Consulting Guides

Classroom Asssessment Techniques

Effective assessment

Reporting Observations

Reviewing the Use of Small Groups

Small Group Instructional Diagnosis

 

Using Student Ratings to Evaluate Teaching

Teaching Guides

Using small groups effectively

Using Classroom Assessment Techniques

Reflecting on your teaching

Team Learning

Creating a Student Rating Instrument

Myths about Student Ratings

Syllabi

Advanced Syllabi

CATs

Useful Links

CELT

 

 

Peer Consulting:

Navigating the (sometimes) rocky shores

of teaching and consulting

Team Learning

What is it?

Team based learning is "a particular instructional strategy that is designed to (a) support the development of high performance learning teams and (b) provide opportunities for these teams to engage in significant learning tasks. " (Michaelson, Knight, and Fink, 2004, p. 9)

Team learning is a specific use of small groups that transforms the entire course into a team environment. Students generally work with the same group or team throughout the entire semester on a number of projects. The course is structured around these team projects. If you choose to use teams, be prepared for a course transformation, not just adding some team projects to existing syllabi.

When should it be used?

When students need the ability to apply what they are learning, team based learning works well. It also works when the ability to work in teams and groups is an important skill for students to develop.

Effectively using team based learning

Larry Michaelson, a nationally recognized team learning scholar, believes there are four essential principles to team-based learning which must be considered:

1. groups must be properly formed and managed;
2. students must be held accountable for their individual and group work;
3. group assignments must promote both learning and team development;
4. students must have frequent and timely performance feedback. (Michaelson, Knight, and Fink, 2004, p. 28)

Issues

• Transforming a course from a traditional, lecture based course to a team based course takes not only time but a considerable shift in your view of the teacher's role in the classroom;
• Students often have to be provided some guidelines as to how to work in a team as well as why they should want to (or need to);
• Decisions must be made on what to do when teams are having problems (just as in cooperative learning but since these are together the entire course, it seems more serious);

Benefits

• Students engage with the content of the course in more depth than can usually be offered by lecture, class discussion, or small group methods;
• Students gain important social skills in learning how to work within the team environment.

Resources

Michealson, L.K., Bauman-Knight, A., and Fink, L.D. (2004). Team-Based Learning: A transformative use of small groups in college teaching. Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing. (description of a book about using teams)

Team Based Learning (links to several resources on using teams)

Designing Effective Group Activities (pdf file) (Michaelson, Fink and Knight's article on designing group assignments)