Simon and Elanor, Yes, allowing and supporting the teams in self-management has been my goal and practice. When they are lawyers, they’ll have to find solutions on their own. In the past, I have only intervened when the team as a whole has an issue and invites me to meet with them to brainstorm ways to resolve a conflict that they haven’t been able to resolve on their own. (That has happened once, when a student expressed a concern that voicing issues in the team did not feel safe, and I offered to meet with the team to help facilitate a safe discussion.) In this case, though, Elanor, asking jeff may be a good choice. ~ Sophie Sophie M. Sparrow Professor of Law University of New Hampshire School of Law [log in to unmask] 603-513-5205 On 10/20/14, 4:19 AM, "Simon Tweddell" <[log in to unmask]> wrote: >Elanor, > >I¹d want to encourage the team to find ways of managing difficulties >themselves first before intervening directly. I think these are very rare >occurrences with the vast majority of teams self-managing without >difficulties. > >Simon >------------------------------------------------------------------------ >Simon Tweddell BPharm MRPharmS FHEA >Senior Lecturer in Pharmacy Practice >Curriculum Development Fellow >Centre for Educational Development >University of Bradford >Bradford >United Kingdom >BD7 1DP >Tel. +44 (0)1274 235241 >Email. [log in to unmask] >Twitter: @simontweddell >Skype: simon.tweddell > >Accredited Consultant-Trainer in Team-based Learning > > > > > > >On 19/10/2014 22:21, "Elanor Withnall" <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > >>Is it too simple to ask Jeff if there is a reason he is not >>participating? >>Elanor >> >>Simon Tweddell wrote: >>> Sophie, >>> >>> I was asked a similar question by a colleague using TBL in another >>> discipline a couple of weeks ago. I¹d not had this problem before so I >>> had to think about it for a day or two and discussed it with a >>> colleague. Here¹s what we came up with: >>> >>> 1. Write an impromptu, discipline-related task (as an application >>> exercise) that challenges the teams to solve a similar problem, but in >>> the workplace i.e. looking forward to a time that they are in practice. >>> This task might include others tasks as well but build in an >>>appropriate >>> problem e.g. a colleague in the work team that isn¹t pulling their >>> weight or a client that won¹t engage or talk during a case >>> review/hearing or a case that demonstrates the need for all team >>>members >>> to pull their weight in the workplace. A 4S case that challenges the >>> teams to come up with a solution might create some useful class >>> discussion afterwards and provide the team with some ideas. Jeff might >>> even come to realise that actually the workplace is all about teamwork >>> and reflect a little on his behaviour to date? >>> >>> 2. Consider using the ŒJeff Case¹ you describe below as an application >>> exercise when introducing students to TBL for the first time in the >>> future. Setting the teams a similar challenge about how they would >>> engage with and challenge a possible ŒJeff¹ in their team will create >>> some really useful class discussion and acts as a kind of preventative, >>> pre-emptive strike in case there are any possible Jeffs out there. If >>> someone isn¹t engaging later on in the course, then the teams might be >>> able to draw on this discussion and handle this themselves, possibly >>> just with the phrase Œcome on, talk to us, don¹t be a Jeff!¹ Deep down, >>> no one really wants to think that they are being the ŒJeff' in their >>>groupŠ. >>> >>> Hope this makes sense and good luck with Jeff! >>> >>> Perhaps you could share with the Listserv how and if this problem is >>> eventually resolved? >>> >>> Best wishes >>> >>> Simon >>> >>> >>>------------------------------------------------------------------------ >>> Simon Tweddell BPharm MRPharmS FHEA >>> Senior Lecturer in Pharmacy Practice >>> Curriculum Development Fellow >>> Centre for Educational Development >>> University of Bradford >>> Bradford >>> United Kingdom >>> BD7 1DP >>> Tel. +44 (0)1274 235241 >>> Email. [log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]> >>> Twitter: @simontweddell >>> Skype: simon.tweddell >>> >>> Accredited Consultant-Trainer in Team-based Learning >>> >>> >>> From: "Sparrow, Sophie" <[log in to unmask] >>> <mailto:[log in to unmask]>> >>> Reply-To: "Sparrow, Sophie" <[log in to unmask] >>> <mailto:[log in to unmask]>> >>> Date: Sun, 19 Oct 2014 19:56:41 +0000 >>> To: <[log in to unmask] >>> <mailto:[log in to unmask]>> >>> Subject: Team dynamics problem >>> >>> Greetings TBL colleagues - >>> >>> I could use some advice. >>> >>> For the first time in the 8 years I have been using TBL, I have a team >>> that is not working well. One of the team members (I¹ll call him >>> Jeff-not his real name) does not talk to, make eye contact with, or >>> engage with the team unless they are working on a tRAT. When they are >>> engaged in team applications during class, he does not turn to face the >>> rest of his teammates, does not contribute and does not listen to them. >>> As with all students, he knows that team contributions count for 15% of >>> the final grade. >>> >>> Context: >>> This is a first year graduate US law course, and I am working with >>>teams >>> of 6. >>> >>> On this particular team, half the students have come straight from >>> undergrad,and 2 of the others have worked for a while before coming to >>> law school. Jeff is a bit older than the others, has a PhD in science >>> and was educated in EU in predominately lecture-based settings. In his >>> team he has voiced his dislike of all the assessments in this course, >>> and said that he wished it were like some other law school courses, >>> where the only grade is on the final exam. >>> >>> Students in this class have given and received anonymous midterm peer >>> feedback (now 2 weeks ago). Several of the members of the team have >>> several times come to talk to me about how to engage this student. In >>> the feedback he received, Jeff was asked to participate more. That has >>> not happened. The students had ideas about how to try to engage him >>> more, and he has not been responsive. At this point, two of the >>>students >>> are very frustrated as they keep trying to get Jeff to work with them, >>> but they are finding that they are spending a lot of time trying to get >>> him involved when he appears to have no interest in doing so. They >>>don¹t >>> want to ³write him off² and not engage him during team applications, >>>but >>> they and I are not sure how best to handle this. A couple of team >>> graded team applications are coming up over the next month, and we have >>> 2 more tRATs to do. >>> >>> I am not sure how to respond to this situation, and would love your >>> ideas and suggestions. >>> >>> Thanks much, >>> >>> ~ Sophie >>> >>> Sophie M. Sparrow >>> Professor of Law >>> University of New Hampshire School of Law >>> [log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]> >>> 603-513-5205 >>> >> >>-- >>Elanor Withnall, BVSc, MACVSc >>Associate Professor of Anesthesiology >>St. Matthews University >>P.O.Box 30902 >>Grand Cayman, KY1-1204 >>Cayman Islands >>British West Indies >>+1 345 745 3199 >>+1 345 745 3130 (fax)