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Teaching and Learning in
the Scientific Colleges
Diane Ebert-MayMichigan State University
Janet BatzliUniversity of Wisconsin
The trouble with our times is that the future is not
what it used to be.
-Paul Valery, The Art of Poetry
Questions for you...• What do you expect to gain from this
workshop?
• What are your major teaching challenges?
• What challenges do your students face in learning?
• How did you learn science?
• How do your students learn science?
Question 1
• Active learning strategies enable students to learn science better than passive lectures.
Please respond on a scale of 1-5: 1=strongly agree; 2=agree; 3=neutral; 4= disagree; 5=strongly
disagree
Question 2
• Students learn science best by “doing” science.
Please respond on a scale of 1-5: 1=strongly agree; 2=agree; 3=neutral; 4= disagree; 5=strongly disagree
Question 3
• How important is it to use multiple kinds of assessments to determine students’ learning?
Please respond on a scale of 0-100% in increments of 10:
Question 4
• The proportion of assessments I use in my course that demonstrate students’ critical thinking abilities is....
Please respond on a scale of 0-100% in increments of 10:
Question 5
• In my department, innovation in teaching is encouraged.
Please respond on a scale of 1-5: 1=strongly agree; 2=agree; 3=neutral; 4= disagree; 5=strongly
disagree
Question 1
• Active learning strategies enable students to learn science better than passive lectures.
Please respond on a scale of 1-5: 1=strongly agree; 2=agree; 3=neutral; 4= disagree; 5=strongly
disagree
Question 2
• Students learn science best by “doing” science.
Please respond on a scale of 1-5: 1=strongly agree; 2=agree; 3=neutral; 4= disagree; 5=strongly disagree
Question 3
• How important is it to use multiple kinds of assessments to determine student learning?
Please respond on a scale of 0-100 in increments of 10:
Question 4
• The proportion of assessments I use in my course that demonstrate students’ critical thinking abilities is....
Please respond on a scale of 0-100 (%) in increments of 10:
• Connections among concepts
• Organization of concepts
• Visual representations
• Model-based reasoning
• Test models
• Solve problems
What is critical thinking?
Question 5
• In my department, innovation in teaching is encouraged.
Please respond on a scale of 1-5: 1=strongly agree; 2=agree; 3=neutral; 4= disagree; 5=strongly
disagree
Can you blow a bubble with pure water? What limits the size/shape of bubbles?How can you make bubbles last longer?
1. In teams generate a testable question how to make a ‘better’ bubble and design a method that supports or rejects the hypothesis.
2. Conduct the experiment. (20 minutes)
Make a ‘Better’ Bubble
Learning Objective
•Develop one possible learning objective for this ‘inquiry’.
•What do you want students to know and be able to do?
•What evidence is acceptable?
What is going on?• Brainstorm: talk to your
neighbor and diagnose the situation from both the teacher’s and learner’s perspective.
• What is the learning challenge?
• Photosynthesis as Energy
• Biomass from Soil
• Energy as Biomass
• All Green
• Plant Altruism
• Thin Air
• Respiration as ‘breathing’
Misconceptions about Photosynthesis, Respiration, and the Carbon Cycle
How and when do you identify student learning difficulties?
Pre-test (e.g., specific questions - identify misconceptions)
Engagement activity - brain teaser, discussion starter, ‘need to know’ questions
Surveys or polls (clickers?)
Others?
Radish Problemin Ebert-May D, Batzli J, Lim H. 2003. Bioscience 53:1221-1228.
•Experimental setup:•Weighed out 3 batches of radish seeds •each weighing 1.5 g.
•Experimental treatments:•1. Seeds placed on DRY paper towels in LIGHT•2. Seeds placed on WET paper towels in LIGHT•3. Seeds placed on WET paper towels in DARK
Problem (cont)
• After 1 week, all plant material was dried in an oven overnight (no water left) and plant biomass was measured in grams. •Predict the biomass of the plant material in the various treatments.
No Water, light Water, light Water dark No idea
Results Mass of Radish Seeds/Seedlings
1.46 g 1.63 g 1.20 g
Write an explanation about the results.
Explain the results.Write individually on carbonless
paper.
Assessment on Final Exam
Hypothetical scenario: Grandma Johnson had very sentimental feelings toward Johnson Canyon, Utah, where she and her late husband had honeymooned long ago. Her feelings toward this spot were such that upon her death she requested to be buried under a creosote bush overlooking the canyon. Trace the path of a carbon atom from Grandma Johnson’s remains to where it could become part of a coyote. NOTE: the coyote will not dig up Grandma Johnson and consume any of her remains.
