An Introduction to Team-Based Learning

TBL in Economics 301

www.teambasedlearning.org/

Team formation

How many? 5-7 members

What about big classes? Survey, instructor forms teams

TBL in action: RAP

Please line up if: You have used TBL before You spend more than half of class time

doing some form of active learning You teach classes larger than 100

students You primarily teach Principles courses You have been teaching longer than 10

years You do not teach but are otherwise

working with economics instruction

TBL in action: RAP

Use index cards in team envelopes to record individual responses to RAT When you are done, place your card back

in the envelope When everyone on the team is done,

bring envelope up to panel [‘two-minute rule’ in effect after first team finishes]

Once all team envelopes collected, begin team RAT using IF-AT scratch-off form

Readiness Assurance Process

IF-AT: Immediate Feedback Assessment Technique Forms from Epstein Educational

Enterpriseshttp://www.epsteineducation.com

Peer Evaluations

Quantitative AND qualitativeMid-term and end-of-term Incorporated into final grade

Add-on Weighted approach

Application Exercises: 4S’

Significant problemSpecific choiceSame problemSimultaneous reporting

In class

Outside class

Read

ing

s

Homew

ork

Team

appl

icat

ions

Readiness Assurance

Process1. Individual test2. Team test3. Appeals4. Clarifying

instruction (mini-lecture)

TBL module sequence

Which of the following is likely to be the biggest problem faculty have with students in a TBL course?

A. Students do not do the pre-class preparation work

B. Free riders during team activitiesC. Personality conflicts among

teammatesD. Student complaints that the

professor is not ‘teaching’E. Other (be specific)

Students attend, prepared, participate

Accountability from team “Where were you?” Free riding is obvious Peer evaluations

Grades Individual quizzes, responses Peer evaluations

KEYS: well-designed teams and application activities

Students may need convincing “When I learned that the whole class is

developed around teams I said to myself "oh here we go, others are gonna band wagon on few people's hard work" as it always turns out that way with teams. But the way Professor Imazeki set up the teams really worked out well. Everyone had good input. I enjoyed working on my own at home and comparing my findings with my teammates in order to reach collaborative answers in class. I have never had such great experience with team work.”

Which of the following is likely to be the biggest problem faculty have with students in a TBL course?

A. Students do not do the pre-class preparation work

B. Free riders during team activitiesC. Personality conflicts among

teammatesD. Student complaints that the

professor is not ‘teaching’E. Other (be specific)

Learning by doing

“In other classes I only listen to what the professor is saying without actually thinking about it. This approach also made me understand the material in a deeper manner.”

“Made me work harder and yet it felt as though it was one of my easier classes.”

Student responses:

“The team-based approach makes me more likely to attend class.” Strongly agree or agree: 90% Strongly disagree or disagree: 1%

“In the future, I would select a course section which uses the team-based approach over another section of the same course which does not use this approach.” Strongly agree or agree: 80% Strongly disagree or disagree: 4%

Designing a TBL course

Always keep the end in mind:What do you want students to be able to do?

What skills do they need and concepts do they need to understand to achieve that goal?

Backward course design:

Begin with the end

Identify results(learning

outcomes/ objectives)

Determine acceptable evidence

(assessment)

Plan learning experience and

instruction(assignments,

activities)

What do you want students to learn?

What do you want students to do to provide evidence of learning?

What questions or tasks will help students develop necessary skills and provide that evidence?

What questions or tasks will help students develop necessary skills and provide that evidence?

What core content do students need before they can perform course tasks?

Plan in-class experience and

instruction(assignments, class

activities)

Plan learning experience and

instruction(assignments,

activities)

Plan pre-class experience and

instruction(readings, content

sources)

Questions?

Jennifer Imazekijimazeki@mail.sdsu.edu

http://Economicsforteachers.blogspot.com