Development of Curriculum and Training Materials for Peer Led Team Learning Recitation Sessions Donna Pattison*, Ann Cheek Dan Wells, Cathy Horn* dpattison@uh.edu chorn@central.uh.edu
Comprehensive Student Success Program Goal: To improve student success in our large introductory biology courses. Enrollments: 170 ‐ 530 students / section
Semester Course Control Implemen ‐ tation I Fall 2012 BIOL 1361 490 522 m Spring 2013 BIOL 1362 499 380 p 902 students Semester Course Control Implemen ‐ a tation Fall 2013 BIOL 1361 494 799 c Spring 2014 BIOL 1362 288 952 t 1751 students 2014 ‐ 2015 estimated impact: 2,533 students
Program Summary All Students Pre ‐ requisite checks Enhanced lecture hall curriculum Homework sets Training and Targeted Students Development Field trips Advising Faculty Development Workshop series Retake on exam I Peer Mentor Pedagogy Recitations Workshop series Student Success
Recitations • One hour sessions • 24 ‐ 30 students max • Small group format • 2 undergraduate peer facilitators per session • Curriculum designed to enhance mastery of difficult topics • Curriculum designed to promote active engagement in learning
Selection of UTAs Qualifications: 1. You must have earned an A ‐ or A in either BCHS3304 General Biochemistry I or BIOL3301 Genetics. 2. You must have a cumulative 3.0 GPA with a minimum 3.25 GPA within the major. Application Materials: 1. Application form 2. Resume (including work experience) 2. Unofficial transcript (printed from PeopleSoft) 3. Faculty recommendation (two letters sent separately by faculty) 4. Fall 2013 class schedule
UTA Responsibilities • Attend summer orientation: expectation, policy, and pedagogy • Attend lecture and proctor exams. • Work in pairs to conduct 4 ‐ one hour discussion sessions for BIOL1361 Introductory Biology each week. Keep accurate attendance records. • Attend a one hour per week meeting with the course lecture instructor to discuss curriculum for the week. • A stipend of $2,000 per semester is provided.
Summer Orientation What are some things undergraduate peer mentors might struggle with in conducting a recitation session where the students must work in small groups to complete an activity?
Pedagogy Workshops: UTAs • Developing Healthy Classroom Dynamics • Discussion Skills and Quality Questions • Cooperative Learning • The Psychology of Learning and Development • How Learning and Memory Occur • Understanding Cultural Competence • Student Motivation • Teaching Reading and Textbook Skills • Students in Crises
Define Cultural Competence 1. What is it? 2. Why should we care? 3. What are common pitfalls that reveal a lack of it? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XP3cyRRAfX0&feature=kp; retrieved 7/06/2014 Allen, D. and Tanner, K. (2007) Transformations: Approaches to College Science Teaching. Chapter 14 Cultural Competence in the College Biology Classroom.
Discussion Skills and Quality Questions What is it that a talk show host does to stimulate interesting discussions on radio or TV programs?
Cooperation vs. Competition The business strategy: Whoever gets the most sales gets a vacation to the Bahamas. Whoever has the least amount of sales will be fired. Results? Benefits? Disadvantages?
Bloom’s Taxonomy of Cognitive Development http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/images/1/1e/Bloom_1.jpg; retrieved 10/16/2012
Study Skills 1. Using Mastering Biology effectively. 2. Self ‐ testing. a. End ‐ of ‐ chapter questions. b. Draw it out. c. Write it out. d. Recite it. 3. Reading the textbook. 4. Taking notes in lecture. 5. Concept mapping. 6. Reviewing after lecture. 7. Study groups.
Lac Operon 1. Video 2. What are the concepts with which students will struggle? 3. Go over activity. 4. What is the value of this activity? 5. What do you, the TA, need to do during the activity? 6. What do you, the TA, need to do to wrap up the activity?
Teaching Evaluations • Formal visits to evaluate both the program and how the UTAs are doing • Informal walk ‐ throughs Purpose: • To provide constructive feedback • Help improve teaching performance • Identify problem areas in teaching • Identify weaknesses in the curriculum • Monitor student receptiveness to the class structure and activities ***see handout
Focus Groups 1. Led by College of Education faculty. 2. Feedback on UTA training. 3. Program suggestions. 4. What the UTAs find challenging. Results from Fall 2013: 1. Perceptions on training and the program were very positive. 2. UTAs don’t like “policing” the lecture hall. 3. UTAs requested use of the conference room kitchen and a place to lock up backpacks. 4. UTAs requested team shirts.
