1. Innovative approaches to teaching in a large lecture classroom Rachel Teasdale, California State University, Chico 120-150 non-science majors GE Intro to Physical Geology “lecture” section (with labs taught by TA) Large(ish) lecture hall VEPP:Tuesday 8:30 - 9:00 AM http://blog.nj.com/njv_guest_blog/2009/07/large_lecture-hall.jpg

2. WHITE BOARD/SCREEN Can we do interactive activities with a big group? How? Turn them into a bunch of small groups 21 98 16 15 23 22 2120 2827 76 1413 19 26 5 12 18 25 4 11 17 24 3 10 Front Bench Questions to/from me  questions for pods to address & report back

3. Pod Activities – My Teaching Goals Goal: One interactive activity each class period Reality: Pretty much, but not all are clever:

4. Daily: Questions embedded in lecture for students to answer individually and with pod members = ConcepTest Example: Where is the best place to build your dream home? a) b) WHY??? Give the name of the river structures at locations a, b, c a b c Pod Activities – My Teaching Goals Goal: One interactive activity each class period “Think – Pair – Share” format

5. Response Systems (clickers) some people love them not me. - Expensive and no uniformity at Chico State - Time consuming logistically (daily) - Lost/forgotten clickers, etc. etc. etc. Pod Activities- My Teaching Goals Goal: One interactive activity each class period Goal: Response/feedback from students each class

6. Pod Activities- My Teaching Goals Goal: One interactive activity each class period Goal: Response/feedback from students each class My Response System- Foot stomping for multiple choice audible for formative evaluation nearly anonymous response kinetic activity students record responses (MC) on ¼ page scrap paper provided participation recorded = participation grade responses sometimes graded = participation grade Response Systems (clickers) some people love them not me. - Expensive and no uniformity at Chico State - Time consuming logistically (daily) - Lost/forgotten clickers

7. Reality: Map of 1) Northern California Pod Activities- My Teaching Goals Goal: One interactive activity each class period Goal: Response/feedback from students each class Goal: Incorporate local geology (place based learning) Day 1: Locate Chico, hometown, Important geologic features Add on (?) Writing assignment about Geologic feature near hometown For large classes: -staggered due dates -rubric for grading

8. Reality: Map of 1) Northern California & 2) Western North America Pod Activities- My Teaching Goals Goal: One interactive activity each class period Goal: Written response/feedback from students each class Goal: Incorporate local geology (place based learning) Coast Lines Accretionary Terrains Structural Geology (Basin & Range, SAF)

9. (After answering MC question): IN YOUR PODS, Find location of Sacramento River on map of Northern California. Where are headwaters, where does it drain to? Pod Activities- My Teaching Goals Goal: One interactive activity each class period Goal: Written response/feedback from students each class Goal: Incorporate local geology (place based learning) Reality: Map of 1) Northern California How does Sacramento River play into politics of northern California? a b c

10. e.g. Following lecture of global air circulation & currents, show maps of continents for students to predict long term weather trends & make connections to ecoregions Pod Activities- My Teaching Goals Goal: One interactive activity each class period Goal: Written response/feedback from students each class Goal: Incorporate local geology (place based learning)

11. After answering MC question, What circulation systems affect Northern California? How? Pod Activities- My Teaching Goals Goal: One interactive activity each class period Goal: Written response/feedback from students each class Goal: Incorporate local geology (place based learning) Reality: Map of 1) Northern California and 2) Western North America

12. Pod Activities Goal: One interactive activity each class period Goal: Written response/feedback from students each class Goal: Incorporate local geology (place based learning) Goal: Use of data and scientific collaboration and Goal: Convey how science works Example: Tectonics Jigsaw Activity- Dale Sawyer (on SERC) My take on the activity: Each pod assumes the role of a specialist - seismic data - volcanology - topography/bathymetry - geochronology Discuss trends of data WHITE BOARD/SCREEN 21 98 16 15 23 22 2120 2827 76 1413 19 26 5 12 18 25 4 11 17 24 3 10

13. Pod Activities Goal: One interactive activity each class period Goal: Written response/feedback from students each class Goal: Incorporate local geology (place based learning) Goal: Use of data and scientific collaboration and Goal: Convey how science works Example: Tectonics Jigsaw Activity- Dale Sawyer (on SERC) Class reconfigures to one specialist per group, discusses data trends, how it can be explained (e.g., via plate tectonics) WHITE BOARD/SCREEN 21 98 16 15 23 22 2120 2827 76 1413 19 26 5 12 18 25 4 11 17 24 3 10 My take on the activity: Each pod assumes the role of a specialist - seismic data - volcanology - topography/bathymetry - geochronology Discuss trends of data

