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Archbold Biological StationProject FIRST.II

Each as reporter for other partner’s account. 1 minute each. Name, institution, research areas, summary of current courses taughtAnecdote about a formative experience as an undergraduate that was a major stimulus to go into research/ academic career (where, who/what/how).

Introductory ActivitiesIntroducing our colleagues – turn to neighbor

You joined us in a venture designed to use the Archbold environment to enrich the teaching of undergraduate ecology. We will explore the biological richness and complexity of Archbold ecosystems.We will, together, develop and implement teaching approaches that can convey an understanding of these ecosystems, and of the scientific process, to undergraduate classes.

Welcome the 3 teamswhy meeting at a field station?

see Mark Deyrup’s essay under Goals.

Richard Feynman 1963Preface to the Feynman Lectures on Physics

•“there isn't any solution to this problem of education other than to realize that the best teaching can only be done when there is a direct individual relationship between a student and a good teacher •a situation in which the student discusses the ideas, thinks about things, and talks about the things. •It's impossible to learn very much simply by sitting in a lecture, or even by simply doing the problems that are assigned.•But in our modern times we have so many students to teach that we have to try to find some substitute for the ideal.”

Impetus for and Challenges to Change NRC “Evaluating and Improving Undergraduate Teaching” 2003

• Calls for accountability from outside of academe (K-12). Higher education is learning from reforms in K-12 teaching, e.g. How People Learn (NRC 2000). Quote.

• Calls for change from within academe. (e.g. quotes from Rice 2000 in NRC 2003).

• Challenges to change – the diversity of institutions served by higher educationculture of rewards for research performancehow to measure teacher effectiveness little or no formal training for faculty in techniques, or

strategies, or familiarity with the literature.

• Predicting future changes in UG teaching (Zimpher 1998)

Archbold FIRST http://www.archbold-station.org/abs/first/index.htmlfaculty teams wereEdison Community CollegeFlorida International UniversityStetson UniversityUniversity of FloridaUniversity of South Florida

During 1999 we held two workshops in February and May

Archbold Biological StationHancock Biological StationSan Diego State University Field Stations Southwestern Research Station St. Croix Watershed Research Station

•“Our first FIRST institute was 2 days long but a pivotal experience. •The Hancock Team modeled the process of inquiry learning right from the outset as we struggled through our workshops. •I remember feeling disoriented, but also very engaged. •All three of us were skeptical of what FIRST would be like and whether it would be a productive use of our time, and we left the institute having the same suspicions as when we arrived . . . but we also had a lot to talk about. •Our initial suspicions were founded on our poor understanding of educational research, and the fact that we already had pretty good teaching evaluations (What more could we do?). •Our big joke was that we would have to endure two days of "touchy-feely" lessons on improving students' self-esteem. •In our 9-hour ride back I think our commitment to give FIRST a serious try gelled.”

University of Akron,Ohio, Peter Nierowksi

Archbold faculty teams to dateFlorida International UniversityFlorida Gulf Coast universityUniversity of Central Florida

Distribution of OBFS field stations in USA,and the FIRST II sites

Archbold Biological Station

San Diego State University Field

Stations

Kellogg Biological Station

Hancock Biological Station

Washington

AkronOIMB

Baltimore-Washington

LUMCON

This project is supported, in part, by the National Science Foundation.

Goals of FIRST.II at Archbold Biological Station1. Establish a regional coalition of Florida faculty,

engaged in a partnership with Archbold Biological Station, to implement and sustain reform in undergraduate biology education in their colleges and universities. FIRST.II goal #4, #3

2. Enable faculty to develop and use teaching goals and objectives and learn multiple assessment strategies to measure the extent to which they are achieving those goals with their students. FIRST.II goal #2

3. Use the facilities and field sites at Archbold to enable faculty to gain experience in student-centered science teaching. FIRST.II goal #1

Goals of the FIRST.II at Archbold Biological Station (cont)

4. Promote general faculty and student interest in Florida ecosystems and species by increasing participant understanding of Florida ecosystems, encouraging faculty and institutional interest to use field stations and field sites such as Archbold as teaching forums. No FIRST.II equivalent goal.

