JoinFreebies for Science Teachers, August 31, 2021
By Debra Shapiro
point of view
STEM Teaching Reform: Incremental Pathways
For almost 1,000 years, lecture has been the predominant form of teaching. There has been increasing pressure to abandon lecturing and instead use more active learning strategies. An unfortunate outcome is that didactic lecture remains the dominant form of teaching in undergraduate STEM courses. This situation has critically impeded the adoption of active learning strategies that would likely have promoted student learning beyond where it is today. The primary position of this point of view article is to discuss a structure for dissecting the teaching reform into incremental pathways that can be applied to instructional decisions.
For almost 1,000 years, lecture has been the predominant form of teaching. There has been increasing pressure to abandon lecturing and instead use more active learning strategies. An unfortunate outcome is that didactic lecture remains the dominant form of teaching in undergraduate STEM courses. This situation has critically impeded the adoption of active learning strategies that would likely have promoted student learning beyond where it is today.
For almost 1,000 years, lecture has been the predominant form of teaching. There has been increasing pressure to abandon lecturing and instead use more active learning strategies. An unfortunate outcome is that didactic lecture remains the dominant form of teaching in undergraduate STEM courses. This situation has critically impeded the adoption of active learning strategies that would likely have promoted student learning beyond where it is today.
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Preservice Science Teachers Practice Teaching Online through 4E Instructional Model
This article is prepared as part of a “Practice Teaching in Science” course of a teacher education program aiming for developing prospective science teachers’ teaching through inquiry-based instruction involving practices of science and active learning strategies. During the semester, student teachers are required to prepare four 50-minute lesson plans on different topics. The author, a teacher educator, explains how to plan and implement science lessons virtually through the 4E instructional model: engagement, exploration, explanation, and evaluation.
This article is prepared as part of a “Practice Teaching in Science” course of a teacher education program aiming for developing prospective science teachers’ teaching through inquiry-based instruction involving practices of science and active learning strategies. During the semester, student teachers are required to prepare four 50-minute lesson plans on different topics. The author, a teacher educator, explains how to plan and implement science lessons virtually through the 4E instructional model: engagement, exploration, explanation, and evaluation.
This article is prepared as part of a “Practice Teaching in Science” course of a teacher education program aiming for developing prospective science teachers’ teaching through inquiry-based instruction involving practices of science and active learning strategies. During the semester, student teachers are required to prepare four 50-minute lesson plans on different topics. The author, a teacher educator, explains how to plan and implement science lessons virtually through the 4E instructional model: engagement, exploration, explanation, and evaluation.
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Introductory Biology Students’ Opinions on the Pivot to Crisis Distance Education in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic
Journal of College Science Teaching—September/October 2021 (Volume 51, Issue 1)
By J. Phil Gibson and Kristen Shelton
The COVID-19 pandemic forced higher-education institutions to close campuses and pivot all face-to-face (F2F) instruction online. This transition to Crisis Distance Education (CDE) was unprecedented in scope and speed as it was implemented globally. We surveyed students in a large, introductory-level biology course to understand their opinions about the curricular changes we implemented, usefulness of resources we provided, and the extent to which they felt supported by course personnel during the transition to CDE. The survey included both Likert-scale and open-ended questions. In general, students had a positive opinion of the transition, particularly the option for synchronous or asynchronous participation in the remainder of the course. Students valued opportunities to communicate with course personnel, but gave mixed responses for whether more or less communication was desired. Students reported high use of graded resources, but low use of ungraded resources. Our results suggest that when faced with an unexpected transition to CDE, it is important to maintain regular, supportive, and synchronous communication, but also remain flexible for asynchronous participation. Grades and immediate point rewards were important factors motivating student use of e-resources and maintaining student engagement. These factors are important considerations when shifting instruction to CDE for a limited or extended time.
The COVID-19 pandemic forced higher-education institutions to close campuses and pivot all face-to-face (F2F) instruction online. This transition to Crisis Distance Education (CDE) was unprecedented in scope and speed as it was implemented globally. We surveyed students in a large, introductory-level biology course to understand their opinions about the curricular changes we implemented, usefulness of resources we provided, and the extent to which they felt supported by course personnel during the transition to CDE. The survey included both Likert-scale and open-ended questions.
The COVID-19 pandemic forced higher-education institutions to close campuses and pivot all face-to-face (F2F) instruction online. This transition to Crisis Distance Education (CDE) was unprecedented in scope and speed as it was implemented globally. We surveyed students in a large, introductory-level biology course to understand their opinions about the curricular changes we implemented, usefulness of resources we provided, and the extent to which they felt supported by course personnel during the transition to CDE. The survey included both Likert-scale and open-ended questions.
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Faculty Learning Communities Facilitated the Rapid Pivot to Online Teaching and Learning
Journal of College Science Teaching—September/October 2021 (Volume 51, Issue 1)
By Becky Talyn, Sara J. Callori, Karen Cerwin, Mike Chao, Kimberley R. Cousins, Carol Hood, Sally F. McGill, Anthony E. Metcalf, and Laura Woodney
Faculty learning communities (FLCs), established prepandemic to disseminate and discuss evidence-based teaching practices as part of an NSF-funded project, Investigating Student Success Using Evidence-Based Strategies-eXpanded (ISSUES-X), proved effective at facilitating learning during a pandemic. As our university made the decision to operate primarily online for the 2020–2021 academic year in response to COVID-19, the nine-facilitator ISSUES-X team supported faculty and their online teaching by offering weekly synchronous open-house video conferences and providing a one-week summer institute. The institute focused on applying principles of How People Learn (NRC, 1999) to the online environment, and intentionally modeled these pedagogical practices. Practices included: online approaches and tools to developing rapport with students; asynchronous reading and assignments sandwiched around synchronous active learning exercises over video conferencing; office hours and other support outside of regular meeting times; and routines for metacognitive reflection. Our pre-existing FLC structure allowed us to support many faculty during a time of crisis, illustrating the value of FLCs as a normative practice in academia.