BioScholars Assessment 2015-2016
Michael J. Hanophy
St. Joseph’s College, Brooklyn NY
PROJECT:
Activating prior knowledge to improve learning
Fall Semester 2015
COURSE:
BIO 151 – General Biology I
TOPIC:
Cell structure and function
Students have learned about cell structure multiple times during their academic career (in the state of New York
it appears in the 4th grade and 7th grade curricula as well as in the commencement level biology course referred
to in the state as “Living Environment.” The Campbell Biology text stresses the interaction of cellular organelles
in the endomembrane system, the movement of materials into and through the cell, and role of the
cytoskeleton in cellular organization; all of these are new concepts or at least a more sophisticated level of
understanding for my students in freshmen biology. It was believed that carefully reviewing the prior knowledge
using diagrams and questions that were familiar to the students, students would be more capable of learning
the new or more advanced concepts.
FORMATIVE ASSIGNMENTS
Pre-quiz 1 (administered via Blackboard)
Pre-quiz 2 (administered via Blackboard)
Formative Assessment A (administered on Day 2 using Socrative)
_____ 1.
One difference between prokaryotic and eukaryotic
cells is that only eukaryotic cells possess
(A) membrane-bound organelles
(B) DNA
(C) ribosomes
(D) cytoplasm
_____ 2.
Many of the organelles in cells are studied together
as part of the endomembrane system because
(A) all of the organelles that make up this system are
produced in the nucleolus
(B) the membranes of these organelles are made of
a phospholipid bilayer while other organelles are
made of only a monolayer
(C) the organelles in this system are connected
structurally or by the transfer of membrane
vesicles
(D) together, the organelles of this system are
responsible for all of the dehydration synthesis
and hydrolysis that occurs in the cell
_____ 3.
Pores in the nuclear envelop are necessary to permit
the transport of
(A) DNA into the endoplasmic reticulum
(B) RNA into the endoplasmic reticulum
(C) large polysaccharide molecules into the nucleus
(D) membrane vesicles into the nucleus
Formative Assessment B (administered on Day 3 using Socrative)
_____ 1.
Evidence to suggest that the chloroplast is descended
from an organism that once lived independently
includes the fact that
(A) chloroplasts are the only organelles capable of
directing photosynthesis
(B) chloroplasts are a major part of the
endomembrane system
(C) there is a separate Golgi apparatus inside of
most chloroplasts
(D) chloroplasts contain their own DNA and
ribosomes
_____ 2.
Integral proteins are unlikely to pop out of a
membrane because
(A) they form a layer between the layers of
phospholipids
(B) they are chemically bound to the phospholipids
(C) they are folded so that hydrophobic amino acids
are exposed on the inside of the membrane and
hydrophilic enzymes are exposed on the inner
and outer surfaces
(D) most of these proteins are connected to the ER
with microtubules
_____ 3.
Which of the following statements about a lipid
bilayer is true?
(A) The lipid composition of the inner and outer
layer is always the same.
(B) It is easy for phospholipid molecules to flip from
one layer to the other.
(C) The position of proteins in a lipid bilayer is
determined by where they start out when they
are produced on the ER membrane.
(D) Proteins move in and out of the bilayer freely.
Prior-Knowledge Activity A (pair/share)


What cellular structures are visible in this image of a
human cheek cells?

What does this image tell us about the differences
between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells?

What cellular structures are visible in this image of Elodea
cells?
Note that the nucleolus is more obvious in some of these
cheek cells than others. Now that you know the function
of the nucleolus, can you explain this?
Prior-Knowledge Activity B (pair/share)

Note the similarities and differences between the mitochondria
on the left and the chloroplast on the right.

Chlorophyll and other pigments are intramembrane proteins. So
are many of the proteins involved in respiration. How do these
facts help explain the structure of the mitochondria and the
chloroplast?

https://youtu.be/BB5rvjZzgFU
cytoplasmic streaming in Elodea
What did this early photomicrograph tell researchers
about the structure of biological membranes?
https://youtu.be/PsYpngBG394
pseudopods in Amoeba

How is the cytoskeleton involved in these two cellular processes?
(A)
Prior-Knowledge Activity C (pair/share)
(B)
(C)

What is different about each of the sections of membrane
shown above?

How might the difference between A and B affect the
physical properties of the membranes?

Speculate on the nature of the small molecules present in
C that are not present in A or B. Are they hydrophobic or
hydrophilic? How might they affect the physical properties
of the membrane?
ANALYSIS:
16 of 42 multiple choice questions on Examination #1 involved cell structure and function. Table 1 indicates that
students did about as well on the multiple choice questions (65.3%) as they did on the overall exam (64%)
however 61.3% of the students fared better in the multiple choice section than they did in the overall exam. In
an analysis of the 12 MC questions that pertained to cell structure and function, students did not do as well
(61%) and only 38.7% of them.
TABLE 1 – Comparison of score on multiple MC questions and MC question regarding cells with overall score
Analysis
of Exam 1
Exam 1
Curved
Grade
69
Actual
Grade
64
Analysis of ALL
MULTIPLE CHOICE
questions (42)
65.3
Analysis of Multiple Choice
questions involving the CELL
(16 of 42)
61
Analysis of Exam Essays
57.1
Better
19.0
61.3%
12.0
38.7%
11.0
35.5%
Worse
11.0
35.5%
18.0
58.1%
19.0
61.3%
Table 2 compares grades on the first exam over the past several years. The 2015 group had a better average
than 2 of 3 of the previous groups and did significantly better in the multiple choice section than any of the
groups in the last three years.
TABLE 2 – Comparison of overall scores and scores on multiple choice questions over the last 4 years
Comparison
of Exam 1
grades over
past several
years
#STUDENTS
Improvement in Multiple Choice
questions
EXAM #1
Recorded Grade
Actual Grade
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
31
53
36
62
46
69
63
66
67
69
64
59.2
61.0
64.4
64.9
AVERAGE:
45.5
66.25
62.151
Essay
MC
57.1
59.2
58.9
66.4
67.6
59.2
62.5
64.1
67
8.3 points less than 2015
5.0 points less than 2015
3.4 points less than 2015
60.4 63.4
5.6
69.4%
72%
MEDIAN
AVERAGE
63% 35.8 54.2% 26.8
66% 37.5 56.8% 29.8
67%
74.4%
-8.78
3.99
7
8
7.1
8.3
6
7
ESSAY 4 GENETICS
ESSAY 3 RESPIRATION/PHOTOSYNTHESIS
ESSAY 2 - CELL
ESSAY 1 - BIOCHEM
SCORE ON
ESSAY
QUESTIONS
Comparison of score on essays to
overall exam grade
SCORE ON
MULTIPLE
CHOICE
Comparison of score on MC
questions to overall exam grade
PRECURVE
Analysis
of Final
Exam
FINAL
9 of 63 questions on the Final Exam involved cell structure and function. Student performance on the MC
questions concerning cell structure and function was very similar to overall performance on MC questions.
Students did, however, do better on the essay question concerning cell structure and function than on any of
the other essay questions on the final exam.
6.8
9
COMPARISON OF
MULTIPLE CHOICE
QUESTIONS
CONCERNING CELL
STRUCTURE AND
FUNCTION
5.12
5
56.8%
55.6%
CONCLUSIONS:
While there appeared to be no immediate improvement in student performance on questions concerning cell
structure and function after implementation of the new program, performance on the first exam was better this
year than in past years. Also, student performance on the final exam essay concerning cell structure and
function was better than on any other of the other essays, indicating the possibility that there might have been
some long-term benefit to the new program.
In the second semester, new lessons will be prepared for BIO 340 – Microbiology.