5. Facilitate collaboration among participating faculty about their reforms towards achieving excellence in science teaching. FIRST.II goal #5

6. Promote support for the emerging criteria and strategies for the scholarship of teaching at participant’s home institutions, so that teaching can be recognized, evaluated, and rewarded within institutions. FIRST.II goal #5

7. Support a national dissemination network to sustain improvement in teaching initiated by faculty. FIRST.II goal #6

Faculty Knowledge of Effective Teaching• This is a joint effort between Archbold and participants – to

draw jointly from our cumulative knowledge. Network • No need to re-develop techniques and approaches that others

have tested and disseminated. Point to Resources. • Emphasis on developing a “culture of collegiality” or a

“teaching community”. TeamsNumber of years teaching experience (ABS ITs)

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Participant # (individuals)

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1. Enable faculty to gain experience in active, inquiry-based science teaching that increases student learning through workshops that model this kind of teaching;2. Enable faculty to learn and use multiple assessment strategies that provide evidence of student learning which their peers accept;3.Develop eight teams of faculty as professional developers of biology faculty in their regions; 4.Use field stations, marine laboratories, or other field sites that have an educational mission in eight regions throughout the United States as foci to maintain and expand coalitions of faculty who will implement and sustain reform in undergraduate biology education in their colleges and universities;5.Facilitate collaboration among faculty about their reforms toward achieving excellence in science teaching, and about the emerging criteria and strategies for the scholarship of teaching, so that teaching can be recognized, evaluated, and rewarded within institutions;6.Support a national dissemination network to sustain improvement in teaching initiated by faculty

http://www.first2.orgThe specific goals of the FIRST II project are to:

Florida Gulf Coast University

University of Central Florida

Florida International University

Archbold Biological Station

Institutional Teams

See participant list

Surveys

Review personal goals

FIRST II Institutions by Carnegie Classification

19%

14%

29%

10%

2%

26%Doctoral - Extensive

Doctoral - Intensive

Masters I

Baccalaureate - LiberalArts

Baccalaureate - General

Associates

FIRST II Participants by Position Title

25%

37%

21%

2%3% 12%

ProfessorAssociate ProfessorAssistant ProfessorInstructor / LecturerField Station DirectorOther

FIRST II Participants by number of years teaching

28%

26%

23%

6%

10%

4% 3%

0-56-1011-1512-2021-2526-3031-35

FL Universities 5 - 6 h commuteBarry University University of Central Florida Eckerd College University of North Florida Florida Gulf Coast University University of South Florida Florida Institute of Technology University of MiamiFlorida International University University of TampaFlorida A &M University USF at St. Petersburg

Florida Atlantic University Community Colleges 2h commuteFlorida Memorial College Brevard Community College Florida Southern College Broward Community College Florida State University Central Florida Community College Jacksonville University Daytona Beach Community College Johnson & Wales University Edison Community College Keiser College Hillsborough Community College Lynn University Indian River Community CollegeNorthwood University Lake-Sumter Community College Nova-Southeastern University Manatee Community College Palm Beach Atlantic College Miami-Dade Community College Rollins College Palm Beach Community College Saint Leo College Pasco-Hernando Community CollegeSt. Thomas University Polk Community CollegeStetson University St. Petersburg Junior College University of Florida Santa Fe Community College USF New College Sarasota Seminole Community College

South Florida Community College Valencia Community College

Guiding principles for this series of FIRST II workshops and the need for feedback

1. We want to know where you think you would like help, not simply prepare pre-arranged workshops – we are looking for feedback for future workshops.

2. We will try to ensure when we introduce new concepts (like cooperative learning) that we give opportunities to discuss why, when, where and how such concepts may be valuable to participants.

3. In order for you to try some changes in practices you need opportunities to try things out and receive feedback. We want to develop the capacity to judge successful transfer of technique to students and its effectiveness on students (major focus of FIRST II).

4. We want a community centered approach and do not want to conduct these workshops in isolation. Opportunities for team development –focus on Friday on means of communication – what tools, especially Internet based, can we develop for teams

Agenda, notebook, organization for this workshop

•Agenda review: schedule, emphasize modeling role (setting goals, determining preconceptions, strategies including cooperative groups, inquiry-based learning, assessment). Handouts.

•Resources available: reference list, web sites, bookshelf, Angelo and Cross, other team purchases as required. Be selective!

•Survey forms

•Human subjects form

•Feedback

Goals for This Workshop

As a result of your participation in this workshop, you will... Gain experience in student-centered science teaching. Begin to develop and use teaching goals, assessments, and

teaching strategies to support student-centered science teaching.

Learn about Archbold Biological Station resources. Start to collaborate with Florida FIRST II faculty members

(within and among Institutional Teams). Begin to develop an action plan for implementing student-

centered teaching and learning in at least one of your courses