Teams & Blended Learning Interaction & Peer Engagement Alisa Cooper, EdD Faculty, Assistant Chair/eCourses Coordinator English Department Glendale Community College

TEAMS AND BLENDED LEARNING 2

Which best describes your experience with student teams or team based learning? Discussion 3

Using Teams Based on the work of Larry Michaelsen (University of Central Missouri) ng.org ng.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 9

Team Contracts Purpose, goals, and missions Expectations Roles Conflict resolution strategies Meetings Communication Decision-making policy Agendas Record-keeping 10

Other TBL Resources Getting Started with TBL – ing.org/starting ing.org/starting TBL Videos – ing.org/clip11 ing.org/clip11 11

Discussion How might the team based learning approach or parts of TBL fit into blended learning? 12

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 PreconceptionsAdapt and Adopt Existing Collaborative ExercisesBegin with a Manageable Amount of Collaboration Receive Student Feedback on Collaboration Exercises Encourage Student CollaborationTeach Students How to Collaborate

18 Tips for Successful Peer Collaboration/Engagement Consider a Course OrientationOrganize the Student GroupsCreate Groups of StudentsStabilize the Groups Throughout the CourseInstruct Groups to Report Large Problems

18 Tips for Successful Peer Collaboration/Engagement Constantly Facilitate and Monitor Online Collaboration Provide Feedback OftenCarefully Choose Discussion TopicsPrepare 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,

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 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