Charla McCormick
Inquiry Portfolio
Teagle Collegium on Inquiry in Action
Inquiry Portfolio for an Introductory Biological Anthropology
Course
Abstract
This course portfolio provides a detailed look into the changes that I made to my
Anthropology B200: Introduction to Biological Anthropology course at Indiana University
based on my experiences as a member of the Teagle Collegium on Inquiry in Action (See
Appendix A for the syllabus). The Teagle Collegium, an interdisciplinary group of graduate
student instructors and faculty mentors, met once per month during the 2008-2009
academic year in order to discuss pedagogical literature, share teaching experiences and
provide mentorship and support. Being a member of the Collegium encouraged me to
identify whether my teaching methods aligned with the learning goals I had for my
students; in doing so, I realized that including classroom assessments and creating
opportunities for Active Learning would make my teaching methods more effective
(Bransford et al. 2000). This portfolio examines the changes that I made to achieve this
goal, as well as the results of the Classroom Assessment Techniques (CATs) (Angelo and
Cross 1993) and exam scores that were used for such evaluation.
Introduction
Anthropology B200 introduces students to the basic theoretical foundations of Biological
Anthropology. It provides a general survey of the field of Biological Anthropology,
emphasizing the ways in which ideas about human evolution are tested using evidence
from the fossil record, from living prosimians, monkeys and apes, and from contemporary
human groups. There is also an emphasis on understanding the underlying principles and
science of evolution. While the course is a requirement for undergraduate Anthropology
majors, it also fulfills an undergraduate science requirement for non-majors. As a 200-level
introductory course, B200 classes are typically made up of students ranging from freshmen
to seniors, with varying backgrounds in evolution and biological concepts. For the most
part, introductory Biological Anthropology courses are lecture based, however, several lab
exercises are usually incorporated to give students experience in using the scientific
method, the discipline’s Signature Pedagogy (Chick et al. 2008).
Objectives and Implementation
§
§
On the first day of class, I included a Background Knowledge Probe (Angelo and
Cross 1993:121) to identify what students already knew about evolution coming
into the course. On the final day of class, I returned the students’ answers to them
and asked that they revise their initial definitions based on what they learned in
B200. (See Curricular Change 1 below.)
After a particularly difficult section on Evolution, Genetics and Population Genetics, I
asked each student to write down what he or she found to be the Muddiest Point
(Angelo and Cross 1993:154) of that section. (See Curricular Change 2 below.)
1
Charla McCormick
Inquiry Portfolio
§
§
§
§
§
§
Teagle Collegium on Inquiry in Action
Three short, not-for-credit chapter quizzes were given throughout the semester to
encourage students to stay on track with their reading assignments, and to provide
examples of the types of questions that might be on an exam.
I implemented a mid-semester evaluation that consisted of two questions: What’s
going well? and What can be improved? The students wrote anonymous responses to
these two questions that guided my lesson plans for the remainder of the semester.
An Active Learning assignment was created for the chapter on Early Primate
Evolution. Each student was given a handout on an Early Primate that had to be
completed in class using the textbook as a research tool (See Appendix B for a
sample handout). Some students chose to work alone, while others worked in
groups. For homework, the students were asked to create a PowerPoint slide based
on the information they gathered in filling out their handouts. These slides were
emailed to me, and I compiled and edited them. In the following class period, each
student gave an informal presentation of his/her Early Primate, and this constituted
the lecture on Early Primate Evolution.
An Assignment Assessment CAT (Angelo and Cross 1993:356) was completed in
response to the Early Primate Evolution Active Learning assignment. Each student
was asked whether he/she enjoyed the Active Learning assignment and whether
he/she felt confident in his/her understanding of Early Primate Evolution.
An Active Learning assignment was given that examined Neanderthal diversity. This
new Active Learning assignment was created since the CAT responses for the Early
Primate Evolution Active Learning assignment were lukewarm; many students felt
that they did not have a good understanding of Early Primate Evolution since they
were focused on only one specific early primate through active learning. After
having a short, not-for-credit chapter quiz over Neanderthals and Archaic Homo
sapiens to ensure that each student completed the reading assignment, a lecture on
Neanderthals was given. For homework, each student was assigned a Neanderthal
site and asked to do some informal, internet-based research on the fossils found at
that particular site (See Appendix C for the list of assigned Neanderthal sites). More
than one student was assigned for each site to make sure that data was gathered for
every site, as this was the basis for a discussion on Neanderthal variation during the
following class period. The students were also asked to post the information that
they gathered about their sites under a Forum I created on Oncourse. A short essay
(one of three assigned during the semester – each worth 10% of the final grade) on
Neanderthal cannibalism complemented the quiz, lecture, Active Learning
assignment and in-class discussion on Neanderthals.
