Hi all: Have to tell you that when this subject line, First RAT of the term came up on my phone, I read it as "First rat of the term". Reminds me of when we introduced TBL to our biosci colleagues way back, and they were quite concerned when I told them there would be at least 5 RATS in the course, as we hadn't ordered enough lab rats in advance.
Also wanted to tell you that at Queen's Meds, we introduce TBL using 2 methods through one session. Session is about patient confidentiality, (part 1).
1. it's the first class they get in all of meds school (which really fixes it in their mind) with some key instructors and their beloved Year 1 Director. We use traditional TBL pre-session reading, and in-class I and G RATS, and
2. we engage year 2 meds students as peer instructors to work with each group (that makes 15 of them) during the session. We train the 2nd years for an hour ahead of time, and give them a handout with key messages. We ask them to relate their own experiences. Seems to work rather well. See our CCME poster from 2015.
Good luck with all your RATS!
Sheila
First the context: this is a first year course for majors and non-majors in biological function. Most of the students are either majoring in biology or intending to enter a professional program in the health sciences.
My question: How have people on this list handled the huge disappointment that happens with the first RAT of the first term in freshman courses?
This is typically students' very first university quiz as I start right after the first week of setting up the course structure with the first TBL module. This past weekend I gave students their reading assignment complete with reading guide (key objectives and keywords matched to the pages and figure numbers in the text book). Then they wrote their first RAT yesterday. I received fairly typical results I think except that the iRAT score were lower then I had hoped.
It breaks my heart when I hear stories from students during the tRAT and after class that they studied 10-15 hrs and made 10-15 pages of notes over the long weekend only to receive an iRAT mark of 2/10. They had such energy at the start of the term last week. Now I think I have killed it.
How do the rest of you manage this sort of disappointment and help students regain their spirit for learning (and mine for teaching!)? I suspect the issue is that many of these excellent students (and I have no doubt they achieved excellence in high school) simply were able to excel in high school without developing good study, reading, and note-taking skills. I have a couple of excellent senior students who will be coming into class tomorrow to explain how they read and take notes. I hope that helps.
I would love to hear the collective wisdom of the TBLC.
Thanks very much.
Neil
Neil Haave, PhDAssociate Professor, Biology
Managing Editor, CELT
Vice-President, AIBA
University of Alberta, Augustana FacultyRm C155, Science Wing, Classroom Building, Augustana Campus4901 - 46 Avenue, Camrose, AB, CANADA T4V 2R3
"We do not learn from experience . . . we learn from reflecting on experience" - John Dewey
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