Student Learning Assessment
in the Biology Department
Vivian Navas
Biology Department Assessment Coordinator
August 2008
Learning Objective
• Increase Student’s Awareness of
Contemporary Scientific Issues
Department Learning outcomes:
• Awareness of contemporary scientific
issues
• Awareness of ethical implications in
science
• Also included in the Institutional,
College of Arts and Sciences and
General Education outcomes
Objectives:
• Increase students’ knowledge of biology
• Encourage students to use a critical and
scientific point of view to address
important contemporary issues
• Make students aware of the ethical
implications regarding these issues.
• Motivate students to continue learning on
these important issues
Contemporary Scientific Issues
chosen by dept faculty
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Human Genome Project
Genomics
Genetic engineering
Cloning
Transgenic organisms
Stem cells
Bioremediation
Global warming
Coral bleaching
Invasive organisms
Ethics in science
Student Perception Instrument
Science Issue
How much do you know
about this Issue?
Hum Gen Proj 1.
2.
Genomics
3.
4.
Gen eng
• .
Cloning
Transg orgs
5.
Where did you learn about this issue?
1. Courses (please specify course
name)
Never heard about it
2. Research
Heard about it but do not 3. Other (newspaper, magazine, TV,
remember much about it.
Internet, etc.)
Have basic knowledge
Have knowledge of
applications and ethical
implications.
Have hands on
experience
M
Perception Results
Senior Students
How much do you know about this Issue?
– Average 3.05- Have basic knowledge
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Never heard about it
Heard about it but do not remember much about it.
Have basic knowledge
Have knowledge of applications and ethical implications.
Have hands on experience
Where did you learn about this issue?
1.Required courses (General Biology and Genetics)
2.Other courses (Human genetics, Biochemistry, Microbial
physiology, microbiol, medical ethics, cell physiology,
botany, inmunology, ecology)
3.Other sources (research, newspaper, magazine, TV, Internet,
etc.)
Conclusions and actions
• These important issues should be included in the
curriculum in required courses so all students are
impacted
• Begin assessing the Global Warming Issue (Cycle 3)Join Campus Initiative
• Choose the General Biology Course
Cycle 3
•
•
•
•
Criteria to be assessed- Global Warming
Course: General Biology II
Population- Students 150~250 students
Pre activity –
– freshmen perception and a content pre-test
• Interventions
– Course- lecture, movie, trailers, information on web ct
• Post activity– Content Post-test
• Actions: Re-teach concepts
– Second post-test
Freshmen Perception- How much do you
know about this Issue?
5.0
219 freshmen students
Average (5 point scale)
4.0
3.4
2.9
3.0
2.5
2.3
2.1
2.1
1.9
2.0
1.8
1.6
1.6
1.5
1.0
HG
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How much do you know about this Issue?
Results
All 11 issues - Average 2.15
Global Warming- 3.4
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Never heard about it
Heard about it but do not remember much about it.
Have basic knowledge
Have knowledge of applications and ethical
implications.
Have hands on experience
Where did you learn about this issue?
Comparacion clase y otros
100%
24
80%
34
41
42
44
49
52
57
36
53
50
60%
2
40%
56
56
53
51
44
45
20%
34
32
28
30
21
1
0%
HGP
Genomics
Gen. Engi.
Cloning
Trans. Org.
Stems cells
Bioremedia.
Global warn.
Coral bleach.
Invasive org.
Ethics
Where did you learn about this issue?
