Learning Assessment Loop Closing Activity in the Biology Department

1
Learning Assessment Loop Closing Activityin the
Biology Department

• Vivian Navas
• Biology Department Assessment Coordinator
• May 2006

2
Assess Student Learning in the General Biology II
Course
3
Justification

• This course
• required for all biology majors (enrolls about
  400 students per year)
• taken in their freshman year
• Teaches fundamental scientific concepts needed in
  more advanced courses

4
Activity

• A pre-test on course content is offered on the
  first day of class and the same exam is offered
  as post-test at end of semester

5
Objectives

• Evaluate the teaching/learning effectiveness
• Identify
• misconceptions that students bring to course
• and persisting misconceptions

6
Instrument

• 21 multiple choice questions
• Include fundamental concepts discussed in the
  course
• Evolution
• Classification
• Kingdoms
• Plant tissues, growth, transport, reproduction
• Animal tissues and systems

7
Loop Closing

• Pre activity Pre test 3052
• Intervention Lectures, laboratory exercises,
  course activities
• Post activity Post test 3052
• Results and actions taken

8
Results
9
Impacted Population

• Students
• Pre test - 429 students
• Post test 346 students
• Three different faculty members

10
(No Transcript)
11
(No Transcript)
12
(No Transcript)
13
(No Transcript)
14
PRE TEST

• Most failed questions (by over 50 of students)-
  13/21 (3,4,6,7,9,11,14,15,16,17,18,20, 21)
• Misconceptions in pretest (incorrect by more than
  50 of students and same incorrect answer was
  chosen by more than 40)
• 6-D smooth and striated muscle move arms and
  legs
• 7- E blood is not a connective tissue
• 9-C blood has no defense functions
• 16-C all chordates are vertebrates
• Students could be guessing

15
(No Transcript)
16
(No Transcript)
17
POST TEST

• Most failed questions in Post test (by more than
  25 of students)- 8/21
• 3, 4, 6, 9,11,15, 16, 17
• Misconceptions in post test (answer incorrectly
  and same incorrect answer was chosen by more than
  40 of those who failed it)
• 6-D
• 9-C
• 15-C animal and plant distinction
• 16C

18
Results

• Improvement in knowledge in all but one question
  (10)- immunology
• Question 10 has misleading terminology
• Misconceptions- most students clarified incoming
  misconceptions
• In some students the misconceptions persisted
  thus
• traditional teaching was not sufficient to
  correct them

19
Closing the loopActions taken according to
results
20
Actions

• In some sections post test was offered before
  semester ended
• Students took post test twice
• Individually
• In groups of 4-6 students
• Review for final exam
• Incorrect concepts were discussed again to the
  entire group

21
Group Post Test Discussion Activity

• Participating students- 89 students
• 14/18 - perfect score
• 2/18 -1 incorrect (9)
• 1/18 - 2 incorrect (9 and 16)
• 1/18 3 incorrect (3, 4, 6)

22
Actions

• Results presented to the faculty teaching the
  course before the semester ended
• Faculty received
• Their own results
• Global results
• Failed questions and misconceptions were analyzed
• Strategies were discussed

23
Strategies

• Discuss missed concepts again before semester
  ends
• Some will ask again in final
• Do group discussion of posttest
• Discuss these results
• with the faculty that will teach course next
  semester
• with teaching assistants of the course
• Faculty compare their individual results
  throughout next semesters to evaluate their
  efforts in clarifying misconceptions

24
Actions

• Review course content
• Modify the diagnostic test
• Correct pretest at beginning of semester to see
  what students bring and misconceptions to develop
  strategies throughout semester
• Conduct same study in the General Biology I
  course

25
Innovations

• The diagnostic test was used as teaching/
  learning tools to improve student understanding
• Group test discussion
• Post tests offered before semester ended- allowed
  for immediate action

26
Future studies

• Diagnostic test in General Biology I
• Ethics in science across the curriculum