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Robert A. Bear

Division of Biology

Principles of Biology (BIOL 198)

Kansas State University

bearr@ksu.edu

532.6611

Table of Contents

Portfolio Purpose

What are the goals of this portfolio?

What are some of the questions to be explored?

What are some of the questions for readers to consider?

Course Design

What is Principles of Biology?

Who takes Principles of Biology?

What do students learn in Principles of Biology?

Teaching Methods

How do students learn in Principles of Biology?

How are students evaluated in Principles of Biology?

Assessment of student learning

Exams

Pre-post assessment test

Reflection

What I learned about the pedagogy of Principles of Biology.

What I learned about my teaching.

What I learned about writing exams.

What I learned about coordinating Principles of Biology.

Appendix A

Course syllabus Spring 2007

Appendix B

Power Point presentation

Appendix C

Copies of exam 1 and 6 along with a statistical analysis of each question

Appendix D

Interaction memos

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Portfolio Purpose:

What are the goals of this portfolio?

My goals for participating in the Peer Review of Teaching Program were to further

develop my teaching skills and to enhance the learning environment in Principles of

Biology. I believe comments and suggestions from individuals from outside of my

discipline would be helpful for developing my teaching skills and enhancing the learning

environment for students. In addition, to observe instructors in other disciplines would be

beneficial for my own teaching. Besides teaching one section (W/F 9:30), I was the

overall coordinator for Principles of Biology for the Spring of 2007, and one the

responsibilities of the coordinator was to ensure that the instructional staff (13 faculty, 15

GTAs and 18 practicums) were prepared to teach the material, and this was done by

holding weekly prep meetings, by drafting a weekly newsletter, and by editing the

manual key. The course coordinator was also responsible for writing exams and

administrating the policies for the course. I would also like to use the portfolio as a means

of reflecting on my role as coordinator this past spring.

What are some of the questions to be explored?

I wanted my peer and mentor to focus on the overall pedagogy of the course. This is a

Biology course taught using the Studio Model not the traditional lecture and lab model

used in most science classes.

Here are some of the specific questions I had for my peer and mentor about this course:

Are the short intro and wrap-up lectures effective?

Are the reading assignments for the class periods effective?

Are the wet lab activities effective?

Are the computer tutorials effective?

Are the interactions between the instructors (faculty, GTAs and practicums) and students

effective?

Here are some of the questions I had for myself as coordinator:

Are the staff members prepared enough to help students?

Are the exams written in an effective manner?

What are some of the question for readers to consider?

While reviewing this portfolio, I would like the reader to think about how the studio

model is used to teach an introductory science course. Are there any more pedagogical

tools we could use to help students learn? (This may be technology-based or some other

type.)

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Course Design:

What is Principles of Biology?

Principles of Biology (PoB) is a multi-section introductory course that covers the breadth

of the science of biology (see Appendix A). During the semester students are introduced

to a wide range of topics, are provided with some knowledge of each of these areas, and

are shown how this collection of information is part of a single unit known as biology.

The format for this course is the studio model. It allows students to actively learn

material by investigation and then application of that information in a problem-solving

format. In each class, students work in pairs or as a group performing a variety of

laboratory activities and/or computer-based activities. Also, there is a short introduction

and wrap-up lecture presented by the instructors of the course. These activities are

designed to help the students learn and understand the objectives for each class period.

(See http:/www.ksu.edu/biology/pob for more information about this format.)

One of the pedagogical challenges of the course is ensuring that the students do the pre-

class exercise and come prepared to class each day. This is most likely true for every

course at this University. Another pedagogical challenge to the course is the

misconception on the part of the students that they will be passively given the

information in class. Once students realize that they are responsible for their own

learning, they understand that the teachers are there to help guide and support them

through their own learning process. After coordinating this course for one semester, I

realized another challenge was the variation in teaching methods, preparedness and

enthusiasm exhibited by the instructional staff.

The advantages of teaching this course using the studio model are numerous. First and far

most important, the students are actively learning the material; they are engaged with the

material not passively sitting and taking notes. The student teacher ratio is very low (1:15

in most cases). This allows the staff to develop close professional connections with the

students, thereby enhancing student learning. The material is presented in a number of

ways, and this allows us to accommodate students with different learning styles. This

way, students can cater the various activities done in class to their learning style.

Who takes Principles of Biology?

The majority of the approximately 600 students taking PoB in any given semester are

from the college of Arts and Sciences (Table 1), and these students are fulfilling a “life

science with a lab” requirement. For Biology majors, PoB is a core requirement. For

students who are in other colleges such as the College of Agriculture, PoB is a

prerequisite for courses in their department. The combination of non-majors and majors

is one of the challenges with teaching this course. This is evident in the motivation of the

students, with majors generally being more motivated. There is variation in how prepared

students are for taking biology: some last took a life science class in 10th

grade, some

have already taken advanced courses in genetics, marine biology, and botany. Another

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challenge to this course is the misconceptions students have about the course. We have

developed a web page (http://www.ksu.edu/biology/pob/BIOL198FAQ.htm) for students

to visit in order to dispel these myths.

While it presents some difficulties, the combination of non-majors and majors can be an

advantage. This mix of students allows the students who are initially less motivated to

become more motivated to learn by their peers. Also, it gives those students who have

basic background knowledge in biology the ability to enhance their learning by teaching

their peers.

Table 1: The percentage of students enrolled in PoB from various colleges.

College Percent of students

Agriculture 12.6

Architecture 0.1

Arts and Science 64.2

Business 3.3

Education 5.6

Engineering 6.4

Human Ecology 7.5

Graduate 0.1

Technology 0.1

What do the students learn in Principles of Biology?

The main objective of the course is to introduce the students to the wide range of topics,

to provide them with some knowledge of each of these areas, and to illustrate how this

collection of information is part of a single unit known as biology. The course is

partitioned into seven modules each covering a broad area of Biology and each module

consists of four or five class periods. We attempt to accomplish our main objective by

having a list of learning objectives for each class period. The following is an example of

the learning objectives for one day:

The material in this class period is structured to allow you to:

1. Draw and label the basic structure of the atom, including protons, neutrons, and

electrons.

2. Explain the difference between ionic, covalent and hydrogen bonds, and

understand the relative strength of each type of bond.

3. Explain two important properties of water: polarity and the formation of hydrogen

bonds.

4. Describe what pH measures. Explain the pH scale and be able to calculate the

difference in hydrogen ion concentration between two solutions of different pH.

5. Describe the process of condensation (dehydration synthesis) and hydrolysis

reactions, including what goes in (the substrates) and what comes out (the

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products) of both types of reactions.

6. Describe the relationship between monomers and polymers.

7. Describe the structure of carbohydrates, and lipids [triglycerides and

phospholipids], including the monomers that make up each of these polymers.

8. Describe some of the functions/roles of carbohydrates and lipids.

9. Understand the structural components (lipids and proteins) of cell membranes and

their relationship in the fluid mosaic model of cellular membranes.

10. Understand the role of the structural components of cell membranes in membrane

function.

Teaching Methods:

How do students learn in Principles of Biology?

In order for students to learn the objectives for each class period, we use a number of

different techniques to take advantage of various learning styles (i.e. visual, auditory,

read-and-write and kinesthetic). At the start of the semester, we encourage students to

take the VARK test so they can effectively use the time in and out of class to achieve the

learning objectives. What is interesting to note is that most students are multi-style

learners. In addition, we encourage students to achieve the learning objectives for each

class period by using their learning style to prepare for exams. For example, we suggest

that read-and-write learners write out a paragraph explaining the objective and use this

material to study for the exams.

To try to reach all the different learning styles, the course relies on the following

techniques.

Pre-class reading and exercise

For each class period, there is an assigned reading from the book and a short reading

and exercise in the manual. The book contains a number of short passages with

diagrams illustrating the main points, and the manual has a number of passages with

questions for the students to consider. The assigned readings are beneficial for both

the read and write learner and the visual learner for learning the class period

objectives.

Introduction and wrap-up lectures

At the beginning and end of each class period, there are two short lectures, most often

a Power Point presentation (see Appendix B), that focus on the class objectives. The

introductory presentation explains why the material is important, covers some the

difficult concepts, and describes the various activities for the day. The wrap-up

lecture is time to review the results from wet lab experiments, to review any concepts

student had difficulty with. The wrap-up lecture can also be time to discuss with the

class why the material is important in today‟s society. As one can imagine, this is

beneficial for the auditory and visual learners.

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Studio manual and class activities

The studio manual is a record of the class period‟s activities, and it contains short

information passages, instructions for the various activities, and most importantly

questions, all of which relate to or reinforce the class period objectives. The various

class activities range from classic wet-lab experiments (testing for the presence of

biological molecules) to interactive computer tutorials and computer models. The key

active learning component of class is the manual questions. Students use all of the

available resources i.e. the book, the computer material, the wet-lab activities, their

lab partners and the instructional staff to answer these questions. In my opinion, the

interaction between students and between students and instructional staff is the major

learning component of this course. Students interacting with one another allows for

peer learning which is beneficial for the students. In addition, these interactions allow

the instructional staff to use a Socratic method of teaching whereby students answer

their own questions in order to grasp the concept or learning objective. This is

beneficial for the auditory, kinesthetic, read/write and visual learners.

