UBC Mailing Lists 17.0 - TEAMLEARNING-L Archives

Several people responded to my query below (thank you—this was quite helpful!), and I have pasted redacted versions of these responses after my initial post below. The most popular solution was to introduce a constraint to the grading system such that team performance scores and peer evaluation scores would only be included in final grade calculation if the student obtained a 70% or better for their individual performance score, otherwise their grade would simply consist of their individual performance score.

Nicholas DiFonzo, Ph.D.

Professor of Psychology

Department of Psychology

18 Lomb Memorial Drive

Room 1-2363

Rochester Institute of Technology

Rochester, NY 14623

Phone: 585-475-2907

FAX: 585-475-6715

Faculty Website: http://people.rit.edu/nxdgss/

Personal Website: www.ProfessorNick.com

Skype: nicholas.difonzo

From: Nicholas DiFonzo
Sent: Friday, November 16, 2012 11:27 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Grade Inflation

A professor (who shall remain nameless!) teaches a course using TBL for the first time. At the beginning of the term, students discuss, negotiate, and agree upon a grade weight formula for 1) individual performance (worth 40% of final course score), 2) team performance (40%), and 3) peer evaluation (20%). At the end of the term, the instructor notices that there is great variation in individual performance scores (which range from 45% to 95%), little variation in team performance scores (96% to 97%), and great variation in peer evaluation scores (70% to 124%). Using the agreed upon grade formula, final course scores are calculated (which range from 70% to 102%).

When the individual performance score and the peer evaluation score are both high or both low, the professor finds it easy to assign a grade. However, the mixed cases—where individual performance is much lower than team performance and peer evaluation scores—are problematic for this newbie to TBL. For example, in one case the individual performance score is quite low (55%), the team performance score is of course quite high (97%), and the peer evaluation score is high (90%), resulting in a final course score of 80%. This particular student did few individual assignments and their IRAT scores were poor—indicating that they came to class unprepared and they did little work outside of class. Despite this, the student’s peers rated his participation highly. In sum, this student did little work outside of class, their team did well (of course), and they somehow were able to be helpful to the team.

The professor’s gut sense is that this student’s performance is in the D range; this is typically what this student earned in past (pre-TBL) courses with the professor (because he typically failed to turn in assignments and he did poorly on tests, even though he always came to class and participated). Yet the 80% score doesn’t seem to correspond to a D.

The professor would like to avoid this sort of situation in the future. For the next term, which alternative seems most effective?

A. Do nothing, this was a fluke and atypical of what other TBL-ers experience.

B. Explain in the syllabus that what constitutes an A, B, C, D or F is determined at the end of the term, and that, for example, an 80% might result in a D.

C. In the next syllabus, set severe limits on the weight of the team performance component, say, it can be no more than 20% of the final course score, and at the same time raise the floor on the individual performance component, say, it can be no less than 70% of the final course score.

D. In the next syllabus, tie final course score to the individual performance score by some narrow limit, for example, “Final course scores can be no more than 10% higher than your individual performance score, e.g., if your individual performance score is 55%, then your final course score can be no higher than 65%, and using the conventional grade scheme you would receive a D.”

E. Write in candidate: ______________________________.

In my course, students MUST have at least a 70% for their Individual Grade in order for the Team and Peer Evaluations to count towards their final course grade. For example, if a student has a 65% for their Individual Grade and a 90% for both their Peer Evaluation and Team Grade, they will have earned a D for the class. This is to ensure that students aren’t just relying on their teammates to get a good grade. Hope this helps!

You have described a common and nerve wracking 'problem' with TBL. I do not allow students to come up with their own grading scheme because I do not think it results in a scheme I am willing to live with!

I have handled my scheme in 2 ways:

1. The individual component was 70% of the grade and team component 30%. Within this, the student must achieve 70% on their individual component to pass my course i.e I would add the TBL component to their grade ONLY after the student displayed minimal competency which in my case was 70% of the individual component (which included IRATs and exams).
2. My 2nd grading scheme is 80% individual and 20% team component. I do not have a hard 70% pass for the individual component any more. This is easy for me to swallow since the team component is only 20%. Within the team component I have 2 team exams which are quite difficult (this is 5% of their grade).

Hope this helps!

I would recommend to the (nameless) professor that he or she do a combination of things to improve the validity of the final course grade/outcome:

First, lower the peer evaluation component to 10% and increase the individual component to 50% of the final grade.

Second, indicate in the syllabus that although the final course grade is determined by weighted averages of individual, team, and peer eval grades, in order to PASS the class, a student must maintain a minimum average (let’s say 65%) on individual exams. (Exams, not RATs.)

Why? This will do several things that I think are important for TBL:

The value of team exercises (including tRATs) must be understood by students in order for the teams to really come together and hold each individual member accountable for being prepared and contributing. Value (to students) is defined by points. So, team performance must be worth something significant. That’s why I wouldn’t choose your option C (or D).

The other (real) purpose of teams working through applications together is to make sure they’ve mastered the learning objectives that you will test them on with the summative exam. So, if you make the exam(s) absolutely essential to passing the class, and then let the teams see the value of completing application exercises in order to do well on the exam, they should automatically focus on learning during class time. One way to do this is to ask a very similar question on the exam that you already asked in class during an application exercise.

I’d get rid of individual “homework” assignments altogether, especially since your one student (in the example) proved that it is possible to earn a high percentage score without doing the homework. Pin the individual grade to the exams, make it essential to passing the class, and force students to learn in advance of the final summative assessment.

Best of luck!

I believe that this is common to TBL…to avoid these issues of grading discrepancy, our course policy states that a student must obtain at least a 70% average on all individual work (IRATs, exams) for group work to be factored into a final grade…thus, if a student obtains a 68% average on individual work, and group work average is 92%, then the final grade is a 68%…we've used this policy for 4 years and it has worked well…it is important to explain this, and have students be clear on this policy at semester start…

Best of luck

I like your 4S question for us…

I have done the grade weight setting exercise in the past. When I did, I typically set a range for individual, team, and team maintenance. Individual was typically 50-60% or something like that. I don’t do it at this particular point in time. I think it became too cumbersome since I have multiple classes and multiple sections of each of my multiple classes.

I've instituted a minimum performance level for individual students to have their team performance factored into their final grade. Students must earn 70% of the individual points over the semester in order to have their team's performance included in final grade calculations. Students who don't earn at least 70% on the individual points have their final grade calculated using just their individual performance and the peer evaluation. It helps in situations like those you describe below.

cheers,