Project Investigator(s): Rebecca Carruthers Den Hoed, Assistant Professor of Teaching, School of Journalism, Writing and Media, Faculty of Arts
Project Description
I proposed to measure the impact of team-based learning (TBL) on student writing in an undergraduate academic writing course (WRDS 150B) offered at UBC. My goal is improve our understanding of the role TBL can play in undergraduate writing instruction and the impact it can have on students’ writing apprehension and writing efficacy. My project promises to contribute to the vast and growing scholarship that already singles-out TBL as a superior pedagogy — and expand this scholarship to consider TBL’s role in writing instruction and its capacity to improve student attitudes toward writing and writing competencies.
Research Questions
1) ) What is the impact of team-based learning (TBL) activities on student i. writing apprehension and ii. writing efficacy?
(2) What is the relationship between i. student performance on formative team-based learning activities and ii. student performance on summative individual writing assignments?
Impact on teaching and learning at UBC
This project promises to improve writing instruction at UBC — in the Writing Studies (WRDS) program, in other similar undergraduate courses focusing on academic writing, and in similar programs/courses in other universities. Empirical research documenting the positive impacts of TBL on student engagement, accountability, performance, and satisfaction is vast — and growing. However, little is known about TBL’s impact on university-level writing experiences or writing competencies, or TBL’s usefulness in university-level writing instruction. By studying the applicability and impact in a writing intensive course, this project hopes to shed light on the usefulness of TBL in university-level writing instruction and improve writing experiences and
learning outcomes among university-level learners.