scholarly journals Curriculum Alignment with Vision and Change Improves Student Scientific Literacy

2017 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. ar29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Jo Auerbach ◽  
Elisabeth E. Schussler
Keyword(s):  
Active Learning ◽  
Scientific Literacy ◽  
Biology Education ◽  
Curriculum Alignment ◽  
Final Report ◽  
Process Skills ◽  
Student Collaboration ◽  
Undergraduate Biology ◽  
Learning Techniques ◽  
Academic Year

The Vision and Change in Undergraduate Biology Education final report challenged institutions to reform their biology courses to focus on process skills and student active learning, among other recommendations. A large southeastern university implemented curricular changes to its majors’ introductory biology sequence in alignment with these recommendations. Discussion sections focused on developing student process skills were added to both lectures and a lab, and one semester of lab was removed. This curriculum was implemented using active-learning techniques paired with student collaboration. This study determined whether these changes resulted in a higher gain of student scientific literacy by conducting pre/posttesting of scientific literacy for two cohorts: students experiencing the unreformed curriculum and students experiencing the reformed curriculum. Retention of student scientific literacy for each cohort was also assessed 4 months later. At the end of the academic year, scientific literacy gains were significantly higher for students in the reformed curriculum (p = 0.005), with those students having double the scientific literacy gains of the cohort in the unreformed curriculum. Retention of scientific literacy did not differ between the cohorts.

scholarly journals A Vision and Change Reform of Introductory Biology Shifts Faculty Perceptions and Use of Active Learning

2017 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. ar57 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Jo Auerbach ◽  
Elisabeth Schussler
Keyword(s):  
Active Learning ◽  
Student Learning ◽  
Faculty Perceptions ◽  
Biology Education ◽  
Final Report ◽  
Student Collaboration ◽  
College Classrooms ◽  
Class Time ◽  
Biological Concepts ◽  
Large Research

Increasing faculty use of active-learning (AL) pedagogies in college classrooms is a persistent challenge in biology education. A large research-intensive university implemented changes to its biology majors’ two-course introductory sequence as outlined by the Vision and Change in Undergraduate Biology Education final report. One goal of the curricular reform was to integrate core biological concepts and competencies into the courses using AL pedagogical approaches. The purpose of this study was to observe the instructional practices used by faculty (N = 10) throughout the 3-year process of reform to determine whether the use of AL strategies (including student collaboration) increased, given that it can maximize student learning gains. Instructors participated in yearly interviews to track any change in their perceptions of AL instruction. Instructors increased their average use of AL by 12% (group AL by 8%) of total class time throughout the 3-year study. Interviews revealed that instructors shifted their definitions of AL and talked more about how to assess student learning over the 3 years of the project. Collaboration, feedback, and time may have been important factors in the reform, suggesting that small shifts over time can accumulate into real change in the classroom.

scholarly journals Demystifying the Meaning of Active Learning in Postsecondary Biology Education

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. ar52 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily P. Driessen ◽  
Jennifer K. Knight ◽  
Michelle K. Smith ◽  
Cissy J. Ballen
Keyword(s):  
Active Learning ◽  
Learning Strategies ◽  
Biology Education ◽  
Undergraduate Biology ◽  
Active Learning Strategies

Active learning is not well-defined in the context of undergraduate biology education. To clarify this term, this study explored how active learning is defined and what active learning strategies are used. This work highlights the importance of elaboration and specificity when using the term "active learning" to characterize teaching.

scholarly journals A Comparison of Nonmajors' & Majors' Incoming Science Process Skills

2019 ◽  
Vol 81 (8) ◽  
pp. 554-560
Author(s):  
Sadie Hebert ◽  
Sehoya Cotner
Keyword(s):  
Scientific Inquiry ◽  
Biology Education ◽  
Assessment Instrument ◽  
Science Identity ◽  
Process Skills ◽  
Research Experiences ◽  
Science Process Skills ◽  
Undergraduate Biology ◽  
Affective Characteristics ◽  
Biology Majors

Recommendations for undergraduate biology education include integration of research experiences into the curriculum, regardless of major. While non-biology majors and biology majors differ in affective characteristics, it is not clear if they differ in their incoming science process skills. We created a scenario-based assessment instrument – designed to gauge science process skills – that was accessible to nonmajors and majors. We evaluated nonmajors' and majors' open-ended responses using a rubric. We also assessed students' science identity, confidence, and attitudes with a pre-course survey. While affective differences between the populations are evident, we did not detect meaningful differences in science competency. These findings indicate that nonmajors and majors are skilled in the process of science and have the ability to engage in meaningful scientific inquiry, confirming our hypothesis that, in supporting a scientifically literate citizenry, educators must emphasize teaching strategies that target affective differences between nonmajors and majors.

scholarly journals Aprendizaje basado en proyectos colaborativos de entornos de programación a partir de proyectos de ingeniería civil

2017 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rodrigo Fernando Herrera
Keyword(s):  
Active Learning ◽  
Project Based Learning ◽  
Teaching Staff ◽  
First Year ◽  
Teaching Methodology ◽  
Self Assessment ◽  
Learning Techniques ◽  
Engineering Career ◽  
Self Learning ◽  
Academic Year

