Neil – I had the same experience in terms of a vocal (i.e., anonymous course evaluations) minority who trashed me and the course – actually, the worst teaching evaluations I’ve had due to the extreme of their
responses across the board. I use TBL in a class of more than 100 students, so it is difficult to monitor how the team dynamics are working, but I am wondering if one contributing factor to their dissatisfaction was their team dynamics. I am attempting to
keep a tighter tab this semester (note any teams I think are not working well and be ready to assist if necessary), and to more skillfully design my application exercises. In addition, I am allowing each student to do a “Delta Plus” evaluation so I
can try to address issues early in the semester (what they like and what they think could be improved). And, it is just a fact that some students do not want to engage – they want to passively sit, learn enough for the exam, and move on. (My course is a required
course.) We do have our limitations on ability to motivate and inspire.
Stacey – I like your app. I tried to do something like that, but it was on the last day of class and many had already completed the course eval (it is simply sent to them by email in the final two weeks of the
semester). Maybe I need to move that application just before the course eval site opens, and be a bit more systematic with it! Thanks for attaching your application.
Ann Smiley-Oyen, PhD
Associate Professor, Kinesiology/Neuromotor Control
Department of Kinesiology
244 Forker
Ames, IA 50011
515-294-8261
From: Team-Based Learning [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
On Behalf Of Neil Haave
Sent: Thursday, September 18, 2014 9:38 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Applications
Hi Marit,
I will be curious if your experience will be the same as mine.... I too have had the experience of implementing TBL and being so pleased with the results as I witnessed them in the classroom: engaged discussion occurring whereas before
TBL there was passive silence. However, when the end of term course evaluations were returned to me, I was surprised at the number of students who had a very negative reaction to the teaching & learning strategy that is TBL. They were a minority, but a significant
minority. It felt to me like a bit of cognitive dissonance was going on for students - they didn't recognize the learning experience for what it was. On my campus it really feels like implementing TBL is counter-cultural in the sense that students have experienced
and expect didactic lecture and to not do the same is to abdicate my instructor responsibilities.
I have a lot of work to do in not only teaching my students the course content, but also how to learn deeply so that their education lasts longer than their degree program...
Cheers
Neil
Neil Haave, PhD
Associate Professor, Biology
Managing Editor, Collected Essays on Learning and Teaching
University of Alberta, Augustana Faculty
Rm C155, Science Wing, Classroom Building, Augustana Campus
4901 - 46 Avenue, Camrose, AB, CANADA T4V 2R3
On Thu, Sep 18, 2014 at 7:40 AM, Ostebo,Marit <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
I am implementing TBL for the first time this semester. It seems to work very well (judging from the high level of participation in the class and the good feeling I have when leaving the classroom). I teach a Human Rights and Culture class, and I just wonder if there are people out there who have been teaching similar classes and who would like to share their applications with me. Topics that I cover are e.g. Violence, conflict resolution and legal pluralism, Women’s Rights and Gender Equality, Human Rights activism, Anthropology and Human rights, Human rights and International Development +++
A few weeks back I had a focus on dignity, and the applications I had designed worked EXTREMELY well. If anyone is interested, - I am happy to share. It should be of relevance not only for those teaching human rights, but also for instructors in nursing, medicine, ethics, etc.
Please shoot me an e-mail off list if you are interested: [log in to unmask]
Marit Ostebo
Marit Tolo Ostebo (PhD)
Lecturer
Department of Anthropology
Address:
427 Grinter Hall – PO BOX 115560
Gainesville, FL 32611-5560
Tel: +1(352) 273-4754 / +1 (352) 328-7591
E-mail: [log in to unmask]
