Team-Based Learning (TBL) Classrooms: Catalyzing Student-Centered Teaching and Learning (SCTL)

Bradford Wheeler Doctoral Candidate

College of Education 2/17/2016

Discuss Student-Centered Teaching and Learning (SCTL)

Show how Team-Based Learning classrooms foster SCTL

Overview of Learning Theory

Engage in some Active Learning Techniques used in TBL classrooms to foster SCTL

UMass has fancy classrooms too!

This presentation focuses on what to do in these spaces

But…you don’t need one of these to be student-centered in your approaches!

Micro-lecture

USING and APPLYING ideas, skills and concepts to new problems

What we focus on

Social and emotional

How can I help students focus on what I want them to learn?

How can I facilitate student interaction in class?

Adapted from Doyle, 2008 “Helping Students Learn”

Requires repetition and elaboration

Requires us to organize our knowledge

Do my classroom activities reward practice?

How do I structure my class so students learn about their learning?

Adapted from Doyle, 2008 “Helping Students Learn”

How can I help students do more?

Adapted from Doyle, 2008 “Helping Students Learn”

Teacher Driven

Drill-and-Skill tasks

Minimal student Interaction

Practice outside class

Slow feedback

Rewards individual work

Student Centered

Team assignments

Lots of student Interaction

Practice in class

Rapid feedback

Rewards teamwork

1. Forms (formative assessment)

2. Clickers (formative assessment)

3. Think-Pair Share (classroom activity)

4. Gallery Walk (classroom activity)

Readiness Assurance Tests (RATs) are helpful as they encourage students to come prepared to engage with course material.

This is a form of “formative assessment” giving the instructor insight into where students are in the learning process ◦ iRAT = individual

◦ tRAT = team

1) What town is UMass In? A. Greenfield

B. Pittsfield

C. Amherst

D. Framingham

E. Holyoke

2) Mixing cyan and yellow colors produces what color ?

A. Brown

B. Blue

C. Red

D. Green

E. Orange

3) Select the US President A. A

B. s

C. oke

D. All the images are Obama

E. There is no image of Obama

4) What is the absolute value of 2+2-2+2-2+2+2-2-2 = ?

A. 4

B. 2

C. -2

D. -4

E. -0

Instructor Note: Using IF-AT Card pattern #E20

Scoring and Partial Credit

5 Points – first choice

3 Points – second try

2 Points – third try

1 Point – fourth try

.5 Point – fifth try

Quick feedback for students and partial credit!

PollEverywhere

Take out your phone

Create a new SMS ◦ In the message we

will text our answers

◦ Example To: 37607

Message: 123456

What is the role of the teacher?

How do we form and support teams of students?

How can we support students’ learning in SCTL class?

How do we design assignments that engage teams?

With your partner visit: tinyurl.com/TBLactivity

Unpacking TBL: Think-Pair-Share Activity

Collaborative Learning Techniques

1. Roundtable (Kagan)

2. Numbered Heads Together

3. Send a Problem

4. Jigsaw

5. Fishbowl

Cooperative Learning Technique: ◦ Roundtable (Kagan)

◦ Numbered Heads Together

◦ Send a Problem

◦ Jigsaw

◦ Fishbowl

Description:

Example:

Could you see this helping students learn about a topic in your discipline?

How can you facilitate these?

Do these address the different types of students you have? (For example: Majors & non-majors; first-year students & seniors, etc).

What hesitations do I have about these?

Collaborative Learning Techniques Handbook, 2005

TBL Classroom Tools: ◦ Setting up the learning environment – audio/video

◦ Mini-Lecture

◦ Formative Assessment

IF-AT Scratch Forms Clicker Questions (PollEverywhere)

◦ Student-Centered Approaches Think/Pair/Share Activity

Google Docs for Reporting Gallery Walk Activity & Reflection

To investigate Collaborative Learning Techniques

Minute Paper

More information available online

www.umass.edu\tefd