Review sessions

Approximately two times a week during the regular semester, one of the faculty

members holds a review session for students. During the review session, students are

encouraged to ask questions about material covered in the module that may be

confusing. This gives the students opportunity to interact with a faculty member

outside of class. Some students comment that these sessions help them greatly, but

others report that they are more confused after the review session then they were

before. I my opinion, some students use the review sessions as a crutch. Instead of

working through the material in class, they go to the review sessions thinking they

will get all the information they need.

How are students evaluated in Principles of Biology?

Daily quizzes:

Generally, each class period there is some type of short quiz covering the pre-class

exercise. The quiz format can be True/False, multiple-choice, short-answer or a

combination of the three. At the end of the semester, the quiz grade is normalized to

equal 30 exam points. The purpose of the quiz is two-fold. First, the quiz ensures that the

students are prepared for class since daily quizzes make up about 1/8 of their grade.

Second, the quiz serves as a means of checking attendance. Since the collaboration

among the students and instructional staff is a crucial component of the studio model of

learning, attendance is vital to the success of students. To ensure that students attend

class, there is a strict attendance policy for the course (Appendix A). I think, the quizzes

achieve the second goal of ensuring that the students attend class; however, the first goal

may not always be achieved since many students come to class not having done the pre-

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class exercise. In the fall, I may start giving online quizzes the day before class to ensure

that the students do their pre-class exercise.

Exams

Since Principles of Biology is a multi-section course with enrollments of 600 or more

students, student learning is evaluated using multiple choice exams (Appendix C). The

module exams are given approximately every other week during the regular semester.

The exam questions are based on the learning objectives for each of the day‟s materials

contained in that module. The number of learning objectives for each module varies from

approximately 40 to 70. Since many of the objectives are interlinked, one question can

assess student understanding of multiple objectives (see appendix C for a list of

objectives and the corresponding exams). I was the coordinator of the course this

semester, and one of my duties was to write the module exams. After writing a draft the

exam, I sent the exam to three reviewers for comments and suggestions that were

incorporated into the final draft of the exam.

Grades

Students in PoB are assigned grades based upon standard 90-80-70-60% cutoffs for A, B,

C, D grades. This translates into those students who earn an A have mastered the

material, who earn a B have proficient knowledge of the material, who earn a C have

functional knowledge of the material, and who earn a D have little functional knowledge

of the material.

Pre- and post-semester assessment tests

At the start of the semester and at the end of the semester, the students are given a short

16 question multiple choice assessment test. The 16 questions are based on fundamental

learning objectives covered in the course. The assessment test does not count towards the

students overall grade, but allows us to measure student knowledge gain. Since this

portfolio is posted on a website, a copy of the assessment test is not included to ensure

the integrity of the assessment measure.

Assessment

Exams

In Appendix C, I have included a copy of Exams 1, 6, the objectives for each exam, and a

statistical analysis of each question performed by K-state online for each exam.

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Table 2: Average exam percent for each section for four of the seven exams:

Exam

T/H

7:30

T/H

9:30

T/H

11:30

T/H

1:30

T/H

3:30

W/F

9:30

W/F

11:30

W/F

1:30 Overall

1 70.0% 67.7% 71.7% 66.5% 66.0% 69.2% 68.5% 65.5% 68.2%

2 75.0% 75.1% 78.5% 73.1% 72.0% 75.6% 75.8% 72.2% 74.6%

3 69.6% 65.8% 75.1% 67.1% 65.5% 67.5% 67.1% 63.7% 67.8%

4 77.0% 71.3% 79.2% 70.5% 73.2% 74.8% 75.1% 68.7% 73.7%

5 76.1% 71.3% 77.2% 74.1% 66.5% 73.0% 75.0% 68.5% 72.7%

6 79.5% 76.2% 80.0% 74.7% 69.3% 73.8% 78.7% 68.0% 75.0%

7 71.4% 65.9% 73.1% 69.0% 67.0% 73.3% 69.2% 66.9% 70.0%

During the course of the semester, there was a general upward trend in the average score

on the exams except for exam 3 and the last exam (Table 2). Also, one may notice that

there is a great deal of variation among the different sections, but the variation in exam

averages between sections for an exam are not statistically significantly different (Table

2). The poor results observed for the last exam are not unusual for this course. The

motivation for some students to do well on the last exam is low because many grades are

already determined and even if a student does extremely well on the last exam they know

it will not lift their letter grade.

The poor results on exam 3 are also not uncommon, and the students historically do

poorly on the Biochemistry/Cell Biology section of the course. My hypothesis for the

reason why students do poorly on the third module is the way the material is presented.

Historically, cell biology is present from a micro to macro perspective or from the

molecule to the cell. For many students, this can be difficult to comprehend. The analogy

I like to use is that we have the students learn the building materials for a house before

we show them what a house looks like. This past year we have rewritten this module so

that we explore the cell first then take the cell apart into its components or types of

molecules. Once again using the analogy, we show the students the house first then we

take the house apart explaining the pieces. During the summer semester, we are

incorporating the module 3 rewrite into the course to determine if students learn the

material better.

The general trend upward of the grades can be attributed to the fact I made consecutive

modifications to my exam writing style from the exam 1 to exam 7. The modifications

that I made are based on the realization that what I emphasize in class is not what other

instructors emphasize in their sections. In other words, the exam questions towards the

end of the semester were based more on what the students learned from their studio

manual not what I think they should have learned from the class or the review sessions.

Another modification that I made to my exam writing style is the wording of the possible

answers to a question. Initially, I would write all possible combinations of correct and

partially correct answers for single and multi-part questions. Overall, the students did not

do very well on these types of questions i.e. Exam 1 questions 11, 14, 15 and 18, (See

appendix C). This is reflected in the item analysis where both the upper 27% and lower

27% percent of the class did poorly on these questions. By the last exam, I changed the

wording of the possible answers to include only one correct answer for the most difficult

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part of a multi-part question, and for difficult single part questions I would have only one

very correct answer with no partially correct answers i.e. Exam 6 questions 6, 11, 17, 20,

24, and 27 (See appendix C). This change is evident when examining the item analysis

for these questions were a higher percentage of the top 27% of the class got the correct

answer and only a small percentage of the lower 27% got the correct answer. This

demonstrates that those students who understand the material got the correct answer, and

those who are not well prepared got the question wrong.

Even though the variation in the average exam scores between sections is not statistically

significant, I do think there is some variation in how well prepared and how motivated

and prepared the instructional staff are; which in turn may lead to the variation in exam

scores observed among the sections. As coordinator, I have witnessed instructional staff

discussing topics other than biology with students. Some of the instructional staff utilize

the answer key for the manual as a crutch by reading the answer from the key to the

student instead of teaching the student. Lastly, I have noticed that some instructional staff

will sit at the additional computers in the room and do other work instead of interacting

with the students making sure they are learning the material. In order to help the teaching

staff to become more prepared to teach the material, I plan to offer an extended prep

meeting with a discussion of teaching hints, and results of wet lab exercises.

Pre-post assessment test

The assessment test is designed to determine if students retain basic knowledge about the

field of Biology. For Spring 2007, the average gain in knowledge [G = (final score –

initial score) / (16 - initial score)] was 0.45. In comparison, the average G score for other

traditional introductory courses in the department is around 0.3. Using this particular

format, students are retaining more knowledge in Principles of Biology than students in

other introductory courses using the standard lecture/lab format. During the summer

semester of 2006, I was coordinator for Principles of Biology and to investigate whether

or not students were retaining information from the beginning of the course to the end, I

decided to imbed the assessment questions into the regular exams. Graph 1 shows the

percent correct for individual questions for the pre-test, regular exam and post-test. In

general, the students retained the information throughout the semester, but for questions 1

and 11, the students did worse on the post-test than they did on the exam. Question 1

deals with calculating dilutions, and question 11 deals with the concept of pH. Both of

these concepts are covered in the first part of the course and are not reinforced during the

semester. In other words, students are learning the material for the exam but are not

retaining the information. This issue was brought up with the authors of the manual, and

it was decided that additional reinforcement of these concepts later in the course should

be investigated. During the next academic year, we will be investigating two additional

activities that reinforce the concepts of dilutions and pH.

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Graph 1: Percent correct for an assessment question versus test time.

Reflection

What have I learned about the pedagogy of Principles of Biology?

What I learned about my teaching

The various teaching methods we use in PoB allows students to customize their learning

styles to achieve the desired objectives of the course. The feedback I received from my

peer and mentor was positive (see Appendix D for comments from my peer Stephen

Long). The most beneficial feedback that I received from by peer and mentor is from the

lunch meetings we had. During these meetings, my peer and mentor commented on how

effectively the course is run (which includes the pre-class assignments, the in class

activities, the effectiveness of the manual, the introduction and wrap-up lectures, and the

interaction between the instructional staff and students).

