Spiraling content teaching to mastery through deliberate reintroduction

Spiraling content: teaching to mastery through deliberate re-introduction and reassessment of concepts By Dina Borysenko Milwaukee Area Technical College 1

About me ● ● BS and MS in Chemistry from the National Technical University of Ukraine 8 years of experience in the industry as an R&D chemist 6 years as an Associate Professor at the Alverno College 6 years as a Full-time Chemistry and Biochemistry Instructor at the Milwaukee Area Technical College (plus 4 years as a Part-time in the past) 2

Course Outcome Summary 3

Scenario A A student earns 65% on exam 1 and 85% on exam 2. The average of the two assessments is 75% and student will pass the class. But don’t we need at least 75% for each outcome? 4

How do we ensure each outcome is demonstrated with 75% accuracy? 5

Scenario B A really academically strong student who earns As on every exams, suddenly has an “off” day and gets 75% on exam which brings his/her average down to 85% (B). Should this student be given a chance to redeem themselves? 6

Scenario C A student passessment great, but then later is not able to recall this concept or apply it in a different context. What was the point of taking this class then? 7

Mapping reintroduction and reassessment of concepts: 1. Look at what overarching concepts you can spiral in your curricular and map it out. Decide if you want to teach something to mastery or does exposing students to it is enough? 8

Example of Overarching concept in Biochemistry Exam 1 questions 9 -14 (30 points) Exam 3 questions 10 -15 (29 points) Exam 4 questions 12, 21 -23 (15 points) Interparticle forces (30 pts) Homework #2 Polarity. Interparticle forces (100 pts) 9

2. Decide how you want to assess each outcome (what level of cognition or learning you are trying to assess? What is the best way to assess this specific outcome? ) 3. Think what concepts students consistently struggle with and artificially fit them into the next assessment. 10

Scaffolding vs Spacing vs Spiraling ● In scaffolding difficulty increases each time. In spiraling the same concept is introduced in different context and/or with different teaching techniques to meet the needs of various students. The main purpose is to introduce a concept, move to a new concept, and circle back to the first concept. This spiraling back to ideas allows students to keep moving forward even if a concept is not mastered the first time. ● In spacing you teach concept in increments. 11

Example of traditional map of assessments: Exam 1 Exam 2 Exam 3, etc. Homework 1 Homework 2 Homework 3, etc. Lab 1 Lab 2 Lab 3, etc. Assignment 1 Assignment 2 Assignment 3, etc. Final Grade = (Average for all exams x 65%) + Average for all Labs x 20%) + (Average for all HW and Assignments x 15%) 12