Teams & Blended LearningInteraction & Peer Engagement

Alisa Cooper, EdDdr.coop@gmail.com

Faculty, Assistant Chair/eCourses Coordinator English Department

Glendale Community College

TEAMS AND BLENDED LEARNING

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Which best describes your experience with student teams

or team based learning?

Discussion

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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

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Team Contracts

• Purpose, goals, and missions • Expectations • Roles• Conflict resolution strategies • Meetings• Communication • Decision-making policy • Agendas• Record-keeping

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Other TBL Resources

• Getting Started with TBL– http://www.teambasedlearn

ing.org/starting

• TBL Videos– http://www.teambasedlearn

ing.org/clip11

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Discussion

• How might the team based learning approach or parts of TBL fit into blended learning?

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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