Since the T-RAT is a team effort, if the person is absent they miss those points. I used to allow for iRAT make ups in the testing center for up to one week after a missed iRAT. However that was way too much coordination and effort on my part and it did little to help the team. So I devised the one extra credit opportunity for my class. Students a may do an article review from a peer-reviewed journal on a topic related to the team decision. They must share their article review with their team after I approve it. This helps them with research and hopefully helps their team with their decision and is a more meaningful assignment. Article reviews are worth the same amount of points they could have earned on a iRAT/T-RAT and must be completed before the team decision. Christine Kuramoto wrote: > Dear Friends, > > I have a question about absent team members. In the past I've always > given students the tRAT score from their team when they missed a RAT > day and a 0 for the iRAT. I'm teaching the same 100 students in their > second round of TBL and notice the same guys tend to skip class as the > last time. My students had a tendency to be quite lenient on their > peer evaluations, so the skippers got the team points and still got > pretty good peer evaluations last year (with a few brave members > commenting "you should come to class more" but still not lowering > their scores much). > > I'm beginning to wonder if I should step in and say that absent > students won't get the team score for the tRAT. The tRATs are what > saved a few of them from failing last year. Am I teaching them that > it's OK to be lazy and let your team take responsibility for it? Or > should I be looking at the bigger picture that says, "See team! You > have the power to let them sink or save them. It's up to you."--which > is then teaching them the responsibility of being part of a team and > what the real world is like. > > Hmmmmm. . . > > Please let me know what you think. > > Thanks! > Christine > -- Herb Coleman,Ph.D Dir. Instructional Computing and Technology Adjunct Professor of Psychology Austin Community College Highland Business Center 5930 Middle Fiskville Rd. Austin, TX 78752 [log in to unmask] 512-223-7746 ************************************************* “I, and every other professor on this campus, are here to help you to find, take back, and keep your righteous mind.” ---Professor Melvin Tolson from the motion picture "The Great Debaters" *************************************************