Teaching for Understanding:
Active Learning and Assessment
Diane Ebert-May
Department of Plant Biology
Michigan State University
Q u ic k T im e ™
a n d a G r a p h ic s
decom pr ess or
a r e n e e d e d t o s e e t h is
p ic t u r e .
The trouble with our
times is that the future
is not what it used to
be.
-Paul Valery, The Art of Poetry
Questions for you...
1.What do you expect to gain from this
workshop?
2.What are your major teaching challenges?
3.What challenges do your students face in
learning?
4.How did you learn science? ... think way back.
5.How do your students learn science?
Engage
Question 1
Please respond on a scale of 1-5:
1=strongly agree; 2=agree; 3=neutral; 4= disagree; 5=strongly disagree
Active learning strategies enable students
to learn science better than passive
lectures.
•
Question 2
Please respond on a scale of 1-5:
1=strongly agree; 2=agree; 3=neutral; 4= disagree; 5=strongly disagree
• Students learn science best by “doing”
science.
Question 3
Please respond on a scale of 0-100%
in increments of 10:
How important is it to use multiple kinds
of assessments to determine students’
learning?
•
Question 4
Please respond on a scale of 0-100%
in increments of 10:
The proportion of assessments I use in
my course that demonstrate students’
critical thinking abilities is....
•
Question 5
Please respond on a scale of 1-5:
1=strongly agree; 2=agree; 3=neutral; 4= disagree; 5=strongly disagree
In my department, excellence in teaching
is rewarded at a level comparable to
excellence in research.
•
Question 1
Please respond on a scale of 1-5:
1=strongly agree; 2=agree; 3=neutral; 4= disagree; 5=strongly disagree
Active learning strategies enable students
to learn science better than passive
lectures.
•
Students are the
tie that binds
us...
Class Meeting
Class Meeting
Question 2
Please respond on a scale of 1-5:
1=strongly agree; 2=agree; 3=neutral; 4= disagree; 5=strongly disagree
• Students learn science best by “doing”
science.
Lila Smith 1975; in Smith el al. 2005
Teacher- to LearnerCentered Classroom
• How does scientific teaching
promote this transition?
Lila Smith 1975; in Smith el al. 2005
Question 3
Please respond on a scale of 0-100
in increments of 10:
How important is it to use multiple kinds
of assessments to determine student
learning?
•
Question 4
Please respond on a scale of 0-100 (%)
in increments of 10:
The proportion of assessments I use in
my course that demonstrate students’
critical thinking abilities is....
•
What is critical thinking?
• Connections among concepts
• Organization of concepts
• Visual representations
• Model-based reasoning
• Test models
• Solve problems
Question 5
Please respond on a scale of 1-5:
1=strongly agree; 2=agree; 3=neutral; 4= disagree; 5=strongly disagree
In my department, excellence in teaching
is rewarded at a level comparable to
excellence in research.
•
Explore
What’s 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 shall 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.
•(15 minutes - select a timekeeper)
Learning Objective
• Develop one possible learning objective for
this ‘inquiry’.
• What do you want students to know and be
able to do?
• What evidence is acceptable?
Give your students a
roadmap to learning….
• Benefits and costs?
Explore: Out of Thin Air
What is going on?
• Brainstorm: talk to your neighbor and diagnose
the situation from both the teacher’s and
learner’s perspective.
• What is the learning challenge?
Misconceptions about Photosynthesis,
Respiration, and the Carbon Cycle
•
Photosynthesis as Energy
•
Biomass from Soil
•
Energy as Biomass
•
All Green
•
Plant Altruism
•
Thin Air
•
Respiration as ‘breathing’
How and when do you identify
student learning difficulties?
Pre-test (e.g., specific questions - identify
misconceptions)
Engagement activity - brain teaser, discussion
starter, ‘need to know’ questions
Surveys or polls (clickers?)
Others?
Radish Problem
in Ebert-May D, Batzli J, Lim H. 2003. Bioscience 53:1221-1228.
•Experimental setup:
•Weighed out 3 batches of radish seeds
•each weighing 1.5 g.
•Experimental treatments:
•1. Seeds placed on DRY paper towels in LIGHT
•2. Seeds placed on WET paper towels in LIGHT
•3. Seeds placed on WET paper towels in DARK
Problem (cont)
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.
•
Light, no water
Light, water
Dark, water
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.
Assessment on Midterm
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 Johnson’s 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.