There were two suggestions made about the course. First, there are sections of the manual

where the questions are repetitive; this comment is also echoed by the students. These

repetitive questions often made students confused because they spent more time trying to

figure out the slight difference between the two questions then comprehending the

concept. Due to the logistics of rewriting the manual, I could not incorporate this

suggestion at this time. However, we are continuously editing the manual, and I will

make suggestions to clarify that the repetitive questions are to reinforce previous learning

not to introduce new material. The second suggestion is to incorporate current research or

real life examples either in the introduction or wrap-up lectures. Such incorporation

would help students connect what they are learning to their everyday lives, which is a

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Pre Exam Post

Series1

Series2

Series3

Series4

Series5

Series6

Series7

Series8

Series9

Series10

Series11

Series12

Series13

Series14

Series15

Series16

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major objective of this course. For a number of class periods, I have already incorporated

discussion of why learning the material is important and how it is connected to their lives,

but I have not done this for all classes. I believe making these types of connections is

helpful to inspire students to learn the material, but this is difficult to quantify. One way

to determine if the connections made during the intro and wrap are effective is a short

survey done on K-State online. This summer, if time permits, I plan on having the

students complete a survey about the course on K-State online in which I will include a

question about their perception of what they are learning in class and how it is connected

to their lives.

One of the least effective teaching practices is the review sessions. The reason is the

student perception of the review sessions. Many students believe the review sessions are

a replacement for the actual work they do in the class. In contrast, these review sessions

are designed as a supplement to their learning. I have led a number of question and

answer type review sessions, and my perception is that the students wanted to ask

questions about what is going to be on the exam rather then asking questions about

particular objectives. Unfortunately, I did not get feedback from my mentor or peer on

this topic because of logistical problems. However, I have talked with a number of

faculty who think the students use the review sessions as a crutch instead of a learning

tool. The recommendations I have for clarifying this misconception is to reinforce the

importance of in class participation and to emphasize that the review sessions are not a

replacement for class time. Also, it might be helpful to detach the review session from the

exams by renaming the session as open study group or open office hours.

The addition of new technological teaching tools to PoB has come up a number of times

among the faculty who teach the course. One of the tools is the student response system

or clickers. After attending one of my peer‟s lectures in which the clickers are used, I

began to realize the potential this tool might have for PoB. The use of clickers can

automate the daily quiz recording and reduce the use of paper quizzes, and can allow for

polling of the class on various issues and topics. Currently, we feel that the lack of one

universal student response system is a hindrance to the implementation of the technology.

The idea of having students purchase multiple clickers for multiple classes is a waste of

resources, and until a universal student response system is decided upon, the

implementation of this may have to wait.

What I learned about writing exams

Over the semester, I believe my exam writing abilities improved. The modifications that I

made to how the answers are worded for a question are more effective in determining if

the students understood the material. During one of the peer mentor lunch meetings, I

brought up the topic of how I modified my exam writing technique. Both my peer and

mentor agreed that the changes I made are a good idea, and there was a general consensus

that writing an exam is an art and learning that art is a long process. For future exams, I

hope to continue writing exams that are challenging, but not overly detailed and difficult.

What I learned about coordinating Principles of Biology

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This spring was my first semester as coordinator of multiple sections of PoB, and even

though the semester was a bit more stressful than I expected, I felt the course overall

went well. The most stressful component of the course was not the students but was

dealing with all the various personalities of the instructional staff. When working with 46

people with varying personalities, varying in computer skills, varying investment in the

course and varying in teaching skills, it was difficult to ensure that everyone was

prepared to teach the material, and that all of the students had equal opportunities to learn

the material. Initially, one can say there are two polar opposite ways to deal with this

particular issue. The first way is to micromanage the teaching staff, and the second way is

to completely divorce oneself from the issue and let the staff do as they please. Neither of

these perspectives is beneficial (to either the health of the coordinator or to student

learning, respectively). My suggestion for helping to ensure that the instructional staff is

prepared is to hold an additional weekly prep meeting that goes more deeply into that

week‟s material. This informal meeting would be open to anyone and mandatory for

those who have not taught the course previously. The subject matter of the meeting can

include results of wet-lab experiments, demonstrations of microscope use and discussions

of teaching techniques.

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Appendix A: Syllabus

Principles of Biology (http://www.ksu.edu/biology/pob/) is an introductory course that covers the breadth

of the science of biology. During the semester we will introduce a wide range of topics, provide you with

some knowledge of each of these areas, and illustrate how this collection of information is part of a single

unit known as biology. You will encounter a great deal of material over the next sixteen weeks. Because

of that fact, introductory courses such as this one are often surprisingly difficult for students (and

instructors!). In order to succeed you will need to come to class prepared and devote a significant amount

of time (at least 8-12 hours per week) to studying outside of class.

Instructor information: In the spaces below, write down information about your instructors, which will

be provided to you during the first class period. Then use this information to contact your instructors

throughout the semester whenever you have questions or comments!

Instructor‟s name: Instructor‟s name:

Office Hours: Office Hours:

Phone no.: Phone no.:

Email address: Email address:

Instructor‟s name: Instructor‟s name:

Office Hours: Office Hours:

Phone no.: Phone no.:

Email address: Email address:

Instructor‟s name: Instructor‟s name:

Office Hours: Office Hours:

Phone no.: Phone no.:

Email address: Email address:

The overall coordinator for all 8 BIOL 198 classes is Robbie Bear (Ackert 109, bearr@ksu.edu or

785.532.6611). He is responsible for managing the course, writing the tests, and administering a K-State

Online site for these tests. He is NOT responsible for recording your grades or assigning the final grade;

your individual studio instructors (above) have that responsibility. So if you have questions about your

grade, contact your individual studio instructors. If you have questions or comments about the general

administration of the course, contact Robbie Bear.

Format: The format for this course is the studio model (see http:/www.ksu.edu/biology/pob for more

information about this format). It allows you to actively learn material by investigation and then

application of that information in a problem-solving format. In each class you will perform a variety of

laboratory activities and/or computer-based activities. You will rely heavily on a studio manual, in which

you will be asked to write down detailed information. Your studio manual will be your main record of

class activities and you will need it to study for the exams. Because many of the in-class activities will

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assume that you have already gained some basic information on the subject (via assigned readings in the

textbook and pre-class exercises in the studio manual), you will also need to come to class properly

prepared each time.

Text and studio manual (required texts for this course):

Text: Biology: Concepts and Applications, Starr, 6th

edition (2006) - The text will be an important

resource during class and you need to bring it to each class; there will always be reading assignments

from the text before each class.

Studio manual: Principles of Biology Studio Manual, 8th edition, D. A. Rintoul et al., (2007). This

manual will also be used in every class period, and in many cases will be your only record of the

exercises and experiments that will be done in the studio. You need to bring it to each class, and there

will be reading assignments from the manual before each class.

Attendance:

Attendance is required and will be recorded for every class by means of a short quiz or other activity. At

the end of the semester the total possible points awarded for these quizzes or activities will be normalized

to 30 points (see below). Collaboration with other students and the staff is an important component of the

studio learning experience, as is the wrap-up session at the end of each class period. Even though many

of the course materials are available on the WWW site (see below), there is no substitute for class

attendance.

Because the in-class work is so critical to your learning in this course, you may accumulate no more than

three absences during the semester (i. e., miss more than three quizzes). The lowest three quiz grades will

be dropped before calculating your final grade. However, if you miss more than three class periods, you

will be penalized 5 exam points (approximately 2% of your semester grade) for each absence beyond three (3). Arriving after the daily quiz or leaving early constitutes an absence. There is NO

distinction between "excused" and "unexcused" absences; all absences, regardless of cause, will be

counted equally. If problems arise with your studio attendance, please discuss the situation with your

studio instructors before you accumulate 3 absences!

Academic honesty:

The Student Life Handbook states: "All academic relationships ought to be governed by a sense of

honor, fair play, trust, and a readiness to give appropriate credit for the intellectual endeavors of others

when credit is due." Kansas State University has an Undergraduate Honor System based on personal

integrity. This is presumed to be sufficient assurance in academic matters that one's work is performed

honestly and without unauthorized assistance. Undergraduate students, by registration, acknowledge the

jurisdiction of the Undergraduate Honor System. The Undergraduate Honor System applies to all full and

part-time students enrolled in undergraduate courses on-campus, off-campus, and via distance learning.

A prominent part of the Honor System is the inclusion of the Honor Pledge that applies to all

assignments, examinations, or other course work undertaken by undergraduate students. The Honor

Pledge is implied, whether or not it is stated. The Honor Pledge states:

"On my honor, as a student, I have neither given nor received unauthorized aid on this

academic work."

There are consequences for failure to adhere to the principles of the Honor System. A grade of XF is

shown on KSU transcripts for courses where a student has been found to have cheated. An XF indicates

failure of the course, with the X denoting that the failure was a result of a breach of academic honesty.

For more information, and examples of what not to do, please visit the Honor System web page at

http://www.ksu.edu/honor.

15

Particular forms of academic dishonesty that will not be tolerated in BIOL 198 are: plagiarism, use of

notes or other written material during exams, looking at another student‟s exam during the exam period,

having another person stand in on an exam, and deliberate falsification of lab results, among others.

Grades and Exams: Grades will be based on multiple choice exams and daily quizzes, as follows

Exam 1: 20 pts

Exams 2-6: 30 pts each (150 total)

Final (Exam 7): 40 pts

Daily quizzes: after omitting the lowest three grades, the total is adjusted to 30 pts max.

