Scientific Teaching 12 October 2004 Diane Ebert-May Department of Plant Biology Michigan State University

Goals for today Teams will... Design learning objectives for the teachable unit. Practice using Bloom’s taxonomy for writing objectives. Build a concept map of the teachable unit.

Learning Cycle Engage - active learning Explore - develop goals/objectives Explain Assess

Identify desired results/goals Determine acceptable evidence Design learning experiences and instruction Teachable Unit

What Type of Learning? Bloom (1956) 6 major categories in the Cognitive Domain of Educational Objectives Condense to 4 - realistic to work with

Cognitive Levels Knowledge - remember Understanding and Application - grasp meaning, use, interpret Critical Analysis - original thinking, open- ended answers, whole to parts, parts to whole, evaluation Synthesis - make connections

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)

Why do assessment? Improve student learning and development. Provides students and faculty substantive feedback about student understanding. Challenge to use disciplinary research strategies to assess learning.

Does active, inquiry-based instructional design influence students’ understanding of evolution and natural selection? Pre-Posttest Analysis

■ 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

(AAAS 1999) Explain the changes that occurred in the tree and animal. Use your current understanding of evolution by natural selection.

Misconception: individuals evolve new traits % of Students n=80; p<.01

Misconception: evolution is driven by need % of Students n=80; p<.01

In guppy populations, what are the primary changes that occur gradually over time? a. The traits of each individual guppy within a population gradually change. b. The proportions of guppies having different traits within a population change. c. Successful behaviors learned by certain guppies are passed on to offspring. d. Mutations occur to meet the needs of the guppies as the environment changes. Anderson et al 2002

Posttest: Student responses to mc % of Students n=171 *

Animal/Tree Posttest: Gain in student understanding of fitness % of Students n=80; p<.01

bicycle What is the power of visual models?

Hierarchy has Structure has Concept Maps Visual Diagrams Or Models are represent Knowledge or Understanding Concepts display connected with Linking Words Used for AssessmentOrganization Reflection & Learning promotes Context is constructed with New Information Prior Knowledge

Learning objectives (see Guide) Misconceptions - from literature Concept map - interconnections Teachable Unit