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Research & Teaching

Fostering Reflective Teaching

Using the Student Participation Observation Tool (SPOT) to Promote Active Instructional Approaches in STEM

Journal of College Science Teaching—March/April 2022 (Volume 51, Issue 4)

By Cara H. Theisen, Cassandra A. Paul, and Katrina Roseler

The Student Participation Observation Tool (SPOT) is a web-based classroom observation protocol developed for higher education STEM courses and based on research on evidence-based practices. The low-inference and objective nature of the SPOT and visual outputs make it an optimal tool for teaching professional development. The SPOT allows novice users to use data from their own classes to reflect on, and make data-driven changes to, their teaching practices. In particular, the SPOT was designed to present faculty with objective data related to their use of active instructional approaches, be easy for practitioners to use, and provide data outputs that are illustrative and non-evaluative. Use of the SPOT in a workshop series revealed that these design features allow faculty to collect reliable observation data with minimal training. Furthermore, SPOT data promoted faculty reflection on teaching practice and motivated faculty to make changes to their teaching that aligned with more learner-centered practices. Beyond teaching professional development, we suggest how the SPOT may be used to increase the usefulness of peer observation for teaching evaluation.

 

The Student Participation Observation Tool (SPOT) is a web-based classroom observation protocol developed for higher education STEM courses and based on research on evidence-based practices. The low-inference and objective nature of the SPOT and visual outputs make it an optimal tool for teaching professional development. The SPOT allows novice users to use data from their own classes to reflect on, and make data-driven changes to, their teaching practices.
The Student Participation Observation Tool (SPOT) is a web-based classroom observation protocol developed for higher education STEM courses and based on research on evidence-based practices. The low-inference and objective nature of the SPOT and visual outputs make it an optimal tool for teaching professional development. The SPOT allows novice users to use data from their own classes to reflect on, and make data-driven changes to, their teaching practices.
 

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Online Engagement in an Undergraduate Cell Biology Course

Journal of College Science Teaching—March/April 2022 (Volume 51, Issue 4)

By Eric Tarapore, Justin Franklin Shaffer, and Scott Atwood

Online engagement, or the use of online supplementary instruction and assessment, in high-structure courses is gaining popularity as a useful tool to facilitate instruction, assignments, and examinations. High-structure courses, which include regular pre- and post-class assessments and significant active learning during class, have been shown to increase student engagement and improve student performance, whereas electronic learning has shown mixed results. The goal of this study was to assess online engagement in a large-enrollment, lecture-style undergraduate cell biology course. The course was taught using a high-structure approach that required students to read the textbook and complete assignments before class, actively participate in class, complete review quizzes after class, and assess learning through examinations. Use of the online component was voluntary and included the e-book, associated online guides, videos, hyperlinks, experimental walk-throughs, and enhanced practice questions not found in the textbook. We found that while a statistically significant difference on preclass assignments resulted from voluntary use of the online component, no difference was observed on examinations. Satisfaction or future-use scores did not stratify along preclass assignments or examinations. Future studies are needed to define how to successfully incorporate online engagement in high-structure large lecture courses.

 

Online engagement, or the use of online supplementary instruction and assessment, in high-structure courses is gaining popularity as a useful tool to facilitate instruction, assignments, and examinations. High-structure courses, which include regular pre- and post-class assessments and significant active learning during class, have been shown to increase student engagement and improve student performance, whereas electronic learning has shown mixed results. The goal of this study was to assess online engagement in a large-enrollment, lecture-style undergraduate cell biology course.
Online engagement, or the use of online supplementary instruction and assessment, in high-structure courses is gaining popularity as a useful tool to facilitate instruction, assignments, and examinations. High-structure courses, which include regular pre- and post-class assessments and significant active learning during class, have been shown to increase student engagement and improve student performance, whereas electronic learning has shown mixed results. The goal of this study was to assess online engagement in a large-enrollment, lecture-style undergraduate cell biology course.
 

Research & Teaching

Exemplar Teaching Practices in STEM Courses in U.S. Universities

Journal of College Science Teaching—March/April 2022 (Volume 51, Issue 4)

By Corbin M. Campbell

Based on the largest multi-institutional observational study of undergraduate courses in the United States, this article describes exemplar teaching practices in engineering courses as an interdisciplinary science field. The College Educational Quality (CEQ) research project studied 587 courses in nine different U.S. colleges and universities. This article reports on findings from engineering courses in the study. The article describes in-depth subject-matter teaching, using students’ prior knowledge and cognitive complexity, and also discusses the course contexts (e.g., size, faculty, mode) in which there is a greater likelihood of using exemplary practices in U.S. engineering courses.

 

Based on the largest multi-institutional observational study of undergraduate courses in the United States, this article describes exemplar teaching practices in engineering courses as an interdisciplinary science field. The College Educational Quality (CEQ) research project studied 587 courses in nine different U.S. colleges and universities. This article reports on findings from engineering courses in the study.
Based on the largest multi-institutional observational study of undergraduate courses in the United States, this article describes exemplar teaching practices in engineering courses as an interdisciplinary science field. The College Educational Quality (CEQ) research project studied 587 courses in nine different U.S. colleges and universities. This article reports on findings from engineering courses in the study.

Transforming Science Learning: The Role of the Science and Engineering Practices, March 21, 2022

Join us on Monday, March 21, 2022, from 7:30 PM to 9:00 PM ET for this month's Transforming Science Learning member web seminar.