Assessment on Final
Deep within a remote forest of Guatemala, the
remains of a spider monkey were buried under an
enormous mahogany tree. Although rare, jaguars
(big cats - carnivores) were spotted in this forest
by local farmers. Explain how a carbon atom in
carbohydrates contained within the muscle cells
of the spider monkey could become part of a cell
within the stomach lining of a jaguar. Note: the
jaguar does not dig up the monkey and eat the
remains!
To do so...
Make a clearly labeled box model of the system. Use the
template on the Answer Sheet. You will not need all of the boxes.
In the model, clearly label the processes (next to arrows),
organisms or places, and forms (carbon pools) the carbon atom
must go through to cycle within the ecosystem. Use the
organisms/places and pools from the lists below.
Place or Organism
[not listed in a specific order]
Carbon Pools
[form]
Atmosphere
Jaguar (carnivore)
Mahogany tree (producer)
Bacteria (decomposer)
Spider Monkey (herbivore)
Tapir (similar to a pig) (herbivore)
CO2 gas
Carbohydrate
Reminder: format for a box model:
Pool
Place
Process
Pool
Place
Process
Pool
Place
Circles identify key portions of box model.
Orange circles identify difficult portions for students.
•
How People Learn
Bransford et al 1999, 2004
Explain
Cooperative
Learning
Eric Mazur - Harvard (Dept of Physics) Peer Instruction
Karl Smith - University of Minnesota (Civil
Engineering Dept) Cooperative/
Collaborative Learning
Regrouping
What are ways of putting students
into cooperative groups?
Individual accountability and group
responsibility with common goal.....
Frustrated Student
Within groups: think-pair-share
Reflecting on this case, consider the following:
1.
What questions and issues does this case raise?
2.
As an instructor, what would you do in this situation?
3.
What are the learning objectives for each class?
4. What are the students’ expections for course?
5.
How do the active, in-class problems in groups motivate
students to learn, or not?
6.
Have you faced a similar challenge? If so, what did you
learn from it?
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 grain sizes)
Informing BOTH instructors and students
about learning.
Learning Outcome
•
Statement that indicates level of
expectation of performance.
•
What evidence will indicate whether
students have achieved the learning
objective?
• (actions, behaviors that can be assessed)
•
What level of learning
do we ask of our students?
Bloom (1956)
Cognitive Domain of Educational Objectives
6 categories Knowledge
•
Comprehension
Application
Analysis
Synthesis
Evaluation
Characterize the
Level of Expectation
• Return to the termite learning objective....
• ...assign a Bloom level to each.
% Total Qs
Department of Plant Biology
Course Level
*N items
How am I
going to grade all this stuff??
Assessment Gradient
High
Ease of
Multiple Choice, T/F
Diagrams, Concept
maps, Quantitative
response
Assessment
Short answer
Essay, Research
papers/ reports
Low
Oral Interview
Theoretical Framework
• Ausubel 1968; meaningful learning
• Novak 1998; visual representations
• King and Kitchner 1994; reflective judgment
• National Research Council 1999; theoretical frameworks
Low
Potential for
Assessment of
Learning
High
Assessment and Feedback Approaches
• Subsample= You don’t need to grade everything!!
• Classroom Assessment Techniques (Angelo &
Cross 1993); Muddiest Point, Minute papers etc..
• Pyramid Exams- Individual 75% + Group 25%
• Diagnostic Questions & Clickers
• Rubrics
Jigsaw
Count off -- 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
All 1s work on same paper ....2s, 3s, 4s, 5s
Tomorrow, return to new groups and share
what you found in each of the papers.
Report out
Paper Assignments
Group 1: Climate change....
Group 2: Novel assessments...
Group 3: Unraveling complexity...
Group 4: Unleashing problem solvers...
Group 5: Active homework...
Jigsaw
•Tomorrow, return to your home group....and discuss.
You should be able to answer the following:
•1. What are the student learning goals?
•2. What is the Bloom-level of each goal?
•3. Describe the type of assessment used in the unit.
•4. Do the assessments align with the goals?
•5. What are the active learning strategies?
Groups 1s, 2s, 3s, 4s, 5s
•Group roles:
•Time keeper
•Reporter
•Recorder
•Encourager/facilitator
Groups 1s, 2s, 3s, 4s, 5s
•
Consider one learning challenge of students
at The Citadel and adapt the Pathways to
Scientific Teaching ideas to one unit of
instruction.
•
Summaries the ideas on large flip chart
paper.
•
Reporter - gives synopsis to large group.
Instructional Design
How do you go about developing a unit
for your course?
How would you start?
What would you do?