14. Pod Activities Goal: One interactive activity each class period Goal: Written response/feedback from students each class Goal: Incorporate local geology (place based learning) Goal: Use of data and scientific collaboration and Goal: Convey how science works With pods, each pod assumes the role of a specialist in: - tilt- GPS data- seismic data- gravity- Webcam Pods discuss their data Reconfigures to one specialist per group discuss data trends, what it collectively means, form interpretation 2007 Father’s Day event data interpretations can be compared with reality WHITE BOARD/SCREEN 21 98 16 15 23 22 2120 2827 76 1413 19 26 5 12 18 25 4 11 17 24 3 10 Example: Monday Morning Meeting Activity by Mike Poland, USGS

15. Other ideas: Mauna Loa CO 2 measurements from 2003-2009, plot date vs. CO 2 for segments of data on pre-printed overheads that collectively stack to make full data set Pod Activities Goal: One interactive activity each class period Goal: Written response/feedback from students each class Goal: Incorporate local geology (place based learning) Goal: Use of data and scientific collaboration and Goal: Convey how science works Goal: Use of quantitative data Example: Climate change indicators Each pod assumes the role of a specialist in: - ice core data- coastline indicators- CO 2 concentrations - tree ring data - glacier lengths

16. Think Pair Share Pod Activities Goal: One interactive activity each class period Goal: Written response/feedback from students each class Goal: Incorporate local geology (place based learning) Goal: Use of data and scientific collaboration and Goal: Convey how science works Example: Climate change indicators Each pod assumes the role of a specialist in: - ice core data- coastline indicators- CO 2 concentrations - tree ring data - glacier lengths

17. Los Angeles482 ft San Francisco60 ft Sacramento52 ft Chico256 ft Seattle0 – 100 ft Death Valley (Bad Water) -279 ft After calculating that with 100% glacial melt = 79.78 m (= 261.7 ft) SL rise 10% glacial melt = 7.9 m (= 25.9 ft) Pod Activities Goal: One interactive activity each class period Goal: Written response/feedback from students each class Goal: Incorporate local geology (place based learning) Goal: Use of data and scientific collaboration and Goal: Convey how science works Goal: Use of quantitative data

18. WHITE BOARD/SCREEN 21 98 16 15 23 22 2120 2827 76 1413 19 26 5 12 18 25 4 11 17 24 3 10 Modified Gallery Walk: Activity: e.g. ID cleavage on minerals: Calcite, Halite, Quartz, Pyroxene, Amphibole Gallery Walk for small groups: Students look at minerals, provide answers, put answers in envelope, pass envelope to next group, last group compiles all answers

19. Other Activities I don’t personally use Geologic Timescale (or other linear feature- earth’s layers, solar system distances etc) around the classroom, students identify locations of significant events/locations Isotope Decay & Half-Lives- each student flips a coin, head’s sit down (daughters) each time to see parent decay

20. Formal Assessment- exams and in class/hw assignments Exams: Same format as class activities multiple choice questions + short answer questions both practiced during class, individually & with pod 1 st day of exam is MC + short answer worth ¾ or 2/3 of exam score taken as individuals 2 nd day of exam is option, in pods MC only worth ¼ or 1/3 of exam score Results 2 nd day of exam scores = avg score increases by ~7 points Max scores go up 1-2 points, or go down as much as 4 points!

21. Formal Assessment- exams and in class/hw assignments Exams: Same format as class activities Other Exam Formats- 2 nd day entire exam in pods (MC + short answer) essays take home scratch off

22. Other Assessment Techniques: Pod presentations: pod members turn in outline with individual responsibilities for grading Term notebook evaluation with all activities & reflections from whole semester or specified time period Written assignments (staggered due dates?) Exam reviews they prepare (with exam questions that may appear on exam)

23. Assessment Tools (from: http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/assess/types.html ) http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/assess/types.html Concept MapsConcept Maps - http://serc.carleton.edu/introgeo/assessment/conceptmaps.htmlhttp://serc.carleton.edu/introgeo/assessment/conceptmaps.html A diagramming technique visual representations of linkages/connections between a major concept and other knowledge students have learned http://serc.carleton.edu/images/NAGTWorkshops/assess/earth_as_a_syst.jpg

24. Concept Map: Earth as a System http://serc.carleton.edu/images/NAGTWorkshops/assess/earth_as_a_syst.jpg

25. Assessment Tools (from: http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/assess/types.html ) http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/assess/types.html Concept MapsConcept Maps - http://serc.carleton.edu/introgeo/assessment/conceptmaps.htmlhttp://serc.carleton.edu/introgeo/assessment/conceptmaps.html A diagramming technique visual representations of linkages/connections between a major concept and other knowledge students have learned Example: Concept Map of characterizing activity of volcanoes- group work- pods generate a concept map as a preliminary activity Individuals use concept map as exam review, collected day of exam. Volcanoes types Tectonic environments Social impacts Monitoring Gas GPS Gravity Deformation

26. Other ideas from you! WHITE BOARD/SCREEN 21 98 16 15 23 22 2120 2827 76 1413 19 26 5 12 18 25 4 11 17 24 3 10