TEAMS-GAMES-TOURNAMENT (TGT) Cooperative Learning and Review

Meg OMahony
NABT Conference 14 October 2006 momahony@uts.utoronto.ca

TEAMS-GAMES-TOURNAMENT (TGT)
Teams-Games-Tournament is one of the team learning strategies designed by Robert Slavin for review and mastery learning of material. Slavin has found that TGT increased basic skills, students achievement, positive interactions between students, acceptance of mainstreamed classmates and self-esteem.

Overview
Students learn material in class; this can be taught traditionally, in small groups, individually, using activities, etc. The heterogeneous Study Teams review the material, then students compete in academically homogeneous Tournament Teams. Students bring from 2-6 points back from their tournament to their Study Teams. Points are totalled and normalized (for a group size of 4). It is the Study Team which is successful. It should be noted that the Tournament is based on material often for which there is a specific correct answer.

Procedure
1. STUDY TEAMS Set-up:

(also called Home Teams)

Heterogeneous Teams
a) b) Generate a ranked class list of all students. The ranking should be academic, by marks. Team size: 4 students To make the teams, divide the total number of students by 4. (32 students 4 = 8) Number students, beginning at the top. Reverse the numbering the second time through. e.g. 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1,1,2,... etc. This will generate academically heterogeneous teams of about equal ability. Balance the teams for sex, ethnicity, etc. while trying to maintain academic equalness.

The students reinforce, review and study the material cooperatively in these teams.

c)

d)

Purpose:

Students may review using a specific format, a review sheet, informally, quizzing each other, etc.

2.

TOURNAMENT
After the designated study time, the students then compete in the tournament.

Set-up:

Homogeneous (Tournament) Teams

a) b) c) Use the same ranked student list. Form groups of 3 (alternate size is 4). Cluster students by 3's, going down the ranked student list. This will result in the 3 strongest students competing together, the 3 weakest together, etc. Have a deck of numbered cards (1 - 30) available for each tournament table. b) c) d) e) f) Make up a worksheet of 30 numbered questions. Make up a numbered answer sheet. Each team picks up an envelope/deck of cards, question sheet and answer sheet. Students draw cards at each table. The highest number goes first. The 1st student pulls a card from the envelope and reads out the number. The 2nd student (with the question sheet) reads the question out loud. The 1st student answers the question. The 3rd student (with the answer sheet) tells if the answer is correct. If correct, the 1st student keeps the card. If incorrect, the question (2nd) student may challenge answer. If they get the answer correct, they may keep the card. If still incorrect, the card goes to a discard g) pile. The game proceeds clockwise. After each question (whether correct or incorrect) each student changes jobs. It continues until the time is up.

Format:

a)

3.

SCORING
Scoring is done for all the tournament tables using Table 1 (attached). Each player will take back 2 to 6 points to their Study Team. Study Team points are totalled. They need to be normalized to a group size of 4 using Table 2. (Study teams of 5 students will bring back more points; teams of 3, fewer points.)

4.

BUMPING
The members of tournament tables can be bumped up or down. Each winner moved to a higher-level table, the loser moves to an easier table. This ensures that all students are playing with same-ability students and are winners about equally often.

Meg OMahony TGT

TABLE 1: Calculating Tournament Points For a 4-Player Game

Player
None Top Scorer High Middle Scorer Low Middle Scorer Low Scorer 6 points 4 points Top 5 5

T
Middle 6 4

I
Low 6 4

E
3-way for Top 5 5

S
3-way for Low 6 3 4-way 4 4 Low and High 5 5

3 points

2 points

Player
No Ties Top Scorer Middle Scorer Low Scorer 6
points

For a 3-Player Game T I E S

Top Score 5 5 2 Low Score 6 3 3 3-way Tie 4 4 4

4 points 2 points

Player
Top Scorer Low Scorer 6 2

T
No Ties
points points

For a 2-Player Game I E S

Tied 4 4

Meg OMahony TGT October 2006

TABLE 2: Pro-Rating Scores for Teams with 2, 3 or 5 Members

Raw Scores
4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45

5-Member Team

3-Member Team

2-Member Team
8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 38 40

8 9 10 11 12 12 13 14 14 15 16 17 18 18 19 20 21 22 22 23 24 25 26 26 27 28 29 30 30 31 32 33 34 34 35 36

8 9 11 12 13 15 16 17 19 20 21 23 24 25 27 28 29 31 32 33 35 36 37 39 40

Meg OMahony TGT October 2006