I have had similar experiences w/r/t student evaluations… everything from a student mentioning how wonderful my class was during her graduation ceremony speech to students thoroughly trashing my class in their evaluations (and online… Rate My Professor, anyone?). One thing that helps me understand their perspective is the ‘stuff’ that I wrote about in my chapter for Jim’s new book. Most college students are in the stage of cognitive development where they view knowledge as right/ wrong. The professor is the ‘expert’ and should ‘deliver’ knowledge (… yes, pour it into their brains). Peers/ peer input aren’t valued. We (in our TBL implementations) can nudge them into more advanced stages of cognitive development by the things that are part and parcel of TBL. However, it’s not easy… growth never is. Karla
Karla Kubitz, Ph.D., FACSM
Program Coordinator, Exercise ScienceDepartment of Kinesiology
Towson University
8000 York Rd
Towson, MD 21252
410-704-3168 (ph)
410-704-3912 (fax)
From: Team-Based Learning [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Donna Oglesby
Sent: Thursday, September 18, 2014 12:44 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: polarized students' evaluations
I can echo this experience. My course is not required and as far as I know I am the only professor who has used the TBL method at Eckerd College. The course was Diplomacy and International Relations taught Spring 2014. I learned of the approach from a colleague at Duke who praised it.
This year course evaluations were done online by students. So comparisons with all other years, when they were done on paper in the classroom, is problematic. Still, those who loved the course, really loved it and felt they learned considerably more because of peer interactions. More students than I have ever had in any class over a 17 year period, however, expressed dissatisfaction. The big beef was no lectures. I did mini-lectures and also posted lectures on-line to watch or read before coming to class, but I did not use class time to deliver standard lectures.
I made a point of driving home the methodology during the add/drop period and a few students did drop. Most stayed. Perhaps they had no framework for understanding just how different the class would be. I also did a thorough mid-term review and worked with each team on their peer evaluations and how they might think about adjusting their teamwork if needed. Students did appear very engaged in the class, discussions were much more lively, lots of debate. That may have made some students uncomfortable. Others thrived. Bi-modal R US.
The collaborative TBL discussion has been a great source of information and solace. Thanks to all.
Donna Marie Oglesby
Diplomat in Residence
Eckerd College/BES
4200 54th Ave. South
St. Petersburg, Fl. 33711
@winnowingfan
On Sep 18, 2014, at 11:17 AM, Smiley-Oyen, Ann [KIN] <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
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
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
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