Education Research by Caylyn Harvey

Annotated Bibliography

Vision and Change

AAAS. “Vision and Change: A Call to Action, Final Report.” Vision and Change: A Call to Action, Final Report. N.p., 2011. Web. 2 Sept. 2015.

This book lays out the core concepts biology students should understand and core competencies they should develop. It gives a list of assessment instruments and student-centered learning resources that are available. Moving forward, the book is a call to action in the sense that it suggests that biology curricula and departments be restructured in order to become more interdisciplinary and more focused on active learning.

Implementing Recommendations for Introductory Biology by Writing a New Textbook

Barsoum, M. J. et al. “Implementing Recommendations for Introductory Biology by Writing a New Textbook.” CBE Life Sci Educ 12.1 (2013): 106–16. Web.

Using national recommendations, the authors of the ICB textbook designed the course to emphasize data interpretation while focusing less on memorizing a large amount of information. The authors did an experiment to test the effectiveness of their redesigned textbook in comparison to a traditional introductory biology course. During the semester-long experiment, assessments demonstrated no difference between students taking the traditional course and students taking the ICB course. A semester later, the ICB students had retained more content knowledge than traditional students, though the difference was not significant (p=0.06). In data interpretation, the ICB students significantly improved over time (p=0.015) and were significantly better at interpreting data by the end of the semester than the traditional students (p<0.01 and p<0.05 in the final two assessments of the semester). In addition, ICB students were more likely to have more accurate perceptions of biology as a discipline as well as of their own abilities as scientists.

take-aways for essay:

no difference in content knowledge (but better retained?)

better data interpreters (this was lost when they were no longer taking the ICB course)

more accurate perception of their abilities and biology

Clickers in the Large Classroom: Current Research and Best-Practice Tips

Caldwell, Jane E. “Clickers in the Large Classroom: Current Research and Best-Practice Tips.” CBE-Life Sciences Education 6.1 (2007): 9–20. www.lifescied.org. Web.

This is a review of literature which shows the many uses for clickers in the classroom. It cites many studies and paper that have demonstrated the efficacy and efficiency of clickers to assess student preparedness, understanding, and recall, and to improve the environment in the classroom with activities and more active learning. This article is also a guide to best practice tips for using clickers and writing effective clicker questions.

This article also stresses the benefits of learning that are brought about when instructors can really assess how well their students are understanding the material in real time with htis immediate feed back. In one paper that this article cites (Wood 2004), one professor saw that even though 90% of the students could recall a particular rule of genetics, only 48% of them could apply it: “For me, this was a moment of revelation. … for the first time in over 20 years of lecturing I knew… that over half the class didn't ‘get it’…. Because I had already explained the phenomenon as clearly as I could, I simply asked the students to debate briefly with their neighbors and see who could convince whom about which answer was correct. The class erupted into animated conversation. After a few minutes, I asked for a revote, and now over 90% gave the correct answer…”

Live Lecture Versus Video-Recorded Lecture: Are Students Voting With Their Feet?

Cardall, Scott, Edward Krupat, and Michael Ulrich. “Live Lecture Versus Video-Recorded Lecture: Are Students Voting With Their Feet?:” Academic Medicine 83.12 (2008): 1174–1178. CrossRef. Web.

This study assessed students' perceptions and use of attending live lectures versus watching video recordings of lectures online. They used a survey that asked questions about students' reasons for watching the videos and reasons for attending lectures. They found that students chose to go to class because they were not motivated to watch the lectures on their own, they wanted to show professionalism or respect for the teacher, they wanted to talk with classmates, and they wanted to feel like they were getting the most out of their tuition. Students who chose to watch the lectures cited their reasons as being able to learn at their own pace and on their own time. Students also cited their most important reason for using the 2x speed feature of the video recordings was to save time, thought they also used it to rewatch sections they had not understood and pause to look up information. Students who responded to the survey said they attend an average of 60% of the lectures, though 30% of them exclusively watch the video recordings.

Bio 2010

Council, National Research. BIO2010: Transforming Undergraduate Education for Future Research Biologists. Washington, DC: National Academies Press, 2003. Print.

This book gives recommendations for the restructuring of the undergraduate biology major. It calls for more math to be integrated into courses, more interdisciplinary thinning and projects, new approaches through new assessment techniques, more independent resources, more seminar courses, and a reexamination of the MCAT requirements. It also lists the main concepts that need to be covered in biology, chemistry, physics, engineering, math, and computer science for a biology student. The new biology major they propose is so interdisciplinary that it is almost just a general science major, and would require the restructuring of several departments.