Frustrated Student
Reflecting on this case, consider the following:
1. What questions and issues does this case raise?2. As an instructor, what would you do in this situation? 3. What are the learning objectives for each class? 4. What are the students’ expections for course?5. How do the active, in-class problems in groups motivate students to learn, or not?6. Have you faced a similar challenge? If so, what did you learn from it?
Within groups: think-pair-share
Cooperative Learning
Eric Mazur - Harvard (Dept of Physics) - Peer Instruction
Karl Smith - University of Minnesota (Civil Engineering Dept) Cooperative/ Collaborative Learning
Regrouping
What are ways of putting students into cooperative
groups?
Individual accountability and group responsibility with common goal.....
What is assessment? Data collection with the purpose of
answering questions about…students’ understanding
• students’ attitudes• students’ skills• instructional design and implementation• curricular reform (at multiple grain sizes)• Informing BOTH instructors and students about learning.
Learning Outcome
• Statement that indicates level of expectation of performance.
• What evidence will indicate whether students have achieved the learning objective?
• (actions, behaviors that can be assessed)
What level of learning do we ask of our students?
Bloom (1956) Cognitive Domain of Educational Objectives
6 categories - KnowledgeComprehensionApplicationAnalysisSynthesisEvaluation
Characterize the Level of Expectation
Return to the ‘better’ bubble learning objective....
...assign a Bloom level to each.
Jigsaw
Count off -- 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
All 1s work on same paper ....2s, 3s, 4s, 5s
Tomorrow, return to new groups and share what you found in each of the papers.
Report out
Paper Assignments
Group 1: Climate change....
Group 2: Novel assessments...
Group 3: Unraveling complexity...
Group 4: Unleashing problem solvers...
Group 5: Active homework...
JigsawTomorrow, return to your home group....and discuss. You should be able to answer the following:
1. What are the student learning goals?
2. What is the Bloom-level of each goal?
3. Describe the type of assessment used in the unit.
4. Do the assessments align with the goals?
5. What are the active learning strategies?
Reflections on Today
Muddiest Point: 1. What are your questions?2. What still seems “clear as mud?”3. What do you wish we were doing?
Angelo and Cross (1993)
Your Questions
• Visit class in Biological Sciences?
• Group work - high and low students?
• Students’ responses to innovation?
• Cover vs. Uncover - plus time?
• Student evaluations?
• Academic integrity?
Your Wishes
• Location-specific methods for Kuwait U.
• Decreasing teaching loads to improve quality teaching?
• Comprehension and communication
• How to assess student understanding of lecture?
• More physics examples!
EngageUse Bloom’s taxonomy to categorize the
first 5 questions you brought from an assessment from your course.
Each question = one postit.
Level 1 - blueLevel 2 - yellowLevel 3 - pinkLevel 4 - greenLevel 5 - purpleLevel 6- orange
Jigsaw HomeworkTomorrow, return to your home group....and discuss. You should be able to answer the following:
1. What are the student learning goals?
2. What is the Bloom-level of each goal?
3. Describe the type of assessment used in the unit.
4. Do the assessments align with the goals?
5. What are the active learning strategies?
Groups 1s, 2s, 3s, 4s, 5s
• Consider one learning challenge of Kuwait University Students and adapt the Pathways to Scientific Teaching ideas to one unit of instruction.
• Summaries the ideas on large flip chart paper.
• Reporter - gives synopsis to large group.
Individual Activity
•Select two types of assessments that you brought from your course.
•Compare two types of assessments.
•Chose one assessment and develop a learning objective for it.
How do you go about developing a unit for your course?
How would you start?What would you do?
Instructional Design
Learning ObjectiveIdentify desired results
Learning OutcomeDetermine acceptable evidence
AssessmentsData collected & Feedback given
Instructional Design & ActivitiesPlanned learning experiences and instruction
Backward Design
Adapted from Wiggins and McTighe 1998, 2005
Hierarchy
has
Structure
has
Concept Maps
Visual DiagramsOr Models
are represent
Knowledge or Understanding
Concepts
display
connectedwith
Linking Words
Used for
Assessment Organization
Reflection &Learning
promotes
Context
is constructedwith
NewInformation
PriorKnowledge
1. Select a concept that is critical for your students to understand.
2. Identify 4 or 5 subconcepts that are important to understanding that concept
e.g., DNA - Gene- Chromosome - Protein
For a course you teach .....
