Pathways to Scientific Teaching

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Pathways to Scientific Teaching
Diane Ebert-May Department of Plant Biology
Michigan State University ebertmay_at_msu.edu http
//first2.org
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The trouble with our times is that the future is
not what it used to be.
-Paul Valery, The Art of Poetry
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Instructional Design

• Engage
• Explore
• Explain
• Assess

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Engage
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Question 1
Please respond on a scale of 1-5 1strongly
agree 2agree 3neutral 4 disagree
5strongly disagree

• Scientific teaching involves active learning
  strategies to engage students in the process of
  science.

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Question 2
Please respond on a scale of 1-5 1strongly
agree 2agree 3neutral 4 disagree
5strongly disagree

• Students learn science best by doing science.

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Question 3
Please respond on a scale if 0-100 in increments
of 10

• How important is it to use multiple kinds of
  data to assess student learning?

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Question 4
Please respond on a scale of 0 - 100 in
increments of 10

• How often do you use data to
• make instructional decisions?

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Question 5
Please respond on a scale of 1-5 1strongly
agree 2agree 3neutral 4 disagree
5strongly disagree
Scientific teaching usually occurs in large
lecture classes in my department.
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Question 6
Please respond on a scale of 1-5 1strongly
agree 2agree 3neutral 4 disagree
5strongly disagree

• In my department, excellence/scholarship in
  teaching is rewarded at a level comparable to
  excellence/scholarship in research.

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Question 1
Please respond on a scale of 1-5 1strongly
agree 2agree 3neutral 4 disagree
5strongly disagree

• Scientific teaching involves active learning
  strategies to engage students in the process of
  science.

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Question 2
Please respond on a scale of 1-5 1strongly
agree 2agree 3neutral 4 disagree
5strongly disagree

• Students learn science best by doing science.

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Question 3
Please respond on a scale if 0-100 in increments
of 10

• How important is it to use multiple kinds of
  data to assess student learning?

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How important is it to use multiple forms of data
to assess student learning?

Relative Importance
n127
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Question 4
Please respond on a scale of 0 - 100 in
increments of 10

• How often do you use data to
• make instructional decisions?

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How often do you use data to make instructional
decisions?

Frequency
n127
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Question 5
Please respond on a scale of 1-5 1strongly
agree 2agree 3neutral 4 disagree
5strongly disagree
Scientific teaching usually occurs in large
lecture classes in my department.
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Large Class Meeting
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Question 6

• In my department, excellence/scholarship in
  teaching is rewarded at a level comparable to
  excellence/scholarship in research.

Please respond on a scale of 1-5 1strongly
agree 2agree 3neutral 4 disagree
5strongly disagree
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Explore
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What is assessment?

• Data collection with the purpose of answering
  questions about
• students understanding
• students attitudes
• students skills
• instructional design and implementation
• curricular reform (at multiple grainsizes)

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Why do assessment?
Video
Improve student learning and development.
Provides students and faculty substantive
feedback about student understanding.
Challenge to use disciplinary research strategies
to assess learning.
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Final Assessment?
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Identify desired outcomes
Determine acceptable evidence
Design learning experiences and instruction
Wiggins and McTighe 1998
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Guidelines for Planning Research

• How do instructors move from assessment to
  designing research on learning?

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Ask Questions

• What did the assessment data suggest about
  student understanding?
• Why didnt students understand critical concepts?
• What has been done already about students
  understanding of these concepts?

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Design Study Collect Data

• How and why will you select the methods?
• What kinds of data will you collect? Direct or
  Self-Report.
• How will you analyze the data?

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Research Designs
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Data collection
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Analyze Data

• How will you analyze the data?
• How could the results influence instruction?

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Analyze data

• Quantitative data - statistical analysis
• Qualitative data
• break into manageable units and define coding
  categories
• search for patterns, quantify
• interpret and synthesize
• Valid and repeatable measures

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Report the Study

• Ideas and results are peer reviewed - formally
  and/or informally.
• Science journals

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Explain
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Model for Learning - System
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Can crop transgenes be kept on a leash? Marvier
and Van Acker (2005)

• Movement of transgenes beyond their intended
  destination - certainty.
• Unlikely that transgenes can be retracted once
  they escape.
• Human error, risk management issues
• Humans and ecosystems at risk from traits that
  escape?

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Turn to your neighbor...

• What questions would you ask to check students
  knowledge and comprehension after they read the
  paper?

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Knowledge and Comprehension Qs

• What is a gene? A transgene?
• What is a trait?
• How does an allele differ from a mutation? A
  transgene?
• How can the genotype of an organism influence the
  phenotype?
• How does sexual reproduction occur in plants?

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Box Model
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Application and Analysis Problem

• Students examine the different types of
  genetically modified crops in paper.
• Select one of the crops and fill in the box model
  - for each box....
• Name of organism on top
• Cellular component involved in gene transfer on
  bottom
• Arrows - connect movement of transgene and
  explain the process.