Backward Design
Learning Objective
Identify desired results
Learning Outcome
Determine acceptable evidence
Assessments
Data collected & Feedback given
Instructional Design & Activities
Planned learning experiences and instruction
Adapted from Wiggins and McTighe 1998, 2005
Backward Design
Concept Maps
are
represent
display
connected
with
has
has
Used for
Concepts
Knowledge or
Understanding
Visual Diagrams
Or Models
Structure
Hierarchy
is constructed
with
Assessment
Linking Words
Organization
Context
promotes
Reflection &
Learning
Prior
Knowledge
New
Information
For a course you teach .....
1. Select a concept that is critical for your students to
understand.
2. Identify 4 or 5 subconcepts that are important to
understanding that concept
e.g., DNA - Gene- Chromosome - Protein
3.Add linking lines to make connections between two
concepts
4. Add linking lines that describe the relationship
between concepts
www.ctools.msu.edu
Student’s Concept Map
Rubrics
Learning Objective
Students will be able to demonstrate
understanding of evolution and natural
selection by developing and testing
models and solving problems.
Misconceptions:
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 individual’s lifetime will
be inherited by offspring.
Pre-test: extended response. Explain the changes that
occurred in the tree and animal. Use your current
understanding of evolution by natural selection.
(AAAS 1999)
How do we develop rubrics?
Describe the objective for the
activity, problem, task...
Develop criteria and performance
standards for the assessment
Differentiate levels of responses
based on clearly described criteria
Rate (assign value) the categories
Student Responses
Misconceptions
Correct
Change in the individual
Change in the population
Need to Change/ Must Change/
Choice
Change due to genes
All members of a population are
equally fit
Individuals within a
population have varying
fitness levels
Traits acquired during a lifetime
are passed on
Genetic traits help the
individual to survive and
reproduce
Scoring Rubric for Quizzes and Homework
Level of Achievement
Exemplary
(5 pts)
General Approach
• Addresses the
questi on.
• States a rel evant,
justi fiable answer.
• Presents arguments in
a logical order.
• Uses acceptable style
and gramm ar (no
errors).
Comprehension
• Demonstrates an accurate and
complete understandi ng of the
questi on.
• Backs conclusi ons wi th data
and warrants.
• Uses 2 or m ore ideas,
examples and/or arguments that
support the answer.
Adequate
(3 pts)
• Does not address the
questi on expl ici tly,
al though does so
tangenti all y.
• States a rel evant and
justi fiable answer.
• Presents arguments in
a logical order.
• Uses acceptable style
and gramm ar (one
error).
• Demonstrates accurate but only
adequate understanding of
questi on because does not back
conclusions with warrants and
data.
• Uses only one idea to support
the answer.
• Less thorough than above.
Needs Improvement
(1 pt)
• Does not address the
questi on.
• States no relevant
answers
• i ndicates
misconceptions.
• Is n ot clearl y or
logical ly organi zed.
• Fai ls to use acceptable
style and gram mar (two
or m ore errors).
• Does not dem onstrate accurate
underst anding of the quest ion.
• Does not provide evidence to
support their answer to the
questi on.
No Answer (0 pts)
Ebert-May http://www.flaguide.org/cat/rubrics/rubrics1.php
Advantages of
Scoring Rubrics
Improve the reliability of scoring written
assignments and oral presentations
Convey goals and performance expectations of
students in an unambiguous way
Convey “grading standards” or “point values” and
relate them to performance goals
Engage students in critical evaluation of their
own performance
Save time but spend it well
Avida-ED
Avida-ED
•http://www.msu.edu/course/isb/202/ebertmay/homepage/
homework.html#hw9
Action Plan
What resources from this workshop will be most helpful to
you in teaching?
Reflect on your lectures. What topics are challenging to
teach?
List two colleagues who would help you brainstorm active
learning techniques to address these challenges.
What type of feedback would you value from a
colleague?
Handelsman, Miller & Pfund 2007
Action Plan...continued
Our challenge to you, try one of the
strategies that you and your
colleague identify, next time you
teach.
Open Mic
Finally...
•“...we note that successful people are the
ones who take advantage of those around
them to ultimately benefit students.”
•Ebert-May D, Weber R, Hodder J, Batzli J (2006)
Team at MSU
•Rett Weber - Plant Biology (postdoctoral researcher)
•Deb Linton - Plant Biology (C. Michigan University)
•Duncan Sibley - Geology
•Doug Luckie - Physiology
•Scott Harrison - Microbiology (graduate student)
•Tammy Long - Plant Biology
•Heejun Lim - Chemistry Education
•Rob Pennock - Philosophy
•Charles Ofria - Engineering
•Rich Lenski - Microbiolgy
•Janet Batzli - Plant Biology [U of Wisconsin]