Getting Students to Do Economics: An Introduction to Team-Based Learning

Abstract

Team-Based Learning (TBL) is a highly structured form of cooperative learning that facilitates development of higher-order cognitive skills such as application, analysis and evaluation. In this paper, I discuss the basics of the TBL approach in the context of a data analysis course for economics majors and address some of the questions and concerns about TBL that are common among instructors new to the pedagogy. Data from student surveys suggest that this approach is highly engaging for students and encourages them to work more effectively on much more complex problems than would otherwise be possible.

Appendix: Syllabus Explanation of TBL

We will be using a learning strategy known as ‘team-based learning’ (TBL); the majority of the work in this class will be done in teams that will be established at the beginning of the semester.

How does TBL work? You will spend most of your time working in teams, applying what you have learned from outside readings (and your own review of statistics). The course is divided into several units where each unit lasts a few weeks and follows the same structure:

• 1. Students read the assigned material for the unit. This will generally be readings in the Greenlaw (2006) and Klass (2012) books. There will be reading guides provided that are a series of questions that you should be able to answer by the time you come to class.

• 2. At the beginning of each unit, students will take an “individual Readiness Assessment” (iRA) in class to be sure that they have sufficient knowledge to work problems from this unit. Questions will primarily be over definitions or will be simple applications of facts and definitions. These will be multiple-choice (you will need scantron forms) and will be graded.

• 3. Immediately following the iRA, students will answer the same questions as a team, with a “team Readiness Assessment” (tRA). This too will be graded. All team members receive the team score.

• 4. Disputes over missed questions on the tRA can be appealed to the instructor. The appeal must come from the team, it must be written, and it must come no later than the beginning of the next class (detailed instructions for appeals will be distributed later and are posted on Blackboard). All affected students on the team will have their scores changed.

• 5. The instructor will address common errors on the RA to the class as a whole.

• 6. Over the following classes, teams solve real-world problems and answer questions that economists must answer as they do their work. Team Applications generally pose a question and ask each team to make a decision. Your team will need to poll each member, listen to each member’s ideas and their explanation of why their idea is the best, and then reach a team consensus. At the end of your deliberation, all of the teams will simultaneously report decisions. Then we’ll discuss the question as a class. Any member of your team may be called upon to explain your team’s response and points may be awarded to the team based on these responses. Several of the Applications also have an individual component that must be completed prior to coming to class. These assignments will involve reading chapters in the Maier book (1999), or articles by other economists, and answering some questions, and/or getting data and doing something with it. That information will then be used to have deeper discussions and make better decisions with your team. In general, you can expect to have something ‘due’ almost every class.

• 7. At the end of the semester, students complete a confidential evaluation of their teammates, based on their participation in team activities (Did they come to class regularly? Were they prepared for the day’s activity? Did they contribute productively to the team? Respect others’ ideas?). There is a copy of the Peer Evaluation form on Blackboard; note that you will have to distinguish between your teammates. The peer evaluations will be used to weight the Team portion of your grade.