Diane Ebert-May Michigan State University Teaching for Understanding in Large Classes

The trouble with our times is that the future is not what it used to be. -Paul Valery, The Art of Poetry

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 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:

Question 5 In my department, excellence in teaching is rewarded at a level comparable to excellence in research. 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

Large Class Meeting

Question 3 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 4 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:

Connections among concepts Organization of concepts Visual representations Model-based reasoning What is critical thinking?

Question 5 In my department, excellence in teaching is rewarded at a level comparable to excellence in research. 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 1999, 2004

What’s up with Termites? 1. On a sheet of paper, draw two circles near each other on the center of the page. 2. Release termites onto paper. 3. Keep creatures safe. I shall collect them in their original habitat. 4. What do you observe about termite behavior? 5. Develop a question your group could explore if you had more time. (10 minutes - select a timekeeper)

Learning Objectives What do students need to know and be able to do to demonstrate genuine understanding?

Learning Outcomes Statement that indicates level of expectation of performance. What evidence will indicate whether students have achieved the learning goal? (actions, behaviors that can be assessed)

Give your students a roadmap to learning…. Benefits and costs?

Develop one possible learning objective and learning outcome for this ‘inquiry’. Team Written response. Reporter - Recorder - Timekeeper - (10 minutes) Checker - What do you want students to know and be able to do? What evidence is acceptable?

Characterize the Level of Expectation Once you have a learning objective and expected learning outcome......assign a Bloom level to each.

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

Department of Plant Biology Course Level Mean Bloom Level

Department of Plant Biology % Total Qs Course Level *N items

Explain

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.

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

Assessment Gradient High 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

How do you go about developing a unit on evolution? How would you start? What would you do? Instructional Design

Learning Objective Identify desired results Learning Outcome Determine acceptable evidence Assessments Data collected & Feedback given Instructional Design & Activities Planned learning experiences and instruction Like This? Backward Design Adapted from Wiggins and McTighe 1998, 2005

Backward Design

Learning Outcome Students will be able to demonstrate understanding of evolution and natural selection by building models, making predictions, 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. Alternative Conceptions: 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)

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. Pre-test: CINS Multiple Choice

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

How do you go about developing a unit on evolution? Activity: Misconception- List a common misconception for evolution. Learning objective- Write the correct version of the concept. Learning outcome- Describe the specific performance or behavior that will demonstrate student understanding. (Use Bloom’s Taxonomy of another resource to help articulate the outcomes.) Activity- Describe the activity that will engage students and help them achieve the learning objective Assessment- Describe the evidence you will collect and the type of feedback you will give students to define their progress towards understanding. Instructional Design

How am I going to grade all this stuff??

Case: Workshop Woes? “I attended a workshop about assessment, and the main thing I learned is that I am supposed to assess students before class so I can target what the students need to know. So, I created a series of pre-class quizzes for the students, but most students don’t do them because they are not graded. However, I don’t have time to grade 320 of these each week--- much less the 16 other assessments that the workshop suggested. I’ll just go back to trusting my gut to know how well the students are doing.”

What issues might be contributing to this situation? What is the professor’s definition of assessment? Other than grades, what strategies could motivate the students to participate in assessments? What suggestions do you have for the professor? Have you faced similar challenges? Case: Workshop Woes?

Write a scenario that explains the phenotypic changes in the trees and animals. Use your understanding of evolution by natural selection.

How do we develop rubrics? Describe the goal/objective for the activity, problem, task... Select the assessment tasks aligned with goals Develop performance standards Differentiate levels of responses based on clearly described criteria Rate (assign value) the categories

Scoring Rubric for Quizzes and Homework Ebert-May

Advantages of Scoring Rubrics Improve the reliability of scoring written assignments and oral presentations Convey goals and performance expectations of students in an unambiguous way Convey “grading standards” or “point values” and relate them to performance goals Engage students in critical evaluation of their own performance Save time but spend it well

What are students learning well? What are students learning poorly? How to promote learning by improving instruction, learning activities, assignments, classroom climate What do the instructors need to know?

Coding Student Responses MisconceptionsCorrect Change in the individualChange 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

What are they learning well? What are they learning poorly? Information on how to improve-- not just grades, but feedback. What do the students need to know?

How do we develop rubrics? Describe the goal/objective for the activity, problem, task... Select the assessment tasks aligned with goals Develop performance standards Differentiate levels of responses based on clearly described criteria Rate (assign value) the categories

Scoring Rubric for Quizzes and Homework Ebert-May

Write a scenario that explains the phenotypic changes in the trees and animals. Use your understanding of evolution by natural selection.

Coding Student Responses MisconceptionsCorrect Change in the individualChange 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

Advantages of Scoring Rubrics Improve the reliability of scoring written assignments and oral presentations Convey goals and performance expectations of students in an unambiguous way Convey “grading standards” or “point values” and relate them to performance goals Engage students in critical evaluation of their own performance Save time but spend it well

Do students learn better?

Team at MSU Rett Weber - Plant Biology (postdoctoral researcher) Deb Linton - Plant Biology (postdoctoral researcher) 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]

“...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...