Transcript Upending my Bio 215 Biological Diversity course

Upending my Biological Diversity course
• Started three years ago when Botany and
Zoology were collapsed into one semester.
• Taught a similar course at three schools
…freshmen at the other schools, sophomores at
Brescia.
• Students at Brescia struggle with the course
more than students at my previous schools.
• Performance, especially on lab practicals has
declined rapidly in the three years at Brescia.
• Students seem to be struggling with amount of
content, taxonomy, and specimen recognition.
Background from https://www.virtualmuseum.ca/Exhibitions/Mushroom/Francais/Species/piloboluskleinii.html/, accessed July 17, 2009
Question
• Will an open-ended, learner-centered
approach to a content-laden course
improve student learning and retention of
content?
– Short version: Start the semester with a large
number of specimens, a vocabulary/concept
bank. Work with students to develop
classification schemes for the collection.
Background from, http://uglyoverload.blogspot.com/2007/09/worlds-largest-terrestrial-crustacean.html, accessed July 17, 2009
Why is it interesting?
• For me
– I’ve never been happy with the lecturing.
– Classifications are changing rapidly so I feel less tied
to the taxonomic content.
– Students do not retain terms/concepts and DO NOT
receive passing scores without “help.”
• For others?
– Lots of first-generation and ESL students
– More thorough integration of lecture and lab content
Background from, http://www.esu.edu/~milewski/intro_biol_two/lab_3_seed_plts/Welwit_plant_namibia.htm, accessed July 17, 2009l
Experimental design
• Quantitative
– Use a pre/post lab practical(s) to test for specimen recognition
ability and content.
– Use similar/identical questions from previous years on midterms.
• Qualitative
– Monitor intellectual development with a reflective journal.
– Use “unknown” specimens to test whether students have gained
the skill to apply the cladograms they develop.
– Give some form of an attitude assessment to the 2010 students.
May be able to give an assessment to 2009 students (valid?).
Background from, http://www.lanesville.k12.in.us/lcsyellowpages/Tickit/Carl/giardia01.gif, accessed July 17, 2009