Team learning (educational method)

Team learning is an educational method that strives to increase student engagement[1]. The following principles guide the formation of the teams of learners[2]:

1. Groups Must Be Properly Formed and Managed. Team size should be 5-7 members with even distribution of member characteristics across groups.
2. Students Must be Made Accountable. "Students must be accountable for (a) individually preparing for group work, (b) devoting time and effort to completing group assignments, and (c) interacting with each other in productive ways."[2]
3. Team Assignments Must Promote Both Learning and Team Development. According to Michaelsen, "most of the reported “problems” with learning groups (free-riders, member conflict, etc.) are the direct result of inappropriate group assignments". Michaelsen adds that "assignments that require groups to make decisions and enable them to report their decisions in a simple form, will usually generate high levels of group interaction."[2]
4. Students Must Receive Frequent and Immediate Feedback

Assignments are characterized by[3]:

1. Same problem, case, or question
2. Making a specific choice
3. Simultaneously reporting of group responses.

Controlled studies of initial implementations of team learning have shown increases in student engagement and mixed results for other outcomes.[4][5]

[edit] Team learning (organizational learning)

Team learning is the process of working collectively to achieve a common objectives in a group. In the Learning Organization context, team members tend to share knowledge and complement each other skills. Moreover, if there is no commitment from team members then effort of team working and learning from team work may fail. This is why teams should be given freewill to act specially in the Learning Organization context. For more information on team learning in organizations, Decuyper, Dochy and Van den Bossche recently published an integrative review on that topic [6].

[edit] The Disciplines of Team Learning

• Dialogue and Discussion
• Conflicts and Defensive Routines
• Practice

[edit] References

1. ^ edited by Larry K. Michaelsen, Arletta Bauman Knight, and L. Dee Fink (2002). Team-based learning: a transformative use of small groups. New York: Praeger. ISBN 0-89789-863-X. 
2. ^ a b c edited by Larry K. Michaelsen, Arletta Bauman Knight, and L. Dee Fink (2002). "Chapter 2: Getting Started with Team Learning". Team-based learning: a transformative use of small groups. New York: Praeger. ISBN 0-89789-863-X. 
3. ^ Michaelsen L, Richards B (2005). "Drawing conclusions from the team-learning literature in health-sciences education: a commentary". Teaching and learning in medicine 17 (1): 85–88. doi:10.1207/s15328015tlm1701_15. PMID 15691820. 
4. ^ Kelly PA, Haidet P, Schneider V, Searle N, Seidel CL, Richards BF (2005). "A comparison of in-class learner engagement across lecture, problem-based learning, and team learning using the STROBE classroom observation tool". Teaching and learning in medicine 17 (2): 112–118. doi:10.1207/s15328015tlm1702_4. PMID 15833720. 
5. ^ Haidet P, Morgan RO, O'Malley K, Moran BJ, Richards BF (2004). "A controlled trial of active versus passive learning strategies in a large group setting". Advances in health sciences education : theory and practice 9 (1): 15–27. doi:10.1023/B:AHSE.0000012213.62043.45. PMID 14739758. 
6. ^ Decuyper, S., Dochy, F., & Van Den Bossche, P. (2010). Grasping the dynamic complexity of team learning: An integrative model for effective team learning in organisations. Educational Research Review, 5(2), 111-133. doi:10.1016/j.edurev.2010.02.002.