"Communicating how scientific advances and discoveries are made is a crucial part of undergraduate scientific education. First, exposure to the experimental and conceptual basis of key discoveries gives students a deeper understanding of scientific principles. Reading a classic paper can give students a sense of scientific inquiry at its best." (29)

Impact of Cold-Calling on Student Voluntary Participation

Dallimore, Elise J., Julie H. Hertenstein, and Marjorie B. Platt. “Impact of Cold-Calling on Student Voluntary Participation.” Journal of Management Education (2012): 1052562912446067. jme.sagepub.com. Web.

Significantly more students answer questions voluntarily in high cold calling classes (and more than in low cold calling). The number of students voluntarily answering questions in high cold calling questions increases over time. In high cold calling, students' comfort with participating in class increases over time, while students in the low cold calling environment show no change in their comfort with participating. This research provides evidence that cold calling is a good teaching strategy because it encourages students to participate more and students become more comfortable over time.

Active learning increases student performance in science, engineering, and mathematics

Freeman, Scott et al. “Active Learning Increases Student Performance in Science, Engineering, and Mathematics.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 111.23 (2014): 8410–8415. PubMed. Web.

This study found that students who are in active learning classes perform better and fail less than students in traditional classes. "[O]n average, student performance increased by just under half a SD with active learning compared with lecturing...[O]n average, students in traditional lecture courses are 1.5 times more likely to fail that students in courses with active learning." The study also said that if the experiments they analyzed had been done as clinical trials, they would have been stopped because of the huge and obvious benefit to the experimental group (active learners) compared to the control (traditional lecture).

Active learning definition: "Active learning engages students in the process of learning through activities and/or discussion in class, as opposed to passively listening to an expert. It emphasizes higher-order thinking and often involves group work."

Computer Simulations Improve University Instructional Laboratories

Gibbons, Nicola J. et al. “Computer Simulations Improve University Instructional Laboratories.” Cell Biology Education 3.4 (2004): 263–269. www.lifescied.org. Web.

The researchers found that computer-based simulations can be very useful in decreasing the amount of time it takes to perform a lab and in increasing student performance. They qualified, however, that the results are quite dependent on the information and the method, as it is more appropriate for some labs than for others. For example, they saw results when they replaced a karyotyping lab, but not when they replaced a bioinformatics lab.

Improvements from a Flipped Classroom May Simply Be the Fruits of Active Learning

Jensen, Jamie L., Tyler A. Kummer, and Patricia D. d M. Godoy. “Improvements from a Flipped Classroom May Simply Be the Fruits of Active Learning.” CBE-Life Sciences Education 14.1 (2015): ar5. www.lifescied.org. Web.

This article describes a study that compares two classes that employ active learning. One class uses flipped lectures, the learn-before-lecture strategy in which students participate in technology-driven, active learning activities at home, and then have a lecture in class to Elaborate the information and processes learned at home and Evaluate the students' progress. The other class follows the same "active content attainment" through the "Engage, Explore, Explain" method, but does it in class, and then sends the students home with work after class to finish the Elaborate and Evaluate. The study found that there was no significant difference between the flipped class and the normal class, and they concluded that this was because both classes use an active learning structure. Thus, the improved results we typically see from "flipped" classes are not because the students are learning before they come to class, but because the flipped classroom helps foster an active learning environment.

Learn before Lecture: A Strategy That Improves Learning Outcomes in a Large Introductory Biology Class

Moravec, Marin et al. “Learn before Lecture: A Strategy That Improves Learning Outcomes in a Large Introductory Biology Class.” CBE-Life Sciences Education 9.4 (2010): 473–481. www.lifescied.org. Web.

The researchers of this study wanted to incorporate the methods of active learning in the classroom without displacing any of the content imparted to students. Thus, they chose to introduce material outside of class in their "Learn before lecture" experiment. They took four or five powerpoint slides that had been used in previous years during lecture and moved them to be homework assignments pre-lecture, as narrated slides or with an associated worksheet. They paired these slides with questions, and the percentage of students who answered five out of six of these questions right in the LBL year was significantly higher than the percentage who answered five out of six correctly in the previous years before LBL (p<0.001). The researchers concluded that LBLs combined with the active learning activities that they create time for in the classroom can significantly impact learning gains in large into bio classes.

