Teams & Blended LearningInteraction & Peer Engagement
Alisa Cooper, [email protected]
Faculty, Assistant Chair/eCourses Coordinator English Department
Glendale Community College
TEAMS AND BLENDED LEARNING
2
Which best describes your experience with student teams
or team based learning?
Discussion
3
Using Teams
• Based on the work of Larry Michaelsen (University of Central Missouri)
• http://www.teambasedlearning.org
• 3 Keys– Promoting ongoing
accountability – Using linked and mutually
reinforcing assignments – Adopting practices that
stimulate idea exchange 4
Promoting Ongoing Accountability
• Require pre-group work • Require group members to
express individual opinions and monitor via another member
• Include peer evaluation in grading
• Readiness Assurance Process 5
Adopting Practices that Stimulate Idea Exchange
Use of assignments that create conditions that foster give-and-take interaction
• Assign roles • Use permanent groups• Allow some in-class group
work • Size: 4-7
Diversity of opinion, ideas, and perspectives
• Not too easy• Not too much writing • Employ, select, apply
concepts from the course
Team Teaching Tips
• Outline learning goals• Teach team skills • Clear and detailed instructions• Rubric • Stages of team development
– Forming - polite but untrusting – Storming - testing others – Norming - valuing other types – Performing - flexibility from
trust
9
Team Contracts
• Purpose, goals, and missions • Expectations • Roles• Conflict resolution strategies • Meetings• Communication • Decision-making policy • Agendas• Record-keeping
10
Other TBL Resources
• Getting Started with TBL– http://www.teambasedlearn
ing.org/starting
• TBL Videos– http://www.teambasedlearn
ing.org/clip11
11
Discussion
• How might the team based learning approach or parts of TBL fit into blended learning?
12
Interaction And Peer Engagement In The Blended Course
Facilitating and Assessing
• Instructors should not participate or only participate in supportive role if interaction and critical thinking is to be facilitated
• Meaningful discussions/Make them count
18 Tips for Successful Peer Collaboration/Engagement
Get Rid of Preconceptions
Adapt and Adopt Existing Collaborative Exercises
Begin with a Manageable Amount of Collaboration
Receive Student Feedback on Collaboration Exercises
Encourage Student Collaboration
Teach Students How to Collaborate
18 Tips for Successful Peer Collaboration/Engagement
Consider a Course Orientation
Organize the Student Groups
Create Groups of 3 - 5 Students
Stabilize the Groups Throughout the Course
Instruct Groups to Report Large Problems
18 Tips for Successful Peer Collaboration/Engagement
Constantly Facilitate and Monitor Online Collaboration
Provide Feedback Often
Carefully Choose Discussion Topics
Prepare in Advance for Chatroom Discussions
18 Tips for Successful Peer Collaboration/Engagement
Organize the Discussion Board for Productive Discourse
Monitor the Discussion Board During Peer Collaboration Exercises
Promote Peer Collaborations Through Grading
Ledman R. & Roby T. “Introducing online components to a class: How to increase the likelihood of success.” Developments in Business Simulation and Experiential Learning, Volume 31, 2004. http://sbaweb.wayne.edu/~absel/bkl/.%5Cvol31%5C31aj.pdf
Discussion Groups
Student facilitators
Fishbowl Technique
Student generated questions
Reading discussions
Reciprocal Teaching
Research/Current Events
Student Facilitators
• Assigned weeks• Provide resources• Assessment items– Worksheet or quiz
questions
• Summarize salient points
Fishbowl Technique
• One group = fish• Online discussion visible
to all• Read the posts• Communicate privately• Student on outside may
provide:– Suggestions– Raise questions– Report correspondence
Student Generated Questions
• Teams• Write questions• Exchange• Answer questions• One team chosen each
week• Answer questions
Reading Discussions
Discussion Questions
Focus on applied course content
Allow students to relate to personal
experience & understanding
Reciprocal Teaching
Research Current/Events
• Connecting course content to published research or current events
• Vote on best post
Evaluate student performance
• Evaluate student performance
• meaningful feedback• prompt
Take-Aways
• How will you ensure that students come prepared to class? Or that you know they’re not ready before class?
• How will they know they’re not prepared and what can be done to preserve the quality of in class time?
• How can the blended delivery mode help you in supporting particular areas of difficulty in your course?
Questions