Total possible: 240 pts

Final grades will be based on standard 90-80-70-60% cutoffs for A, B, C, and D grades. Neither extra

credit nor special projects are allowed in this course. Due to the fact that there are multiple sections of the

course, with multiple instructors, it is not possible (nor is it fair) for your instructor to deviate from this

grading format. Questions about your grades should be directed to your studio instructor(s).

Exam Format - Examinations in this course consist of multiple-choice questions (4-5 choices per

question) worth one point each. Thus, the first exam will have 20 questions; the final will have 40

questions, etc. as noted above. Exam questions will test your knowledge of the OBJECTIVES listed at

the front of each studio exercise; these OBJECTIVES are your single best answer to the perennial

question “What do I need to know for the exam?”. If you can write a coherent, factual paragraph about

each objective you will be well prepared for the exam. Answers to the exam questions may be found in

the textbook readings, the studio manual, the web-based material, or the studio exercises, but all

questions will still focus on the OBJECTIVES. A sample exam, with answers and an explanation of

some of the common test-taking errors previously seen in BIOL 198, can be accessed from a link at the

URL http://www.ksu.edu/biology/pob/. If you feel that you need to see what kinds of questions will be on

the exams, check out this site.

Locations of exams - Regular exams will usually be given

at 5:30 PM on Monday evening, approximately every other

week during the semester, according to the schedule

elsewhere on this handout. The exam location is determined

by your studio section; check your enrollment card to find out

your section/reference number and then check the table at

right to see where you will take the Monday evening exams.

The final exam (Thursday, 05/10/2007) will be given in the

same rooms as the regular exams, but the time will be

significantly earlier (7:30 AM!). Make sure to come to your exam room on time with a #2 pencil and

your student I.D. card. Be prepared to show the I.D. card to the exam proctor when you submit your

answer card.

Exam scoring/posting. Exam scores and answer keys will be posted on K-State Online as soon as all

exams are graded (either late Monday night or Tuesday morning). Please check your scores as they are

posted and maintain your own record of all your exam scores, using the appropriate spaces on page 6 of

this syllabus. If there is a problem in the reporting of your score (e.g., an incorrectly reported student

number or exam score, a missing exam score, wrong or missing version number), notify the graders by

leaving a note describing the problem on the door of Ackert 206. The exam graders will respond by

Exam Room Sections

Weber 123 T/H 7:30, T/H 9:30

Waters 231 T/H 11:30

Seaton 63 T/H 1:30, T/H 3:30

Bluemont 101 W/F 9:30

Willard 114 W/F 11:30

Kedzie 106 W/F 1:30

16

posting your note and the response outside Ackert 206 within a few days of your query. All exam score

discrepancies must be brought to the attention of the graders within two weeks of the posting of the

scores; otherwise, whatever is already recorded for you becomes your permanent score. So please don't

wait until the end of the semester before you decide to worry about your exam scores!

Exam complaints. Questions regarding why the "correct" answers on the answer keys are considered

to be correct should be directed to your studio instructors. They are responsible for recording your grades,

and they certainly have the authority to change your grade if they believe that your answer was correct.

Missed exams. If you miss a Monday evening exam, contact your studio instructor immediately.

They need to know why your grade will be missing from their grade sheet. They will assist you in making

arrangments to take a make-up exam You must make these arrangements by the end of the Friday of

the week of the missed exam. Additionally, all make-up exams must be taken within two weeks

after a missed exam. If you procrastinate past those deadlines, you will get a grade of zero for that

exam! The makeup exams are NOT the same multiple-choice format as the regular Monday night exams.

Questions on the make-up exam are typically short-answer and fill-in-the-blank formats. In other words,

if you depend on guessing to get the right answer, the answers will be more difficult to guess. But if you

know the material well, you will probably do well on the makeup exam.

Conflicts with exam times. If the Monday evening exam time conflicts with your schedule for any of

these reasons:

employment

another class

scheduled varsity athletic practice or games

performance or practice for music and theatre events

car pool commuting from out of town

child care

you may take the exam early on the exam day from 12:00 to 2:00 p.m. in Ackert 112. Please note

specifically that having another exam (e.g. Chemistry) scheduled later the same evening is NOT

considered to be a conflict. In order to take the early exam, you must contact the course coordinator

(Robbie Bear, Ackert 109, bearr@ksu.edu, 532-6611) on or before Friday of the week prior to the exam

for permission. No early or late exams can be scheduled for the final!

Other Resources:

We want you to succeed in this course, so here are some additional places where you can get information

or help.

Review Sessions: Weekly review sessions are provided, even during weeks where there is no exam.

A schedule for these sessions is included with this syllabus (page 7), and can also be found at the URL:

http://www.ksu.edu/biology/pob/. These are good opportunities to get your questions answered, meet the

coordinator of the course, and to learn more about biology. History has proven that students who attend

these review sessions will almost invariably get a higher grade for this course; don‟t miss this opportunity

to really learn the material!

Open studio hours: To further enhance your understanding of course material, there will be open

studio hours in Ackert 219 twice a week; on Wednesday from 6:30 PM. to 9 PM, and Saturday from 9:30

AM to noon. This time is primarily for examining any computer-based material with which you want a

little more experience, and to foster additional, independent exploration of topics introduced in class. The

computers and other equipment will only be available for material related to Principles of Biology, i.e., no

17

word processing, no general web surfing, no games. Those violating this policy will be asked to leave the

studio. The open studio hours will be staffed so that you will have an opportunity to ask questions about

class material. This is also a good time and place to set up a study group with other good students. Thus,

if you miss a regular class time, you thus have the opportunity to learn the material for that class by

coming to the open studio hours in Ackert 219. The open studio time is not meant to be a substitute for

attending your regular studio section, and also does not allow you to make up the attendance quiz for the

class that you missed.

Study Guides: Study guides for each module are at http://www.ksu.edu/biology/pob/. These study

guides are based on the OBJECTIVES, and will guide you in finding the resources (textbook, web

material, studio exercise results) that you need in order to master these objectives. These study guides are

NOT a substitute for attending class and/or doing the assigned readings!

WWW resources: A website for your textbook is: http://www.brookscole.com/biology; click on the

link for “Introductory biology” and then on the link for your textbook (Starr, Biology: Concepts and

Applications, 6th edition). Additionally, much of the web-based material used in class will be available at

http://principles.biol.ksu.edu. This site is password-protected. The Extra Resources page (also accessible

from the computers in the BIOL 198 studio) is linked from the URL http://www.ksu.edu/biology/pob/.

This site is not password-protected, and includes the sample exam, study guides, a copy of this syllabus,

and lots of WWW links to interesting and relevant sites.

18

Course schedule - Spring 2007

Dates Topic

Jan. 11, 12 Introduction to Principles Studio

Jan. 16, 17 Introduction to Science & Biology

Jan. 18, 19 Evolution and Natural Selection

Jan. 23, 24 Taxonomy & Phylogeny

Jan. 25, 26 Introduction to Ecology & Ecosystems

EXAM 1, Mon., Jan. 29 – Module 1 (Biology and Evolution), 20 pts. My grade =

Jan. 30, 31 Population Ecology

Feb. 1, 2 Community Ecology

Feb. 6, 7 Ecological Research

Feb. 8, 9 The Chemistry of Life

EXAM 2, Mon., Feb. 12 – Module 2 (Ecology), 30 pts My grade =

Feb. 13, 14 Enzymes & Enzyme Function

Feb. 15, 16 Cell Biology

Feb. 20, 21 Cellular Division

Feb. 22, 23 DNA: Structure, replication, transcription & translation

EXAM 3, Mon., Feb. 26 – Module 3 (Biochemistry & Cell Biology), 30 pts. My grade =

Feb. 27, 28 Meiosis & Molecular Genetics

March 1, 2 Mendelian Genetics

March 6, 7 Population Genetics

March 8, 9 Extra Genetics Day

EXAM 4, Mon., March 12 – Module 4 (Genetics), 30 pts. My grade =

March 13, 14 Cellular Energetics

March 15, 16 Photosynthesis

No Classes March 19-23 – Spring Break

March 27, 28 Cellular Respiration

March 29, 30 Global Climate Change & Food Production

EXAM 5, Mon., April 2 – Module 5 (Energetics), 30 pts. My grade =

April 3, 4 Viruses, Prokaryotes & Fungi

April 5, 6 Evolution & Diversity of Plants

April 10, 11 Plant Reproduction; Structure & Function of Tissues

April 12, 13 Interactions of Plants with their Environment

EXAM 6, Mon., April 16 – Module (Plant Biology), 30 pts. My grade =

April 17, 18 Introduction to Animal Biology

April 19, 20 Digestion & Nutrition

April 24, 25 Circulatory, Respiratory & Immune Systems

April 26, 27 Endocrine, Reproductive & Urinary systems

May 1, 2 Nervous, Sensory & Musculoskeletal Systems

May 3, 4 – wrapup, finish Animal Biology IV, TEVALS etc.(unless we have a snow day during the semester)

EXAM 7, Thursday, May. 10, 7:30 AM!!!!!!!!!!!! - Animal Biology, 40 pts

Please consult your Studio Manual for textbook reading assignments BEFORE every class. The

studio manual also contains an introductory section and pre-class reading for every class, make sure that

you read this as well. In many cases this will include questions or exercises that need to be completed

BEFORE class, and you may be called upon to provide your answers. So avoid being embarrassed; come

to class prepared!

