Team assignment don't need to have a right answer….they need to have an answer that is better than the others

Which is the best choice, which most appropriate, what would you recommend we do first, what would have the biggest impact, what would likely cost the least

You can present a series of reasonable option and they have to discriminate and pick the MOST reasonable

The real power is in the conversation that follows….as students describe their thinking and rationales for making a particular decision….what ever decision they choose to build their case around

jim
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Jim Sibley 
Director 
Centre for Instructional Support 
Faculty of Applied Science 
University of British Columbia 
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From: Amanda Rees <[log in to unmask]>
Reply-To: Amanda Rees <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Fri, 7 Sep 2012 11:06:52 -0400
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: TBL and World Regional Geography

Dear TBLers,

I'm very new to TBL but am introducing to my core courses this semester (I've identified 5 TBL "weeks').  I've not had any training, just been reading books and articles and chatting with a few geography folks who are also trying TBL.  I've got a large question.  In a world regional geography course we are trying to get students to think like geographers which means that we need to encourage them to draw from both environmental and human geography elements to understand an issue.  There's not always a right way of figuring something, but if you can bring on a broad set of skills and disciplines you can do some creative geography.  So, I'm having a hard time coming up with a team assignment that has a single right answer.

I got "around" that issue in my first TBL which asks students to prepare a memo for a congressperson (students are congressional aides) that lays out pros and cons and recommends a policy.  I had students assess each group's memos and grade them using a rubric we all shared - I'm no w working on grading that assignment.  Anyone got ideas about how I might think about developing future team assignments.

Manda

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___________________________________________________________

Dr. Amanda Rees
Assistant Chair, History and Geography Department
Associate Professor of Geography

Consider A Spring Break 2013 World Regional Geography Trip to Belize:
For more information see: http://studyabroad/program.php?programID=187


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