Upcoming TBL Institutes

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Vancouver Island Team-Based Learning Institute
August 9-10-11, 2022

Registration is underway for the 2022 edition of the Vancouver Island Team-Based Learning Institute: Vancouver Island Team-Based Learning Institute

This event is hosted by Vancouver Island University’s Centre for Innovation and Excellence in Learning. While the TBL Institute is conceived primarily for VIU faculty members, they are once again making available a handful of seats for non-VIU faculty guests who ar

e looking for this type of learning opportunity.

The TBL Institute will be facilitated by veteran trainers of faculty using the TBL method, Bill Roberson, Tine Reimers in the Center for Innovation and Excellence in Learning at VIU. They will be joined by TBL author and trainer Jim Sibley, Director of the Center for Instructional Support at the Faculty of Applied Science at the University of British Columbia.

If you have questions, please contact Tine.Reimers@viu.ca or Bill.Roberson@viu.ca


North Island College Team-Based Learning Institute
June 27 and 29, 2017

Two-day workshop modeled on the very successful University at Albany (Billie Franchini) and Vancouver Island University (Bill Roberson and Tine Riemers) TBL Institutes (VIU details below) will be offered this June. It will be held at the North Island College in Courtenay, BC campus on Tuesday and Thursday, June 27 & 29 2017 (homework day in between).

The Team-Based Learning strategy is a powerful form of cooperative learning that maximizes the effectiveness of teams in your classroom. It works effectively in both large and small classes, in both theoretical and applied courses, in all disciplines including science, math, philosophy, literature, history, health and nursing, business, technology, and trades. It can be adapted to nearly any teaching situation. Team-based learning is a comprehensive complete course design and delivery strategy (developed by organizational behaviour specialist Larry Michaelsen) for turning your classrooms into a close-knit community of highly motivated learners.

The Team-Based Learning Course Design Institute takes you through the complete design process for transforming a course using the Michaelsen Team-Based Learning Model.  The Institute includes two full days of workshops, facilitation by an experienced TBL coach, time for individual work on your own course, along with individualized feedback.

“This is simply the single best teaching method available. It guarantees deeper learning, the development of critical thinking skills, collaborative skills, social skills. Moreover, the class becomes a fun, extremely engaging experience. Everyone should consider teaching with TBL, in any discipline.”

“I would say if you’re motivated to have fun in the classroom and want to enjoy every class, and you want the students to leave energized about your subject, this is for you. Now I will not teach a course without Team-Based Learning.”

“The rewards are incredible. The energy in the classroom is phenomenal, and the feedback we’ve gotten from faculty is sky-high in terms of preference for TBL and not wanting to go back to lectures.”

Workshop Overview

The goal of the TBL Institute is for you to leave with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to implement TBL in your own classroom.

  • Tuesday June 27 – 8:30 am to 4:30 pm – Full day of workshops – Introduction to TBL and TBL Course Design
  • Wednesday June 28 – Day to yourself to complete homework assignment (office hours will be available)
  • Thursday June 29 – 8:30 am to 4:30 pm – Full day of workshops – Getting feedback on your preliminary designs and Getting Ready for the TBL classroom

You will be given a binder with all readings, handouts, and other course materials.


Vancouver Team-Based Learning Institute
May 16 and 18, 2017

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Two day workshop modelled on the very successful University at Albany (Billie Franchini) and Vancouver Island University (Bill Roberson and Tine Riemers) TBL Institutes (VIU details below) will be offered this May. It will be held at the University of British Columbia Vancouver campus on Tuesday and Thursday May 16 & 18 2017 (homework day in between). Registration will be capped at 24 participants and  up  to 8 spots will be available to non-UBC participants on a first come first serve basis. Cost for registration for non-UBC participants will be $400 Canadian dollars.

