Teaching for Understanding in Science Active Learning and
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Teaching for Understanding in Science: Active Learning and Assessment Case Study Teaching in Science University at Buffalo, SUNY 25 -26 September 2009 Diane Ebert-May Plant Biology Department Michigan State University ebertmay@msu. edu
Area of your inquiry Name Folders One positive word your friends would use to describe you? Chapter 1: Ebert-May and Hodder (2008) Pathways to Scientific Teaching Comfort food
The Learning Pyramid (National Training Laboratories, Bethel, ME) Average Retention Rate Lecture 5% Reading 10% Audio-Visual 20% Demonstration 30% Discussion 50% Practice by doing 75% Teach/Use 90%
Backward Design Identify desired outcomes Determine acceptable evidence Design learning experiences and instruction Wiggins and Mc. Tighe 2005
Assessments are KEY: Link them to Goals articulated with outcomes that are measurable or observable (actions). Identify desired outcomes ASSESSMENT Determine acceptable evidence Design learning experiences and instruction
What is assessment? Data collected to inform instructor and student about learning • Quantitative and qualitative • Formative and summative • Formal and informal
Examples of assessment tools • • Quizzes and exams Homework assignments Written papers/ reports Oral presentations In-class activities Surveys Observations Interviews
Assessment Gradient lt u ic t n e m ff i D Oral Interview High Essays, s Research papers, Potential for s A Assessment of f reports o Learning e s Ea Models, Concept maps, Quantitative responses sy a E Short answer Multiple Choice, T/F Low
Attributes of Meaningful Assessment § Engages students in their learning § Relevant and aligned with learning goals § Elicits prior knowledge and misconceptions § Teaches students to evaluate what they know (and what they don’t know) § Provides feedback about learning to instructor and students
Radish Problem Experimental setup: Weighed out 3 batches of radish seeds each weighing 1. 5 g. Experimental treatments: 1. 2. 3. 4. Seeds placed on DRY paper towels in LIGHT Seeds placed on DRY paper towels in DARK Seeds placed on WET paper towels in LIGHT Seeds placed on WET paper towels in DARK in Ebert-May D, Batzli J, Lim H. 2003. Bioscience 53: 1221 -1228.
Problem (cont) After 1 week, all plant material was dried in an overnight (no water left) and plant biomass was measured in grams. Note: radishes produce biomass in a week. Predict the biomass of the plant material in the various treatments. No water, dark No water, light Water dark
Results- Biomass of Radish 1. 46 g 1. 63 g 1. 20 g Write an explanation about the results. Think individually. Explain the results to your neighbor. Describe the results on your carbonless paper
Task: in Pairs Develop a learning objective to use with for the Radish problem. Report out: Selected individuals from any pair.
Our findings indicate • Faculty create syllabi for comprehension and higher-level cognition (application, analysis, synthesis & evaluation), but test for knowledge • Further, introductory biology courses are not meeting the learning goals set forth by their institutions • Faculty are not preparing students for upperlevel courses, graduate & professional school & careers in biology.
But… • Introductory classes and AP should focus on lower-level cognition (facts first!). – No evidence to support this claim (Zheng et al 2008). – Data indicate students need practice and iteration (Krathwohl et al 1964). – Students succeed when they know what’s expected of them (Crowe et al 2008). • Introductory classes are large. Multiplechoice questions are the only feasible assessment.
Bio. Sci 110: Case Study Final Exam We briefly detailed: 1. The wolves – and the vertebrae deformity 2. The moose 3. The project We then asked questions on the genetics, ecology & evolution of the moose and wolf community. The wolves of Isle Royale is an island in Lake Superior located off the northern shore of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Very rarely, freezing creates ice bridges connecting islands to the main land. In 1950, several wolves crossed an ice bridge from Canada to Isle Royale, Michigan. Their arrival changed the lives of the resident moose forever (no wolves lived on Isle Royale before 1950).
Jigsaw Count of 1, 2, 3…. . 7 Write a learning goal / objective for each question. Design the active learning activity to help students achieve the objectives.
What is a scientific model?
Cnidarian life cycle
How do you describe a model? S B F
Models have: 1. Structure 2. Behaviors 3. Function
Teaching and learning through models A box-and-arrow model has a FUNCTION, emerging from its elements (STRUCTURES) and the relationships among them (BEHAVIORS). Behavior 3 Structure 1 Behavior 1 Structure 2 Function Behavior 2 Structure 3
Teaching and learning through models A box-and-arrow model has a FUNCTION, emerging from its elements (STRUCTURES) and the relationships among them (BEHAVIORS). On Isle Royale, the remains of a dead wolf were buried under the litter in a forest. Create a model (drawing, or box-and-arrow) to explain how a carbon atom from the body of the wolf could become part of a cell in a moose. Note: moose do not eat wolves, dead or alive.
Toulmin’s Model of Argumentation (simplified) Toulmin, SE. 1958. The Uses of Argument. Evidence Claim (data or facts) Warrant (links evidence to claim)
Toulmin’s Model of Argumentation (simplified) Toulmin, SE. 1958. The Uses of Argument. Evidence Claim Non-tenured faculty RTOP scores are higher than tenured faculty Younger faculty are more likely to change their classroom practice following PD Stepwise regression shows significant difference between the 2 groups Warrant
What is a scientific argument? CLAIM: - How do you know?
What is a scientific argument? CLAIM: - How do you know? EVIDENCE: - How can you explain?
What is a scientific argument? CLAIM: How do you know? EVIDENCE: How can you explain? WARRANT/BACKING:
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