1. Use as part of a presentation to other faculty.
For your personal use only. Unless you obtain written permission from Larry Michaelsen, Please do not:
Use as part of a presentation to other faculty.
Duplicate or reproduce.
Post on a web site.

2. Team-Based Learning™ (TBL)
A comprehensive strategy for using learning groups in a way that:
Harnesses the power of Teams.
Avoids potential problems.
Is effective in any course in which:
Content coverage is important.
The instructor is at least as committed to developing students’ ability to apply content as he or she is to covering it.

3. My Course Objectives Students should: Master course content.
Be able to apply course content.
Develop interpersonal and group interaction skills.
Become life-long learners.
Enjoy the course.

4. Traditional Teaching vs. TBL Strategy for Developing Concept Mastery:
Team-Based Learning
Lecture/Discussion
Individual study (pre-class or post-class?)
Individual study (PRE-class)
Readiness Assurance Process

5. 4. Written Appeals (teams)
Team-Based Learning™
Instructional Activity Sequence
(Repeated for each major instructional unit, i.e., 5-7 per course)
Preparation (Pre-class)
Readiness Assurance Diagnosis-Feedack
Application of Course Concepts Development of Students’Critical Thinking Skills
20%-30% of class time
70%-80% of class time
1. Individual Study
2. Individual Test
3. Team Test
4. Written Appeals (teams)
5. Instructor Input

7. Team-Based Learning™ • Instructional Activity Sequence (for each unit)
Readiness Assurance Diagnosis-Feedback
Application of Course Concepts Development of Students’Critical Thinking Skills
Preparation (Pre-class)
1 hour + or -
A few minutes to several hours (Integrative)
5. Instructor Input
6. Application/Critical Thinking-focused Activities & Problems
1. Individual Study
2. Individual Test
3. Team Test
4. Written Appeals (teams)
Readiness Assurance Process Ensures:
Effective and efficient content coverage.
Development of real teams and team interaction skills.
An experience-based insight about the value of diverse input.
Development of students’ self-study & life-long learning skills.
Class time to develop students’ application/critical thinking skills.

8. Individual papers and/or projects
Traditional Teaching vs. TBL Strategy for Developing Concept Application Skills:
Traditional Teaching
Team-Based Learning
Class discussion?
Individual papers and/or projects
Group papers and/or projects (outside of class)
IN-CLASS Team Work
Specific choice tasks– to create discussion:
Within teams
Between teams
With/from instructor (to confirm/challenge & add to points made by students)

9. Mostly individual (not group) work–done by “divide & conquer”
Traditional Teaching vs. TBL Strategy for Developing Interpersonal and Team Skills:
Traditional Teaching
Team-Based Learning
“Sink or Swim” at best.
Mostly individual (not group) work–done by “divide & conquer”
Promotes negative attitudes about group work (especially with top students.)
In-class, decision-based tasks which promote discussion & provide immediate feedback to:
Ensure individual & team accountability.
Develop real teams.
Enhance students’ teamwork skills.

10. Counterproductive (lectures promote dependence on instructor.)
Traditional Teaching vs. TBL Strategy for Developing Life-Long Learners:
Traditional Teaching
Team-Based Learning
Counterproductive (lectures promote dependence on instructor.)
Process creates competent and confident learners. They experience learning from:
Individual study.
Discussion with peers.
Choices/consequences (open book–much like “on the job training” )

11. The Readiness Assurance Process

12. Readiness Assurance Test Activity Sequence
Individual
Test**
Team
Appeals***
Discussion
Questions/
Mark both test &
answer sheet (4
points per line)

13. Readiness Assurance Test Activity Sequence
Individual
Test**
Team
Appeals***
Discussion
Questions/
Mark both test &
answer sheet (4
points per line)

14. Readiness Assurance Test Activity Sequence
Individual
Test**
Team
Appeals***
Discussion
Questions/
Mark both test &
answer sheet (4
points per line)

15. Readiness Assurance Test Activity Sequence
Individual
Test**
Team
Appeals***
Discussion
Questions/
Mark both test &
answer sheet (4
points per line)

16. Readiness Assurance Test Activity Sequence
Individual
Test**
Team
Appeals***
Discussion
Questions/
Mark both test &
answer sheet (4
points per line)

17. Readiness Assurance Test Activity Sequence
Individual
Test**
Team
Appeals***
Discussion
Questions/
Mark both test &
answer sheet (4
points per line)

18. Readiness Assurance Test Activity Sequence
Individual
Test**
Team
Appeals***
Discussion
Questions/
Mark both test &
answer sheet (4
points per line)

19. Readiness Assurance Test Activity Sequence
Individual
Test**
Team
Appeals***
Discussion
Questions/
Mark both test &
answer sheet (4
points per line)

