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Team-Based Learning

Jim Sibley

University of British Columbia

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Objectives• Introduce you to some of the

mechanics of TBL.• Highlight the aspects of TBL that

address many challenges we all face when having students working in groups.

• Inspire you to read further and make up your own mind.

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ConveyCourse

Concepts

Apply Course

Concepts

TraditionalTeam-Based

ReadinessAssessment

Readings

Lecture

In Class

Out of Class

In Class

Out of Class

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• Readings– Selected readings assigned in advance– Students really are responsible for these

readings

• Readiness Assurance Process– Individual test >Team test > Appeals >

Instructor feedback

• In-Class Application Exercises– Simple to Complex > In-class practice

then assignments for grading

TBL Activity Sequence

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Scanners and IF-AT forms

Classroom Maps

Group Folders

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Review reading assignment (handout)

Individually complete test (scantron sheets)

Hand-in individual test (it will be immediately scored)

Complete the same test with your team (IF-AT sheets)

Review Appeal Form

Instructor will then clarify any questions or issues from the readings or test

Readiness Assessment Process Demo

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Review reading assignment (handout)

Individually complete test (scantron sheets)

Hand-in individual test (it will be immediately scored)

Complete the same test with your team (IF-AT sheets)

Review Appeal Form

Instructor will then clarify any questions or issues from the readings or test

Readiness Assessment Process Demo

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Application Assignment Phase

Intra-team

discussion

In-ClassProblems

Inter-team

discussion

Simultaneous

Reporting

Simple

Complex

Practice

Graded

Readings and RAP

Individual

Homework

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Making Application Assignments Work

• Group assignments (3 S’s)– Same Problem. Individuals/groups

work on the same problem, case or question.

– Specific Choice. Individuals/groups must use course concepts to make a specific choice.

– Simultaneous Report. Individuals/groups report their choices simultaneously. Visibility of student thinking.

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Below are examples of ways to frame an exercise, chose the activity that best meets the course objective.

Course Objective: “Ensure that students can coherently weigh the factors that affect the desirability of specific sites as locations for different types of health clinics.”

1. Identify the key factors that should be considered in deciding where to locate a new clinic, and be prepared to explain why each is important.

2. Select what you think would be the ideal site for a new mental health outreach clinic in Vancouver, BC, identify the single most compelling reason for your decision, and be prepared to explain the rationale for your selection.

3. Identify the single most important factor for evaluating potential sites for locating a new clinic in Vancouver, BC, and be prepared to explain the rationale for your selection.

5 minutes

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Assignment Phrasing Affects Individual Thinking, Intra- & Inter- Team

Discussion• “Make a list”

• Low cognitive skills• Low commitment to output• Low accountability

• “Make a specific choice”• Focuses on ‘why?’• Higher cognitive skills• Higher commitment to output• Higher accountability/cohesiveness

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AB C

D

E

F

G

-0.6

-0.4

-0.2

0

0.2

0.4

0.6

-0.2 0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2

NACA 3312 A

B C

D E

F G

Reporting

• Numerical Position

• One page summary– principles and approach and not calculations (16 pt font or bigger)

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• Orienting Students to TBL• Assigned Readings and Reading Guides• Readiness Assurance Process

– Creating the MCQ tests– Logistics support from CIS

• In-Class Application Exercises– Creating application exercises– Planning reporting events

• Can still use:

– Old quiz question or text book question banks– Traditional homework assignments– Lecture components– Traditional midterms and exams

TBL Final Thoughts

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http://www.teambasedlearning.org

Team-Based Learning: A Transformative Use of Small Groups in College Teaching.

jim.sibley@ubc.ca

sophie.spiridonoff@ubc.ca

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Example ProblemImagine you are charged with the task of mounting a pitot tube on the upper surface of a two dimensional wing section. The wing section is NACA 3312. The pitot tube is made from stainless steel and has an outer diameter of 6mm and an inner diameter of 4mm. Assuming the pitot tube is accurate for incident flow angles β = ±4°, design a probe for this application by determining the height (ypt) and the chord-wise position(xpt).

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“In short, to solve this problem fully, students had to:

•determine the velocity field around the wing (this required quite involved numerical analysis in the topic of potential flow)

•identify a region in the flow field with flow speed and direction that met requirements stated or implied in the problem

•use the potential flow results to compute the drag force on the pitot tube to ensure stiffness and strength were sufficient

•ensure the pitot tube was sufficiently far away from the boundary layer (viscous flow effect region) on the wing

This exercise tied together the three major course elements to that point (potential flow, boundary layers, and force coefficients) and introduced them to the next major element (airfoils).”

Pete Ostafichuk – Mechanical Engineering

AB C

D

E

F

G

-0.6

-0.4

-0.2

0

0.2

0.4

0.6

-0.2 0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2

NACA 3312 A

B C

D E

F G