Ron, I think a couple of areas come to mind as I read your post. 1) Have the students negotiated for their weighted grading system and do they realize that it is likely that the tRAT will have a positive impact on their scores? 2) I don't really believe in providing my students with reading guides, but I do try to refer them to the unit objectives when I give the assigned reading. I think students rarely refer to goals and it is a good practice for them... particularly in a professional program. 3) I know that you are just started TBL and I would say that my student's scores improve across the semester. I get better at writing the questions and the students get better at reading for content! 4) As long as you have applied the principles of backward design and are using those to guide your "broad" questions for the iRATs, don't lose faith. The students feel uncomfortable because it is new... they'll get used to it! :) And in my experience, thank you for it in the end! Shelley Shelley Payne, DHS, PT, ATC Assistant Professor Health and Sport Sciences Otterbein University (614) 823-1974 [log in to unmask] 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 [cid:image001.gif@01CD38E6.A0A342E0]