Abstracts
Workshop 1: Introduction to Team-Based Learning
Duration: 1,2 or 3 hours
IT requirements: none
Optional pre-readings: Introduction to TBL handout
Abstract Text
Prepared, engaged students…
A college classroom humming with active learning…
Time for rich, structured problem-solving…
What professor wouldn’t jump at the chance to create a learning environment like that?
Come find out what Team-Based Learning (TBL) is all about! In this very hands on workshop, you will learn about the important processes and procedures to successfully implement TBL. Learn how to get your students to come to class prepared and then how to use that preparation to “flip” your classroom so that class time can be better spent helping students learn how to apply course concepts to solve problems. During the workshop you will get to experience all the main instructional components of TBL from the student perspective.
See a video snippet of a workshop
Book a workshop nowWorkshop 2: Designing effective classroom activities for student teams
Duration: 3 hours
IT requirements: none
Optional pre-readings: Application Activities – chapter excerpt from Getting Started with TBL book.
Abstract Text
Come learn how the create effective classroom activities for student teams. What if your students do come to class prepared – what next? Team-Based Learning gives you a coherent framework, the 4 S framework – significant problem, same problem, specific choice and simultaneous report, to design effective team tasks that work even in large classrooms.
We must developing activities that require students to make complex disciplinary decisions using the course materials and then create situations where they can get immediate feedback on the quality of their decision by publicly reporting their decision, seeing other teams decisions, be required to articulate the reasoning behind their decisions, all the while interrogating the decisions of other teams. It is this public comparability (fostered by the 4 S framework) that deepen student learning and drive a deep and thoughtful examination of team decisions.
Book a workshop nowWorkshop 3: Learn how to write better multiple choice questions
Duration: 3 hours
IT requirements: laptop and projector (to display one powerpoint slide)
Optional pre-readings: MCQ handout, Item analysis handout, (Bjork paper)
Abstract Text
Come learn how to construct better multiple choice questions. With increasing instructor workloads, understandably many faculty turn to multiple choice (MCQ) testing to reduce their marking workload. However, many MCQ questions only test what students can remember (over 61% of question in a recent study only tested facts and concepts). To move beyond these lower levels of comprehension, we must learn to write better questions and develop the skills to continually examine and refine these questions.
We will examine both question writing skills and the process for refining our questions by examining their past test performance.
Book a workshop nowWorkshop 4: Using backwards design for developing TBL courses
Duration: 3 hours
IT requirements: none
Optional pre-readings: Getting your course ready – chapter excerpt from Getting Started with TBL book.
Abstract Text
Come learn how to effectively design a Team-Based Learning course. Backwards Design (popularized by Wiggins and McThige) has been used for many years to design more effective learner-centered course experiences. TBL uses backwards design a bit differently. Designing for TBL starts with defining the specific disciplinary actions that you want the students to be able to do and defining the specific assessment goal, like How do I make student thinking visible? and How will I know when they know? These both act as bookends for the backwards design process that progresses from application activity design back to readiness assurance design to selection of preparatory materials. It is within this iterative cycle that we design coherent, high quality course experiences.
Book a workshop nowWorkshop 5: The Power of Accountability
Duration: 3 hours
IT requirements: none
Abstract Text
There are three things that encourage productive student behaviours in the TBL classroom. They are:
- Students must be encouraged to individually prepare.
- Students must be encouraged to contribute to their team.
- Students must be made aware that they will be accountable for their contributions to their team.
We will look at what you need to do to incorporate these three important measures in your TBL course. The measures are:
- Measures of Individual performance
- Measures of Team performance measures
- Using Peer Evaluation to measure contribution to the team
Facilitator Bio
Jim Sibley is Director of the Centre for Instructional Support at the Faculty of Applied Science at University of British Columbia (UBC) in Vancouver, Canada. As a faculty developer, he has led a ten-year implementation of Team-Based Learning in Engineering and Nursing at UBC with a focus on large classroom facilitation. Jim has over 30 years experience in faculty support and training, facilitation, and managing software development at UBC.
Jim is an active member of the Team-Based Learning Collaborative and has served on its board and many of its sub-committees. He mentors colleagues in the Team-Based Learning Collaborative’s Train the Trainer mentorship program. He is co-author of the new book Getting Started with Team-Based Learning that will be published by Stylus in July 2014. He is an international TBL consultant, having worked at schools in Australia, Korea, Pakistan, Lebanon, United States, and Canada to develop TBL programs.