19

Review Sessions

Below is the schedule of review sessions for Principles of Biology. These review sessions are led by Dr.

Jan Coles and are open to all students enrolled in Biology 198. Each review session is aimed at answering

any questions you may have over material already covered in class. In prior semesters, most students

(even “A” students!) discovered that they could always learn something at these sessions. But if you are

confused and not sure where your confusion starts, or even how to ask questions, we certainly encourage

you to come. During the review sessions we will also go over difficult concepts and try to put what you

are learning in class into a “bigger picture.”

All review sessions will be in Ackert 120, except for the final review session, to be scheduled sometime

during finals week.

Day, Date Time Comments

Monday, Jan. 22 3:30 PM Class material and tips for doing well.

Sunday, Jan. 28 3:30 PM

Monday, Jan. 29 3:30 PM Exam (Module 1) at 5:30 PM

Monday, Feb. 5 3:30 PM

Sunday, Feb. 11 3:30 PM

Monday, Feb. 12 3:30 PM Exam (Module 2) at 5:30 PM

Monday, Feb. 19 3:30 PM

FRIDAY, Feb. 23 3:30 PM Extra review session

Sunday, Feb. 25 3:30 PM

Monday, Feb. 26 3:30 PM Exam (Module 3) at 5:30 PM

Monday, March 5 3:30 PM

FRIDAY, March 9 3:30 PM Extra review session

Sunday, March 11 3:30 PM

Monday, March 12 3:30 PM Exam (Module 4) at 5:30 PM

Monday, March 19 – 23 Spring Break

Monday, March 26 3:30 PM

FRIDAY, March 30 3:30 PM Extra review session

Sunday, April 1 3:30 PM

Monday, April 2 3:30 PM Exam (Module 5) at 5:30 PM

Monday, April 9 3:30 PM

Sunday, April 15 3:30 PM

Monday, April 16 3:30 PM Exam (Module 6) at 5:30 PM

Monday, April 23 3:30 PM

Monday, April 30 3:30 PM

Wednesday, May 9 TBA Final (Module 7) at 7:30 AM(!) on

Thu., May 10

20

Appendix B: Power point presentation for Module 1 Class 2

Slide 1

Reminders: Did you?

Do the VARK test (www.ksu.edu/biology/pob/)

Look at the class period objectives

Do the pre-class assignments

Log on to the website at

K-State online

Slide 2

Slide 3 Quiz time:

Last name, first name or preferred name

Date, Table #

1. Why is a basic understanding of biology

important to you?

21

Slide 4

Why study Biology?

It is connected to everyday life.

Allows you to make wise decisions about

the world around you.

Obj. 1

Slide 5

What is Biology?

The scientific study of life.

Obj. 1

Slide 6

What is Science?

Both a process of learning about nature

by observation and experiment, and a

collection of knowledge and insights

about nature.

What is the outcome of this?

Development of hypotheses and theories

Obj. 1

22

Slide 7

What is a Theory?

A general set of principles, supported by

evidence, that explains some aspect of

nature.

An explanation of the cause of a range of

related natural phenomena that has

been rigorously tested and open to

revision.

Obj. 2

Slide 8

What is a Hypothesis?

A tentative, testable explanation of an

observed phenomenon.

Or, an educated guess that answers a

particular question.

Obj. 2

Slide 9

How is Science done?

Scientific method

Observation

Question

Hypothesis

Test by experimentation or observation

Conclusion

Obj. 2

23

Slide 10 What are we going to explore today?

What is life?

What is the scope of biology?

What is Science and how is it done?

Predicting height

ear height (1, 4, 7, 14, 17, 20)

hand width (2, 5, 8, 12, 15, 18)

arm length (3, 6, 9, 13, 16, 19)

Slide 11

What did we learn today?

Slide 12 What is life?What are the characteristics of life?

1. Reproduction

2. Regulation (homeostasis)

3. Growth and development

4. Metabolism

5. Response to the environment

6. Order

7. Adapted to the environment

8. DNA

Obj. 3

24

Slide 13 Life‟s levels of organization

define the scope of biology

•Ecosystem

•Community

•Population

•Organism

•Organ system

•Organs

•Tissues

•Cell

•Molecule

Obj. 4

Slide 14 Scientific Method

Observation

Question

HypothesisTest by Observations

Or Controlled Experiments

Conclusions False

Obj. 2

Slide 15

What is a control?

The group that is not subjected to the

experimental variable.

Why is it important?

It allows for the results or observations to

be related to the experimental variable.

Obj. 2

25

Slide 16

Should an experiment be reproducible?

Yes, Why?• To avoid making errors in the progress of

science.

• If results aren’t reproducible, how can we

be certain results are not due to an error or

mistake?

Obj. 5

Slide 17

Which body part is a good predictor of height?

Obj. 6,7,8

Slide 18 Arm Length vs. Height

Obj. 6,7,8

R2 = 0.6853

150

160

170

180

190

200

210

35 40 45 50 55

Arm length

He

igh

t

26

Slide 19 Ear height vs. Height and Hand width vs. Height

Obj. 6,7,8

R2 = 0.1771

R2 = 0.4

140

150

160

170

180

190

200

210

4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Ear length and Hand width

He

igh

t

Slide 20

Why is a large sample size important?

170

175

180

185

190

195

200

7.5 8 8.5 9 9.5

Hand Width

Heig

ht

R2 = 0.39

140

150

160

170

180

190

200

210

6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Hand width

Heig

ht

Slide 21

What questions cannot be answered

using Science?

Obj. 1

27

Appendix C:

Objectives for Module 1 Exam

Class 1

1. Understand the format of this course, the test schedule and grading scheme, and our

expectations of you.

2. Become familiar with the microscopes and spectrophotometers that you will be using at

various times throughout the course.

3. Become familiar with the computers and computer programs that you will be using

throughout the course.

4. Make serial dilutions of a yeast culture to estimate the number of yeast cells by two different

methods.

5. Use data collected from microscope counts and spectrophotometer analysis to develop a

graph you can use to estimate yeast concentrations in additional samples.

Class 2

1. Understand the limitations of science and why some questions are inappropriate for scientific

investigation.

2. Understand the major parts of the scientific method and their relationships to each

other, including hypothesis, experiment, observation, control, variables, and theory*.

3. Explore the unifying characteristics of living things, and develop definitions of life in order

to understand why it may be hard to define “life.”

4. Become familiar with the hierarchy of organizational levels that biologists study.

5. Understand the importance of repeatability and appropriate sample size in the design and

interpretation of scientific investigations.

6. Perform a simple experiment and interpret the results.

7. Practice formulating appropriate scientific hypotheses.

8. Understand the difference between observational and experimental scientific investigations.

Class 3

1. Understand the concept of biological evolution and its importance as a unifying

principle of modern biology. 2. Understand the concept of natural selection and its role in evolution.

3. Understand how selection acts on individual organisms and how this can result in the

evolution of populations.

4. Understand the three conditions necessary for natural selection to operate.

5. Provide examples of how biotic and abiotic factors can be agents of natural selection.

6. Define relative fitness and explain its role in the process of natural selection.

7. Understand how differences in the reproductive output of individuals in a population can lead

to adaptive changes within the population in subsequent generations.

8. Understand the simulations of cumulative and single-step evolutionary change and why the

cumulative simulation is a better model than single-step simulation for demonstrating the

process leading to evolutionary change.

9. Apply your knowledge of the process of natural selection to better understand the

diversity of life on Earth.

Class 4

28

1. Understand the connections between taxonomy (classification of organisms into groups) and

phylogeny (hypothesized evolutionary relationships between species).

2. Construct a “family tree” for a set of related individuals and identify appropriate rules for

building these trees.

3. Apply the rules of relatedness developed from building family trees to the construction and

interpretation of phylogenetic trees for a group of organisms.

4. Understand how to find the most recent common ancestor for a group of organisms and use

this information to understand which organisms are most closely related.

5. Understand how characteristics of organisms are used to construct and/or interpret

phylogenetic trees.

6. Understand how individual phylogenetic trees combine to form a “tree of life” and what this

indicates for the evolutionary relationships of life on Earth.

7. Learn and use the hierarchical classification system used by taxonomists to classify all life

(Kingdom, Phylum, Order, Family, Genus, Species).

8. Learn the three-domain classification system.

9. Understand the difference between homologous and analogous structures and how these can

be used to trace evolutionary history.

Exam 1 Questions and Answers

1. What part of the microscope is used to make the specimen you are looking at move up or

down?

A) Eyepiece D) Objectives

B) Condenser E) Stage adjustment knob

C) Focus adjustment knob

2. If you had a solution containing 6000 yeast cells per ml, and you wanted to dilute it so that the

resulting solution contains 1000 yeast cells per ml, which of the following dilutions should you

choose?

