Re: Extra Credit (was Where Have All the Boys Gone?)

[Larry Smith <Larry.Smith@SNOW.EDU>]

At 7:56 AM +0100 7/7/00, Steven Ratliff wrote:
> > I agree with Michael Edmiston.
>
> I have found that almost all students already know how to work in groups.  You
> don't really have to teach them that.  Also, in order to be a productive
> member
> of a group, you have to have something to contribute.  I prefer to grade
> students as much as possible on what they do individually.  The grade on their
> transcript belongs to them, not to their group.
>
> Regards,
> Steven Ratliff

We had an "expert" come teach us how to teach at our fall faculty workshops
a couple of years ago.  In his method almost everything is done in groups,
but since (especially nontraditional) students these days can't fit their
schedules together, all the group work is done in class (no lectures).
Students are expected to have done the outside reading prior to the class
activities and so a Readiness Assessment Test is given at the beginning of
class on new material to see if the students have done their prior
preparation.  First the students take the quiz (RAT) individually and then
while the prof is grading it at the front of the room the students re-take
the same quiz in groups.  The individual scores are returned during the
same class period after the groups have turned in their answers.  Both
scores count.  Group members rapidly learn who in their group is usually
prepared and whom to believe when there are disagreements.

There are other aspects of his method, but this is enough to pose the
question to all of you: what do you think of this?  I think this "expert"
was a finance or law professor (where they often do case studies instead of
lectures), but he was absolutely convinced his method would work in any
discipline.

Thanks,
Larry