The objective of this research is to present and support the implementation of a teaching methodology based on active learning in a programming course taught to students of the first year of the civil engineering career. The active learning techniques used are project-based learning and collaborative learning. The research methodology is the study of three cases. The application of this methodology is supported by the increase in the percentages of achievement of the learning results obtained by the students of the same course in which this methodology was implemented (academic year 2015), to the detriment of students where a traditional methodology of teaching was applied (academic year 2013-2014). To evaluate the achievement, formative and summative evaluations were used by the teaching staff (heteroevaluation), and a self-assessment was implemented at the end of the course as well. From the obtained results it is evident that, when applying an active methodology, the students increase their achievement in each learning result; they reduce the gap between their perception of what is learned and the evaluation of teachers; and they improve their attitudinal skills (self-learning, teamwork, development and presentation of reports), among other benefits.

scholarly journals Development of Practicum Instruction Module Based on Project Based Learning (PjBL) Integrated with Science Process Skills and Scientific Literacy

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (SpecialIssue) ◽  
pp. 104-111
Author(s):  
Marjanah Marjanah ◽  
Ekariana Pandia ◽  
Nursamsu Nursamsu
Keyword(s):  
Scientific Literacy ◽  
Student Assessment ◽  
Biology Education ◽  
Project Based Learning ◽  
Student Response ◽  
Process Skills ◽  
Scientific Process ◽  
Validation Data ◽  
Student Responses ◽  
Gain Score

This research aims to produce a valid practicum instruction module; the result of student assessments regarding the practicum instruction module; there are good results of students’ scientific process skills; there is an increase in students' scientific literacy; and student responses to the practicum instruction module. This type of research refers to the 4-D model. The research subjects are Even Semester students for the 2020-2021 academic year. The research was carried out at the Biology Education Study Program, Universitas Samudra. The research instrument consisted of validation sheets, observation sheets, test questions, and questionnaires. The data analysis technique in this study consisted of validation data presented in the form of a percentage; student assessment of the practicum instruction module using percentages process skills data analyzed by N-gain score; learning outcomes were analyzed by N-gain score, and; student responses are presented in the form of a percentage. The results of the practicum module validation are categorized as good with a score of 87.5%; The results of student assessment of the practicum instruction module on product trials are categorized as good in terms of indicators of content feasibility, presentation feasibility, and language; The scientific process skills of students before and after conducting product trials of 0.63% are categorized as high; The scientific literacy ability of students is 0.56%, means it has increased; Student response to the practicum Instruction module is positive

scholarly journals Efficacy of a Meiosis Learning Module Developed for the Virtual Cell Animation Collection

2017 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. ar9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric E. Goff ◽  
Katie M. Reindl ◽  
Christina Johnson ◽  
Phillip McClean ◽  
Erika G. Offerdahl ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Active Learning ◽  
Dynamic Environment ◽  
Biology Education ◽  
Introductory Biology ◽  
Traditional Lecture ◽  
Course Structure ◽  
Undergraduate Biology ◽  
Virtual Cell ◽  
Learning Module ◽  
Biology Courses

Recent reports calling for change in undergraduate biology education have resulted in the redesign of many introductory biology courses. Reports on one common change to course structure, the active-learning environment, have placed an emphasis on student preparation, noting that the positive outcomes of active learning in the classroom depend greatly on how well the student prepares before class. As a possible preparatory resource, we test the efficacy of a learning module developed for the Virtual Cell Animation Collection. This module presents the concepts of meiosis in an interactive, dynamic environment that has previously been shown to facilitate learning in introductory biology students. Participants (n = 534) were enrolled in an introductory biology course and were presented the concepts of meiosis in one of two treatments: the interactive-learning module or a traditional lecture session. Analysis of student achievement shows that students who viewed the learning module as their only means of conceptual presentation scored significantly higher (d = 0.40, p < 0.001) than students who only attended a traditional lecture on the topic. Our results show the animation-based learning module effectively conveyed meiosis conceptual understanding, which suggests that it may facilitate student learning outside the classroom. Moreover, these results have implications for instructors seeking to expand their arsenal of tools for “flipping” undergraduate biology courses.

scholarly journals MENINGKATKAN KETERAMPILAN PROSES SAINS MAHASISWA MELALUI PENGEMBANGAN PROGRAM PEMBELAJARAN FISIKA MENGGUNAKAN MODEL INKUIRI

2013 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 125 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ni Nyoman Sri Putu Verawati
Keyword(s):  
Performance Appraisal ◽  
Inquiry Learning ◽  
Biology Education ◽  
Process Skills ◽  
Learning Program ◽  
Science Process Skills ◽  
Physics Learning ◽  
First Semester ◽  
Education Courses ◽  
Academic Year

This study aimed to improve science process skills of students in learning physics through program using the inquiry learning model. This research is action research through the stages of planning, implementation, observation, and reflection, its are implemented in cyclical form. The subjects were students of biology education courses that take the course Physics I in the first semester of academic year 2013/2014. The instrument in this study using the Performance Appraisal Sheet Process (PASP) based on woorksheet to obtain data of science process skills of students. The results showed that as many as 75 % of students have a science process skills with good category, 17 % of students with unfavorable category, 8 % of students categorized as very poor (bad). As for each component of science process skills, students appear to difficulties in conducting data analysis with a score of 59,8 but both in carrying out experiments with a score of 70,5. From the research that has been done can be concluded that the learning program using the inquiry model in physics learning can improve student science process skills.

scholarly journals Practicing Critical Thinking in Undergraduate Microbiology Classes by Presenting News Stories with Data Evidence

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pia H. Moisander
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Scientific Literacy ◽  
Biology Education ◽  
Original Data ◽  
Research Articles ◽  
Primary Research ◽  
Undergraduate Biology ◽  
News Stories

Developing scientific literacy is a key objective in undergraduate biology education. However, finding and accessing important primary research articles and drawing conclusions from original data is often challenging for students.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document