1. Using Learning Design and LAMS to
implement Team Based Learning (TBL):
An Example from Medical Education
James Dalziel
Dean of Education, Morling College &
Professor, University of Divinity
jamesd@morling.edu.au
Presentation for Centre for Research on Learning and Innovation (CLRI) Seminar
University of Sydney, 4th October, 2017
2. Overview
• What is Learning Design?
• Team Based Learning
• TBL and LAMS at LKC School of Medicine (NTU)
• Technical challenges for LAMS with TBL
• Clinical Classrooms at UWS Medicine
• Conclusion
3. What is Learning Design?
• A summary of the field by international experts
led to “The Larnaca Declaration on Learning Design”
• ...which led to a Routledge Book:
“Learning Design: Conceptualizing a Framework for
Teaching and Learning Online” (2016; Ed. J. Dalziel)
• ...which led to JIME reprinting Ch 1 of the book
“The Larnaca Declaration on Learning Design” (2016)
https://www-jime.open.ac.uk/articles/10.5334/jime.407/
• Includes examples from LAMS and other LD systems
– LAMS is an open source LD authoring, run-time & monitoring
6. Engage
with
students
Reflection
Professional
Development
Design
and Plan
Learning Environment:
Characteristics & Values
External Agencies Institution
Educator Learner
All pedagogical approaches
All disciplines
Educational Philosophy
A range based on assumptions
about the Learning Environment
Theories & Methodologies
Guidance Representation Sharing
Core Concepts of Learning Design
Tools Resources
Implementation
Program
Module
Session
Learning Activities
Level of Granularity
Teaching Cycle
Feedback Assessment Learner Analytics Evaluation
Learner Responses
Creating learning experiences aligned to particular pedagogical approaches and learning objectives
Challenge
7. Team Based Learning (TBL)
• TBL is an example of LD Framework and LD Practice
in action
– It is a sequence of activities (with or without technology)
– It is based on a theory of learning that combines aspects of
flipped classroom, individual and group testing, group
debate/co-construction of meaning, and practical application
• Similar to PBL in that it is based on long-term groups
working together over multiple topics
– But teams work “in competition” with others in a large room,
and share questions and ideas across groups at certain stages
• See: Michaelsen & Knight (2004). Team-based Learning: A
Transformative Use of Small Groups in College Teaching.
8. Team Based Learning (TBL)
Typical sequence of activities:
1. Preparatory materials – individual study before class
2. Individual Readiness Assurance (iRA) – each student
individually completes MCQs in class – no answers given
3. Team Readiness Assurance (tRA) – students work in their
team (5-7 students) to discuss each of the MCQs from (2),
choose a team answer, then find out if correct, or retry
• 4 points first answer correct, 2 points second answer, 1 pt 3rd
• Traditionally used “Scratchie” cards to rub off answers
4. Burning Questions – issues with MCQs raised by a team with
the whole class, may be answered by other teams or expert
5. Application Exercise(s)
• May include group answers to questions, shared across class
6. Discussion and Conclusion
9. TBL and LAMS at LKC NTU
• The Lee Kong Chian School (LKC) of Medicine at
Nanyang Technological University (NTU) adopted TBL
as central to its new medical degree started in 2013
• NTU already made wide use of LAMS, so LKC was
interested to implement TBL using LAMS
– NB: TBL primarily paper-based prior to this project
• Working with LKC (particularly Paul Gagnon), the
LAMS development team implemented TBL in LAMS,
and worked out what new features would be required
• Example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDipPGhuM8k
10. TBL and LAMS at LKC NTU
• Demonstration
– https://demo.lamscommunity.org/lams
– Username & password for today’s example available from Ling Wu
– Or sign up for your own demo account at the address
11. Technical Challenges for LAMS with TBL
• The general concept of TBL is well suited to LAMS –
sequences of group activities, stop points, etc
• iRA was no challenge – LAMS already had a “don’t
show answers” Advanced setting
• “Burning Questions” was like “LAMS Q&A” added
inside a quiz – not difficult
• tRA was a challenge in two ways:
– Didn’t have an option for multiple response with difference
scores (“Scratchie”) – but easy to add feature “within tool”
– Only one person from each team responded on behalf of their
team, but rest of team should see “read only” view of answers
• LAMS had “Grouping” feature, but not “Roles within a Group”
12. Technical Challenges for LAMS with TBL
• tRA “Roles within Groups” required new infrastructure
for LAMS
– New “infrastructure” tool called “Select Leader” – choose a
leader who responds on behalf of others (could be on behalf of
whole class, or grouped teams as in TBL – generalised)
– New tRA quiz tool created “Leader Aware” – that is, tRA tool
about to respond differently if “Select Leader” is applied to it
• Outcome is “Leader” and “Viewer” roles within Groups in tRA tool
• Once implemented for TBL, “Leader Aware” concept
could be applied to other tools for related uses
– E.g., “LAMS Q&A” for collecting one answer from each group,
then share with whole class
13. Technical Challenges for LAMS with TBL
• “Leader Select” tool and “Leader Aware” functionality
solved the needs of TBL, but also provided other new
possibilities for LAMS in general
• Good example of extending the “hidden ontology” of
LAMS LD in a way that was complementary to existing
data structures and functionality
– But “long lived teams” (ie, teams across difference sequences)
pushed beyond the usual LAMS “sequence only” boundary
• Good case study of how trying “new” pedagogical
approaches against the current functionality of LAMS
can identify areas for future development
– Both “within tool” and “core infrastructure”
15. Technical Challenges for LAMS with TBL
• More recent implementation has included additional
Monitoring features
– Special views of groups, including visualisation of responses
– All gates viewable in one place
– Demonstration
• None of the new monitoring features required new data
structures in LAMS, but used existing data, shown in
more intuitive ways for teachers
• Case study of building “pedagogy specific” overlays in
LAMS to simplify user experience (for teacher monitors)
– Very popular with teachers – hides flexibility of LAMS
16. Clinical Classrooms at UWS
• Inspired by LKC, UWS Medical School has recently
adapted the TBL approach to create a set of “Clinical
Classrooms” activities for Infectious Diseases
– TBL in style, but not an exact match (eg, iRA before class, tRA
answers discussed as whole class not teams)
– Small number of classes, so lacks long-term team cohesion
and “competition” of NTU use of TBL across program
– Addressed poor student attendance (but was mandatory!)
– Positive student response to approach, especially Application
Exercises done in groups and shared with whole class
– Considerable effort needed for first implementation
17. Conclusion
• TBL at LKC has been very successful pedagogically and
technically
– Provides a compelling answer to “why should I come to class?”
– Fosters learning between teams, not just within teams
• TBL has “stretched” LAMS (technically) in productive
ways, both in terms of core infrastructure and user
interface
• The monitoring UI changes pose an interesting question:
is LAMS too flexible for many teachers?
– Would LAMS be better understood as an underlying “pedagogy
engine”, with pedagogy specific subsets of features built above
it?
