| Course | Learning goals | New Assessments | Improved Methods |
|---|---|---|---|
| BIOL 111: Cell and Organismal Biology (Sept ‘07 - Sept ‘08) Faculty: K. Nomme, J. Klenz Skylight Liaison: G. Birol  Poster: Findings of the Impact of a Non-majors First Year Biology Course on Students’ Attitudes Towards Biological Sciences |
Course-level goals: complete Topic-level goals: complete |
Midterm student evaluations Focus groups Biology attitudinal survey Clicker questions |
Case studies Group activities Vista reading quizzes Peer tutor support Intentional alignment of topics with student work and assessment Clicker questions |
| BIOL 112: Cell Biology (Sept ‘07 start) Faculty: E. Gaynor, T. Kion, G. Spiegelman STLF: Jared Taylor Poster: Invention Activities in Biology 112: changing the way first year biology students approach problem solving
| Course-level goals: complete
Topic-level goals: complete |
End-of-term surveys Student interviews to assess problem solving abilities End-of-term assessment of learning and invention groups to assess transfer abilities Biology attitudinal survey |
Developed and refined a series of invention/ investigation activities for in class once per week. Just-in-Time Teaching incorporated with pre-class readings. In-class writing assignments iClickers End of week problems PeerWise used in all sections PeerWise workshops were implemented in an attempt to give the students some guidance in writing better multiple choice questions. |
| BIOL 121: Ecology, Genetics and Evolution (Sept ‘07 start) Faculty: C. Pollock, G. Bole, P.. Kalas, B. Couch, A. O'Neill Skylight Liaison: G. Birol Poster: Evaluation of the peer tutor program for a first year biology course (BIOL 121)Poster: Development of a Methodology to Investigate Consistency in Assessment of Learning Outcomes for Biology 121 |
Course-level goals: complete Topic-level goals: complete (revised and extended for the ecology unit in '11) |
Mapping of multi-section course outcomes onto assessments Biology attitudinal survey Meiosis concept inventory (in preparation) |
Peer tutors
Learning centre PeerWise used in some sections. Writing project with Rosie Redfield (08/09) iClickers implemented in most sections. Testing of conceptual inventory in community and population ecology ('10). The conceptual inventory in community and population ecology has been used to evaluate the effectiveness of in-class activities (Kalas ‘11). |
| BIOL 201: Cell Biology II: Introduction to Biochemistry (Jan ‘08 – Sept ‘08) Faculty: W. Bingle, S. Chowrira, J. Richards STLF: Jared Taylor |
Lecture-level goals: complete | Chemistry concept pre-test Focus group interviews Focus group follow-up survey (entire class) Biology attitudinal survey |
Recommendations provided to faculty. |
| BIOL 204: Vertebrate Structure and Function (Jan ‘08- May ‘08) Faculty: B. Milsom, A. O’Neill |
Course-level goals: complete Topic-level goals: complete |
Clicker questions Post test: Vista Reading/Content quizzes |
New study questions Midterm teaching evaluations Improvement of group activities and discussions in class Revised course content and lecture materials incorporating real life examples. Enhanced problem solving approach including comparisons. |
| BIOL 230/304: Fundamentals of Ecology (Sept ’09 start) Previously BIOL 302: Community and Ecosystem Biology Faculty: R. Turkington, W. Goodey, E. Hammill STLF: Malin Hansen |
Topic-level/ class specific goals: complete Learning goals have been linked to exam question, iClicker questions and pre-reading questions. |
The CLASS pre and post biology attitude surveys have been used in all sections each term (2009-2011). A pre/post conceptual survey for community and population ecology has been developed and is used. Student interviews have been conducted to assess class activities and methods and to validate conceptual survey. Midterm survey has been developed and is used to assess class activities and methods. |
iClickers are used. Pre-reading assignments with multiple choice and open ended question (with feedback) are issued each week. Small group in-class discussions have been incorporated. Twenty-three on-line article based practice problems/case studies have been developed. Some of them have been implemented as in-class learning activities. Three mandatory field labs have been implemented. Two tutorials have been designed and implemented (for summer courses only). The conceptual inventory in community and population ecology has been used to evaluate the effectiveness of in-class activities (Instructor: Roy Turkington and Wayne Goodey '11). The effectiveness of using analogies when teaching ecology was evaluated using optional tutorials ('11). |
| BIOL 306: Advanced Ecology (Jan '10 start) Previously BIOL 303: Population Biology Faculty: G. Bradfield, W. Goodey, M. O’Connor. STLF: Malin Hansen |
Topic-level/class specific goals: complete | The CLASS pre and post biology attitude surveys have been used in all sections each term (‘10-‘11). A pre/post conceptual survey for advanced ecology has been developed and is used. Student interviews have been conducted to assess class activities and methods and to validate conceptual survey. Mid-term survey has been developed and is used to assess class activities and methods. |
iClickers are used. Pre-reading assignments with multiple choice and open ended questions (with feedback) are issued each week. Small group in-class discussions have been incorporated. Twenty-three on-line article based practice problems have been developed. Some of them were implemented as in-class learning activities in '11 (approximately one learning activity per week). Three mandatory field labs have been implemented. Two tutorials have been designed and implemented (for summer courses only). |
| BIOL 310: Introduction to Animal Behaviour (Jan ’11 start) Faculty: W. Goodey STLF: Malin Hansen |
Topic-level/class specific goals: complete Learning goals have been linked to exam questions, iCLicker questions and pre-reading questions. |
The CLASS pre and post biology attitude surveys have been used in all sections each term ('10-'11). A pre/post conceptual/attitudinal survey has been developed by the instructor and is used. Mid-term survey will be developed and used. |
iClickers are used. Pre-reading assignments with multiple choice questions (with feedback) are issued each week. Small group in-class discussions have been incorporated. An entire 50-min lecture per week is devoted to an in-class group discussion activity. Mandatory field labs have been part of the course for some years. Student project and associated poster presentation have been part of the course for some years. |
| MICB 302: Immunology (Sept ’11 start) Faculty: P. Johnson STLF: Jared Taylor |
In the process of establishing learning goals. | ||
| MICB 325: Microbial Genetics (Jan ’11 start) Faculty: T. Beatty STLF: Jared Taylor |
A complete set of learning goals has been established. | A newly developed Bacterial Gene Regulation Concept Inventory is being used in a trial run. | Currently tutorial/ homework questions are being converted into clicker questions that will be used during a weekly 50-minute tutorial lecture. Currently undergoing transformation to use a full active learning with Just-in-time teaching format. |
| Transformations in the following courses have been undertaken by individual faculty members (with advice provided by the CWSEI-Life Science Departmental Director) Microbiology 300: Microbial Ecology (Faculty: W. Mohn) – Course-level and topic-level learning goals completed, survey, in-class group problems, poster made by learning group, in-class and out-of-class student learning group problems, clickers. Microbiology 409: Advanced Microbial Genetics (Faculty: S Hallam) – Course-level and topic-level learning goals completed, student survey, in-class workshops suing groups of students, clickers. |
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