An Assignment Assessment CAT (Angelo and Cross 1993:356) was completed for
the section on Neanderthals. Students were asked whether they enjoyed doing the
Active Learning homework assignment on Neanderthals and whether they felt
confident in their understanding of Neanderthals. (See Curricular Change 3 below.)
2
Charla McCormick
Inquiry Portfolio
Teagle Collegium on Inquiry in Action
Assessment of 3 Curricular Changes
Three Curricular Changes will be examined here – those that are underlined in the above
section.
Curricular Change 1: Background Knowledge Probe & Evolution Definitions
Hypothesis: The hypothesis was that students would come into the course knowing
something about evolution, yet they would be able to articulate the definition of evolution
with greater precision at the end of the semester.
Data:
Below are evolution definitions from three students.
Student 1
Exploratory/Anthropology
Freshman
Final Grade = A
First Day of Class:
“[Evolution is] the changing of one thing into another over time, usually
to better adapt to one’s environment.”
Last Day of Class:
“Evolution is (pretty much what I wrote) an organism’s changing over
time in reaction to environmental pressures, but now I know around
10X more about why & how, & the history of evolution. Also, the
tradeoffs with adaptations like bipedalism & agriculture in humans.”
Student 2
Communication & Culture
Junior
Final Grade = B+
First Day of Class:
“Evolution is the process of an organism’s traits changing in order to
adjust to the changing environment.”
Last Day of Class:
“I think this [is] the basic principle of it, but I definitely learned a lot
more about it as a whole. It was interesting learning about primates
and Homo erectus and some of the different theories, such as
Multiregionalism and Out of Africa.”
Student 3
General Studies
Senior
Final Grade = C-
First Day of Class:
“How life evolved? I don’t know.
Last Day of Class:
“Evolution is the study of how we (species) evolved into who we are
today. Starting from cells and DNA all the way to Neanderthals all the
3
Charla McCormick
Inquiry Portfolio
Teagle Collegium on Inquiry in Action
way to humans. Evolution also embodys [sic] the plants and tools and
early species and the differences between all these things.”
Conclusion:
The data suggest that, in general, students were familiar with the concept of evolution and
were able to broadly define it. Also, the data show that most students were able to revise
their definitions from the first day of class to include information that they learned over the
course of the semester. Therefore, the hypothesis was supported. Interestingly, one
student’s definition of evolution on the first day of class was “Adam & Eve” (data not
included here). On the last day of class, this student wrote that she still believed in Adam
and Eve, but that she learned how humans had affected the natural world in taking B200.
This student’s performance in class was excellent, she received an “A-“ for her Final Grade,
so her personal beliefs did not interfere with her grasp of evolutionary concepts. I will
continue to do this Background Knowledge CAT in the future, however, when I have a
student who has personal or religious beliefs that are not in accordance with evolutionary
theory, I will create an opportunity to for the student to discuss these matters openly with
me during office hours so as not to dismiss his or her convictions, which I did not do with
this particular student.
Curricular Change 2: The Muddiest Point CAT
Hypothesis: The hypothesis was that the students would vary in their responses for the
Muddiest Point CAT.
Data:
responses.
Figure 1 illustrates the individual responses for the Muddiest Point CAT
8
Protein Synthesis
16
Genetics
Other
9
Figure 1. Muddiest Point Responses
4
Charla McCormick
Inquiry Portfolio
Teagle Collegium on Inquiry in Action
Conclusion: The hypothesis was rejected since students had, for the most part, difficulty
with two major concepts: Genetics and Protein Synthesis. As a teacher, receiving such
feedback was extremely informative, and I was able to address the Muddiest Points headon. I posted links on Oncourse to some great websites that covered all of the concepts in the
students’ responses (including those in the “Other” category). In the following class period,
I went over Protein Synthesis again and showed a short video depicting this process from
one of the websites on Oncourse. I also went over the other Genetics concepts that students
found particularly difficult. It seems that repetition is necessary sometimes in college-level
courses, and using the Muddiest Point CAT can determine which concepts should be
explained more than once.
