Anatomy of a Module: Using LON-CAPA in Biology

Jim Smith

HHMI Core Group

Michigan State University

East Lansing, MI

The Overall Goal(s) of HHMI/LON-CAPA

• Create online learning modules– Supplement traditional presentation

• Rationale– "What should I do to study this stuff?"

• Module design– based on educational principles– use instructional technology to its best

advantage

Content Creation Driven by Educational Principles

• What’s the Big Idea?• Use of Multiple Representations• Use of Interleaved Questions of High

Quality

What’s the Big Idea?

• Our Goal is Conceptual Understanding– Deeper and better integrated than what one gains by

presentation of facts and memorization of terms

• Our modules attempt to focus on “Big Ideas”– De-emphasis on facts and terms

• Wandersee JH (2001) High School Biology Instruction: Targeting Deeper Understanding for Biological Literacy, Subject-Specific Instructional Methods and Activities 8: 187-214.

What is a Big Idea in Biology?

• Compare and Contrast Mitotic and Meiotic Cell Division Cycles

– A Mitotic Cell Division leads to the production of daughter cells that are identical to the original cell; all have the same number of chromosomes.

– A Meiotic Cell Division leads to the production of daughter cells that are not identical to the original cell; the daughter cells have half the number of chromosomes found in the original cell.

Use of Multiple Representations

• Content “Experts” move fluidly between alternative representations

• Able to use representations as cues to bring up other ideas

• “Novices” are constrained to the surface – Physics (Acceleration Diagram)– Biology (Punnett Square)

• Kozma RB (2000) The Use of Multiple Representations and the Social Construction of Understanding in Chemistry, pp. 11-46 in: Innovations in Science and Mathematics Education: Advanced Designs for Technologies in Learning (ML Jacobson & RB Kozma, Eds.), Lawrence Erlbaum, London.

Use of Interleaved Questions of High Quality

• Question pages interspersed with content pages– Questions appear immediately after the

introduction of a concept– Most LON-CAPA users put questions at “the

end of the chapter”

Use of Interleaved Questions of High Quality• High Quality as judged by Bloom’s Taxonomy

of Educational Objectives– Type I -

• Recall Questions

– Type II/III - • Comprehension• Application/Interpretation

• Bloom BS, Engelhart MD, et al. (1956) Taxonomy of Educational Objectives: The Classification of Educational Goals, David McKay Co., New York.

Use of Interleaved Questions of High Quality

• In 14 modules, we have 58% Type II/III questions– Range from 0 - 100% within modules

• Campbell’s “Biology” has < 5% Type II/III questions– Analysis of End-of-Chapter Questions and Questions on

the Accompanying Student CD

Use of Interleaved Questions of High Quality

Module Question Pages (%) Type I Type II/III

Genetics I 15/32 (47%) 8 7

Genetics II 20/37 (54%) 2 18

Genetics III 9/16 (56%) 1 8

Genetics IV 17/21 (81%) 2 15

• Instructor, 2 Graduate TAs, 6 undergraduate TAs for 140 students• Lecture - two per week (TTh), 80 min.

– as active as possible– Lecture notes available online before class

• Recitation/Lab - 3 h per week– 6 sections of 24 each staffed by one grad TA and two UGTAs– multi-week investigations

• Honors Option• Textbook - Freeman's "Biological Science" • Lab Book - Self-produced (coursepack)• External Readings - 8-10 readings throughout the term (coursepack)• Exams and Lab Quizzes

– 50% extended responses• Group Lab Write-ups (Poster, Paper, Web Site) • Written Homework based on Readings• Minute Papers in class• LON-CAPA Study Guides

Components of LBS144 F02

LBS144 students thought that the HHMI modules helped them learn!

LBS144 F02 Evaluation

0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3

How Pieces Fit Together

Pace of Work

Class Meeting Presentations

Discussions in Class

Group Work in Class

Minute Papers

Picture-of-the-Week

Guest Lectures/Presentations

Review Sessions

# and Timing of Exams

Content of Exams

Mental Stretch

Feedback on Work

Fairness of Evaluation Scale

Bee Behavior HW

LON-CAPA

Hearts HW

Classnotes Online

Textbook

Objectives and Study Q's

Readings (Add'l)

Instructor Contact

TA Contact

Group Work Outside of Class

The Way the Course was Taught

Student Ranking

Enjoyment

Learning

Acknowledgments• Howard Hughes Medical

Institute (HHMI)• LITE Lab• HHMI Core Group at MSU

– Estelle McGroarty– John Merrill– Merle Heideman– Joyce Parker– Randy Russell– David Kirschtel– Janet Batzli

– Scott Harrison– Lissa Anderson– Marlene Cameron– Jiatyan Chen– Tammy Long– Heejun Lin– Mark Olson