Responses are below.

Scott

--- On Mon, 6/15/09, K. Hoff <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

From: K. Hoff <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: two questions: changing group size / weights
To: [log in to unmask]
Date: Monday, June 15, 2009, 8:59 AM

I'd like to thank Richard Hake for pointing out the archives search.  By reading some past posts, I had many questions answered--even questions I didn't know I had yet ;)

I'd like to ask two more questions:

1.  In high school, I have students dropping/moving away/moving in all year long (and far more leaving than coming in).  What do you do if a group gets too small?  I can anticipate the complaints from both students and parents about a group with only 3 or 4 members while all of the other groups have 6.
I rebalanced teams after every unit. And add students to smaller groups as they enter the class. If there is a major disbalance between teams, I switch out members to even the high achievers to lower achievers, but try to do this on a limited basis or at the end of a unit.

2.  About weighting the different components of the class (individual RAT, team RAT, etc.):  I KNOW I will have parents complaining if team RATs are 10% in one class and 15% in another, especially if they are just different sections of the same class.  Do you think I should just set something that is reasonable?  Or should I have the process of choosing the weights take place over several days, until I can get agreement between all sections of the same class? 
I use total points, and just plan out each unit around the basic format of:
A) Team Intro Packet (25pts)
B) Individual Pretest (50 pts)
C) Team test (50pts)
D) Individual Review questions (25 pts)
E) Required Lab (25 pts)
F) Required Lab (25 pts)
G) Required Lab (25 pts)
H) Individual Quiz (100pts)
I) Team Challenge (50-100pts)
Repeat A-I, Aprox. 3 repeats per unit, then Final exam for unit.

I find this approach lets me front load the information, teach the required labs, then grade on students ability to apply material.

Karen Hoff