Welcome to the 21st Century: national trends in biology

education

Ann C. SmithOffice of Undergraduate Studies

And Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics

In the US—from elementary school through college—(science education) usually focuses on helping students absorb what scientists have already discovered about the world.

Bruce Alberts, former President of the National Academy of

Sciences 2005

This U.S. approach to education, which by many measures continues at all educational levels today, has been dubbed the "mile-wide, inch-deep" approach to science education,

Students have familiarity with .. a host of concepts, but the depth of their understanding of any given science concept and its connection to broader ideas and principles is extremely limited National Center for Education Statistics, 2004

Among the general public • In Europe we see an overwhelmingly negative to

genetically engineered improvements to agricultural crops—a sentiment that threatens to block the use of this technology to help poor farmers in Africa.

• In the United States, many people susceptible to dogmatic talk-radio hosts who promulgate simplistic solutions to complex problems.

• a growing backlash against vaccination, and • we currently face challenges to the teaching of

evolution in 40 of the 50 states of one of the world’s most developed nations.

Bruce Alberts, Cell 2005

“The world is experiencing a tectonic economic shift in which an increasing number of jobs require some understanding of science and technology”

Dr. Arden L. Bement, Jr., Director, National Science Foundation, 2006

• The number of engineering degrees awarded in the US is down 20% from 1985

• The US ranks 32nd out of 90 countries in undergraduate natural science and engineering degree production rate

Of the 20 fastest growing occupations projected for 2014, 15 require significant math and science preparation

NSTA 2006

Significant numbers of students routinely switch out of an intended science major at some point in their first two undergraduate years.

Seymour et al., 1997

Research in learning and teaching makes it clear that lecturing promotes passive learning, and passive learning is not the most effective way to learn.

National Research Council 2003

Students should appreciate that science is a way in which to understand

and be awed by the world around them.

Linda Froschauer, NSTA President

We should try to make students understand why it is crucial that any scientific result be confirmed by other scientists, and why a scientist can never be sure that he or she has the final answer about anything.

Thomas Cech, President, Howard Hughes Medical Institute Donald Kennedy, Editor-in-Chief of Science 2005

Knowing the facts and doing well on tests of knowledge does not mean that (students) understand.

Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe (1998)

knowledge of the chemical reactions of the Krebs cycle does not mean we understand the relationship between the chemical reactions of cellular respiration and an organism's need to harvest energy from food.

Is it important to cover "everything" if the students are not learning anything??

Growing amount of evidence that the traditional approach to teaching - lecturing is relatively ineffective pedagogical tool for promoting conceptual understanding.

Rather learners at all levels gain meaningful understanding of concepts primarily through active engagement with application of new information.

not by passive listening to verbal presentations

National Research Council

It is an explicit shift in the goals of science teaching

• from students simply creating a knowledge base of scientific facts

• to students developing deeper understandings of major concepts within a scientific discipline.

Cell Biol Educ 4(2): 112-117 2005 Tanner and Allen

Scientific Teaching

Researchers take pride in thinking scientifically. gather data, formulate hypotheses, and suspect

our own conclusions enough to test them rigorously.

When scientists step out of the lab into the classroom, they can apply these same principles: finding out what their students already know, reworking their methods to enhance understanding, and applying technology to support those efforts.

Handelsman et al Science 2005

Science and Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) are committed, each in their own ways, to revitalizing science education. Therefore, we are pleased to collaborate and bring the readers of Science innovative educational ideas in each month of 2006.*

Transition

• From lecture centered instruction to student centered instruction

• Sage on the stage to guide on the side• From cover to uncover• From Passive learning to Active learning• Recognition of students prior knowledge

vs students as empty vessels to be filled• Goal of deep and meaningful learning vs

broad exposure.

Active Learning

• Problem Based or Case Study Learning– The Science Teacher : Nov-06

• Collaborative Learning: students working in groups

• Authentic Assessments • Discussion• Use of technology: Learning Management

Systems, Clicker• Increased feedback to students: Graduate TA’s

and Undergraduate TA’s

Examples at UM

Recently College Board reviewed courses for examples of how to teach science with the goal of revamping the curriculum of AP courses.

UM courses:

• General Microbiology

• Fundamentals of Physics 1

• Fundamentals of Physics 2

Dr Joe Redish and Dr Don Langenberg

Examples at UM

General Microbiology BSCI223• Case studies• Discussions in lecture (think/pair/share) and

clickers• Discussions in lab and on-line • Authentic assessments – e-poster, role play as

scientific consultants• Involvement of UTA’s and GTA’s• Use of Technology to engage students 24/7

Transition to Active Learning

http://www.cellbioed.org/article.cfm?ArticleID=150

Lecture

Lab

Peer Led Team Learning

Just in Time Teaching

Think Pair Share

Inquiry labs

Problem based learning

Solve problems

Address complex issues

Research

Discuss

Present

Receive Feedback

Proven methods of active learning

Case studies

Scientific Research Process

The tradition course is transformed to anActive Learning Course Format

Lecture

Lab

On-line

Active Learning

Research Skills

The ALCF allowed a shift in course emphasis to active learning. Case studies are the pedagogical link

Module 1

Module 2

Module 3

Lectures Labs Case study Assignment

ELVIS space probeMicrobes from another planet?

