Anatomy of a Module: Using LONCAPA in Biology

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Anatomy of a Module Using LON-CAPA in Biology

• Jim Smith
• HHMI Core Group
• Michigan State University
• East Lansing, MI

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The Overall Goal(s) of HHMI/LON-CAPA

• Create online learning modules
• Supplement traditional presentation
• Rationale
• "What should I do to study this stuff?"
• Module design
• based on educational principles
• use instructional technology to its best
  advantage

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Content Creation Driven by Educational Principles

• Whats the Big Idea?
• Use of Multiple Representations
• Use of Interleaved Questions of High Quality

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Whats the Big Idea?

• Our Goal is Conceptual Understanding
• Deeper and better integrated than what one gains
  by presentation of facts and memorization of
  terms
• Our modules attempt to focus on Big Ideas
• De-emphasis on facts and terms
• Wandersee JH (2001) High School Biology
  Instruction Targeting Deeper Understanding for
  Biological Literacy, Subject-Specific
  Instructional Methods and Activities 8 187-214.

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What is a Big Idea in Biology?

• Compare and Contrast Mitotic and Meiotic Cell
  Division Cycles
• A Mitotic Cell Division leads to the production
  of daughter cells that are identical to the
  original cell all have the same number of
  chromosomes.
• A Meiotic Cell Division leads to the production
  of daughter cells that are not identical to the
  original cell the daughter cells have half the
  number of chromosomes found in the original cell.

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Use of Multiple Representations

• Content Experts move fluidly between
  alternative representations
• Able to use representations as cues to bring up
  other ideas
• Novices are constrained to the surface
• Physics (Acceleration Diagram)
• Biology (Punnett Square)
• Kozma RB (2000) The Use of Multiple
  Representations and the Social Construction of
  Understanding in Chemistry, pp. 11-46 in
  Innovations in Science and Mathematics Education
  Advanced Designs for Technologies in Learning (ML
  Jacobson RB Kozma, Eds.), Lawrence Erlbaum,
  London.

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Use of Interleaved Questions of High Quality

• Question pages interspersed with content pages
• Questions appear immediately after the
  introduction of a concept
• Most LON-CAPA users put questions at the end of
  the chapter

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Use of Interleaved Questions of High Quality

• High Quality as judged by Blooms Taxonomy of
  Educational Objectives
• Type I -
• Recall Questions
• Type II/III -
• Comprehension
• Application/Interpretation
• Bloom BS, Engelhart MD, et al. (1956) Taxonomy of
  Educational Objectives The Classification of
  Educational Goals, David McKay Co., New York.

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Use of Interleaved Questions of High Quality

• In 14 modules, we have 58 Type II/III questions
• Range from 0 - 100 within modules
• Campbells Biology has lt 5 Type II/III
  questions
• Analysis of End-of-Chapter Questions and
  Questions on the Accompanying Student CD

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Use of Interleaved Questions of High Quality

• Module Question Pages () Type I Type II/III
• Genetics I 15/32 (47) 8 7
• Genetics II 20/37 (54) 2 18
• Genetics III 9/16 (56) 1 8
• Genetics IV 17/21 (81) 2 15

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Components of LBS144 F02

• Instructor, 2 Graduate TAs, 6 undergraduate TAs
  for 140 students
• Lecture - two per week (TTh), 80 min.
• as active as possible
• Lecture notes available online before class
• Recitation/Lab - 3 h per week
• 6 sections of 24 each staffed by one grad TA and
  two UGTAs
• multi-week investigations
• Honors Option
• Textbook - Freeman's "Biological Science"
• Lab Book - Self-produced (coursepack)
• External Readings - 8-10 readings throughout the
  term (coursepack)
• Exams and Lab Quizzes
• 50 extended responses
• Group Lab Write-ups (Poster, Paper, Web Site) 
• Written Homework based on Readings
• Minute Papers in class
• LON-CAPA Study Guides

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LBS144 students thought that the HHMI modules
helped them learn!
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Acknowledgments

• Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI)
• LITE Lab
• HHMI Core Group at MSU
• Estelle McGroarty
• John Merrill
• Merle Heideman
• Joyce Parker
• Randy Russell
• David Kirschtel
• Janet Batzli

• Scott Harrison
• Lissa Anderson
• Marlene Cameron
• Jiatyan Chen
• Tammy Long
• Heejun Lin
• Mark Olson