TEAM BASED LEARNING IN THE BIOTECHNOLOGY CLASSROOMBridgette Kirkpatrick and Carole TwichellCollin College, Plano, Texas

TEAM BASED LEARNINGAn approach to teaching/learning in which:Lecture is minimized Individual accountability is enforced

Team experiences provide dynamic learning

Is this how you teach?

COLLEGE THROUGH THE YEARS

14th Century

20th Century

21st Century

Eric Mazur, Harvard

BUILDING TEAMS – WWW.CATME.ORG CATME Tools:

Team Builder Contacts students by

email Students are placed in

teams based on survey answers

Instructor sets parameters

CATME Bars Students rate each other Instructor-determined Provides “score” Anonymous reporting to

studentPermanent teams Evenly divide “assets” and

“liabilities”

THINKING OF WHAT YOU WANT TO GET OUT OF YOUR COLLEGE EDUCATION AND THIS COURSE, WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING IS MOST IMPORTANT?  A. Acquiring the information (facts,

principles, concepts)

B. Learning how to use information and knowledge in new situations

C. Developing lifelong learning skills

OF THESE THREE GOALS:-which do you think you can

make headway on outside of class by your own reading and studying?

-which do you think would be best achieved in class working with your classmates and instructor?

ON A BLANK SHEET OF PAPER Write two or three things that you need to do to be

successful in the course

Two or three things that your team members need to do for your team to work effectively and successfully“

Write two or three things that the educator needs to do for you to be successful

ON LEARNING AND RETENTION…Traditional lecturing versus active learning?

meta-analysis of 225 studies reporting data on exam scores or failure rates comparing student performance STEM courses

Average examination scores improved by about 6% in active learning sections.

Students in classes with traditional lecturing were 1.5 times more likely to fail than were students in classes with active learning.

Results: raise questions about the continued use of traditional

lecturing as a control in research studies. support active learning as the preferred, empirically

validated teaching practice in regular classrooms.

COMPONENTS OF TBL Effective application activities:

Present a significant (interesting) problem, promoting higher-level learning

Require teams to work on the same problem

Engage teams by requiring a specific choice

Require simultaneous reporting of choices

TBL PROMOTES INCORPORATION OF PEER-INSTRUCTION Forces the students to think through the arguments being developed as they defend their answer to classmates.

Enables students and the instructor to assess understanding of the concepts even before students leave the classroom.

Additional benefits: Increased class attendance. Students become responsible for their own learning.

MY TBL CLASSROOM FLOW

Lectures; Case Studies

GRADED COMPONENTS OF TBL Individual (at home and in class)

Individual Score: Readiness Assurance Process Homework Final Exams

Team (in class) Team Score: Readiness Assurance Process Team Activities

Peer Evaluation (via www.CatMe.org) Setting grade weights video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ydR0rS-urk

CHALLENGES OF TBL FOR INSTRUCTORS Development of appropriate pre-lecture materials.

Preparing students for new learning responsibilities.

Gaining student buy-in so that students are committed to the process.

Preparing students to work effectively in teams. Developing activities to promote learning beyond “remembering.”

www.teambasedlearning.orgLiterature and videos on integrating TBL into classes

STUDENT FEEDBACK “Be prepared to do extra work, but in class is a lot more fun than boring lectures. Do the prep and then have fun in class.”

“I don’t really like to work with people…this taught me the value of working with others.”

“It’s important to speak up in your group because that’s where a lot of your learning will take place.”

“You actually have to learn the material instead of just memorizing for a one time test.”

STUDENT FEEDBACK “Before your class, I never prepared early for class. Now I make sure to read the chapter and do all the study guides before we even go over the material in class. You taught me the importance of being prepared! I seriously can't thank you enough.”

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: Rebecca Orr for assistance with

Implementation and guidanceDr. Cameron Neal for moral and financial support of implementation

REFERENCES Balan, P., Clark, M. & Restall, G. (2015). Preparing students for Flipped or Team-Based Learning

methods. Education + Training. 57 (6), 639-657. Bjork Learning & Forgetting Lab: http://bjorklab.psych.ucla.edu/research.html Bonwell, C. C. & Eison, J. A. (1991). Active learning: Creating excitement in the classroom

(ASHE–ERIC Higher Education Rep. No. 1). Washington, DC: The George Washington University, School of Education and Human Development.

Camerer, C., Loewenstein, G & Weber, M. (1989). The curse of knowledge in economic settings: An experimental analysis. Journal of Political Economy 97, 1232–1254. doi:10.1086/261651.

CATME Smarter Team Network: http://catme.org/ Felder, R.M. & Brent, R. (2009). Active learning: An introduction. ASQ Higher Education Brief,

2,4. Freeman, S., Eddy, S.L., McDonough, M., Smith,M.K., Okoroafor, N., Jordt H. and Wenderothm M.

(2014). Active learning increases student performance in science, engineering, and mathematics. PNAS 111 (23) 8410-8415; published ahead of print May 12, 2014, doi:10.1073/pnas.1319030111.

Koriat, A & Bjork, R. (2006). Illusions of competence during study can be remedied by manipulations that enhance learners’ sensitivity to retrieval conditions at test. Memory & Cognition 34(5), 959-972.

Mazur Group: http://mazur.harvard.edu/research/detailspage.php?rowid=8 Michaelsen, L. K., Knight, A. B., & Fink, L. D. (2004). Team-based learning: A transformative use

of small groups in college teaching. Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing, LL. Team-Based Learning Collaborative: http://tblcollaborative.org/