1. Courses
2. Others (Research, newspaper,
magazine, TV, Internet, etc.1 and
2 ,1 and 3,2 and 3,1, 2,3)
Pre and Post test- True or false
•
•
•
•
•
1.El calentamiento global afecta mayormente a
ciudades tecnológicamente avanzadas. F
2. Los gases de invernadero, como el vapor de
agua, CO2 y metano, causan calentamiento
global y, por lo tanto, deben ser eliminados por
completo.F
3. Los bosques alivian el calentamiento global
porque liberan grandes cantidades de CO2 a la
atmósfera.F
4. La sobrepoblación contribuye al
calentamiento global.C
5. Las plantas de carbón son una buena
alternativa ante la crisis de combustible fósil F
• 6. Los Estados Unidos han sido pioneros
implementando soluciones para frenar el
calentamiento global. F
• 7.Todo proceso que utiliza petróleo (o sus
derivados, incluyendo la gasolina) contribuye al
calentamiento global. C
• 8.El calentamiento global causa tanto inundaciones
como sequías. C
• 9. La deforestación es una de las causas del
calentamiento global C
• 10.La solución al calentamiento global está
principalmente en manos de los grandes
empresarios que operan industrias altamente
contaminantes. F
Global Warming Interventions
• National initiative- In class discussion
• Movie assignment: An inconvenient
truth
• WEBCT MODULE in General Biology II- created
by Dr. Carlos Munoz
– Movie trailers
– Information on recycling initiatives at RUM
– What we can do to help?
– Other related information
– Pretest and Posttest
Results
Question #
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Pre test
N=296
72%
80%
74%
89%
64%
70%
94%
93%
95%
54%
Results Pre-test
• Many students had much knowledge:
– on things that cause global warming such as
overpopulation, deforestation, petroleum companies.
• Most failed questions: They incorrectly thought:
– that coil based energy production was good for the
environment,
– that big industries are mostly responsible for solving
the problem
– that the US is way ahead in global warming
prevention.
Pre test
296
Average 72.4%
Post test
324
60.2%
• Did not take seriously
• Did not see movie
• Did not understand movie
Actions
• Retaught global warming main concepts
• Offer a second post-test
• Shared missed questions and
misconceptions with faculty for them to be
aware and further discuss with students
• Some Included questions in final exam
• Look into implementing a different
intervention
Post test New Questions
•
•
•
•
•
En realidad, la cantidad de bióxido de carbono en la atmósfera de la
Tierra exhibe fluctuaciones anuales cíclicas; cada año la concentración
sube durante nuestro invierno y en verano vuelve a bajar.
De acuerdo al documental "An Inconvenient Truth", se estima que el
aumento en temperatura en los polos será mayor que en el ecuador del
planeta.
De acuerdo al documental "An Inconvenient Truth", la protección del
medioambiente inevitablemente implica sacrificios económicos.
De acuerdo al documental "An Inconvenient Truth", casi el 90% de los
artículos sobre calentamiento global publicados en revistas arbitradas
("peer reviewed") coincide en que este problema es resultado de las
actividades humanas y que es un problema serio.
De acuerdo al documental "An Inconvenient Truth", más de la mitad de
los artículos acerca de calentamiento global en la prensa popular
(periódicos, revistas populares, etc.) expresa incertidumbre en cuanto a si
el calentamiento global está ocurriendo o no.
Pre test
N=296
Post test
N=324
Average 72.4% 60.2%
Post-Post
N=169
Faculty 1
Post-Post
N=142
Faculty 2
87.4%
82.8%
Innovations
Webct module
• Site contains:
– contemporary issues information
Advantages
• Allow for easy assessment of student knowledge
through pre and posttest
• Allow for easy grading of instruments
• Allow for students to share the information with their
families and friends
• Allow for implementation in other courses and
throughout other semesters
• Allow for adding other contemporary issues
information
• http://webct.uprm.edu:8900/SCRIPT/BIOL
0000_Munoz/scripts/serve_home
Global Warming initiatives in other
courses
• Faculty:
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–
–
–
–
–
–
Kolterman (botany),
Alfaro
Massol (seminar),
Fernando Bird (evolution)
Ana Velez (gen biol),
Carlos Rios (microb physiol),
Williams (parasit)
• Interventions : trailers, lectures, movie
• Post- exam question, reflections
Future Assessment Studies
Cycle 4
• Continue to discuss other contemporary
issues
– Pre and post and interventions in webct
• Assessment of skills and knowledge
gained through undergraduate research
on up-to-date scientific fields (HHMI)