Improving comprehension through team quizzes

As instructors of a large introductory linguistics course, we face a challenge common to many teachers in the language sciences: we have a large amount of basic knowledge to communicate before moving on to more complex applications, and our students have varying degrees of preparation for our class. We address this challenge by using team-based learning (Michaelsen et al., 2001) and team quizzes (Gross Davis, 2009, p. 194). In this presentation, we share our approach to team work through a hands-on demonstration of the Immediate Feedback Assessment Technique, a scratch-off answer sheet that encourages students to work together to find the correct answer during a quiz. Using this technique, students move beyond passive listening as they explain concepts and defend their ideas to team members. We find that this technique works particularly well for introducing new topics that require repetition before “sticking.” We also find that by keeping work focused in the classroom and providing peer feedback, students enjoy participating in team activities. Adopting this method has shown positive outcomes in our course, with use of team quizzes correlated with higher test scores, more positive course evaluations, and increases in course enrollment.