Promoting Student Persistence and Critical Thinking

Tine Reimers and Bill Roberson of Vancouver Island University, and Jim Sibley of University of British Columbia will be your hosts and facilitators for the 2022 Vancouver Island Team-Based Learning Institute. As users of Team-Based Learning (Michaelsen, Knight, Fink, 2002) and authors of numerous TBL publications, they have coached hundreds of post-secondary instructors in the use of the TBL model, throughout North and South America, as well as in Asia and Africa.

Imagine a classroom where…students always come prepared because they know that their contributions during in-class assignments will be consequential. They know they’ll be expected to participate, and they know their peers will be there to work with them. They look forward to class because they own the learning objectives and process.

Don’t be misled by the name. The Michaelsen-Knight-Fink model of “Team-Based Learning” is NOT just group work. It’s a comprehensive instructional approach designed to foster greater student independence and personal responsibility for learning. It works in any discipline and with any content—from the Humanities to the Sciences to the Trades to Professional programs. The key is a simple, coherent, set of reliable protocols that ensure an alignment of forces for high-level learning and rich student interaction. For a brief summary of TBL, please visit UBC’s description at https://cis.apsc.ubc.ca/old-team-based-learning/old-what-is-tbl/.

What are Faculty saying about Team-Based Learning?

• “For the first time my students are consistently coming to class prepared.”
•  “I used to dread teaching this course because the content was so dry. Now I’m enjoying it, and my students are really getting into it.” 
•  “The other day I went 20 minutes over the scheduled class time, and NO ONE said anything, they were THAT engaged!”
•  “It’s fun to set students loose on a problem, then stand back and watch them go at it.
• “I am amazed at how effectively [students] can run with any task I give them, because of the habits and relationship that develops with their teams.  An imperfect class, over the course of the semester, is still far more engaged, energetic, and meaningful for the students than a standard class would be.”
•  “I noticed that commitment was way up. Students dealing with huge issues out of class…still showed up because they didn’t want to let their teams down.”

What will you accomplish in the TBL Institute?

Participants in this project will learn reliable ways to ensure student buy-in and rich classroom interactions. TBL practices are specifically designed to eliminate the most common types of less-than-productive student behaviour, such as failing to prepare, social loafing, reluctance to participate or dominance by strong personalities during discussions.

By the end of the August 9-10-11 Institute, you will have ready major components of your redesigned course, for the purposing of implementation in the Fall 2022 semester. You will also have a toolbox of proven practices, and a template for course outlines and assignments where students consistently take ownership of their learning.

What will happen in the TBL Institute? Participants will…

• Experience a live TBL classroom from the students’ perspective. Day One of the Institute stages a simulation of a student experience in a TBL course, so you’ll better understand the “WHY” behind the method
• Design and develop a course based on the use of TBL protocols and practices
• Experience, evaluate, and then design TBL-informed activities and assignments
• Learn tools and techniques for managing a TBL course and facilitating a TBL classroom
• Re-design a syllabus) for a TBL course, including policies and grading schemes that promote student autonomy and responsibility
• Receive feedback on draft TBL teaching plans

Key Dates and Commitments

• Before August 9: Advance Preparation Time (complete a selection of readings, 3-4 hours)
• Tuesday, August 9: Day One, 8:30 AM – 3:30 PM (breakfast and lunch included)
• Wednesday, August 10: Day Two: Independent course development work (3-4 hours in a location of your choice—space to be made available for campus visitors); plus individual feedback by Institute facilitators
• Thursday, August 11: Day Three, 8:30 AM – 3:30 PM (breakfast and lunch included)

Next Steps

Once we receive your request to participate and your registration information, we will follow up with you to take care of administrative details and arrange for payment of fees.

We will also follow up to suggest accommodations in Nanaimo and other travel information. Please be aware that getting to Nanaimo usually requires a ferry ride or a seaplane, although you can also book your airline flight direct to either Nanaimo (YCD) or Victoria (YYJ). Budget is the most widely available car rental service on the Island.

Meanwhile, if you have questions about travel or administrative details, please contact Chris Yeast at chris.yeast@viu.ca or at (250) 740-6167

Guest Registration (for non-VIU Faculty) : https://viusurveys.limequery.com/282369?lang=en

If you have questions about the application process, or about the program, itself, please contact Tine Reimers at tine.reimers@viu.ca  or Bill Roberson at bill.roberson@burka

Visit our “Travel to Nanaimo” page if you are looking for information related to transportation to Nanaimo and accommodations nearby.