Hello

I teach an 3rd year undergraduate course in conservation which has an enrollment of about 60 people (estimated 100+ in 2011), approximately half of whom take the course as a required component of their degree, the other half who take it as an elective.

Next year, our institution is enacting a credit/d/fail status for courses that are taken as electives and my course will have the status applied to it.  More than half of the students in my course will be able to take it for credit/d/fail status instead of a letter grade, the others will not have this option.

Although I would like to revamp the course to use team-based learning next year, I am wary of the influence that the credit/d/fail status may have on group work and individual motivation.

I would be grateful to hear from anyone who has some experience and/or has conducted research on this type of situation.

 

Cheers,

Suzie Lavallee

 

Suzie Lavallee, PhD

Lecturer, Natural Resources Conservation Program 
Dept. of Forest Sciences, University of British Columbia
#3035-2424 Main Mall, Vancouver BC, V6T 1Z4
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Phone: (604) 822-4987
Fax: (604) 822-9102
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Check out the course website at: http://courses.forestry.ubc.ca/cons451