3. Add linking lines to make connections between two concepts
4. Add linking words that describe the relationship between two concepts
Learning Objective
Students will be able to demonstrate understanding of evolution and natural selection by developing and testing models and solving problems.
•Changes in a population occur through a gradual change in individual members of a population.
•New traits in species are developed in response to need.
•All members of a population are genetically equivalent, variation and fitness are not considered.
•Traits acquired during an individual’s lifetime will be inherited by offspring.
Misconceptions: Natural Selection
Pre-test: extended response. Explain the changes that occurred in the tree and animal. Use your current understanding of evolution by natural selection.
(AAAS 1999)
How do we develop rubrics?
Describe the objective for the activity, problem, task...Develop criteria and performance standards for the assessmentDifferentiate levels of responses based on clearly described criteriaRate (assign value) the categories
Student Responses
Misconceptions Correct
Change in the individual Change in the population
Need to Change/ Must Change/ Choice
Change due to genes
All members of a population are equally fit
Individuals within a population have varying
fitness levels
Traits acquired during a lifetime are passed on
Genetic traits help the individual to survive and
reproduce
Level of Achievement General Approach ComprehensionExemplary(5 pts)
• Addresses thequestion.• States a relevant,justifiable answer.• Presents arguments ina logical order.• Uses acceptable styleand grammar (noerrors).
• Demonstrates an accurate andcomplete understanding of thequestion.• Backs conclusions with dataand warrants.• Uses 2 or more ideas,examples and/or arguments thatsupport the answer.
Adequate(3 pts)
• Does not address thequestion explicitly,although does sotangentially.• States a relevant andjustifiable answer.• Presents arguments ina logical order.• Uses acceptable styleand grammar (oneerror).
• Demonstrates accurate but onlyadequate understanding ofquestion because does not backconclusions with warrants anddata.• Uses only one idea to supportthe answer.• Less thorough than above.
Needs Improvement(1 pt)
• Does not address thequestion.• States no relevantanswers• indicatesmisconceptions.• Is not clearly orlogically organized.• Fails to use acceptablestyle and grammar (twoor more errors).
• Does not demonstrate accurateunderstanding of the question.• Does not provide evidence tosupport their answer to thequestion.
No Answer (0 pts)
Scoring Rubric for Quizzes and Homework
Ebert-May http://www.flaguide.org/cat/rubrics/rubrics1.php
Advantages of Scoring Rubrics
Improve the reliability of scoring written assignments and oral presentationsConvey goals and performance expectations of students in an unambiguous wayConvey “grading standards” or “point values” and relate them to performance goalsEngage students in critical evaluation of their own performance Save time but spend it well
Assessment GradientHigh
Ease of
Assessment
Low
Multiple Choice, T/F
Diagrams, Concept maps, Quantitative
response
Short answer
Essay, Research papers/ reports
Oral Interview
Low
Potential for
Assessment of Learning
High
Theoretical Framework• Ausubel 1968; meaningful learning• Novak 1998; visual representations• King and Kitchner 1994; reflective judgment• National Research Council 1999; theoretical frameworks for assessment
• Subsample= You don’t need to grade everything!!
• Classroom Assessment Techniques (Angelo & Cross 1993); Muddiest Point, Minute papers etc..
• Pyramid Exams- Individual 75% + Group 25%
• Diagnostic Questions & Clickers
• Rubrics
Assessment and Feedback Approaches
Action PlanWhat resources from this workshop will be most helpful to you in teaching?
Reflect on your lectures. What topics are challenging to teach?
List two colleagues who would help you brainstorm active learning techniques to address these challenges.
What type of feedback would you value from a colleague?
Handelsman, Miller & Pfund 2007
Action Plan...continued
Our challenge to you, try one of the strategies that you and your colleague identify, next time you teach.
“...we note that successful people are the ones who take advantage of those around them to ultimately benefit students.”
Ebert-May D, Weber R, Hodder J, Batzli J (2006)
Finally...
Team at MSU•Rett Weber - Plant Biology (postdoctoral researcher)•Deb Linton - Plant Biology (C. Michigan University)•Duncan Sibley - Geology•Doug Luckie - Physiology•Scott Harrison - Microbiology (graduate student)•Tammy Long - Plant Biology•Heejun Lim - Chemistry Education •Rob Pennock - Philosophy•Charles Ofria - Engineering•Rich Lenski - Microbiolgy•Janet Batzli - Plant Biology [U of Wisconsin]