Join us on Monday, March 21, 2022, from 7:30 PM to 9:00 PM ET for this month's Transforming Science Learning member web seminar.

Join us on Monday, March 21, 2022, from 7:30 PM to 9:00 PM ET for this month's Transforming Science Learning member web seminar.

Join us on Monday, March 21, 2022, from 7:30 PM to 9:00 PM ET for this month's Transforming Science Learning member web seminar.

Join us on Monday, March 21, 2022, from 7:30 PM to 9:00 PM ET for this month's Transforming Science Learning member web seminar.

 

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Perspectives on Teaching from Early-Career Scientists

Graduate Students as Teachers

Journal of College Science Teaching—March/April 2022 (Volume 51, Issue 4)

By Suchinta Arif and Melanie Duc Bo Massey

Many graduate students spend a part of their time teaching at the university level. While there is an abundance of advice from older, more established faculty, the perspective and teaching styles of graduate students are lacking in the literature. After talking with several graduate student teachers across different universities, we identified three factors as pivotal in our teaching approach: breaking down student-professor barriers, fostering creativity, and incorporating inclusion in the classroom. In this article, we highlight how these three factors shaped our teaching style and experience. With this article, we aim to provide insight into how a younger generation of graduate student teachers are teaching effectively at the university level. 

 

Many graduate students spend a part of their time teaching at the university level. While there is an abundance of advice from older, more established faculty, the perspective and teaching styles of graduate students are lacking in the literature. After talking with several graduate student teachers across different universities, we identified three factors as pivotal in our teaching approach: breaking down student-professor barriers, fostering creativity, and incorporating inclusion in the classroom.
Many graduate students spend a part of their time teaching at the university level. While there is an abundance of advice from older, more established faculty, the perspective and teaching styles of graduate students are lacking in the literature. After talking with several graduate student teachers across different universities, we identified three factors as pivotal in our teaching approach: breaking down student-professor barriers, fostering creativity, and incorporating inclusion in the classroom.
 

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Building a New Interdisciplinary Service-Learning Partnership Through Virtual Connections

Journal of College Science Teaching—March/April 2022 (Volume 51, Issue 4)

By Lauren E. Burrow, Tonya D. Jeffery, Brian S. Wuertz, and Shelby J. Gull

This article presents a synopsis of an interdisciplinary literacy-science, cross-country, fully remote service-learning (S-L) project prompted by and executed during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. The article shares discussions, analyses, and evaluations from both community partners (staff of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences at Whiteville) and university faculty (education studies professors from Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas) to highlight how the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic created unique opportunities for S-L. With summary of the S-L partnership’s fully online development and comparisons to other, more traditional S-L projects completed pre–COVID-19, we offer readers logistical tips for navigating their own virtual S-L partnerships. The article concludes with student learning outcomes from pre- and postproject reflections and identification of interdisciplinary work benefits from both the professors and community partners.

 

This article presents a synopsis of an interdisciplinary literacy-science, cross-country, fully remote service-learning (S-L) project prompted by and executed during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. The article shares discussions, analyses, and evaluations from both community partners (staff of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences at Whiteville) and university faculty (education studies professors from Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas) to highlight how the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic created unique opportunities for S-L.
This article presents a synopsis of an interdisciplinary literacy-science, cross-country, fully remote service-learning (S-L) project prompted by and executed during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. The article shares discussions, analyses, and evaluations from both community partners (staff of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences at Whiteville) and university faculty (education studies professors from Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas) to highlight how the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic created unique opportunities for S-L.
 

point of view

A Perfect Storm

How Differences in Privilege and Power Can Lead to Subtle but Potent Inequities in STEM Education

Journal of College Science Teaching—March/April 2022 (Volume 51, Issue 4)

By Anonymous

This point of view article uses a social science lens in an attempt to understand the differing environments of the two institutions (private and public) where I taught chemistry for 3 decades. I hypothesize that differences in social class—along with unequal distributions of privilege and power—led to the race, gender, and class-based inequities that I observed at the public institution. I present this article to open a conversation about how the intersection of race with characteristics such as gender, social class, and national origin can have an impact on disparities in STEM education.

 

This point of view article uses a social science lens in an attempt to understand the differing environments of the two institutions (private and public) where I taught chemistry for 3 decades. I hypothesize that differences in social class—along with unequal distributions of privilege and power—led to the race, gender, and class-based inequities that I observed at the public institution.
This point of view article uses a social science lens in an attempt to understand the differing environments of the two institutions (private and public) where I taught chemistry for 3 decades. I hypothesize that differences in social class—along with unequal distributions of privilege and power—led to the race, gender, and class-based inequities that I observed at the public institution.
 

Press Release

REGIONAL WINNERS OF 30TH ANNUAL EXPLORAVISION COMPETITION ANNOUNCED BY TOSHIBA, NATIONAL SCIENCE TEACHING ASSOCIATION

Twenty-Three Winning Teams Recognized for Innovative Solutions to the World’s Challenges

 

teaching teachers

Saving a Swamp: Fifth-Grade Students to the Rescue!

Science and Children—March/April 2022 (Volume 59, Issue 4)

By Susan Erickson

 

start with phenomena

Supporting Three-Dimensional Learning From Students’ Questions About Water With a Storyline Unit

Science and Children—March/April 2022 (Volume 59, Issue 4)

By Gretchen Brinza, Katie Larson, Amy McGreal, and Michael Novak

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