theory tom haffie 3m teaching fellow; learning development coordinator, faculty of science;...

Theory

Theory

Tom Haffie3M Teaching Fellow;Learning DevelopmentCoordinator,Faculty of Science;Lecturer, Biology Dept.

University of Western Ontario, London, ON

Introducing BioLiteracy into Introductory Biology at UWO

Alberta Introductory Biology Association 2010

Ken Meadows, Linda Dunn, Roger Graves, Johnston Miller

Presentation Title Goes in Here

HEQCO

HEQCO


NSSE: National Survey of Student

Engagement

NSSE (CLASSE) “Benchmarks”

1. Level of Academic Challenge2. Active and Collaborative Learning3. Student Interaction with Faculty 4. Enriching Educational Experiences5. Supportive Campus Environment


BioLiteracy Project

Objectives and Overview

• Introduce a tutorial curriculum “intervention”, based on writing-to-learn principles, designed to improve BioLiteracy

• Test the ability of NSSE, CLASSE and other instruments to detect differences


First Year Bio at Western

• two “intake” courses, depending on high school background

• 1800 students

• Full year courses, 2 or 3 lecture hours, alternating lab and tutorial

• Team taught in series


BioLiteracy

Nominal Functional Structural Multi-dimensional

BioLiteracy

(Uno & Bybee, 1994)


The Intervention

Pre-Intervention

Optional tutorials run as “review” sessions by TAs who attended lectures

Intervention

New curriculum of 10 tutorials (best 8 give 5% of grade plus Final Exam question, 5%)Run by TA who facilitates but is not a lecturecontent expert


Tutorial 1 Outcomes

• Identify components of Biological Literacy and explain how they will be addressed in tutorial.

• Reflect on your previous experience of learning biological ideas.

• Write 200 to 400 words of connected prose in response to a prompt (in class).

• Collaborate in a spontaneous semi-structured group to identify common themes in the writing of peers.

• Deliver a brief public oral report (one person per group).

Autobiographical Writing

Tutorial 2 Outcomes

Summarizing and Linking Lectures


Tutorial 3 Outcomes

Scientific Method


Tutorial 4 Outcomes

Explain a Concept to Non-Specialists


Tutorial 5 Outcomes

The Scientific Literature


Tutorial 6 Outcomes

Peer Review and Evaluation of Resources


Tutorial 7 Outcomes

Journal Club: Presentations, Citations and Annotations


Tutorial 8 Outcomes

Plagiarism: Using the Scientific Literature


Tutorial 9 Outcomes

Microthemes and Rubrics


Tutorial 10 Outcomes

Mock Final Exam Case Study


Final Exam Question

Written answer to a Case Study (40 min.) 5% of Final Grade

Graded by faculty and TAs on a 6 point rubric as used in Tutorial

Study Design

DE

08/09

07/08

NSSE

CLASSE+

SkillsYear 2Prep?

Pre-Intervention

Post-Intervention


Pre vs. Post InterventionSignificance at the individual item level . . .


Pre vs. Post Intervention

Principal Components Analysis


Pre vs. Post InterventionPrincipal Components Analysis


Pre vs. Post InterventionNSSE Benchmarks


Literacy Skills Assessment


Preparation for Year 2 Biology


Summary

• NSSE did not detect a pre/post change in the first year Bio class.

• CLASSE did detect an increase in “collaboration”.

• Non-CLASSE questions exposed an improvement in self-reported information literacy skills.

• Skills Assessment revealed an improvement in literacy skills.

• “Preparation for Year 2” survey identified improvement.


Remaining questions . . .

• On-line search skills?• paraphrasing and summarizing skills?

• ongoing enhancement of tutorial curriculum

Discovery Café

• First year students join posted groups (25/)

• Meet weekly with faculty member and peer mentor

• Extracurricular, no agenda, no grades

• Broad outcomes to enhance experience of academic community; improve academic skills, increase awareness of University organization, access to scientific literature etc.


Discovery Café

Hi Tom,

You asked us a couple questions at the cafe wrap up meeting, and now that I’ve had a bit more time to marinate, I think I want to add/edit a few comments for you to share at your conference in Alberta.

In Norm’s group we always encouraged an atmosphere that promoted asking questions, whether it was about the science program at Western, the way governments were structured, the state of our economy and environment, or most of all, what we as students should be learning from all this.


Discovery Café

Additionally, our cafe group promoted getting the most of our undergraduate experience. We talked about Grad school, research possibilities, the student’s summer plans, tips on school life etc. We arranged guided tours of the Biotron, nano-fab lab, avian facility and surface science so that the students could get to know the possibilities at Western better. This connects with the elimination of tunnel vision at University that I talked about at cafe wrap.

Overall, Celina, Norm and I tried to make the students feel welcome; we wanted to make sure that these four years of undergrad would change them in the best ways possible. The students in my café group are so bright, and genuinely keen on learning. Hopefully we made a difference. Phyllis Sin, mentor

Western Conference

Western Conference on Science Education

“Pulling Together”

July 6 - 8, 2011

Dr. Peter Mahaffy, King’s University“Climate Change Education”

Dr. Carl Wieman/Dr. Sarah Gilbert, CWSEI, UBC “Five Year Showcase from CWSEI”

Dr. Brian Alters, Tomlinson Project, McGill“Evolution of evolution education”

Dr. Brent Davis, U of Calgary,“Complexity Science and science education”

theory tom haffie 3m teaching fellow; learning development coordinator, faculty of science;...

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