moving from assessment to research

Moving from Assessment to Research

Objectives:1. ID everyone by name.2. Engage in a jigsaw to achieve shared interpretation of four papers.3. Identify a research question, research design and predicted outcome from your teachable unit. 4. Discuss the ethical considerations of research.

Articles derived from journal papers

Active learning leads to Qs...

Learning Objective

Students will demonstrate understanding of evolution by natural selection.

Questions we asked...What are the learning challenges for students?

Why are students challenged with this topic?

What do we know?

What do we need to know?

•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.

Anderson et al 2002.

Alternative Conceptions: Natural Selection

(AAAS 1999)

Dino/Tree extended responseExplain the changes that occurred in the tree and animal. Use your current understanding of evolution by natural selection.

• Individual AssignmentMake a new concept map demonstrating your understanding of natural selection using the following concepts.

genetic variation evolution species population natural selection artificial selection selective agent

Concept Map 4

• Individual AssignmentAdd the following terms to concept map 4.

biotic factorsabiotic factorsfitnesstraitmutationreproductionmeiosisallele frequencyvariationselection pressureadaptation

Concept Map 5

Research Question: Do concept maps facilitate students’

learning about evolution?

• Initial hypothesis: Learning gains are higher for students who use C-maps than for students who do not use C-maps.

• What is wrong with that hypothesis from a research design perspective?

• Discuss in groups. One reporter from each group.

Research Question: Do concept maps facilitate students’

learning about evolution?

Revised hypothesis: Learning gains are higher for students who use C-maps than students who write multiple representations for the same concepts.

Multiple Representations (MR)Developed by Duncan Sibley (MSU)

Who gets treatment?

Ethical issues?

Problem with ‘controls’

Pretest

In-class Active Learning

Concept MapNo Map

Essay and MC Assessment (midterm and final exams)

Controlled Experiment

Assessment Timeline

Design Experiment

What is the problem with this design?

Pretest

In-class Active Learning

Concept MapMRs

Essay and MC Assessment (midterm and final exams)

Question: Final Design

Pretest

In-class Active Learning

Concept Map MRs

Pretest

In-class Active Learning

Concept MapMRs

Con

cep

t 1

Cla

ss 1

Con

cep

t 2

Cla

ss 2

Essay and MC Assessment (midterm and final exams)

Class of 200 students randomly assigned to 2

treatment groups (n=60)

Students alternate between MRs and

concept maps

Possible Significant Results

Concept Map

MR%

Corr

ect

Concept Map

MR

% C

orr

ect

Treatment p < 0.05 CMap higher than MR

Interaction p<0.05 effect of treatment depends upon topic

EvolutionEcosystem services

Trial p < 0.05 Evolution higher than Ecosystem Services

EvolutionEcosystem services

No Significant Difference

p treatment = 0.95 (CMap vs MR) p trial = 0.65 (Evolution vs Ecosystem services)

p interaction = 0.58

Your Group’s Job

Record on a large flip chart:Time 15 minutes - Group report out.

1. Use the learning objective and assessments from your teachable unit/tidbit.2. Develop a research question or hypothesis to test.3. Illustrate the research design.4. Draw or represent one predicted outcome.

“...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...