Ron, Based on the fact that the applications are so brief, I'm guessing that all of them are exactly the same report back format and that the report is holding up a card in response to what amounts to a multiple choice question. If that's the case, I'd attempt to do three things: 1) Make some of the choices much more difficult and complex so that it will take them longer to make a specific choice. If possible, design it so that it integrates across units. 2) Change the form of some of the simultaneous reports (e.g., poster/gallery walk, overlaying transparencies that represent some sort of a curve or graph, _____ in 10 words or less on a 3x5 card that is placed on a document camera or is typed into a spreadsheet and projected onto a screen, etc.). 3) Recycle the question by changing some of the parameters in a way that causes students to have to use the same information but, think about it from a different perspective. Larry On Thu, Aug 23, 2012 at 2:31 PM, Carson, Ron <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > Thanks Larry. I appreciate your input, as I do all the input I received. > I have a follow up question on application exercises. > > In my experience last semester, each application exercise took no more > than 15 - 20 minutes. Thus for a 3 hour class, I must produce approximately > 6 application exercises per week. For some reason, this seems excessive, > both for me and students. > > Maybe I'm messing something in constructing the exercises. > > Thanks, > > Ron > ________________________________________ > From: Larry Michaelsen [[log in to unmask]] > Sent: Friday, August 17, 2012 6:39 PM > To: Carson, Ron > Cc: [log in to unmask] > Subject: Re: If not Doing iRats, What? > > I think the question of "How many RATs?" is the wrong question. That's > because the answer might be different in different situations. The > principle is that students have to experience the class as being about > USING CONCEPTS AND IDEAS NOT SIMPLY LEARNING ABOUT THEM. If you put too > much emphasis on the RATs (which you can do in a variety of ways including > by giving too many or counting them too much and, most commonly, not having > compelling 4-S applications), then students think that this class is just > like all the others we've had in that the GRADE is what is important. When > that happens they will complain that the tests are too hard or it's not > fair to test us over stuff you haven't lectured about or anything else that > they think will convince you to make it easier to get a good grade--because > the focus is on grades and NOT on learning. When I've encountered more than > a modest push back (which you always get early on), I've learned that what > I need to do isn't give fewer, more or easier RATs--that's treating the > symptom not the problem. What I need to do is to improve my applications > and/or do a better job of helping students understand WHY the applications > I'm using are important to them. > > Also, when I encounter colleagues who are getting a lot of flack on their > RATs the most common reasons are: > 1) The frequency is so great that students experience the class as being > about content coverage not content application. > 2) The colleague either doesn't know about or has decided against using > one or more of the tools that help students get past the, "it's about > grades not about learning" mentality that virtually always happens in > traditional courses. These tools include: > • Letting students have a say in how much the RATs count > • Using the IF-AT answer sheets to provide real-time feedback > • Using the appeals process > • Focusing the RAT questions on KEY ideas (i.e., ideas that YOU are > absolutely convinced are critical because they are inextricably linked to > your applications--thus, Backwards Design is critical. Further, if they > pass this test, you won't have any trouble justifying the fact that that > students need to master them. > • After each application (which really need to be good ones), reminding > students that, without their advanced preparation, they wouldn't have had > the opportunity to practice using the content. > > I hope this helps. > > Larry > > On Thu, Aug 16, 2012 at 10:15 AM, Carson, Ron <[log in to unmask] > <mailto:[log in to unmask]>> wrote: > I completed last semester’s Older Adult course with good results. The way > my class was set up, I had 7 weeks of TBL and 6 weeks of traditional > lecture, practicals, etc. For the coming semester, I have 13 weeks of TBL > class. So, given that only 6 or 7 iRats are recommended, what do you do on > the weeks when no iRATS are scheduled? Or, is it OK to do iRATS every week? > > Thanks, > > -- > Ron Carson MHS, OT > Assistant Professor > Adventist Univeristy of Health Sciences<http://www.adu.edu/> > 671 Winyah Drive > Orlando, FL 32803 > 407.303.9182<tel:407.303.9182> (office) > 407.303.7820<tel:407.303.7820> (fax) > [cid:image001.gif@01CD7B9E.48537290] > > > > > -- > ******************************* > Larry K. Michaelsen, Professor of Management > Dockery 400G, University of Central Missouri > Warrensburg, MO 64093 > 660/543-4315 voice, 660/543-8465 fax > For info on: > Team-Based Learning (TBL) <www.teambasedlearning.org< > http://www.teambasedlearning.org>> > Integrative Business Experience (IBE) <http://ucmo.edu/IBEl< > http://faculty.ucmo.edu/ibe/home.html>> > ******************************* > > > -- ******************************* Larry K. Michaelsen, Professor of Management Dockery 400G, University of Central Missouri Warrensburg, MO 64093 660/543-4315 voice, 660/543-8465 fax For info on: Team-Based Learning (TBL) <www.teambasedlearning.org> Integrative Business Experience (IBE) <http://ucmo.edu/IBEl<http://faculty.ucmo.edu/ibe/home.html> > *******************************