score in the 80s on RATs. Using the IFAT forms for the team RATs is vital to resulting in "100% knowledge" at the end of the class session and being sure the class is ready to move on to applications. If certain questions were difficult for several teams, I try to make sure they are clear before moving on. Certain key concepts are will also review again in a different format to be sure they are understood. Molly Espey > I'm new to TBL--just did it in a portion of my class last semester. > > For the RAT questions--should they be limited to definitions, rules, and > basic application? My students complained that my RAT was too hard and > in retrospect, I think I wrote them to allow me to generate lots of > discussion. Now I think perhaps best to hope all of these answered > correctly, indicating students are ready to do more complicated tasks, > which can be done in the Application Exercises. > > Thoughts? > > Alex Albright > Univ of Texas Law > > -----Original Message----- > From: Team-Based Learning [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On > Behalf Of [log in to unmask] > Sent: Tuesday, May 19, 2009 3:16 PM > To: [log in to unmask] > Subject: Re: Your advice re: RAT difficulty & enforced curves? > > My individual RAT scores mostly fall between 60 and 75, and certainly no > higher than 80. My team scores typically fall between 85 and 100, (less > at the higher end in more advanced classes). > > I think it is important for faculty new to TBL not to be afraid of these > "low" individual scores. If the tests are too easy, there is little > need > for discussion, resulting in less team building, and less new learning. > > In order to alleviate student concerns about "low" individual RAT > scores, > I remind them: (1) RATs are a small part of the overall grade, (2) their > purpose is to get students to prepare for class (hence "readiness > assessment"), (3) the process allows us to spend more time on > application > and interesting activities during class time, rather than having me > review > a bunch of defintions and terms in class, and (4) since my individual > and > team RAT scores tend to about balance in terms of their contribution to > students' final grade, the average of say, 70 on individual and 90 on a > team RAT is still a low B, not a bad grade. > > Molly Espey > Applied Economics and Statistics > Clemson University > > >> Colleagues, >> >> RAT DIFFICUTLY >> I am curious what folks' current recommendations to new folks are re: > how >> difficult to make RAT questions. I think at the conference someone > (might >> have been Larry) recommended targeting performance levels of 60-80% > for >> individuals and 70-90% for teams. When you are helping someone new > get >> started, is this compatible the advice you give them? >> >> ENFORCED CURVES >> Some folks have curves enforced upon them by their departments or > schools. >> Does anyone out there have experience with setting up their TBL >> experience so it can "play nice" with an externally-enforced curve? >> Sophie Sparrow posted about this a while back and I am not sure if the >> conversation went private or if it just never got picked up. >> >> Even if you don't have experience with fitting your own TBL teaching > into >> an external curve, any help brainstorming the issue or practical > advice >> will be greatly appreciated! :-) >> >> -M >> >> >> >> >> Michael Sweet, Ph.D. >> Faculty Development Specialist >> Division of Instructional Innovation and Assessment (DIIA) >> University of Texas Austin >> MAI 2206 * (512) 232-1775 >> >> "Teaching is the profession that makes all other professions > possible." - >> Todd Witaker >> >