LONCAPA in Intro Biology

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LON-CAPAinIntro Biology

• John Merrill
• Biological Sciences Program
• Michigan State University
• Jan 2004 Lon-CAPA Conference, Washington, D.C.

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Outline

• First Year OnLine (FYOL)
• Products
• Objectives
• Example pages
• Analyses
• Usage
• Outcomes

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Collaboration and Ackowledgments

• Estelle McGroarty (P.I./Director)
• Joyce Parker
• Merle Heidemann
• Jim Smith
• Sam Riffel
• Tammy Long
• Funding From
• Howard Hughes Medical Institute

• Janet Batzli
• David Kirschtel
• Randy Russell
• Elizabeth Anderson
• Xuanli Yao
• Jiatyan Chen
• Gail Richmond
• Marlene Cameron
• Teresa Thomas
• Trina Trefil

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LITE Lab-LON/CAPA

• Gerd Kortemeyer
• Felicia Berryman
• All the staff

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First Year Online

• Web-based
• Fundamental Concepts Intro Biology
• Educational Principles
• Use strengths of computer technology/web

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Samples

• Engaging content
• Active content
• Chime
• Build a molecule
• Homework
• Simple
• Highly individualized
• Hinted feedback

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Application

• How to incorporate in course
• Options
• Supplemental, no credit
• Graded for points
• Fractional point values?
• Points for selected Qs?

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Application in BS111 Cells and Molecules

• 10 modules
• 50 pts of total 500 10
• Grade pt steps approx. 5
• 10-40 homework pages per module
• Requirement do any n of total N questions
• Example- Bioenergetics/Enzymes do 35 of 42 Qs
  for 5 pts.
• Max 50 tries
• 1 week open time typical

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Usage Results

• Average complete
• 182.7/229
• 80 of total pages
• 91.4 of required pages
• Average attempts
• Average time to complete
• Correlation completecourse grade
• Etc.

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Student SurveyStrongly disagree 1 7 Strongly
Agree
courtesy Deb Kashy
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Sample Data ComparisonTopic Large
Biomoleculesquestion difficulty ( students who
got Q wrong)
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FYOL Goals

• Web-based
• Lecture Online
• LON/CAPA
• Highly Interactive Engage students
• Animations
• Interactive animations/activities
• Individualized homework

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Topic Photosynthesis

• Significant misconception Most plant biomass
  comes from absorption of substances by roots.

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Pre-Test

• 1. A mature maple tree has a mass of 1 ton (dry
  biomass, after removing the water), yet it starts
  from a seed that weighs 1 gram. Which of the
  following processes explains this huge increase
  in biomass?
• a. Absorption of substances from the soil via the
  roots
• b. Incorporation of CO2 gas from the atmosphere
  into molecules in the leaf
• c. Absorption of solar radiation into the leaf
• d. Incorporation of H2O from the soil into
  molecules in the leaf

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LON/CAPA Photosynthesis Module

• 2 submodules
• 42 principal web pages
• 19 homework pages
• 2 major animation sequences
• 6 active media pages

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Post-Test

• 1)Which of the following processes best describes
  the increased biomass of a plant as it grows?
• a. Absorption of substances from the soil via the
  roots.
• b. Incorporation of CO2 gas from the atmosphere
  into molecules by green leaves.
• c. Incorporation of H2O from the soil into
  molecules by green leaves.
• d. Absorption of solar radiation into the leaf.
• e. Both a and c are correct.

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Sample Data ComparisonTopic Bioenergeticsquest
ion difficulty ( students who got Q wrong)
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Homework impact on Grades
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Continued

• NSF-ASA Diagnostic Question Clusters
• Parker, Heidemann, Sibley, Merrill, Anderson,
  Ebert-May, Kortemeyer, Reckase
• Diagnostic allow instructor to follow student
  learning progress
• Idea from Force Concept Inventory of Physics
• Comparative assessmet tool

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Diagnostic Question Clusters

• Cluster focuses on one topic
• Includes
• Objective questions
• Open-ended questions
• Guidance on usage
• Scoring rubrics
• Analysis of typical conceptual barriers
• Data on question validity
• Libraries published via LON/CAPA

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Continued

• NSF-CCLI Feedback on computer-based homework
• Merrill, Heidemann, Riffel, Smith, Urban-Lurain,
  Parker
• Develop prototype computerized feedback for
  online homework problem sets
• Conduct a pilot study of the use of computerized
  feedback
• Evaluate the effects of the feedback on student
  learning