A) 1 ml of the yeast solution and 6 ml of water

B) 1 ml of the yeast solution and 3 ml of water

C) 2 ml of the yeast solution and 5 ml of water

D) 3 ml of the yeast solution and 1 ml of water

E) 1 ml of the yeast solution and 5 ml of water

3. Questions that are unsuitable for scientific investigation include

A) Questions that cannot be falsified.

B) Questions about personal choice.

C) Questions about the evolutionary relationship between birds and dinosaurs.

D) All of the above

E) A and B, but not C

4. Which of the following is NOT a general characteristic of all living organisms?

A) DNA as hereditary material

B) Reproduction

C) Ability to photosynthesize

D) Responds to changes in the environment

E) None of the above, they are all general characteristics

29

5. Use the accompanying graph (to the right) to determine how many bacterial cells per ml

would be in a solution that had an absorbance of 0.3.

A) About 1500 D) About 5000

B) About 3000 E) Not enough information

C) About 4000 to answer question.

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

8000

9000

0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9

Absorbance

Ba

cte

ria

l ce

lls p

er m

l.

6. A group of 10,000 students is given an experimental vaccine to prevent mononucleosis. After

one year, 9,990 students did not get mononucleosis and 10 students did. From this study, a drug

company promotes the vaccine as a means of preventing the transmission of mononucleosis.

Based on your knowledge of the scientific method what is(are) the problem(s) with this study?

A) The study did not include a control group.

B) The study has not been repeated by other scientists.

C) The sample size is small.

D) All of the above

E) A and B, but not C

7. A scientist is studying how ultra violet light affects bullfrog egg development (cellular and

organisms level). The effects of ultra violet light on bullfrog egg development can be seen at

what other level(s) in the hierarchical levels of life?

A) Molecule

B) Population

C) Organ

D) All of the above

E) A and C not B

8. A scientific hypothesis is best described as

A) a tentative explanation.

B) an observation of some natural phenomenon.

C) a tentative explanation that has been tested many times.

D) an explanation of some natural phenomenon that has been tested many times and is open to

revision.

9. Changes in the percentage of a trait in a population can be caused by which acts

directly

30

on the . (Fill in the blanks with the most appropriate choices from the list provided.)

A) evolution; population D) evolution; individual

B) natural selection; DNA E) natural selection; population

C) natural selection; individual

10. Which of the following is/are necessary for natural selection to occur in a population of

organisms?

A) The organisms must be slightly different from one another and have differences in number of

offspring produced.

B) The differences between organisms must be heritable.

C) The size of the population is not limited by some factor.

D) All of the above

E) A and B, but not C

11. Which of the following factors can act as an agent of natural selection?

A) Antibiotics D) All of the above

B) Drought E) B and C, but not A

C) Predators

12. What is the definition of fitness, as the term is used by evolutionary biologists?

A) Number of muscles D) Number of brain cells

B) Number of mates E) Ability to climb trees

C) Number of offspring surviving to reproductive age

13. When comparing the arm bones of a penguin and a porpoise, an evolutionary biologist would

say these structures are . (Fill in the blanks with the most appropriate choices from

the list provided.)

A) homolgous D) analogous

B) ancestral E) phylogenetic

C) family

14. In class, you conducted a computer exercise in which you simulated the formation of the

sentence “methinks it is like a weasel” using two methods. Did you find that the sentence was

formed more quickly using a „single-step‟ process or „cumulative‟ process? How does this apply

to evolution of a species?

A) „Cumulative‟ was faster. New species can evolve within a single generation because all the

new traits appear at once in a single individual.

B) „Single –step‟ was faster. New species can evolve within a single generation because all the

new traits appear at once in a single individual.

C) „Cumulative‟ was faster. New species evolve after an accumulation of adaptive changes occur

over many generations.

31

D) „Single-step‟ was faster. New species evolve after an accumulation of adaptive changes occur

over many generations.

15. The classification of organisms into groups such as Kingdoms, Phyla, Orders etc. is called

, and the hypothesized evolutionary relationships between species is called . (Fill

in the blanks with the most appropriate choices from the list provided.)

A) phylogeny; taxonomy D) taxonomy; genus

B) theory; genus E) theory; hypothesis

C) taxonomy; phylogeny

16. Shown on the right is a phylogenetic tree for 6

organisms, labeled 1 through 6. Based on information

presented in that tree, and on what you know about how

phylogenetic trees should be interpreted, which of the

following statements is obviously false?

A) Organisms 1 through 5 share a common ancestor.

B) Organism 6 is the common ancestor of all the other

organisms.

C) Organisms 1 and 3 are more closely related than 1 and 5.

D) Organisms 2 and 4 have a more recent common ancestor the organisms 2 and 5.

E) None of the above.

17. One day you observe that your cell phone doesn‟t turn on when you hit the on button. You

say to your friend, “My cell phone battery is dead.” To a scientist, this statement is an example

of a(n)

A) experiment D) conclusion

B) hypothesis E) theory

C) observation

18. The four populations below (A, B, C, and D) have two different types X and Z that initially

occur in equal proportions. Which of the following populations would evolve the fastest?

A) Reproductive rate of X = 2.2; Z = 2.1

B) Reproductive rate of X = 3.0; Z = 5.8

C) Reproductive rate of X = 6.0; Z = 5.8

D) Reproductive rate of X = 1.2; Z = 2.4

E) Populations A, B, C, and D would evolve at the same rate.

19. The polar bear is known to scientists as Ursus maritimus. The brown bear is known as Ursus

arctos. The polar bear and the brown bear are members of the same

A. species

B. phylum

C. genus

D. B and C,but not A

1 2 5 4 3

6

32

20. What mechanism has produced the differences among birds, reptiles, amphibians and

mammals we see today?

A) Evolution

B) Natural selection

C) Fitness

D) Genetics

E) Phylogenetics

33

ITEM ANALYSIS: Exam 1

Question No. Type No. Correct % Correct Hi 27 Lo 27 Hi 27% Lo 27% Index Grading A B C D E F BLK

1 MC 354/ 584 60.6 % 134 58 83.2 % 35.8 % 0.47 S 13 105 5 107 354* 0 0

2 MC 337/ 584 57.7 % 140 44 87.0 % 27.2 % 0.60 S 32 24 190 337* 1 0 0

3 MC 395/ 584 67.6 % 143 70 88.8 % 43.2 % 0.46 S 27 135 2 25 395* 0 0

4 MC 473/ 584 81.0 % 144 110 89.4 % 67.9 % 0.22 S 2 22 79 7 473* 0 1

5 MC 503/ 584 86.1 % 151 115 93.8 % 71.0 % 0.23 S 10 1 503* 2 68 0 0

6 MC 579/ 584 99.1 % 158 157 98.1 % 96.9 % 0.01 S 0 579* 1 1 3 0 0

7 MC 541/ 584 92.6 % 158 135 98.1 % 83.3 % 0.15 S 18 5 541* 18 1 0 1

8 MC 382/ 584 65.4 % 137 65 85.1 % 40.1 % 0.45 S 382* 117 8 77 0 0 0

9 MC 453/ 584 77.6 % 143 105 88.8 % 64.8 % 0.24 S 57 16 4 54 453* 0 0

10 MC 505/ 584 86.5 % 155 117 96.3 % 72.2 % 0.24 S 257* 250* 13 24 40 0 0

11 MC 222/ 584 38.0 % 89 27 55.3 % 16.7 % 0.39 S 93 28 222* 37 204 0 0

12 MC 410/ 584 70.2 % 143 75 88.8 % 46.3 % 0.43 S 2 410* 79 51 42 0 0

13 MC 308/ 584 52.7 % 118 55 73.3 % 34.0 % 0.39 S 10 2 10 308* 254 0 0

14 MC 241/ 584 41.3 % 93 38 57.8 % 23.5 % 0.34 S 241* 29 1 254 57 0 2

15 MC 198/ 584 33.9 % 76 33 47.2 % 20.4 % 0.27 S 33 62 63 198* 228 0 0

16 MC 569/ 584 97.4 % 156 151 96.9 % 93.2 % 0.04 S 4 7 569* 1 3 0 0

17 MC 542/ 584 92.8 % 157 133 97.5 % 82.1 % 0.15 S 6 15 18 406* 139* 0 0

18 MC 169/ 584 28.9 % 77 23 47.8 % 14.2 % 0.34 S 19 169* 286 64 45 0 1

19 MC 506/ 584 86.6 % 154 114 95.7 % 70.4 % 0.25 S 52 1 506* 23 2 0 0

20 MC 272/ 584 46.6 % 124 33 77.0 % 20.4 % 0.57 S 286 17 3 6 272* 0 0

Table Legend

No. Correct The number of student(s) from the entire class that correctly answered the question.

% Correct The percentage of the entire class that correctly answered the question.

Hi 27 The number of top 27% student(s) that correctly answered the question.

Low 27 The number of bottom 27% student(s) that correctly answered the question.

34

Hi 27% The percentage of the top 27% that correctly answered the question.

Low 27% The percentage of the bottom 27% that correctly answered the question.

Index Indicates to what extent success on the item is related to the success on the test as a whole.

(Minimum acceptable index level should be around .20 for all but extremely easy or difficult items.)

