Hi Ron, I don't know what others will say, but I don't think that having the students make the RAT questions, even if they make good questions, is a good idea. When you get TBL right (and it does take a while), it all fits together. You have a goal... you want your students to think like (entry-level) occupational therapists. How do occupational therapists make decisions? They use the theories and models and key studies of the discipline when they decide what to work on with patients and how to talk with caregivers. What do they need to know to do that? They need to know the theories, models, vocabulary (in short the ways of thinking) of occupational therapy. Those are the things (the theories, models, key vocabulary, etc.) that you point them to in the readings. It may take a Study Guide or Test Blueprint to get them to go there. Students often have a difficult time sorting out what's important in readings. It may take allowing them to bring in a sheet of handwritten notes for the RATs to really focus them that way. Those things (the theories, models, etc. that you've pointed them to) are the things that the RAT questions focus on. Those are also the things that the team (and individual) application exercises ask them to use. If you allowed the students to make the RAT questions, you'd lose that ability to tie your course together around what you want them to get out of it when they're done. I do allow bonus points here and there. Sometimes it's fun to do a review game of some sort as a team activity and award bonus points that way or you can give an optional activity of some sort for bonus points. It is also possible to scale your RAT scores. I typically look for IRAT scores to be around 75% or so and if they're lower than that, I will curve them. Sometimes when I'm doing a new course/ developing new RAT questions, I get them too difficult and the low IRAT average tells me that (as do the students themselves). BTW, thanks for sharing your questions and challenges online. I'm sure that there are many that are benefitting from the interactions around them. Karla Karla Kubitz, Ph.D., FACSM Program Coordinator, Exercise Science Department of Kinesiology Towson University 8000 York Rd Towson, MD 21252 410-704-3168 (ph) 410-704-3912 (fax) From: Team-Based Learning [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Carson, Ron Sent: Wednesday, May 23, 2012 7:51 AM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Feedback from Student I receive the following message from a student and with permission, I'm posting to the TBL listserve for feedback: I actually wanted to touch base with you because I am having difficulty with the reading. I am reading everything but I did not want to get another grade like last time. Thank you again for the curve. I was trying to think of solutions because I am hoping I am not the only person having issues with the reading. It isn't a complaint and if nothing happens I'll manage I just wanted to express some concern and a possible option for dynamic learning. I was thinking as a different structure we could have a discussion posting where each person puts up two difficult questions for the rest of the class to answer. If every person in the class thoroughly reviews the material in order to get decent questions that would give you the opportunity to award an additional 2 points for the posting. And when you are going to create the IRAT you can review the questions posted and choose which ones that you would like to test on with slight deviations from the original and test us that way. So we are reading, but reading for a purpose instead of a broad area of knowledge. Plus, it is up to the class in order to review and look at everyone elses question and attempt to answer. I was thinking the class could get additional points maybe 2 points for the postings in order to slightly boost our grades due to some of the poor IRAT grades. This is just an idea and allows you to keep the dynamic structure that you are using. It is just a thought and I know the program is always wanting feedback. I don't want this to come off as complaining but something that could further our learning experience while keeping it dynamic. Comments? Thanks, -- Ron Carson MHS, OT Assistant Professor Occupational Therapy Department Florida Hospital College of Health Sciences 671 Winyah Drive Orlando, FL 32803 407.303.9182 [Description: sig]