Will Ofstad has offered members of the Academy five free certification workshops in team-based learning (TBL). If you are interested in this opportunity, please respond to this survey. We will use the results to determine the logistical details that will best fit our members.
Value
Over $500 for similar workshops offered through the Team-Based Learning Collaborative (TBLC). Offered collegially to the PE community for the cost of the certificate itself ($25).
Why TBL?
TBL outlines a structured method to active learning and a flipped classroom, compatible will large and small classes with only one facilitator. The method offers insights into teaming, pre-class preparation, in-class readiness testing, and team applications that elevate questions to problem-solving and deepening discussions. It has been shown to increase attendance, improve daily preparation, drive critical thinking, and exercise teamwork and communication skills. Process education and team-based learning are synergistic approaches to elevating teaching and learning. Process educators apply many of these educational elements already, and TBL educators in the know elevate their teaching through PE. Enhancing our knowledge about the specifics of Team-Based Learning pedagogy is, therefore, valuable for any process educator. The Academy Board is supporting an opportunity to earn a certificate from the Team-Based Learning Collaborative. An article diving deeper into this synergy between PE and TBL is pending publication in the next IJPE (Hu and Ofstad, 2024).
About the facilitator
Will Ofstad is a long-time member of the Academy and current Member-at-Large. He is also the current President of the Team-Based Learning Collaborative and a certified TBL Trainer-Consultant.
About the workshops and certification
The five workshops and their learning objectives are:
1. Fundamental Principles and Practices of TBL
- Describe the essential elements of TBL
- Explain clearly and concisely how and why TBL works
- Evaluate the benefits of using TBL
2. Evaluating Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) for Readiness Assurance Tests (RATs) and Application Activities
- Compare and contrast MCQs for RATs, exams and applications
- Link MCQs to session learning outcomes
- Identify common errors and barriers to writing effective MCQ questions
3. Peer Evaluation and Team Development
- Identify characteristics of high and low performing teams
- Compare and contrast systems and strategies for facilitating team growth
- Apply strategies to empower teams to self-manage performance through peer feedback and evaluation
- Identify common errors and barriers to successful teamwork and peer evaluation
4. Improving Facilitation Skills for TBL
- Justify the importance of learner motivation, participation and a positive learning environment
- Compare and contrast facilitation roles and methods
- Analyze the key characteristics of effective facilitators
- Identify common errors and barriers to successful TBL facilitation
5. Creating an Effective TBL Module
- Apply backward design methodology to plan a TBL module
- Construct application exercises that adhere to the 4S framework
- Design readiness materials that motivate self-directed learning
- Convert non-TBL course material into TBL format
- Identify common errors and barriers during TBL module development
Each workshop is requires about 2 hours of pre-workshop preparation and 2 hours synchronous attendance. The Knowledge of the Fundamentals of TBL Certificate is awarded to those who attend all five (5) workshops delivered by a TBLC-Certified TBL Trainer-Consultant (Will Ofstad in this case). After completing all five workshops, the certificate request is made here: https://www.teambasedlearning.org/tblc-certifications (Choose Knowledge of the Fundamentals of TBL; the $25 will be collected directly from you by the TBLC).
Development of Mentoring Skill Performance Measures On Wednesdays from 4:00-5:30pm Eastern time, join Academy members Tris Utschig, Kathy Burke, Steve, Beyerlein, and Ingrid Ulbrich who are leading a collaborative effort to develop measures for each of the 38 mentoring skills in the Classification of Learning Skills. Please reach out to tutschig@kennesaw.edu with any questions you may have and/or receive the zoom link for these sessions.