Student Comments • Recitation sessions and the mastering biology homework were extremely helpful in reinforcing the course material. • The study tips like drawing out diagrams made harder concepts, like cell respiration and photosynthesis, easier to understand. Recitation sections – small group makes it easier to ask questions and • provides more details. • recitation can help you learn it twice or three times. • I go to free recitation every week and it is awesome. I am the kind of student who visually and actively learns stuff. • wish we had political science recitation. • like the break down of recitation. Help you with the difficult terminology. You can go as many times as you like or could make up if you are sick. Came to school just to go to recitation.
Grade Distributions for Same Professor Introductory Biology I Pre ‐ intervention post ‐ intervention n = 1023, Pearson 2 = 34, p < 0.001 35.0 30.0 25.0 % of students 20.0 F2011 O 15.0 F2012 O 10.0 5.0 0.0 W F D C B A
DFW for Majors Class Fall 2012 Final Grade Distribution of Students Receiving Below 70% on Exam 1 in Majors BIOL1361 40% 35% 30% 25% Fall 2012 20% Fall 2011 15% 10% 5% 0% W F D C B A Figure 1. Final Grade Distributions for BIOL1361 students who scored below a 70% on the first exam. Only 30% of the students who scored below a 70% on the first exam in Fall 2011 managed to successfully complete the course. In Fall 2012 when recitation was required for the same cohort of students, 52% of the students who scored below a 70% on the first exam successfully completed the course. This is a 22% improvement in outcomes.
Moving Students from DF to ABC Fall 2012 – BIOL 1361 All students Control (n = 487) Intervention (n = 522) 35% Pearson chi ‐ square = 29.3 df = 5 30% p < 0.001 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% W F D C B A Final Grade
Moving Students from DF to ABC Fall 2012 – BIOL 1361 Students earning <70 on Exam 1 Control (n = 132) Intervention (n = 124) 60% Pearson chi ‐ square = 21.3 df = 3 50% p < 0.001 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% F D C B A Final Grade
DFW Rates Across All Dept Sections Fall Fall Fall 2011 2012 2013 BIOL1361 38% 23% 23% Spring Spring Spring 2012 2013 2014 BIOL1362 36% 22% 24%
Faculty and Peer Mentor Workshop Survey Results Faculty/Instructor ‐ controllability of student motivation Student self ‐ controllability Changeability Fall Pre to Spring Complexity of student motivation Post PM Fall Pre to Spring Student engagement self ‐ efficacy Post Faculty Instructional strategies self ‐ efficacy Classroom management self ‐ efficacy ‐ 7 ‐ 6 ‐ 5 ‐ 4 ‐ 3 ‐ 2 ‐ 1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Fall 2012 Spring 2013 Use of clicker questions in class 3.82 Demonstrations during lecture 3.59 Use of concept mapping during lecture 3.56 In ‐ class problem solving opportunities 3.47 Recitation sections 3.1 Field trips 2.7 Demonstration writing assignments 2.79 Biolunches 2.4 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5 5
Fall 2013 Use of clicker questions in class 3.65 Demonstrations during lecture 3.74 Use of concept mapping during lecture 3.55 In ‐ class problem solving opportunities 3.45 Recitation sections 3.25 Field trips 2.48 Demonstration writing assignments 2.81 0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5 5 Spring 2014 Use of clicker questions in class 3.65 Demonstrations during lecture 3.84 Use of concept mapping during lecture 3.75 In ‐ class problem solving opportunities 3.77 Recitation sections 3.36 Field trips 2.66 Demonstration writing assignments 3.04 0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5
Changes in Students’ Motivational Beliefs, Fall 2012 and Spring 2013 Change in Students' Motivational Beliefs Spring 2013 0.00 Task Difficulty 0.26 ‐ 0.39 Performance Goals ‐ 0.36 ‐ 0.75 Mastery Goals ‐ 0.74 Intervention ‐ 0.55 Task Value ‐ 0.64 Control ‐ 0.58 Self ‐ efficacy ‐ 0.56 ‐ 6.00 ‐ 4.00 ‐ 2.00 0.00 2.00 4.00 6.00 Mean Change (Post ‐ Survey ‐ Pre ‐ Survey) N= 511. * p < .05; *** p < .001. N= 576. * p < .05; *** p < .001. ***Also conducted focus groups to gather student feedback.
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