Curricular Change 3: Neanderthal Active Learning Assessment
Hypothesis: The hypothesis was that the Active Learning Assignment on Neanderthal
variation would be interesting and that students would feel confident in their
understanding of Neanderthals.
Data:
Every student responded that he/she enjoyed the Active Learning
Assignment on Neanderthals, which was evidenced by the lively in-class discussion that
took place the following class period, and every student felt confident in his/her
understanding of Neanderthals. In order to investigate this overwhelmingly positive
response and to determine whether enjoyment and confidence would lead to correct
answers on the Final Exam, data was gathered on the number of correct responses on 5
Final Exam questions pertaining to Neanderthals. All students but 1 answered at least 3 of
the 5 Neanderthal questions correctly, and more than half of the students answered all 5
questions correctly.
Conclusion: The Neanderthal Active Learning assignment was very effective and fun, and
it will definitely be a standard in my introductory Biological Anthropology courses. It also
seemed to positively affect students test performances, although a formal study with
statistical evaluation will have to be completed in the future in order to properly evaluate
this claim.
Analysis and Reflection
Overall, I think that the inclusion of CATs and Active Learning exercises greatly improved
the effectiveness of my teaching as well as students’ level of comprehension and
enjoyment, respectively. It is possible that the students also enjoyed providing feedback in
the classroom assessments, although this will have to be assessed with yet another CAT. In
the future, I will routinely include both of these educative tools into my classroom. Since
being a fellow of the Teagle Collegium on Inquiry in Action, I have realized that effective
teaching is much more than “getting your facts straight” and preparing great PowerPoint
5
Charla McCormick
Inquiry Portfolio
Teagle Collegium on Inquiry in Action
presentations – it is about being aware of learning theories, testing them in the classroom,
evaluating evidence of student learning and making adjustments where they are needed.
My goal is to make sure that my experiences in the Collegium will always remain fresh in
my mind as an instructor, and to engage in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
throughout my career as an academic.
References
Angelo, Thomas A. and K. Patricia Cross. 1993. Classroom Assessment Techniques: A
Handbook for College Teachers, 2nd Edition. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.
Bransford, John D. et al. (National Research Council). 2000. How People Learn: Brain, Mind,
Experience, and School. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press.
Chick, Nancy L., Aeron Haynie and Regan A. R. Gurung. 2008. From Generic to Signature
Pedagogies: Teaching Disciplinary Understandings by Teaching through the Disciplines. In
Practicing Our Signatures: Fostering Disciplinary Habits of Mind, edited by Gurung, Chick,
and Haynie. Sterling, Virginia: Stylus Publishing.
6
Charla McCormick
Inquiry Portfolio
Teagle Collegium on Inquiry in Action
Appendix A
Anthropology B200:
Introduction to Biological Anthropology
Instructor: Charla McCormick
Spring 2009
Class Meetings: TR 5:45-7:00, SB 140
Office Hours: TR 4:00-5:30 in SB 251, and by appointment
Email: ckmccorm@indiana.edu
Course Description:
B200 is an introductory course in bioanthropology. It is required for the undergraduate major in
Anthropology, and it is a prerequisite for many advanced courses in Bioanthropology.
B200 carries NMNS credit toward the COAS distribution requirements. You will NOT be able to
count this course toward the S & H requirement. The Department recommends B301, a three
credit lab course that also carries NMNS credit, concurrent with or following B200 for anyone
who plans a career in anthropology.
In B200 we will survey the field of bioanthropology, emphasizing the ways in which ideas about
human evolution are tested using evidence from the fossil record, from living prosimians,
monkeys and apes, and from contemporary human groups. There will be an emphasis on
understanding the underlying principles and science of evolution.
Textbook and Resources:
-Our Origins 2008. By Clark Spencer Larsen.
This textbook is available at the IU bookstore.
-Oncourse
Course Evaluation:
You must take both the Midterm and the Final Exam in order to pass this course; if you do not
take either of these exams, you will receive an “F” for your course grade.