* The correct response for each question is indicated by the asterisk.

35

Objectives for Module 6 Exam

Class 1

1. Explain the main characteristics of viruses and understand why they are not regarded as

living organisms.

2. Explain how viruses replicate themselves.

3. Describe the beneficial and harmful effects of viruses on humans.

4. Describe the characteristics of eubacteria and archaebacteria, the two major groups of

prokaryotes.

5. Describe the metabolic diversity of eubacteria and archaebacteria.

6. Examine the wide range of habitats where eubacteria and archaebacteria can be found.

7. Explore the roles of eubacteria and archaebacteria in the hydrothermal vent ecosystem and

understand the importance of chemosynthesis in this ecosystem.

8. Understand that eubacteria and archaebacteria perform many functions that are important to

other organisms.

9. Describe the beneficial and harmful effects of archaebacteria and eubacteria on humans.

10. Understand the evolutionary relationship among eubacteria, archaebacteria and eukaryotes.

11. Observe and describe some characteristics of fungi, including some of the key features of

their life cycles.

12. Describe the roles of fungi in ecosystems.

13. Describe the beneficial and harmful effects of fungi on humans.

Class 2

1. Learn some characteristics of algae.

2. Examine the symbiotic interaction of algae and fungi, and understand the role of lichens.

3. Provide evidence supporting the hypothesis that land plants evolved from aquatic green

algae.

4. Describe some plant adaptations that allow them to live on land.

5. Describe the four main categories of plants and provide an example of each.

6. Describe the life cycles of representative species of the four categories of plants.

7. Learn the difference (chromosome number, morphology, and reproductive strategy) between

the sporophyte and gametophyte generations of plants.

8. Understand the main differences in the life cycles of bryophytes, seedless vascular plants and

vascular plants.

9. Be able to diagram and label a generalized life cycle for plants.

10. Summarize the evolutionary trends among plants.

11. Name and describe at least one bryophyte, one fern, one gymnosperm, and one angiosperm

that are displayed in the Studio.

12. Define vegetative (asexual) reproduction. Examine several examples of asexual reproduction

in plants and explain the genetic similarity or difference between the parental plant and the

progeny.

Class 3

1. Learn the basic parts of the plant body

2. Learn the basics of flower morphology. Be able to identify and give the function of male and

female reproductive structural parts of flowers.

3. Understand the fundamentals of pollination and fertilization in plants, and learn the distinction

36

between the two processes.

4. Describe the formation and development of seeds and fruits.

5. Identify the basic structures of seeds and fruits and state the function of those structures.

6. Explore the basic processes of seed germination and identify the structures of developing

monocot and eudicot seedlings.

7. Define plant meristems and differentiate between primary and secondary plant growth.

8. Distinguish the differences between monocots and eudicots at the level of flower, root, stem

and leaf tissues.

9. Examine the various tissues and cell types seen in stem and root cross-sections.

10. Investigate the response of pea plant tissues to the presence of the plant hormone gibberellin.

11. Define tropism. Explore phototropism and gravitropism. Understand the role of the plant

hormone auxin in phototropism.

Class 4

1. Understand how the properties of water are important to its transport and movement in

plants.

2. Explore how water is transported in plants; understand the cohesion-tension model of water

movement from roots to leaves using mechanisms that you learned in Module 5, Class 1.

3. Examine and learn the anatomy of a root. Know the function of and be able to identify the

root cap, zone of cell division, xylem, phloem, endodermis and root hairs.

4. Examine root hairs and understand their significance for water and mineral absorption by

plants.

5. Examine the route of the movement of water from the soil to leaves.

6. Learn and examine the anatomy of leaf structure. Know the function of and be able to

identify the upper epidermis, leaf vein, stomata, palisade mesophyll and spongy mesophyll.

7. Examine stomata and identify their role in the movement of water and in gas exchange.

8. Explore plant adaptations for growth in habitats with different amounts of water.

9. Understand the process of mineral transport by plants, based on the mechanisms that you

learned in Module 5, Class 1.

10. Learn the functions of mineral nutrients in plants, and examine symptoms of plants with

mineral deficiencies.

11. Examine the symbiotic relationship of plants and bacteria, and understand the role of

symbiotic nitrogen fixation.

12. Examine the symbiotic relationship of plants and fungi, and understand the role of

mycorrhizae.

13. Understand the process of transport of organic nutrients by plants, based on the mechanisms

that you learned in Module 5, Class 1.

Question Exam 6

1. What part of the flower develops into the seed?

A) ovary D) stigma

B) ovule E) hyphae

C) mycellium

2. Which of the following is/are (an) adaptation(s) that angiosperms have for living on land.

A) Angiosperms have vascular tissue.

B) Angiosperms have a waxy cuticle.

C) Angiosperms have sperm with flagella that need water in order to fertilize the egg.

37

D) All of the above are adaptations that Angiosperms have for living on land.

E) A and B not C

9. What is/are the structural component(s) common to all viruses?

A) nucleic acid

B) protein

C) envelop made of lipid

D) All of the above

E) A and B not C

4. Eubacteria reproduce by

A) prokaryotic fission. D) fertilization.

B) conjugation. E) mitosis.

C) meiosis.

5. For gymnosperms, the is the dominant stage of the life cycle; and is the

process that produces the microspores and megaspores. (Fill in the blank with the most

appropriate choice from the list provided)

A) gametophyte; meiosis D) gametophyte; mitosis

B) mushroom; fertilization E) sporophyte; meiosis

C) hyphae; mitosis

6. Which of the following is/are role(s) that fungi play in ecosystems?

A) They are a food source

B) They decompose dead material

C) They are autotrophs

D) All of the above

E) A and B not C

7. For the phylogenetic tree below, what is the correct placement of the four main types of

plants?

A) i = gymnosperms; ii = angiosperms

iii = bryophytes; iv = seedless vascular plants

B) i = seedless vascular plants; ii = bryophytes

iii = gymnosperms; iv = angiosperms

C) i = bryophytes; ii = angiosperms

iii = gymnosperms; iv = seedless vascular plants

D) i = bryophytes; ii = seedless vascular plants

iii = gymnosperms; iv = angiosperms

8. What group of organisms are largely photosynthetic protistans, are a component of the

phytoplankton, and are sometimes commercially important?

A) angiosperms D) gymnosperms

B) bryophytes E) ferns

i. ii. iii. iv.

38

C) algae

9. In what part of the flower does the ovule develop; and on what part of the flower does

pollination occur?

A) hyphae; anther D) ovary; mycellium

B) stigma; ovary E) stigma; style

C) ovary; stigma

10. In basidiomycetes (club fungi), the is the reproductive structure, and this

structure produces . (Fill in the blanks with the most appropriate choice from the list

provided)

A) ascoma; spores D) ascoma; mycelium

B) mushroom; spores E) mushroom; mycelium

C) zygosporangia; spores

11. What plant tissue moves water from the roots to the leaves?

A) phloem D) apical meristem

B) lateral meristem E) stomata

C) xylem

12. What hormone is responsible for phototropism of the stems of the plants observed in lab;

was this positive or negative tropism?

A) gibberellin; negative D) auxin; positive

B) gibberellin; positive E) none of the above

C) auxin; negative

13. What is/are the purpose(s) of root hairs?

A) increase the surface area for water and mineral absorption

B) increase the surface area for carbon dioxide absorption

C) increase the surface area for photosynthesis

D) All of the above

E) B and C not A

14. What is the leaf structure that exchanges CO2 and O2; and in what direction does the CO2

generally flow?

A) cuticle; into the leaf

B) palisade mesophyll; out of the leaf

C) stomata; into the leaf

D) stomata; out of the leaf

E) spongy mesophyll; into the leaf

15. In class, you observed bean and sunflower plants grown without essential nutrients. Why did

the lack of nitrogen produce symptoms in the sunflowers but not the beans?

A) Beans have a symbiotic relationship with nitrogen-fixing bacteria that allows them to grow

without nitrogen in the soil.

39

B) Nitrogen is not a macronutrient for beans, so they can grow without it, but sunflowers need

nitrogen.

C) Sunflowers have a symbiotic relationship with nitrogen-fixing bacteria that allows them to

grow without nitrogen in the soil.

D) Nitrogen is not a micronutrient for sunflowers, so they can grow without it, but beans need

nitrogen.

16. According to the ___________, the ______________ of water from the stomata is the

mechanism that moves water from the roots of a plant to the leaves. (Fill in the blanks with the

most appropriate choices from the list provided.)

A) pressure-flow model; diffusion D) cohesion-tension model; transpiration

B) pressure-flow model; active transport E) none of the above

C) cohesion-tension model; fixation

17. For angiosperms, the is the dominant stage of the life cycle; and is the

process that produces the first cell of this stage. (Fill in the blank with the most appropriate

choice from the list provided)

A) hyphae; meiosis D) gametophyte; mitosis

B) sporophyte; fertilization E) mushroom; fertilization

C) diploid; mitosis

18. Viruses are NOT regarded as living organisms. Why?

A) Viruses do not evolve.

B) Viruses do not have metabolism.

C) Viruses do not reproduce.

