Lessons learned from implementing Team Based Learning

/KBS 2017

Catherine RobinsonDirector of Graduate Studies (Taught) KBSJudy Cohen, KBS

Aims for today

I will provide a SHORT overview of the Team Based Learning Project (funded through the faculty learning and teaching enhancement fund)

Talk about the challenges

FOCUS on the changes that I’ve implemented on the basis of experience – lessons learned!

NOTE: Not done alone – with Judy Cohen, UELT now KBS.

What is Team Based Learning?

•More than group work

•Cohort sorted into teams of around 6 on the basis of

some characteristics• (Stage 1 economics marks)

•Learning is flipped• Material uploaded to moodle prior to teaching session• Expectation that it is explored/studied

Over a semester

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Readiness Assurance

Process

Application Exercises

Before class

Form

Teams

Peer

Evaluation

About 5 cycles in a module

What is Team-Based Learning?

• More than group work

• A form of flipped learning

• Comprises of 3 key elements: • The Readiness Assurance Process (RAP)• Application exercises• Peer evaluation

• Applications need to meet the 4S criteria

(Sibley and Ostafichuk (2014)• Significant; Same; Specific; Simultaneous

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CB363 – Stage 2, level 4 module

Economics for Business (macro)

•Around 100 students

•Poor engagement in previous years (<20% lecture

attendance towards the end of the module)

•Decidedly average exam performance

How to use the new Kent PowerPoint template

Challenges

•Space constraints (banked lecture theatre)

•Time constraints (restricted to traditional lecture/seminar

set up)

•Resources – identifying appropriate carrots (marks yes,

but also other incentives) • Managing all the student MCQ iRATs scores was COMPLICATED

•Expectations - ”I’m not paying Nine GRAND….etc..”• Requires a significant change in mindset for students AND staff

The Royal Historic Dockyard Church

Teaching EnvironmentPage 8

Reflections on how it went…

•Improvements to attendance

•Decline in student satisfaction (fall to 3.98, from 4.2)

•Thanks to the small grant, we were able to explore the

reasons through focus groups and also survey data• Compared findings on confidence to first year cohort, and also

students from previous years but identifying an appropriate

control group is difficult. • They didn’t like the flipped learning• Some felt that they were being asked to teach themselves

•BUT marks appeared to be improved.

Lessons learned

•Changes this year include• Better scaffolding around the topics through bespoke

KentPlayer introductions to topics (recognition that there are

at least two types of learners – didactic and expert learners)• Change from Lecture-seminar to ‘workshops’ – 2 hour session

rather than 1 + 1seminar (5 seminars)• Full TBL cycle to be delivered in one sitting• Active use of peer evaluation (left out last time)

•New challenges going forward• Removal of student specific clickers …looking for online

polling alternatives

Final lesson…

•I don’t know how many of you are T&S or T&R, but

these types of short teaching interventions are an

interesting way to build your research profile in the

T&L field:

•Forthcoming: • Cohen, J and C. Robinson (2017) ‘Enhancing Teaching

Excellence through Team Based Learning’, Innovations in Education and Teaching International

Conceptual framework of teaching excellence

Perception of teaching excellence

Staff Students

Implicit assumptions based

on sophisticated T&L epistemic

belief systems

Implicit assumptions based

on learner knowledge and

experience

Quantitative: performance,

demographic, attendance, survey

Qualitative: focus groups, survey,

student evaluation of module

Successful student engagementDidactic/

reproductiveFacilitative/

transformative

Teaching and

learning environment

Evalu

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erc

ep

tual fra

me

wo

rk o

f exce

llen

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Any questions?

Thank you

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