Moving from Assessment
to Research
Objectives:
1. ID everyone by name.
2. Engage in a jigsaw to achieve shared
interpretation of four papers.
3. Identify a research question, research design
and predicted outcome from your teachable unit.
4. Discuss the ethical considerations of
research.
Articles derived from journal papers
Active learning leads to Qs...
Learning Objective
Students will demonstrate
understanding of evolution by
natural selection.
Questions we asked...
What are the learning challenges for
students?
Why are students challenged with this topic?
What do we know?
What do we need to know?
Alternative Conceptions:
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.
Anderson et al 2002.
Dino/Tree extended response
Explain the changes that occurred in the tree and
animal. Use your current understanding of evolution by
natural selection.
(AAAS 1999)
Concept Map 4
• Individual Assignment
Make a new concept map demonstrating your
understanding of natural selection using the following
concepts.
genetic variation
evolution
species
population
natural selection
artificial selection
selective agent
Concept Map 5
• Individual Assignment
Add the following terms to concept map 4.
biotic factors
abiotic factors
fitness
trait
mutation
reproduction
meiosis
allele frequency
variation
selection pressure
adaptation
Research Question:
Do concept maps facilitate students’
learning about evolution?
• Initial hypothesis: Learning gains are higher for
students who use C-maps than for students who do
not use C-maps.
• What is wrong with that hypothesis from a research
design perspective?
• Discuss in groups. One reporter from each group.
Research Question:
Do concept maps facilitate students’
learning about evolution?
Revised hypothesis: Learning gains are higher for
students who use C-maps than students who write
multiple representations for the same concepts.
Multiple Representations (MR)
Developed by Duncan Sibley (MSU)
Problem with ‘controls’
Controlled Experiment
Pretest
In-class Active
Learning
No Map
Concept Map
Essay and MC Assessment
(midterm and final exams)
Who gets treatment?
Ethical issues?
Assessment Timeline
Design Experiment
Pretest
In-class Active
Learning
MRs
Concept Map
Essay and MC Assessment
(midterm and final exams)
What is the problem with
this design?
Concept 2 Concept 1
Class 2
Class 1
Question: Final Design
Pretest
In-class Active
Learning
Concept Map
MRs
Pretest
In-class Active
Learning
MRs
Class of 200 students
randomly assigned to 2
treatment groups (n=60)
Concept Map
Essay and MC Assessment
(midterm and final exams)
Students alternate between
MRs and concept maps
Possible Significant Results
Evolution
Ecosystem services
Trial p < 0.05
Evolution higher than
Ecosystem Services
% Correct
Treatment p < 0.05
CMap higher than MR
Concept
Map
Evolution
Ecosystem services
% Correct
Interaction p<0.05
effect of treatment
depends upon topic
MR
Concept
Map
MR
No Significant Difference
p treatment = 0.95
(CMap vs MR)
p trial = 0.65
(Evolution vs
Ecosystem services)
p interaction = 0.58
Your Group’s Job
Record on a large flip chart:
Time 15 minutes - Group report out.
1. Use the learning objective and assessments
from your teachable unit/tidbit.
2. Develop a research question or hypothesis to
test.
3. Illustrate the research design.
4. Draw or represent one predicted outcome.
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)