Title: Scientific Teaching 28 September 2004
 1Scientific Teaching28 September 2004
Diane Ebert-May Department of Plant Biology 
 Michigan State University ebertmay_at_msu.edu http
//first2.org 
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 3The trouble with our times is that the future is 
not what it used to be. 
-Paul Valery, The Art of Poetry 
 4Question 1
Please respond on a scale of 1-5 1strongly 
agree 2agree 3neutral 4 disagree 
5strongly disagree
-  Students learn science best by doing science.
 
  5Question 2
Please respond on a scale of 1-5 1strongly 
agree 2agree 3neutral 4 disagree 
5strongly disagree
-  Science should be taught as it is practiced.
 
  6Question 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? 
  7Question 4
Please respond on a scale of 0 - 100 in 
increments of 10
- How often do you use data to make instructional 
decisions?  
  8Question 5
Please respond on a scale of 1-5 1strongly 
agree 2agree 3neutral 4 disagree 
5strongly disagree
-  Large lectures are active learning environments. 
 
  9Question 6
Where on the continuum is the ideal classroom ?
Active Learning 
 10Question 7 
- Where on the continuum is your classroom?
 
Active Learning 
 11Question 8
Please respond 0-1, 2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9
-  How many different forms of active learning do 
you use/or have you experienced in your courses? 
  12Question 1
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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 18Question 2
Please respond on a scale of 1-5 1strongly 
agree 2agree 3neutral 4 disagree 
5strongly disagree
-  Science should be taught as it is practiced.
 
  19Learners doing science... 
 20Question 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? 
  21How important is it to use multiple forms of data 
to assess student learning?
Relative Importance
n127 
 22Question 4
Please respond on a scale of 0 - 100 in 
increments of 10
- How often do you use data to make instructional 
decisions?  
  23How often do you use data to make instructional 
decisions?
Frequency
n127 
 24So just what is active learning? 
 25Cooperative Groups
- 4 students per group 
 - Person A, B, C, D in each group 
 - First - read problem/think about task 
individually  - Discuss in your group, come to consensus and 
proceed 
  26Learning Cycle
- Engage 
 - Explore 
 - Explain 
 - Assess
 
  27EngageWhats up with Termites?
- 1. On a sheet of paper, draw two circles near 
each other on the center of the page.  - 2. Release termites onto paper. 
 - 3. Keep creatures safe. I will collect them in 
their original habitat.  - 4. What do you observe about termite behavior? 
 - 5. Develop a question your group could explore if 
you had more time. 
  281. Develop 3 possible goals/objectives for this 
inquiry
2. Develop an assessment appropriate for each of 
the goals/objectives.
- Team Written response. Overhead. 
 - Reporter - 
 - Recorder - 
 - Timekeeper - (10 minutes) 
 - Checker - 
 
  29Question 9 
- True or False? 
 - Assessing student learning in science parallels 
what scientists do as researchers. 
  30Parallel ask questions
- Description 
 - -What is happening? 
 - Cause 
 - -Does x (teaching strategy) affect y 
(understanding)?  - Process or mechanism 
 - -Why or how does x cause y?
 
  31Parallel collect data
- We collect data to find out what our students 
know.  - Data helps us understand student thinking about 
concepts and content.  - We use data to guide decisions about 
course/curriculum/innovative instruction 
  32Parallel 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
 
  33Parallel peer review
- Ideas and results are peer reviewed - formally 
and/or informally. 
  34System Model