Grades are based on the following:
Midterm Exam
30%
Final Exam
30%
Essays (3 @ 10% each)
30%
Participation
10%
Exams
Exams are multiple choice. The exams are NOT cumulative, and both are similar in length and
structure. You must plan your travel around the Final Exam. Please contact me before ANY
exam you must miss. If you miss an exam without contacting me beforehand, I will need a
written, substantial excuse. Make-up exams are short-answer/essay format.
A list of study terms will be distributed before each review session.
7
Charla McCormick
Inquiry Portfolio
Teagle Collegium on Inquiry in Action
Essays
Essays are designed to build skills in reading and assessing scientific articles. For each essay,
you must read the assigned article and answer the question that is asked of you regarding that
particular article. Essay assignments will be given two weeks before each deadline.
Essays must be at least one page in length but no more than two pages in length.
Use 1.5 spacing.
At the end of your paper, you must cite the references that you used in your essay using the
format in the back of your textbook. Here is an example of an acceptable format:
Last Name, First Name. Year. Title of Article. Journal Title Volume Number(Issue
Number):Page Numbers.
When you are making in-text citations use the (Author, Year) format. If you are using a
direct quote from an article, you must include the page number as well in your in-text
citation: (Author, Year: Page number).
You must check for grammar and spelling mistakes before turning in your paper.
Participation
Participation will enrich your comprehension of the material that we are covering in class. Your
grade will be calculated based on the following:
1. Attendance:
Taken daily.
2. Class Involvement:
Please be attentive and alert in class, and feel free to ask questions at any time.
3. In-Class Assignments:
Labs and other written assignments will be checked for completion, however they
will not be assigned a letter grade.
Grading Scale:
B+
C+
D+
F
87-89.9%
77-79.9%
67-69.9%
0-59.9%
A
B
C
D
95-100%
83-86.9%
73-76.9%
63-66.9%
ABCD-
90-94.9%
80-82.9%
70-72.9%
60-62.9%
Course Agenda:
Week Date
Topic
Readings and Assignments Due
1
Jan 13-15
What is Physical Anthropology
Chapter 1
2
Jan 20-22
Evolution
Chapter 2
3
Jan 27-29
Genetics
Chapter 3
8
Charla McCormick
Inquiry Portfolio
Teagle Collegium on Inquiry in Action
4
Feb 3-5
Population Genetics
Chapter 4, Essay 1 due 2/5
5
Feb 10-12
Living People, *Lab on 2/10*
Chapter 5
6
Feb 17-19
Primates
Chapter 6
7
Feb 24-26
*In-Class Review on 2/24, Midterm on 2/26*
8
Mar 3-5
Fossils
Chapter 7
9
Mar 10-12
Primate Origins
Chapter 8, Essay 2 due 2/12
10
*Spring Break March 14-22*
11
Mar 24-26
Hominid Origins
Chapter 9
12
Mar 31
Early Homo, *No Class April 2nd*
Chapter 10
13
Apr 7-9
Early Homo, AMHS
Chapters 10 and 11
14
Apr 14-16
AMHS, *Lab on 4/16*
Chapter 11
15
Apr 21-23
Agriculture
Chapter 12, Essay 3 due 4/23
16
Apr 28-30
The Future, *Review on 4/30*
Chapter 13
Tuesday May 5
Final Exam
*7:15-9:15 PM*
Academic Dishonesty:
Plagiarism and cheating will not be tolerated. See the Academic Code of Student Rights,
Responsibilities, and Conduct. Copies of this document can be obtained from the Dean of
Students.
9
Charla McCormick
Inquiry Portfolio
Teagle Collegium on Inquiry in Action
Appendix B
Name
__________________________________________
Timeframe
__________________________________________
Epoch
__________________________________________
Location
__________________________________________
Size
__________________________________________
Notable Features
__________________________________________
10
Charla McCormick
Inquiry Portfolio
Other
Teagle Collegium on Inquiry in Action
__________________________
11
Charla McCormick
Inquiry Portfolio
Teagle Collegium on Inquiry in Action
Appendix C
Neanderthal Sites
1. Neanderthal
2. La Chappelle-aux-Saints
3. La Ferrassie
4. Le Moustier
5. Gibraltar
6. Krapina
7. Mezmaiskaya Cave
8. Kebara
9. Shanidar
10. Tabun
11. Moula-Guercy
12. Feldhofer Cave
13. Amud
12