Team-Based Learning (TBL) Faculty Development Open Educational Resource (OER)

This module explores Fostering Student Accountability

Before doing the iRAT please make sure to:

1. View Reflections on Team-Based Learning by Dr. Monica Lamm.
2. View Team-Based Learning in Chemical Engineering by Dr. Monica Lamm.
3. Read Cestone, Levine, and Lane’s (2008) chapter on peer assessment and evaluation. To access the reading, you will have to input your CUNYFirst Login credentials. When you enter the document link, click PDF to read the article. The full citation is below.
4. Take the iRAT

The Readiness Assurance Process is an important TBL component that ensures that students will come to class prepared. It is one of the procedures that fosters students’ accountability to the instructor and to their teams.

View the following video which shows students engaging in a tRAT with scratch-off cards:

The video showed students taking a tRAT.

Look below at examples of forms that students can use while taking the tests:

Sample iRAT Response Form with point “splitting"

Go to the LearnTBL website to learn more about selecting appropriate readings, identifying topics to test, writing good questions, and how to obtain the scratch-off cards:

In addition to the iRAT and tRAT, there is the APPEALS PROCESS, which encourages teams to consider writing an appeal for a tRAT question they got incorrect. The purpose of the appeals process is to allow the team to identify questions where they disagree with the question wording or ambiguous information in the readings. The instructor reviews the appeals outside of class time and reports the outcome of the team appeal at the next class meeting. Only teams are allowed to appeal questions; there are no individual appeals. The appeals process enhances student learning because they need to come up with a good argument using evidence from the readings to convince the instructor to give them back the points the team lost.

Reflect: Would you like additional guidance on the Readiness Assurance Process?

The book, Getting Started with Team-Based Learning, by Jim Sibley and Peter Ostafichuk is an excellent resource for furthering your knowledge of TBL. This book, along with Larry Michaelsen’s three books Team-Based Learning in the Social Sciences and Humanities, Team-based learning for health professions education, and Team-based learning : a transformative use of small groups in college teaching have been used in the past to train Brooklyn College faculty; they are excellent resources.

Consider the following:

According to Sibley and Ostafichuk (2014), "scores on iRATs are typically in the 60%-75% range, but this can be initially disconcerting to 'always A' students. They need to know that this is a typical outcome and can be reminded that when combined with the 85%-95% tRAT score, they in fact have done well on the test. You also can remind them of the small portion of the total course grade that each iRAT represents. If the RAP has prepared them well for the activities that follow, then it is a success." (p. 104)

Reflect: 

1. How will you help students prepare for the Readiness Assurance Process? Will you provide reading guides?

2. How will you manage student anxiety around the RAP?

Consider that the purpose of the RAP is to get the students to read and come prepared to class with the foundational knowledge needed for the application activities, as noted by Sibley and Ostafichuk (2014). 

Not owned by Brooklyn College:

• Michaelsen L. K. (2008). Team-based learning for health professions education : a guide to using small groups for improving learning (1st ed.). Stylus.
• Michaelsen L. K. Knight A. B. & Fink L. D. (2004). Team-based learning : a transformative use of small groups in college teaching (1st pbk.). Stylus Pub.

Sibley and Ostafichuk provide a RAP Checklist, which makes the following points:

• The purpose of the RAP is to ensure readiness for the application activities.
• The RAP questions should test knowledge of the important concepts from the reading, and they should relate to the application activities that follow.
• Consider the number of RATs you have in a course, as having too may be burdensome to students.
• The scratch-off cards are very engaging and should be used.
• The appeals are an important part of the RAP.

In addition to the readiness assurance process, a course’s grading system is an important component that needs to be considered, as it also contributes to student accountability. As indicated in their syllabus, instructors can determine the weights for each assignment and activity, as well as the differential weight of individual and group performance. Alternatively, instructors can have a grade setting activity in class with students, which has been shown to foster student buy-in.

• Designing a Grading System
  • Grades should reflect individual performance, team performance, and each member's contribution to the team
  • High level of individual accountability: pre-class preparation, attendance, energy & devotion to team, ¡RATs, peer evaluations
  • Team assignments will be done in class
• Setting Grade Weights
  • On first day of class, students can participate in an activity to negotiate and reach a consensus on setting grade weights for each component of their grade that will be assessed [individual performance, team performance, & contribution to team] - within limits set by instructor
  • Setting a grade weight on peer evaluations ensures students take it seriously

Read Sharona Levy's reflection, "The Most Rarely-Used Impactful TBL Technique," in which she describes the powerful impact of having students set the grade weights.

View the following video which demonstrates a grade setting activity:

Look at the following application activity where students are tasked with figuring out and agreeing on grade weights for each component of the course, with limitations set by the instructor.

Discuss this activity with a group of colleagues and run a mock activity.

Here are two examples of instructor-set grade weights:

Reflect: What will be your grading system?

Engage in a discussion with colleagues about this.

Selecting a Peer Evaluation Method

There are several approaches to peer evaluation, as described in the assigned reading.

Look at Goedde and Sibley' poster "Approaches to Peer Evaluation: Pro’s and Con’s of Various Methods" which describes six peer evaluation methods. They also provide excellent guiding pointers at bottom of the poster.

Read Michaelsen and Schultheiss’ (1988) "Making Feedback Helpful", which can be shared and discussed with your students.

Look at the following example of a mid-semester peer evaluation form. The students used to submit completed paper forms, one per teammate, to the instructor. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the paper form was converted to a Google Form, which makes the whole dissemination process so much easier. The instructor reads the feedback and makes sure that the feedback is helpful, constructive, and descriptive; if there are any concerns, the instructor can speak with the student evaluator and have the wording revised as needed. The instructor then compiles the feedback (eliminating the evaluator’s name from each set) for each student (written by their teammates) and sends it to the student. The purpose of this non-graded mid-semester peer evaluation form is to provide constructive feedback on the student’s team behavior and skills and to provide a helpful suggestion for improvement.

Look at the following final peer evaluation form. It uses Michaelsen’s method where students are required to differentiate between students.

Here is an example of a student who assigned points using Michaelsen’s method:

Amy evaluated her teammates:

Bob: 8 points

Clark: 10 points

Denise: 10 points

Edward: 12 points

TOTAL: 40

Average: 10 each

Look at the following alternative final peer evaluation form. It gives students more freedom when assigning points to each teammate.

Reflect: Which peer evaluation method appeals to you the most? Why?