Team based learning and libraries: opportunities and challenges

Anne Costigan

University of Bradford

17 October 2014 Team based learning and libraries – Anne Costigan1

Team based learning and libraries

• What is team based learning, the exciting new pedagogical strategy?

• What implications does it present for

– information literacy teaching

– resources

– library spaces

• Experience team based learning from the learner’s perspective!

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Team Based Learning

• Flip the classroom• Ask students to access learning materials outside

classroom• Test

– Individual iRAT

– Team tRAT

– Team test IS feedback

• Application exercises– Deep learning happens HERE

– Discussion is key

• Both stages work together to enhance student engagement• Peer input is key

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Who uses team-based learning?

• In the UK and worldwide

• UK universities include

– Dundee, Reading, Plymouth, Imperial, Manchester, King’s College London, University College London, Portsmouth

– ?

• Subjects

– Medicine, healthcare, chemistry, engineering, management, social sciences, humanities (Sweet and Michaelsen 2012)

– Information literacy, plagiarism and referencing

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How we got involved with team-based learning at Bradford

• Largest Pharmacy school

• Course redesign

– New MPharm from General Pharmaceutical Council

– Student engagement an issue at all universities

• Complete new course from Year 1 – ALL TBL

– Started with Year 1 2012-13

– Results are good and the experience is seen by the students as valuable

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Library embedded in course

• Year 1 - 3 sessions plus one workshop

– Student Selected Assessment at end

• Year 2 - 2 sessions plus one workshop

– Student Selected Assessment at end

• Year 3 - 3 sessions (planned)

• Year 4 - 3 sessions (planned)

• Spiral curriculum

– Revisit and add

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Implications for information literacy teaching• Need to be able to get students to do prereading?

– Embedded in a module

• Not space dependent

– Nice to use appropriate room, but not necessary

• Focus on understanding and application

– Less ‘click here’

• Promotes engagement and peer input in groups of all sizes

• Full TBL is very structured BUT

• Every session doesn’t have to be the same

– Use individual elements of TBL to promote engagement

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Challenges

• Preparation required

• Writing the RAT questions

• Application exercise

– 4S

– Must generate debate

• Strain on resources

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TBL in information literacy teaching –adopted and adapted• Standalone courses

– University of Albany

• Jacobson (2011) – short course

– peer assessment critical

• Hosier (2012) – new professional

• Embedded as part of modules, as at Bradford

• In single sessions - Handler (2013) and Cole et al (2013)

• Online courses - Hosier (2013)

• Worldwide– Haidong (2012) in China

• Learning curve

– Authors agree: respond to feedback, learn what works

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TBL in subject teaching - implications for resources• Access resources simultaneously - very large numbers

of highly motivated students

• Challenge to current models, both print and ebook

• Unlimited usage required

• Negotiations with publishers

• Creative Commons resources

– Support requested

• No evidence base so far

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Implications for library spaces

• Group work takes place entirely within the session

• Promote demand for group working space elsewhere?

• TBL space within libraries?

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Conclusions

• Team based learning offers great opportunities for student engagement in information literacy

• The new pedagogy offers challenges to library resource provision

• But we are well placed to meet them

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Acknowledgement

Dr Simon Tweddell, School of

Pharmacy/CED, University of Bradford

(for materials and encouragement!)17 October 2014 Team based learning and libraries – Anne Costigan13

Bibliography

Cole, A., Judd, C. and Napier, T. (2013) From the Walking Dead to Warm Bodies: Incorporating Team-Based Learning in an One-Shot Session. In: KLA/KASL Joint Conference. Louisville, KY.: KLA and KASL.

Haidong, S. J. L. F. Y. and Fang, W. Z. C. (2012) The Teaching Design and Study of TBL in the Information Literacy Education Course. Journal of Modern Information, 11, 030.

Handler, L. (2013) Team-based learning: revitalizing library instruction. In: Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the Medical Library Association Annual Meeting. Pittsburgh.

Hosier, A. (2012) When teachers are taught to learn Using team-based learning as a first-time information literacy instructor. College & Research Libraries News, 73 (9), 524-527.

Hosier, A. (2013) Using Team-Based Learning in an Online, Asynchronous Information Literacy Course. Journal of Library Innovation, 4 (2), 111.

Jacobson, T. E. (2011) Team based learning in an information literacy course. Communications in Information Literacy, 5 (2), 82-101.

Sweet, M. and Michaelsen, L. K.(2012). Team-based learning in the social sciences and humanities: Group work that works to generate critical thinking and engagement. Sterling, Va: Stylus Publishing.

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Questions?

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