Hi all,

 

You might want to ask the small team what might work for them.  They may
well have bonded and want to stay together, even if they can't get
another member.  Probably depends on the course whether they want
someone else or want to split up.

 

Leelah Dawson, Instructor

 

From: Team-Based Learning [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
Behalf Of Molly Espey
Sent: Wednesday, March 07, 2012 1:34 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: TBL team/group size

 

If it's far enough into the semester that groups have really become
teams, I'd be inclined to let it go.  This has happened to me only once
in almost 10 years of using TBL.  The team was definitely at a
disadvantage, but it worked out okay.

 

If it's very early in the semester, I've adjusted teams myself, trying
to disrupt as few students as possible, sometimes just breaking up one
group and spreading them around to several other teams.  I've only had
to do this a few times and it also usually works okay because strong
team identy hasn't usually formed yet but the core of teams (except the
one spread around) remains to keep building teamwork.

 

I've had to address the issue a couple of times a little further into
the semester, say more than a week or so.  What I've done then is ask
for a volunteer from one of the larger teams (say of 7) to move to the
small team.  That's worked well as there is minimal disruption.

 

I'm also interesting in hearing what others have done.

 

Molly Espey, Professor

John E. Walker Department of Economics

Clemson University

 

________________________________

From: Team-Based Learning [[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
Leonard, Timothy [[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Wednesday, March 07, 2012 4:11 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: TBL team/group size

I had a fantastic experience at my first TBLC meeting last week.  Thanks
to all who planned and participated!

 

I am working with a group of other people at my institution to implement
TBL throughout a new integrated Year-1 and Year-2 undergraduate medical
curriculum.  We anticipate having approximately 30 teams of 7 students
each in our Year-1 class, and these students will work together within
these teams throughout the entire academic year (probably average one
TBL session every two weeks).  I am wondering what others would advise
if any of the TBL groups drop to 4 or fewer students due to "permanent
attrition" (withdrawals, academic failures that trigger either dismissal
or repeating the year, etc.).

 

Thanks for any input/advice,

 

Tim Leonard

Clinical Sciences Dept.

WVSOM

Lewisburg, WV