Team Based Learning for Family

Studies Courses

Dan Moen, Ph.D., LMFT, CFLE – Assistant Professor

&

Victor Harris, Ph.D. – Assistant Professor & Extension

Specialist (University of Florida)

TBL

Larry Michaelsen started TBL in the late 1970s at

the University of Oklahoma business school

Medical Education adopted this in the late 1990s

at Baylor School of Medicine

There is now an annual TBL conference held

every year

What is TBL?

“Large group, peer teaching strategy” (McMahon, 2010, p. 55)

Intentional, permanent teams of 5-7 people

Effective with small, medium, and large

classrooms

Why use TBL?

4.9/5.0 Course Ratings

> 90% attendance rates (Mid-Sized lecture)

Improved grades over standard lecture + midterm &

final structure

Enhances Long-Term Retention and Critical

Thinking

Why Else?

Increased Student Interaction & Creativity

Application Activities – Problem Solving

< 21st Century Learning & Employment

Different Roles: Writer, Speaker, Researcher,

Task Manager

Role Play

Imagine, you’re all undergraduate students about

to take a Child Development & Family Studies

Introductory course “Personal & Family Living”

Practice

Strategic Random assignment: Number off

Get into teams w/ those who have the same #

Assign roles

< Writer

< Speaker

< Researcher

< Task Manager

Team Building Activities

First week should be centered around team

building and course introductions

Emphasize participation and teamwork

< Employers are looking for this along w/ application

Ideas:

< Practice Tests

< Practice Application Activities

< Fun Problem-Solving Activities

Weeks 2-15

Same Teams

Must come prepared (readings prior to class)

Start Class w/ I-RATS (Timed)

Transition to T-RATS (Timed) – Less time needed

Review and Grading (Appeals too)

Brief Lecture

Weeks 2-15

Next Class

Come prepared (readings)

Short Lecture

End with Application Activity

Must have some form of team evaluating

< Each week, midterm & final, your choice

Finals Week

Optional: Team Final (midterm too if you wish)

Things to Consider

Team Conflict

< If possible, handle this in-house

< If this fails, speak w/ your instructor (team meeting)

< Option to separate from team (go solo – not good)

< Option to divorce a teammate (they go solo – not

good)

Put a few difficult (multiple correct answer)

questions in your tests (promotes discussion)

Resources

http://www.teambasedlearning.org/

http://www.utexas.edu/academic/ctl/largeclasses/#tbl

http://www.teambasedlearning.org/Resources/Documents/

TBL%20Handout%20Aug%2016-

print%20ready%20no%20branding.pdf

http://www.epsteineducation.com/home/

ReferencesGuskin, A. E. (1994). Reducing student costs and enhancing student learning part II:

Restructuring the role of faculty. Change, 26(5), 16-25.

Knight, J. K., & Wood, W. B. (2005). Teaching more by lecturing less. Cell Biology Education,

4, 298-310.

Mcinerney, M. J. & L. D. Fink. (2003). Team-based learning enhances long-term retention and

critical thinking in an undergraduate microbial physiology course.

Michaelsen, L. K., Bauman-Knight, A., & L. D., Fink. (2004). Team-based learning: A

transformative use of small groups in college teaching. Sterling, Va: Stylus.

Michaelsen, L. K., Parmelee, D. X., McMahon, K. K., & Levine, R. E. (eds.). (2008). Team-

based learning for health professions education: A guide to using small groups for

improving learning. Sterling, Va: Stylus.

Sweet, M., & Pelton-Sweet, L. M. (2009). The social foundation of team-based learning:

Students made accountable to students. In L. K. Michaelsen, M. Sweet, & D. X. Parmelee

(eds.), Team-based larning: Small group learning’s next big step. New directions for

teaching and learning, 116. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Weimer, M. (2013). Learner-centered teaching: Five key changes to practice (2nd Ed.). San

Francisco: Wiley and Sons.