At the end of my physics course, a
biology student should be able to….
Michelle Smith
University of Maine
School of Biology and Ecology
Maine Center for Research in STEM Education
My Experience with Physics
Me in college:
-Biology major
-Hoping to go to grad school in molecular biology
-Good grades in high school science classes including
physics
Physics 100
Preparation for Exam 1:
-Reworked sample problems over and over
-Memorized equations
-Studied for HOURS!
C+
What Do I Remember about
Physics 100?
Bulb
#1
battery
Bulb
#2
Bulb
#3
Learned how to systematically
approach problems
Outcomes Should Drive
Assessment & Instruction
Where
are you
going
to?
Where
are you
at?
“Backwards design”
At the End of this Workshop
• You will be able to:
-Explain the purpose of learning goals
and objectives to your colleagues
-Develop learning objectives for Introductory
Physics for the Life Sciences
-Characterize learning goals using Bloom’s
taxonomy
Learning Goals
• Definition: What students should be able to do after completing a
course
• Requirement: Must be measurable
 assessment and goals tightly linked
 Your goals should reflect what you value in student
learning
Learning Goals are Different from a
Syllabus
Syllabus/ Topic List
• Material covered (and time
spent)
Learning goals:
Outcome and student oriented:
• Identifies what students will be
able to do as a result of learning
• Defines what students are
expected to learn
Learning Goals (for a whole course) can be broad.
At the topic or lecture level, the learning objectives should be
more specific
Example Learning Goal
• General structure
At the end of this course students should be able to SPECIFIC VERB
-avoid vague verbs such as “understand”
Genetics
At the end of this course, students should be able to CALCULATE the probability that
an individual in a pedigree has a particular genotype.
Introductory Physics
At the end of this course, students should be able to APPLY their knowledge of work
and Newton's laws to common transportation systems (cars, bicycles etc.)
Brainstorm Ideas for Learning Goals
for Introductory Physics for the Life
Sciences
Private Universe http://www.learner.org/resources/series28.html
If a camera crew making a documentary on student
misconceptions in physics were to question biology majors
at graduation, what would you be most embarrassed to find
out that they did not know?
-Work with the people at your table
-Designate a recorder and get the Working Group I document from the USB key
-Share your thoughts in a small group and select 2-3 ideas you feel are most
important
Facilitators please pass out USB keys
How do we define learning goals?
1. At what level do we want students to know
something?
2. What are the different types of things we want
students to know?
Levels of Knowledge
Bloom’s Taxonomy, 1956
What level of understanding do you want them to gain?
Higher-level
cognitive skills
Higher cognitive orders
Lower cognitive orders
Lower-level
cognitive skills
Bloom's Taxonomy of the Cognitive
Domain (Levels of Learning)
1. Factual Knowledge: remember and recall factual information
Define, List, State, Label, Name, Describe
2. Comprehension: demonstrate understanding of ideas, concepts
Describe, Explain, Summarize, Interpret, Illustrate
3. Application: apply comprehension to unfamiliar situations
Apply, Demonstrate, Use, Compute, Solve, Predict, Construct, Modify
4. Analysis: break down concepts into parts
Compare, Contrast, Categorize, Distinguish, Identify, Infer
5. Evaluation: think critically about and defend a position
Judge, Appraise, Recommend, Justify, Defend, Criticize, Evaluate
6. Synthesis: transform, combine ideas to create something new
Develop, Create, Propose, Formulate, Design, Invent
Lists of verbs in the USB document
Higher level: Require deeper
conceptual understanding
Writing Learning Goals Based on the
Brainstorm Ideas
At the end of my physics course, a biology student should be able to….
Work with your group to write 1-2 learning goals based on the
brainstorm ideas, file has sample verbs
-Group recorders please record the group ideas
Check-list for creating learning goals:
• Is goal expressed in terms of what the student will achieve or be able to
do?
• Is the Bloom’s level of the goal aligned with your actual expectations?
• Is the goal well-defined? Is it clear how you would measure
achievement?
• Do chosen verbs have a clear meaning?
• Is terminology familiar/common? If not, is the terminology a goal?
• Is it relevant and useful to students? (e.g. connected to their everyday
life OR does it represent a useful application of the ideas)
How do we define learning goals?
1. At what level do we want students to know
something?
2. What are the different types of things we want
students to know?
Different Types of Things we Want
Students
to
Know
FACTS:
Terminology, information, details
CONCEPTS
Classifications, categories, principles, models, reasoning.
Analyze, explain, and predict the world around you
PROCEDURES:
Skills, techniques, methods, problem-solving.
Thinking like a scientist: Use alternative representations, compare and
contrast, strategize, justify, design an experiment, create a graph.
AFFECTIVE (attitudes & beliefs):
Appreciate, enjoy, value. Recognize that the behavior of the world around
you is not magical and mysterious, but rather can be understood and
predicted using certain fundamental principles.
Learning Goals Focused on Problem
Solving
Some sample ideas:
At the end of a physics course, biology students should be able to….
1. recognize which real-world problems are subject to mathematical
reasoning
2. solve problems using general quantitative problem solving skills within the
context of physics
3. solve problems using general qualitative logical reasoning within the
context of physics
In your small group, write at least one additional learning goal focused on
problem solving
Henderson et al., 2001 Instructors’ Ideas about Problem Solving
Thank You
Workshop materials adapted from:
Stephanie Chasteen
Jenny Knight
Carl Wieman
More learning goal resources at http://www.colorado.edu/sei/facresources/learning-goals.html
Please save the learning goals document on a USB key, appending your last
name to the filename (do NOT overwrite any files on the USB key) or email to
Bob Hilborn at rhilborn@aapt.org