TEAM BASED LEARNING TBL

1. TEAM BASED LEARNING TBL

2. WHAT IS TBL • Strategy for learning content • Strategy for content application

3. WHY TBL • Enhance student learning • Promote student involvement • Foster team building

4. Essential Principles of TBL • Teams must be properly formed and managed • Students must be made accountable • Team assignments must promote both learning and team development • Students must receive frequent and immediate feedback

5. FORMING TEAMS (GROUPS) • Minimize barriers to cohesiveness • Distribute member resources • Within – Diverse • Between – Evenly matched • Permanent • Fairly large (5-7 members) • Formed by instructor

6. Sequence of Learning ActivitiesOut of class In class • Reading RAP process • Homework Group work • Homework Group work • Review Group project/exam • Four to seven learning modules per semester

7. RAP Process • Individual Readiness Assessment Test (RAT) – Usually true-false or multiple choice covering content • Team Test (RAT) – Same as individual • Appeals • Corrective instruction

8. STUDENTS MUST BE ACCOUNTABLE • For individual pre-class preparation • For high-quality team performance • For contributing to their team

9. Grading Components • Individual performance • RAT • Individual exams or papers • Group performance • RAT • Projects or activities or exams • Peer evaluation

10. Assignments promote learning and team development • Overcome forces that promote “social loafing” (uneven member participation) • Make assignments to promote group cohesiveness • Key variables • Avoid assignments that reduce cohesiveness

11. “Social Loafing” Forces • Some resist participation • Some prefer to dominate • Some believe they lack content knowledge • Some may not be committed to group success • Some concerned about being disagreeable or overly aggressive • Task may be completed by one or two members working alone • Task does not require member agreement

12. Promote Group CohesivenessAssignment Key Variables • High level of individual accountability • Bring members into close proximity • Motivate discussion among team members • Insure immediate, unambiguous and meaningful feedback • Provide explicit rewards for team performance

13. Individual Accountability • Advance preparation (RAT – individual) • Each member contributes (RAT group) • These promote learning and • Bring shy students into discussion • Tones down dominant members; they start to listen

14. Proximity of members • Use in class assignments • Avoid assignments that can be completed outside of class by members working individually • Promotes team development

15. Motivate Discussion • Make assignments that require a concrete decision that is based on analysis of a complex issue • The shorter the answer the better • Promotes content learning • Reinforces aspects of group interaction • Other member’s input is important • Accomplish more working together than each can on their own

16. Provide Meaningful Feedback • Powerful • Compare to other groups • Motivates groups to be the best • Must defend group’s choice against challenges • The more immediate the feedback the better

17. Reward Group Success • Must count for the grade • Love of learning is generally not a sufficient motivator • Without reward for group success, members see themselves as only competing with other members

18. Feedback • The quicker the better • Other group members • Other groups • Instructor

19. Effective Group Activities • Employ the “3 S” approach • Same assignment • Specific choice • Simultaneous reporting

20. Effective Group Activities • Prior to group discussion • Are group members working on the same assignment and required to make a specific choice, individually and in writing?

21. Effective Group Activities • During discussions within groups • Are groups required to share members’ individual choices and agree on a specific choice? • Will the discussion focus on Why/How • Will the group’s choice(s) be represented in a form that enables immediate and direct comparisons with other groups?

22. Effective Group Activities • During discussions between groups • Are group decisions reported simultaneously? • Do group “reports” focus attention on absolutely key issues? • Are groups given the opportunity to digest and reflect on the entire set of “reports” before total class discussion begins? • Will the discussion focus on Why/How?