SoTL and the Use of Cases and PBL

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SoTL and the Use of Cases and PBL

• Presented by
• SCN and the ASM Biology Scholars Program
• May 16, 2013
• SCN PreConference Workshop
• ASMCUE, Denver CO

SCN is funded by NSF RCN-UBE 1062049 
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What is SoTL?

• Scholarly Teaching using research findings to
  made pedagogical decisions
• Also called DBER Discipline Based Educational
  Research

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The SoTL Cycle Research leading to action
Identify Innovation
Design the Study
Develop Action Plan
Gather Data
Interpret Data
Analyze Data
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SoTL on Effectiveness of Cases and PBL

• Many possible variables to look at, e.g.,
• Who is learning
• How the case is being taught
• The content of the case
• The story of the case
• What is being learned

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SoTL Often Uses These Kinds of Methods to Gather
Data
Observations
Surveys
Interviews
Artifact Analysis
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Three Methods to Gather Data

• Make observations
• Unstructured or structured observations
• Ask questions
• Surveys
• Interviews
• Examine and Score Artifacts
• Tests, portfolios, student comments
• Must design scoring guide

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Common SoTL Research Designs

• Quantitative Designs
• Weak One section, only do post test
• Stronger One section, do pre and post tests
• Stronger two sections, one with and one without
  innovation,do pre and post tests
• Qualitative Designs
• case study Collect information about a
  small sample from multiple sources with the aim
  of description.

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Some Keys to Success

• Talk about your design and instruments with SCN
  members or other colleagues.
• Pilot test your instruments
• Keep your data collection focused.
• Try to keep the project reasonable in scope for
  the time you have available.

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To create your own plans answer the questions
below

• From whom are you gathering data?
• More than one class, subgroups?
• When will you gather data?
• First week of classes? After the new thing has
  been introduced? Fall? Spring?
• How will you gather data?
• Questions, artifacts, observations?
• Where will you gather data?
• Classroom, online forum, dropbox survey?

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Human Subjects

• Because you are working with humans, you must
  submit a Human Subjects or IRB application
  according to your institutions procedures.
• This is required if you plan to publish your
  results
• Most projects are Category I - what one might do
  in the normal course of teaching

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Give SoTL a try!Form a group at SCN!Share what
you learn at ASMCUE and SCN!
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The Biology Scholars Program

• Kari Sherwood
• Michele Shuster
• Link to www.BiologyScholars.org

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Some great starter readings

• The Use of Personal Narrative in Classroom Case
  Study Analysis to Improve Long-term Knowledge
  Retention and Cultivate Professional Qualities in
  Allied Health Students (2010) by Linda M. Young
  and Rodney P. Anderson
• http//jmbe.asm.org/index.php/jmbe/article/view/20
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• Its All Their Fault? (2010) by Clyde Freeman
  Herreid
• http//jmbe.asm.org/index.php/jmbe/article/view/13
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• The Use of Interrupted Case Studies to Enhance
  Critical Thinking Skills in Biology (2009) by
  Tracy K. White, et al.
• http//jmbe.asm.org/index.php/jmbe/article/view/96
   

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Structured Observations

• Examples
• Use a class map to keep track of who asks
  questions, answers questions, makes comments.
• Make a list, from a recorded class discussion, of
  the kinds of questions you asked.

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Additional Methods Information
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Methods Unstructured Observations

• Examples
• A journal that an instructor keeps to record
  personal impressions of how a class is going.
• A written remembrance of interactions with one or
  a few students that are being tracked over time.
• A written set of impressions made while watching
  a videotape of a class.

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Methods Questioning with Surveys

• Examples
• A survey of attitudes toward science
• Student ratings of instruction
• May include open-ended questions, e.g., what
  element of this course most helped you to learn?
• May include some content, but if only content,
  its a test and is an artifact of the course.

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Methods Questioning with Interviews

• Advantage over surveys can ask follow-ups, more
  personal contact.
• Examples
• Solve a genetics problem aloud, explaining
  thinking
• A focus group
• Interview of team members in small groups

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Method Examine and Score Artifacts

• Examples of artifacts
• Diagrams of cells before and after instruction
• Wear on computer keys to see which are hit most
• Answers to a test question
• Portfolios
• Term papers
• Case analyses