Waggoner and McArthur Bowling Green State University Infrastructure for Inquiry Julia McArthur...

Waggoner and McArthurBowling Green State University

Infrastructure for Inquiry

Julia McArthur

Division of Teaching and Learning

and

Charlene M. Waggoner

Department of Biological Sciences

Funded by Project NOVA (NASA Opportunities for Visionary

Academics) and the National Science Foundation (DUE)


Infrastructure for Inquiry

Creating an environment where students and instructors can successfully do science.


Outline

Inquiry-based science Goals and realities of implementation Assessment solution Summary and Conclusions


Inquiry-based labs

Activities are readily available.

Simple materials.

Readily adapted to content, goals, and available equipment.


Doing Inquiry

Often a new format for undergraduates. Causes anxiety. “What am I supposed to do?” “What is the right answer?” “What do I need to know for the exam?”


Teaching Inquiry

Often a new format for Instructors and graduate teaching assistants. Causes anxiety. Lab can be unpredictable. Need to know material and resources in greater

depth to anticipate questions and problems. Uncomfortable as facilitator.


Assessing Inquiry

Standard laboratory assessments do not assess the types of student learning encouraged.

Require memorization and not application. Often segregate inquiry and process from

“learning”.Costa and Kallick, 1995


Issues with Inquiry

Students need instructional support. Instructors need pedagogical development. Assessment needs to be aligned with goals.


Outline



Realignment

FIRST Align Assessment to Goals, Then decide what support students need to

meet goals, Then find mechanisms for development of

effective instructors.


Goals

Provide students, particularly preservice teachers, with an authentic research-based experience.


Real Goals

Have students do science. Allow students to develop skills necessary to

do science. Asking questions, designing experiments,

manipulating materials, collecting data, evaluating evidence, communicating findings.

Transfer content and process knowledge to new situations.


Realities

Many students Multiple sections

26 consecutive labs 2 hours

Graduate teaching assistants 3 sections of 30 students each Little or no preparation for teaching


Outline



Any Solutions

Must reward students for doing inquiry. Must model all processes for students and

instructors. Must provide sufficient support for everyone

to succeed.


Students Doing Science

Every activity is constructed as a research question.

Students keep a detailed journal entry for every research question.

Each activity emphasizes different aspects of the process of doing science.


Types of Laboratories

Understanding survivorship using model systems

Evaluating human survivorship Population growth using Duckweed


Portfolio Assessment

Linked directly to the laboratory journal. Special pages that include space for

instructions, student response, and a grading rubric.

Require students to reflect on the process. Require students to set goals and then

document their own progress.


Reflection Page


Student Portfolios

Midterm

“This is my best collection because the graph shows exactly what tests were collected and they are all dated and initialed. Also they tell where all were sampled from and the outcome of the experiment.”


Student Portfolios

Final

“I now understand that the data collection is the raw data, not just what we added like my other. Plus I learned that the raw data is the experimental outcome before being analyzed.”


Student Portfolios

I will be able to ask better questions in the future if I…“Change my way of thinking. I am not very scientifically minded. I, as a person, don’t question. If I begin to do so, my questions will improve and be more frequent. I plan to work on this in the laboratory. I think the few questions I do have are focused and can be scientifically answered. There is just a lack of them. Questions about experiments should come from discrepancies in experiments or from knowledge unknown.”


Student Portfolios

“I now have a better understanding of how to set up an experiment so it can be more successful. It helps to have previous knowledge and to brainstorm different ideas for the experiment & to think out your controls so you know how to make sure they are carried out well enough for your experiment. I am also able to come up with many ways to limit mistakes made from previous experiments.”


Other Assessments

Skills points Journal Checks Written assignments Mini posters Written exams


Instructor support

MODELLING Master teacher Hands on

STRUCTURE Detailed grading rubrics Detailed script


Progress

Versions of the portfolio are being used in all sections of Introductory Biology and Environment of Life.

Instructor’s manual is under development as are modifications of rubrics, and prelab activities.

Evaluation of program is ongoing.


Outline



Summary

Reward what you value. If you want students to do science then reward them for doing it.

MODEL. MODEL. MODEL. Support and structure are essential.


Conclusions

The structured portfolio shows promise as a mechanism for assessing student understanding of the process of science.

In combination with other assessment tools it provides a picture of student progress toward course goals.


Acknowledgements

Dr. Mark Gromko, Vice Provost for Academic Affairs.

Dr. Eileen Underwood, Associate Professor, Biology

Graduate Students Kim Keller Amy Kireta Lyscelle Welcome And many others

Undergraduates Jacob Melrose Kristine Welling

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