20. If you finish early: Readiness Assurance Test Activity Sequence
Individual
Test**
Team
Appeals***
Discussion
Questions/
If you finish early:
Read the instructions for the:
team test
appeals
Mark both test &
answer sheet (4
points per line)
Collect the answer sheets and put them in the team folder.
Timing:

21. Readiness Assurance Test Activity Sequence
Individual
Test**
Team
Appeals***
Discussion
Questions/
Don’t forget – every member should record the team score on every question.
Mark both test &
answer sheet (4
points per line)
Timing:

22. Readiness Assurance Test Activity Sequence
Individual
Test**
Team
Appeals***
Discussion
Questions/
Mark both test &
answer sheet (4
points per line)
Timing:

23. Questions about the Readiness Assurance Process?

24. Spring 2013 (10 teams)
Gain (or loss) based on comparing the score of each team to the score of its own BEST member.

25. Spring 2013 (10 teams)
Gain (or loss) based on comparing the score of each team to the score of its own BEST member.

26. Spring 2013 (10 teams)
Gain (or loss) based on comparing the score of each team to the score of its own BEST member.

27. Having only one individual score higher than the lowest team in an entire class is:
An unusually low number
About normal
More than normal—the lowest team score is usually higher than the best individual score.

28. Fall 2012 (15 teams)
Gain (or loss) based on comparing the score of each team to the score of its own BEST member.

29. Spring 2012 (15 teams)
Gain (or loss) based on comparing the score of each team to the score of its ownBEST member.

30. IBE at UCM (91/2 years): 1063 students in 165 teams.
22 individuals higher than the lowest of 165 teams (2%).
Only 3 (of 19) classes had any individual score higher than the lowest team in the class.

31. Since 1986 — 6,555 students in 1,182 teams:
1,181 teams scored higher than their own BEST member (99.9+% of teams).
1 individual outscored his team (<.1% of teams).

32. True or False:
Top students are treated unfairly if their grades are heavily influenced by group work.
False!!!

33. Keys to Designing Effective Group Assignments

34. Effective Team Assignments
Maximum learning occurs when assignments at each stage are characterized by ”4 S’s":
Significant Problem. Problem involves issues that are significant to students.
Same Problem. Individuals/groups are working on the same problem, case or question.
Specific Choice. Individuals/groups are required to use course concepts to make a specific choice.
Simultaneous Report. Individuals/groups report their choices simultaneously.

35. Violating/omitting _____ would have the LEAST negative impact on the effectiveness of team assignments?
Significant problem
Same problem
Specific choice
Simultaneous report

36. Problems with Learning Groups?
Using class time for group work limits content coverage.
Grading group work results in:
Better students doing most of the work.
Less motivated and/or less able students becoming “free-riders.”
Using group assignments requires the instructor to:
Spend time resolving conflicts in groups.
Teach students how to work in groups.
if:
Guaranteed

37. Problems GUARANTEED if:
Individuals not accountable for being prepared for group work.
Groups create the deliverables to be graded outside of the class..
The form of the deliverables:
Requires students to create complex and professional-looking “products.”
Prevents students from receiving timely and unequivocal feedback on the thinking that went into their creation.
Beware:

38. Requiring lengthy documents (or group presentations) is at the heart of most of the really bad problems because:
The sensible approach is to divide-up the task of creating the final “product.” (Thus, it won’t actually be a group assignment).
Better students are forced to choose between doing more than their fair share of the work or facing the very real risk getting a bad grade.

39. Problems with Learning Groups?
Using class time for group work limits content coverage.
Grading group work results in:
Better students doing most of the work.
Less motivated and/or less able students becoming “free-riders.”
Using group assignments requires the instructor to:
Spend time resolving conflicts in groups.
Teach students how to work in groups.
Avoidable
Nearly 100%
by:

40. Problems AVOIDABLE by:
Individual accountability for PRE-class preparation for group work (Readiness Assurance Process).
Groups create the final product to be graded during class time.
Using 4 S’s group assignments:
Significant Problem. Problem involves issues that are significant to students.
Same Problem. Individuals/groups work on the same problem, case or question.
Specific Choice. Individuals/groups must use course concepts to make a specific choice.
Simultaneous Report. Individuals/groups report their choices simultaneously.

41. Questions?

42. Example Application: Muscle Physiology
The two finalists in the world arm-wrestling championships at Petaluma, California, are well- matched. Upper body muscle mass, insensitivity to pain, motivation, and experience are identical between the two. Vito, a Las Vegas bookie, slips you the results of each competitor’s physical exam and ‘asks’ you to predict the winner. What is most likely to determine the eventual winner?
Maximum cardiac output
Mitochondrial content of the exercising muscles
Muscle glycogen content
Oxygen carrying capacity of the blood
Phosphocreatine levels in the muscles