I have a class of 66 undergraduate medical
students (11 groups). I am leading an epidemiology course and this is my first
shot at TBL.
This is mid-way through the semester and one
of my groups is having difficulty. Their group learning behaviors have deteriorated
over time—the group has divided into two smaller groups that cannot get
along with each other. They come into my office separately to complain (I now
do not allow that), meet with each other to study outside of class separately,
and don’t work together in class (at the last second they vote on which answer
will be used—but they don’t discuss the issues together at all
anymore).
I have met with them as a group twice to
address this obvious problem (that they all agree that this is a huge problem
for them). I have had them discuss openly the nature of the problem and what
they might do to overcome it, and helped them to brainstorm the specific
strategies that they can use to learn in groups. Every intervention seems to
lead to further deterioration of their group.
I have been told NOT to intervene too much,
as this is something they need to work out on their own. I am, however,
worried that they cannot work it out. Suggestions?