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Team at MSU

• Janet Batzli - Plant Biology U of Wisconsin
• Doug Luckie - Physiology
• Scott Harrison - Microbiology (grad student)
• Tammy Long - Plant Biology
• Deb Linton - Plant Biology (postdoc)
• Rett Weber - Plant Biology
• Heejun Lim - Chemistry Education
• Duncan Sibley - Geology
• Rob Pennock - Philosophy
• Charles Ofria - Engineering
• Rich Lenski - Microbiolgy
• National Science Foundation

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Question
How do analogous assessment questions help us
determine students prior understanding and
progressive thinking about the carbon cycle?
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Some Common Misconceptions about Photosynthesis
Respiration
Concept 1 Matter disappears during decomposition
of organisms in the soil. Concept 2
Photosynthesis as Energy Photosynthesis provides
energy for uptake of nutrients through roots
which builds biomass. No biomass built through
photosynthesis alone. Concept 3 Thin Air CO2
and O2 are gases therefore, do not have mass and
therefore, can not add or take away mass from an
organism. Concept 4 Plant Altruism CO2 is
converted to O2 in plant leaves so that all
organisms can breathe. Concept 5 All Green
Plants have chloroplasts instead of mitochondria
so they can not respire.
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• Quantitative Data
• Qualitative Data

Design Experiment
Ebert-May et al. 2003 Bioscience
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Instructional Design

• Two class meetings on carbon cycle (160 minutes)
• Active, inquiry-based learning
• Cooperative groups
• Questions, group processing, large lecture
  sections, small discussion sections, multi-week
  laboratory investigation
• Homework problems including web-based modules
• Different faculty for each course
• One graduate/8-10 undergraduate TAs per course

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Experimental Design

• Two introductory courses for majors
• Bio 1 - organismal/population biology (faculty A)
• Bio 2 - cell and molecular biology (faculty B)
• Three cohorts
• Cohort 1 Bio 1 (n141)
• Cohort 2 Bio1/Bio2 (n63)
• Cohort 3 Other/Bio2 (n40)

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Assessment Design

• Multiple iterations/versions of the carbon cycle
  problem
• Pretest, midterm, final with additional formative
  assessments during class
• Administered during instruction
• Semester 1 - pretest, midterm, final exam
• Semester 2 - final exam

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Problem

• Experimental setup
• Weighed out 3 batches of radish seeds each
  weighing 1.5 g.
• Experimental treatments
• 1. Seeds placed on moistened paper towels in
  LIGHT
• 2. Seeds placed on moistened paper towels in DARK
• 3. Seeds not moistened (left DRY) placed in light

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Problem (2)

• After 1 week, all plant material was dried in an
  oven overnight (no water left) and plant biomass
  was measured in grams.
• Predict the biomass of the plant material in the
  various treatments.
• Water, light
• Water, dark
• No water, light

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Results Mass of Radish Seeds/Seedlings
1.46 g 1.63 g 1.20 g
Write an explanation about the results.
Explain the results. Write individually on
carbonless paper.
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Grandma Johnson Problem

• Hypothetical scenario Grandma Johnson had very
  sentimental feelings toward Johnson Canyon, Utah,
  where she and her late husband had honeymooned
  long ago. Her feelings toward this spot were
  such that upon her death she requested to be
  buried under a creosote bush overlooking the
  canyon. Trace the path of a carbon atom from
  Grandma Johnsons remains to where it could
  become part of a coyote. NOTE the coyote will
  not dig up Grandma Johnson and consume any of her
  remains.

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Analysis of Responses

• Used same scoring rubric (coding scheme) for all
  three problems - calibrated by adding additional
  criteria when necessary, rescoring
• Examined two major concepts
• Concept 1 Decomposers respire CO2
• Concept 2 Plants uptake of CO2
• Explanations categorized into two groups
• Organisms (trophic levels)
• Processes (metabolic)

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Coding Scheme
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Cellular Respiration by Decomposers
Correct Student Responses ()
Bio1/Bio2
Other/Bio2
Friedmans, plt0.01
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Pathway of Carbon in Photosynthesis
Correct Student Responses ()
Bio1/Bio2
Other/Bio2
Friedmans, plt0.05
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Another Question
Does active, inquiry-based instructional design
influence students understanding of evolution
and natural selection?
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Alternative Conceptions Natural Selection

• 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 individuals lifetime
  will be inherited by offspring.

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Explain the changes that occurred in the tree and
animal. Use your current understanding of
evolution by natural selection.
(AAAS 1999)
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Misconception individuals evolve new traits
n80 plt.01
of Students
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Misconception evolution is driven by need
n80 plt.01
of Students
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In guppy populations, what are the primary
changes that occur gradually over time?

1. The traits of each individual guppy within a
   population gradually change.
2. The proportions of guppies having different
   traits within a population change.
3. Successful behaviors learned by certain guppies
   are passed on to offspring.
4. Mutations occur to meet the needs of the guppies
   as the environment changes.

Anderson et al 2002
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Posttest Student responses to mc
n171

of Students
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Animal/Tree Posttest Gain in student
understanding of fitness
n80 plt.01
of Students
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Scientific Teaching

• Active participation to learn
• Assessment is evidence
• Diversity is science for all...

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System Model