More Information and Registration Page


Nanaimo Team-Based Learning Institute
Dec 7 and 9, 2016

We are pleased to announce the December 2016 edition (Dec 7 & 9) of the Vancouver Island Team-Based Learning Institute.  
This event is hosted by Vancouver Island University’s Centre for Innovation and Excellence in Learning. While the TBLscreen-shot-2016-10-28-at-12-47-18-pmInstitute is conceived primarily for VIU faculty members, we are once again making available a handful of seats for non-VIU faculty guests who are looking for this type of learning opportunity. If you know of colleagues seeking a structured cohort experience for learning TBL course design and delivery, we hope you’ll share this information with them.

The price of the program is modestly set for “cost-recovery” only.  It includes two full days of workshops, facilitation by three seasoned TBL coaches, TBL resources, time for individual work on your own course, along with individualized feedback. For those of you visiting British Columbia from other countries, please note the attractive discount that is built-in with the current exchange rates between the Canadian dollar and many other currencies.

Finally, there is the added bonus of guest participants having a legitimate, professional pretext to travel to “The Island” one of the most picturesque regions of North America. December is mild in this part of the world. We recommend bringing your hiking boots, binoculars (and maybe a rain jacket), and spend a few extra days here before or after the Institute, in order to experience the geographical and cultural richness of this region.

A thematic overview of the TBL Institute can be seen in the promotional blurb below, used to recruit local faculty members. Additional guest-specific details of the agenda can be found on the application/registration page.

Let me know if you have questions. We look forward to hosting you!

Bill Roberson, PhD

Vancouver Island University
bill.roberson@viu.ca

Vancouver Island TBL Institute

Inclusive Classrooms by Design: Ensuring that Group Work Really Works

Wednesday, December 7 and Friday, December 9, 2016Students in TBL groups

The broad diversity of students within institutions of higher learning makes it critical that our classrooms become not only inclusive, but proactively so. Having community is, for many students, the catalyst for academic engagement. But the existence of generally inclusive environments may not always be enough to ensure success.

How do we leverage a positive social dynamic for deeper student learning? A growing number of our colleagues at VIU have found an answer to this question through the use of a teaching and learning strategy called Team-Based Learning.

Team-based learning, in this case, is not simply the use of groups or even permanent student teams. It’s a comprehensive design strategy (developed by organizational behaviour specialist Larry Michaelsen) for turning our classrooms into close-knit communities of highly motivated learners.

Here is what faculty members using this method are saying:

  • “My students said they didn’t want to miss class so as not to let down their team mates.  In that same course, I noticed students who the semester before were under-performing were now leading in their groups.”
  • “I appreciated seeing the emergence of a healthy classroom community. And those moments when students begin to shine, particularly the marginal, shy, or reluctant – well that was awesome.”
  • “What I love about team-based learning is the power shift from the lecturer to the students – the students become responsible for learning the basics; and in learning the new material they are empowered to apply it to real-world, meaningful problems.  And in solving the problems in-class students struggle, fail, work collectively to try again, and sometimes with (or without) a little insight from me or other teams students eventually ‘get it’.”
  • “I watched students break free of their former cliques and learn to work with new people. I also witnessed students suddenly take a genuine interest in each other and explore their different cultures.”
  • “Almost all of [my students] were engaged in the discussions and activities. They were talking about the subject matter before and after class and they asked me deeper more insightful questions than in previous years.”

The team learning strategy is increasingly popular internationally, and has worked effectively in both large and small classes, both theoretical and applied courses, in science, math, philosophy, literature, history, health and nursing, business, technology and trades. It can be adapted to nearly any teaching situation. It is particularly effective in bringing energy to courses that are extremely heavy in dry content.

VIU’s Team-Based Learning Institute will be facilitated by Bill Roberson and Tine Reimers of VIU and UBC’s Jim Sibley. The program takes you through the complete design process for transforming a course using the Michaelsen Team-Based Learning Model. This offering is primarily for faculty members who will implement a Team-Based course beginning in January 2017. For a brief introduction to what this entails, please read this overview.

For more information on registration, please proceed to our Application-Registration page and provide us with a bit of information about your plans.  

Please address questions to Bill Roberson (bill.roberson@viu.ca)