Team Based Learning

With the large number of students in our class, I needed to find a way to teach them that would provide more of a small class atmosphere and allow us to do more of the things possible in a small class. Research has found that the ideal number of students for learning a foreign language is a very low 5-9 students (Horne,1970).

So when I found Team Based Learning (TBL), it sounded like the only practical solution to my dilemma. Here it is November and we have been going strong with TBL for the last two months. How do you like it, guys?

I'm sorry about the uncomfortable classroom. The room itself is beautiful, but it wasn't built to accomodate 19 teams of 6-7 students and all of their stuff (you guys have a LOT of STUFF! haha!). There is barely room for me to squeeze between the tables. Yikes!

It's also a bummer that I have to send 48 of you out to another room down the hall for our iRAT (individual readiness assessment test), since it's just too cramped to have you all take it in the same room. I've been looking for another venue for our class, but the truth is that there isn't one available. Even next year's class can't be scheduled into one of the better classrooms since the rooms are reserved up to two years in advance.

I'm keeping the cogs moving in my brain to try to improve our situation. I'm open to any ideas you may have, so send them in!