Diane Ebert-May Department of Plant Biology Michigan State University What do we think?

Engage

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 Transition from a teacher-centered to a learner-centered classroom must accompany use of any learning resources. Please respond on a scale of 1-5: 1=strongly agree; 2=agree; 3=neutral; 4= disagree; 5=strongly disagree

Question 3 At the beginning of each course, I inventory my students’ learning styles and adjust my classes according to the results. Please respond on a scale of 1-5: 1=strongly agree; 2=agree; 3=neutral; 4= disagree; 5=strongly disagree

Question 4 How important is it to use multiple kinds of assessments to determine student learning? Please respond on a scale of in increments of 10:

Question 5 The proportion of assessments I use in my course that demonstrate students’ critical thinking abilities is.... Please respond on a scale of (%) in increments of 10:

Question 6 In my department, excellence in teaching is highly regarded by my peers. 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

Who are our undergraduates ?

Large Class Meeting

Scientific Teaching Scientific teaching involves active learning strategies to engage students in the process of science.

Question 2 Transition from a teacher-centered to a learner-centered classroom must accompany use of any learning resources. Please respond on a scale of 1-5: 1=strongly agree; 2=agree; 3=neutral; 4= disagree; 5=strongly disagree

Question 3 At the beginning of each course, I inventory my students’ learning styles and adjust my classes according to the results. Please respond on a scale of 1-5: 1=strongly agree; 2=agree; 3=neutral; 4= disagree; 5=strongly disagree

Learning Styles and Strategies 1. Felder and Solomon..styles are: Active and reflective Sensing and intuitive Visual and verbal Sequential and global 2. VARK by Neil Fleming...styles are: Visual, aural, read/write, kinesthetic

Question 4 How important is it to use multiple kinds of assessments to determine student learning? Please respond on a scale of in increments of 10:

Question 5 The proportion of assessments I use in my course that demonstrate students’ critical thinking abilities is.... Please respond on a scale of (%) in increments of 10:

What level of learning do we ask of our students? Bloom (1956) Cognitive Domain of Educational Objectives 6 categories - Knowledge Comprehension Application Analysis Synthesis Evaluation

Holistic Critical Thinking Scoring Rubric Facione and Facione 1994

Question 6 In my department, excellence in teaching is highly regarded by my peers. Please respond on a scale of 1-5: 1=strongly agree; 2=agree; 3=neutral; 4= disagree; 5=strongly disagree

Articles derived from journal papers

Explore

How People Learn Bransford et al 2004 System Model Courses Curriculum

Identify desired goals/objectives Determine acceptable evidence Design learning experiences and instruction Wiggins and McTighe 1998 Backwards Design

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 grainsizes)

Multiple Choice … … Concept Maps … … Essay … … Interview high Ease of Assessment low 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 Assessment Gradient

Explain

Question: How would you assess learning resources designed to help students think critically? “Many issues about student learning are connected with motivating students to think critically and inspire them to take ownership and initiative for their own learning.” (Batzli et al 2006) Consider the following statement: Talk-to-your-neighbor....

Connections Organization Visualization Reasoning Testing mental models What is the role of models in assessing critical thinking?

Box Model Can transgenes be kept on a leash?

Avida-Ed Evolution of Prokaryotes

1. Identify patterns of critical thinking. Talk aloud protocol as students use tools Code extended responses - align with rubric 2. Ask questions and derive hypotheses about student understanding. Next steps for analysis

Design classroom research Faculty research goal: Use both observational and empirical approaches to answer a question about student learning. Student goals: Use effective and repeatable processes to address ill-structured problems. Demonstrate critical thinking.

Systematic observation Design an ill-structured problem. Students use guiding questions in groups. Instructor uses systematic observations to identify elements of the problem that are difficult for students.

Comparison studies What is the effectiveness of guiding questions on problem-solving approaches to address ill- structured problems?

Guiding questions 1. What things do you know or think you know about this problem? 2. What things do you not know? 3. What things are not known in the scientific community studying similar problems? 4. What things can you find out, given review papers, primary scientific literature, and data?

Study designs Challenge: determining the internal and external validity of the study design. Multiple-group comparison Multiple sections one semester Single course - multiple years Intervention: iii. Homework with guiding questions iv. Homework without guiding questions Split-group comparison

Pretest In-class active learning Guiding Qs Pretest In-class active learning Guiding Qs No Guiding Qs Concept 1 Day 1 Concept 2 Day 2 Multiple Forms of Assessment (midterm and final exams) Class of 120 students randomly assigned to 2 treatment groups (n=60) Students alternate between completing guiding questions and not using guiding questions. No Guiding Qs

What about dissemination?

FIRST III Database Faculty Computer Student Data Spreadsheet Questions Spreadsheet Link Qs and student answers Student ID Spreadsheet De-identified student data Upload Search Results eg. Excel, SAS, SPSS Search Download EdML FIRST III Database Database Server

What is the Educational Metadata Standard? Where - institution, class size How - experimental and sampling design; administration of assessments; instructional design. Who - project personnel What - assessment instruments, rubrics Why - study description

Do students learn better?

“...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 [Tri-C Community College) Duncan Sibley - Geology Doug Luckie - Physiology Scott Harrison - Microbiology (graduate student) Tammy Long - Plant Biology Heejun Lim - Chemistry Education (Korea) Rob Pennock - Philosophy Charles Ofria - Engineering Rich Lenski - Microbiolgy Janet Batzli - Plant Biology [U of Wisconsin]

How would you alter this design for your course? Objective: assess students’ higher-level thinking. What is the question? How would you change the problem? Would students do the problem in class, homework, lab, discussion section? Schemes to evaluate work. Classroom research design.

Students will demonstrate understanding of evolution by natural selection. Objective (outcome)

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. Alternative Conceptions: Natural Selection

Instructional Design Enable students to gain meaningful understanding of evolution and natural selection through active learning.

Pre-test: extended response. Explain the changes that occurred in the tree and animal. Use your current understanding of evolution by natural selection. Hauser F AAAS

Rubric: Code Responses MisconceptionsCorrect P = Change in the individualChange in the population C = Need to Change/ Must Change/ Choice Change due to genes V = All members of a population are equally fit Individuals within a population have varying fitness levels G = Traits acquired during a lifetime are passed on Genetic traits help the individual to survive and reproduce I = Incorrect C =Correct P = Partially correct P __ C __ V __ G__ ND = No data