Professors Can Learn to Be More Effective Instructors

Flaherty, Colleen. "New Study Suggests That Faculty Development Has a Demonstrable Impact on Student Learning." New Study Suggests That Faculty Development Has a Demonstrable Impact on Student Learning. Inside Higher Ed, 10 Feb. 2016. Web. 12 Feb. 2016.

This article is about a book, Faculty Development and Student Learning: Assessing the Connections (Indiana University Press), which details a study done at Carleton College and Washington State University to determine the effects of faculty development on student learning. Faculty who went through development training provided raters with students' assessments from before and after the instructor training intervention, and raters found that the students from after the intervention scored higher on every piece of the designed rubric. In the end, the articles says that the authors of the book claim that faculty development is worth the investment. At the very least, we can start collecting samples of assessments as a base line, keep moving forward, and see how we can develop from there.

Integrating Concepts in Biology: A Model for More Effective Ways to Introduce Students to Biology

Prestwich, K. N., and A. M. Sheehy. “Integrating Concepts in Biology: A Model for More Effective Ways to Introduce Students to Biology.” CBE-Life Sciences Education 14.3 (2015): fe3. www.lifescied.org. Web.

This is a book review of the ICB textbook. It praises the book's approach for its focus on core concepts, its emphasis on leading students to construct their own knowledge, and its use of illustrations and online links. The review raises specific issues with a few elements of the book, like the informal jargon and some terminology. Overall, the review gives positive commentary on the ICB textbook's efforts to revolutionize the way students learn introductory biology.

"It exemplifies an innovative and enlightened new direction in education that is worthy of emulation by those who see the biology elephant with different perspectives."

PULSE Progression Levels Announced!

“PULSE Progression Levels Announced!” N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Feb. 2016.

The Partnership for Undergraduate Life Sciences Education (PULSE) certification process was created in order to encourage undergraduate institutions to strive to reach the appropriate levels of change and progress in their science departments. Davidson was assessed along with 7 other institutions in the pilot program of this certification process, and Davidson was the only school to receive PULSE Progression Level III: Accomplished.

Redesigning a General Education Science Course to Promote Critical Thinking

Rowe, Matthew P. et al. “Redesigning a General Education Science Course to Promote Critical Thinking.” CBE-Life Sciences Education 14.3 (2015): ar30. www.lifescied.org. Web.

These educators have restructured their course very similarly to the way we have restructured ours, with similar results. They emphasize the nature of scientific discovery along with the facts of science, they incorporate case studies, and use basic math principles. They also tested the efficacy of their class against a traditional class using a pre-test/post-test design, and found that in no semester did the traditional students improve their critical thinking (all p>0.49), but in every semester the FoS (Foundations of Science) students did (all p<0.01).

This article is a good example of what we are trying to show: it (the restructuring of courses to fit recommendations and teach students) has been done and has been successful.

Beyond the Biology: A Systematic Investigation of Noncontent Instructor Talk in an Introductory Biology Course

Seidel, S. B., A. L. Reggi, J. N. Schinske, L. W. Burrus, and K. D. Tanner. "Beyond the Biology: A Systematic Investigation of Noncontent Instructor Talk in an Introductory Biology Course." Cell Biology Education 14.4 (2015): n. pag. Web.

This article reports a study that analyzed the words that professors say in the classroom that do not pertain to the content of the class. The researchers listened to recordings of most of the class meetings of a course throughout a semester. The class was team-taught by two tenured professors who had federal research grants, active laboratories, and were "committed to scientific teaching and strove to include active learning, equity and diversity, and assessment strategies in each class session." The researchers defined "noncontent" speak as anything that was said by the instructor to the whole class that was not specific to course content, or an analogy for course content, or setting up the class schedule or homework for the day. With all the "noncontent" words they had left, the researchers divided everything into five main categories: building the instructor/student relationship, establishing classroom culture, explaining pedagogical choices, sharing personal experiences, and unmasking science. They further broke those categories down into smaller sections, and could also evaluate the differences in the amount of each type of comment said on each day or by each of the two professors. For example, they found that quotes representing at least three of the five main categories were present in 97% of the class sessions recorded. Another example of their analyses of their statistics is they also found that one of the professors said significantly more "sharing personal experience" noncontent statements than the other.

The article was particularly interesting because the study ist he first to ever examine what is said in the classroom that does not relate to the class. It would be interesting going forward if someone could do a study to see how those extra words actually affect student learning.

The Benefits of Using Clickers in Small-Enrollment Seminar-Style Biology Courses

Smith, Michelle K., Caleb Trujillo, and Tin Tin Su. “The Benefits of Using Clickers in Small-Enrollment Seminar-Style Biology Courses.” CBE-Life Sciences Education 10.1 (2011): 14–17. www.lifescied.org. Web.