ELVIS Sample AnalysisTeams perform Lab work, present data in online poster session

A Farmer’s DilemmaPlant transgenic corn?

Wanda’s WoesStreptococcal infections

3 Major Issues ~transgenic cornOn-line discussion and group report

Food-borne disease outbreakLab analysis and oral presentation

1-11

12-20

21-28

1-7

8-12

13-14

PAKs

1.11.21.31.4

2.12.22.3

3.13.23.3

Content: Microbial structure/function, metabolism, diversity, ecology

Content: Bacterial Genetics, Viruses, Biotechnology

Content: Host-Pathogen interactions, Epidemiology, Immunology, Applications

In survey of active learning prior to changes, BSCI 223 scored like other life sciences lab courses After changes BSCI 223 scored significantly higher in response to two questions:

• "To what extent has this course helped you understand the method of study or observation, collection, and analysis of data characteristic of this field?" BSCI 223 scored 11.26% higher

• "To what extent has this course given you opportunities to participate actively in the learning process through discussions, small group work, laboratories, etc.?"

BSCI 223 scored 12.63% higher.

“I could pay attention more in class and not worry so much about writing” “printing our own lecture notes and lab manual allowed us to save money”

10Other: Visual Aids, Lecture ppt

“The practice quizzes were really helpful before the lab practical, because WebCTgraded the quizzes immediately so we could study the correct material”

103Review lab work w/ review quizzes

It was convenient way to contact TA’s” “..Responses from course instructors were very prompt” “ Iliked how the web was used for the interactive discussion with my peers”

144Communicate w/ students and teaching team

“I liked the quick time it took to submit answers from home.” “..Better than turning in home work on a sheet of paper.” “ I liked being able to save answers and come back later to the task”

151Submit answers to case study problems

“..I could access this wonderful resource 24/7”.” I liked how we are able to check our grades online so we know our progress. Also I like how assignment directions were on line so it was easily accessible by all”

241Easy access to course materials

Examples of Student Responses#TABLE 1What did you like re WebCT

“I could pay attention more in class and not worry so much about writing” “printing our own lecture notes and lab manual allowed us to save money”

10Other: Visual Aids, Lecture ppt

“The practice quizzes were really helpful before the lab practical, because WebCTgraded the quizzes immediately so we could study the correct material”

103Review lab work w/ review quizzes

It was convenient way to contact TA’s” “..Responses from course instructors were very prompt” “ Iliked how the web was used for the interactive discussion with my peers”

144Communicate w/ students and teaching team

“I liked the quick time it took to submit answers from home.” “..Better than turning in home work on a sheet of paper.” “ I liked being able to save answers and come back later to the task”

151Submit answers to case study problems

“..I could access this wonderful resource 24/7”.” I liked how we are able to check our grades online so we know our progress. Also I like how assignment directions were on line so it was easily accessible by all”

241Easy access to course materials

Examples of Student Responses#TABLE 1What did you like re WebCT

Active Learning Course Format for Large Enrollment Courses

Smith, A.C., Stewart, R., Shields, P., Hayes-Klosteridis, J., Robinson, P., and Yuan, R. (2005). Introductory biology courses: a framework to support active learning in large enrollment introductory science courses. Cell Biol. Educ. 4, 143–156.

http://www.lifescied.org/cgi/content/full/4/2/143

The lack of goals and assessment have led to the common acceptance of the lecture format because after all, "the current methods have "worked' for decades.

National Research Council, 2003

Like our students, we must allow ourselves to undergo conceptual change based on evidence for the greater learning effectiveness of active engagement.

We can't expect students to learn how to think scientifically when we don't apply the scientific method to our pedagogy

Authentic Assessment

• Are you measuring the student's progress in developing thinking skills that will be expected in the workplace? Are you measuring a student’s progress in situations that approximate how scientists do their work?

Large Lecture Developmental Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO

• Compared traditional lecture presentation of material (Fall 03 ) to Active Learning Class (Spring 04, Spring 05– Clickers, in-class quizzes – Discussion and collaborative problem solving

facilitated by undergraduate learning assistants

Comparison of normalized learning gains (% of possible maximum) in 10% increments on 12 common pretest and posttest questions for students in one traditional (F'03) and two interactive (S'04, S'05) classes. Normalized learning gains were computed as in Figure 2.