BEST PRACTICES: TEACHING FOR STUDENT ENGAGEMENT

Feb. 15, 2010

ENGAGING THE LEARNERS AND THE TEACHER

Deborah Clark, Director, Faculty Collaborative for

Excellence in Learning and Teaching, Professor of Biology

“Best” Practices

• Use of “clickers” to promote understanding• Peer evaluation of all writing (freshman to

upper level classes)• Major assignments broken into weekly

“chunks”, not necessarily in order of beginning to end

• Practice quizzes and exams in Blackboard; multiple question styles

• Approachability!

• Address multiple learning styles– Short videos– Skits

• Let’s try it!• How do flagella

actually work?

“Best” Practices

Flagella on sperm propel it forwardFlagella on “Chlamy” pull in a breast stroke

http://www.northland.cc.mn.us/biology/biology1111/animations/flagellum.html http://biology.ecsu.ctstateu.edu/chlamyteach/chlamymain.htm

http://www.uwlax.edu/biology/faculty/Howard/Chlamy.htm

2

3

In Chlamydomonas, flagella beat in a “breast stroke”, turn organism toward light

Inside the flagella, proteins run the entire length (open tubes)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n40VTfWvh1Y&NR=1

Flagellar movement happens internally:

Proteins called Dynein Arms “push” on adjacent doublets

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n40VTfWvh1Y&NR=1

In groups: design a skit to illustrate the molecular basis of flagellar motion

http://aimediaserver4.com/studiodaily/videoplayer/?src=ai4/harvard/harvard.swf&width=640&height=520 Slide bar about half way

Visualizing Flagellar crossections with animation

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUk4Xj0OmjA (Start about half way)

exam 2 exam 360

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Comparison of Bi346 Grades 2007-2009Sc

ore

P<0.001

Significant difference in Exam 3 scores compared to Exam 2 scores

• Exam 2 topic more challenging (metabolism)• Exam 2 earlier in semester

• Exam 3 material also subject of major lab project

• Presentation of Exam 3 material more creative

Conclusions

• Students get a better grasp of exam 3 material– MCAT comment

• Perhaps more creative teaching can improve learning of exam 2 material

• Teacher learns from these creative activities as much as students do!