The researchers believed that clickers are very useful in large classes, but wanted to discover if they are also effective in small classes. They introduced clicker questions about the readings of papers and case studies in an 11-student class. The students reported that the clicker questions motivated them to read the papers and come to class prepared. The professor said he had previously used reading quizzes, but that even when students got the answers correct, they would often tune out for the rest of the class. The researcher found that even in a small class, clickers helped engage the students and gave each an opportunity to consider every question, instead of listening passively to another student who is called on to answer a question they don't know.

Combining Peer Discussion with Instructor Explanation Increases Student Learning from In-Class Concept Questions

Smith, M. K. et al. “Combining Peer Discussion with Instructor Explanation Increases Student Learning from In-Class Concept Questions.” CBE-Life Sciences Education 10.1 (2011): 55–63. www.lifescied.org. Web.

The researchers compared three different approaches of learning in the classroom to determine the best way to use clickers: just clickers, clickers plus instructor explanation, and just instructor explanation. They found that the combination of clickers plus instructor explanation yielded better results than when compared with either alone. They also separated students into strong, medium, and weak, and found that for the weak students who were also nonmajors, the combination approach was only slightly better than the instructor explanation alone. The strongest students (both majors and nonmajors) were not helped at all by instructor explanation alone, which shows the importance of peer discussion.

Talking to Learn: Why Biology Students Should Be Talking in Classrooms and How to Make It Happen

Tanner, Kimberly D. “Talking to Learn: Why Biology Students Should Be Talking in Classrooms and How to Make It Happen.” CBE-Life Sciences Education 8.2 (2009): 89–94. www.lifescied.org. Web.

Tanner says that pretty much everyone agrees that students need to be talking in the classroom. You don't typically meet resistance to that concept, but you will meet resistance to the more complex teaching approaches of introducing that to the classroom. Tanner insists that "student talk" is a core part of any innovative pedagogy in use today, and the practice itself can be established in any classroom easily. To demonstrate the effectiveness of student talk, Tanner describes a clicker experiment done in a large class. Students answered a multiple choice question, then were allowed to discuss the question in small groups and then answer the question again. After that, students were asked a second question that would have required them to generalize the knowledge they should have learned through the first question. The percentage of students who answered the second question correctly was significantly higher than the percentage who answered the first question correctly by themselves, and significantly higher than the percentage who answered correctly after discussion. Also, "students whose answers to the first question were incorrect initially but correct after discussion were 77% correct on the second isomorphic question, whereas those who were incorrect initially and again incorrect after discussion were only 44% correct on the second isomorphic question." This suggests that the students are learning how to generalize the concepts. The most interesting find was that based on the number of initial correct answers, the researchers found that fewer than half of the discussion groups would have included a person who got the answer right on their first try. Thus, the study showed that talking together helped students learn, even when none of them knew the answer originally.

One very useful thing from Tanner is that she lays out her argument very well. She stresses that talking is very important to the education of students, and she uses simple, effective words like "key," "accessible," "easily integrated," "minimal effort," and "significant impact" in her conclusion to really get her point across.

An Active Textbook Converts "Vision and Tweak" to Vision and Change

Wagner, James D. et al. “An Active Textbook Converts ‘Vision and Tweak’ to Vision and Change | CourseSource.” CourseSource (2015): n. pag. Web. 2 Dec. 2015.

This article explains that the creation of the ICB textbook was in response to the call for a change in biology education, many aspects of which were formally declared by the Vision and Change conference and subsequent publication. In addition to creating a better environment in which to learn, the ICB textbook also creates a better environment in which to teach. Not only are the students more engaged, but their professors are as well. The article also stresses that all of ICB's weaknesses are actually strengths: the consistent (possibly old-fashioned) color scheme was chosen so that color blind people could tell the difference between them; some of the figures are missing error bars or other notations, but that is how they were published in the original papers; and some of the research examples seem forced to fit into a chapter because they could actually fit into many chapters, which lends itself to the claim the textbook makes that the core concepts are connected in so many ways.

"It is not uncommon to end class totally surprised by what new ideas or issues we covered in class. Because of this spontaneity, we are more engaged and responsive to the students' learning."

"The [traditional] class does not allow students to think critically."

"Among the faculty from around the country who reviewed ICB prior to its publication, the fear of change was the most common reason they gave for not wanting to adopt this new approach."

Notes

I don't think all of my citations are correct--need to check this