TBL Fridays: Using team-based learning to engage in policy debates in an introductory class

Abstract

Team-based Learning (TBL) has sound conceptual and empirical backing and is seeing growing partial and full adoption in economics. However, perceived implementation costs and risk remain high for many instructors wary of fully implementing TBL. Additionally, common economics problems are often ill-suited for TBL application exercise criteria. The author of this article describes partial implementation (one day per week) of TBL in an introductory class. Application exercises are built around policy questions that align with TBL question criteria while still working effectively in the economics classroom. The partial implementation and readily available resources offer instructors a low-cost way to experiment with TBL.

Keywords:

• Active learning
• application exercises
• policy
• team-based learning

JEL CODE:

• A22

Notes

1 The Starting Point TBL Web site includes materials from this implementation and many more: https://serc.carleton.edu/econ/tbl-econ/index.html

2 For reference, these are team formation processes, readiness assurance processes, immediate feedback methods, in-class sequencing of learning activities, 4-S application exercises, grading incentive structures and peer review processes (Haidet, Kubitz, and McCormack 2014).

3 Students received two quiz grades—one for the iRAT and one for the tRAT, which were averaged. This provided incentive for them to complete the iRATs; the consequence of forgetting was a zero for that part of the grade.

4 http://www.epsteineducation.com/home/about/