D) All of the above

E) A and B not C

19. The diagram to the right shows what type

of viral replication?

A) prokaryotic fission

B) lysogenic

C) lytic

D) mitosis

E) meiosis

20. For bryophytes, the is the dominant stage of the life cycle, and these cells are

. (Fill in the blank with the most appropriate choice from the list provided)

A) gametophyte; haploid D) gametophyte; triploid

B) sporophyte; haploid E) mushroom; haploid

C) zygote; diploid

21. Which of the following statement(s) about prokaryotes is/are correct?

A) Eubacteria are more closely related to eukaryotes than to archaebacteria.

B) Archaebacteria are more closely related to eukaryotes than to eubacteria.

C) Archaebacteria have mitochondria.

40

D) Eubacteria have a nucleus

E) All the above are correct.

22. What structure increases the width/diameter of a tree?

A) apical meristem

B) lateral meristem/vascular cambrium

C) xylem

D) phloem

E) cuticle

23. What organism is formed by the symbiotic interaction between algae and fungi?

A) mushroom D) hyphae

B) fern E) gymnosperm

C) lichens

24. have vascular bundles distributed throughout the stem (figure a) and have a

parallel arrangement of leaf veins (figure b). (Fill in the blank with the most appropriate choice

from the list provided)

A) Monocots

B) Eudicots

C) Woody eudicots

D) All of the above

E) B and C not A

25. What plant tissue moves organic nutrients through the stem?

A) phloem D) apical meristem

B) lateral meristem E) stomata

C) xylem

26. Which of the following is/are important function(s) that eubacteria perform within an

ecosystem?

A) They transform energy into a usable form.

B) They fix nitrogen into a usable form for plants.

C) They decompose dead material.

D) They alter the abiotic factors in their environment by the release of by-products of

metabolism.

E) All of the above are important functions that eubacteria perform.

27. According to the of sugar transport, sugar moves from leaves into the phloem

vessel by . (Fill in the blanks with the most appropriate choice from the list

provided)

A) cohesion tension model; osmosis D) cohesion tension model; active transport

B) pressure flow model; passive transport E) pressure flow model; active transport

C) evolutionary theory; osmosis

28. Which of the following statements about vegetative reproduction is TRUE?

A) The plants produced by vegetative reproduction are genetically different from the original

plant.

B) Vegetative reproduction requires only meiosis.

Fig. b Fig. a

41

C) Vegetative reproduction requires both meiosis and mitosis.

D) The plants produced by vegetative reproduction are genetically identical to the original plant.

29. When you eat a green bean (pod and all), what part(s) of the flower are you eating?

A) petals and stigma D) pollen and petals

B) ovary and ovule E) None of the above

C) stamen and petals

30. What is the first step in the process known as germination; and what part of the plant

emerges from the seed first; and why?

A) imbibition; the cotyledons; because the plant needs to start photosynthesis

B) imbibition; the root; because the plant needs to absorb water and minerals

C) fertilization; the cotyledons; because the plant needs to start photosynthesis

D) fertilization; the root because; the plant needs to absorb water and minerals

E) none of the above

42

ITEM ANALYSIS: Exam 6

Question No. Type No. Correct % Correct Hi 27 Lo 27 Hi 27% Lo 27% Index Grading A B C D E F BLK

1 MC 442/ 513 86.2 % 136 94 95.1 % 65.3 % 0.30 S 52 442* 4 11 4 0 0

2 MC 441/ 513 86.0 % 136 98 95.1 % 68.1 % 0.27 S 16 5 4 47 441* 0 0

3 MC 351/ 513 68.4 % 125 54 87.4 % 37.5 % 0.50 S 26 24 9 103 351* 0 0

4 MC 370/ 513 72.1 % 133 66 93.0 % 45.8 % 0.47 S 370* 21 51 23 48 0 0

5 MC 289/ 513 56.3 % 130 21 90.9 % 14.6 % 0.76 S 105 2 9 108 289* 0 0

6 MC 364/ 513 71.0 % 128 58 89.5 % 40.3 % 0.49 S 2 26 4 117 364* 0 0

7 MC 442/ 513 86.2 % 140 75 97.9 % 52.1 % 0.46 S 12 28 31 442* 0 0 0

8 MC 450/ 513 87.7 % 137 93 95.8 % 64.6 % 0.31 S 19 27 450* 6 10 0 1

9 MC 455/ 513 88.7 % 138 97 96.5 % 67.4 % 0.29 S 19 17 455* 18 4 0 0

10 MC 281/ 513 54.8 % 109 50 76.2 % 34.7 % 0.42 S 128 281* 43 30 31 0 0

11 MC 449/ 513 87.5 % 140 88 97.9 % 61.1 % 0.37 S 20 8 449* 8 28 0 0

12 MC 291/ 513 56.7 % 114 35 79.7 % 24.3 % 0.55 S 30 142 40 291* 8 0 2

13 MC 460/ 513 89.7 % 139 97 97.2 % 67.4 % 0.30 S 460* 6 2 37 8 0 0

14 MC 397/ 513 77.4 % 133 64 93.0 % 44.4 % 0.49 S 30 11 397* 39 36 0 0

15 MC 437/ 513 85.2 % 138 85 96.5 % 59.0 % 0.37 S 437* 53 12 11 0 0 0

16 MC 389/ 513 75.8 % 137 60 95.8 % 41.7 % 0.54 S 43 52 11 389* 18 0 0

17 MC 334/ 513 65.1 % 130 47 90.9 % 32.6 % 0.58 S 22 334* 20 135 2 0 0

18 MC 320/ 513 62.4 % 111 54 77.6 % 37.5 % 0.40 S 4 320* 15 76 97 0 1

19 MC 382/ 513 74.5 % 132 65 92.3 % 45.1 % 0.47 S 23 99 382* 8 1 0 0

20 MC 327/ 513 63.7 % 132 49 92.3 % 34.0 % 0.58 S 327* 132 34 15 3 0 2

21 MC 304/ 513 59.3 % 131 36 91.6 % 25.0 % 0.67 S 95 304* 25 31 56 0 2

22 MC 441/ 513 86.0 % 138 93 96.5 % 64.6 % 0.32 S 40 441* 12 11 8 0 1

23 MC 472/ 513 92.0 % 139 102 97.2 % 70.8 % 0.26 S 10 2 472* 24 5 0 0

24 MC 398/ 513 77.6 % 138 66 96.5 % 45.8 % 0.51 S 398* 41 7 10 57 0 0

25 MC 424/ 513 82.7 % 131 83 91.6 % 57.6 % 0.34 S 424* 11 62 9 7 0 0

26 MC 383/ 513 74.7 % 112 89 78.3 % 61.8 % 0.17 S 17 61 25 26 383* 0 1

43

27 MC 323/ 513 63.0 % 132 41 92.3 % 28.5 % 0.64 S 26 70 1 93 323* 0 0

28 MC 371/ 513 72.3 % 132 64 92.3 % 44.4 % 0.48 S 41 19 81 371* 0 0 1

29 MC 458/ 513 89.3 % 136 108 95.1 % 75.0 % 0.20 S 11 458* 17 8 19 0 0

30 MC 288/ 513 56.1 % 122 33 85.3 % 22.9 % 0.62 S 47 288* 41 126 11 0 0

Table

Legend

No. Correct The number of student(s) from the entire class that correctly answered the question.

% Correct The percentage of the entire class that correctly answered the question.

Hi 27 The number of top 27% student(s) that correctly answered the question.

Low 27 The number of bottom 27% student(s) that correctly answered the question.

Hi 27% The percentage of the top 27% that correctly answered the question.

Low 27% The percentage of the bottom 27% that correctly answered the question.

Index Indicates to what extent success on the item is related to the success on the test as a whole.

(Minimum acceptable index level should be around .20 for all but extremely easy or difficult items.)

* The correct response for each question is indicated by the asterisk.

44

Appendix D

Stephen Long

Department of Political Science Peer Review Memo 2 (Class Visit 1)

Overall Impression

Generally, you do a very nice job with the introductory remarks and PowerPoint. You

seem to have a good rapport with the students, although I had the sense that there were

some who were ignoring you at various points. This is, I think, an unavoidable side

effect of having groups of students at their own tables. They may feel safer talking

amongst themselves in this seating arrangement, which is good during the computer

activity, but bad during your intro. The computer activity is excellent in terms of content,

but I have some reservations about the overall learning experience in the studio format

that I will describe at the end of this document.

Introductory Remarks (17 minutes)

In the basic definition of ecology, one of the PowerPoint graphics seemed to be cut off

vertically, which was odd. In the section on the flow of energy through ecosystems, you

had an excellent link back to the quiz, and the joke about “ThermoGoddamndynamics”

was well-received. You also had good movement around the front of the room during the

part about the forms of energy. This part of the class is really just like a classroom

lecture, just shorter. Is there a way to make this part a bit more unique/linked into the

activity?

Computer Activity (1 hour and 15 minutes)

The content of the computer activity seemed well designed. According to my student

partner, the activity usually goes through material that‟s in the textbook in more detail

with examples, demonstrations, etc. Several parts of the activity led my student partner

to express surprise, such as the dramatic reduction in energy gotten by consumers at each

new level of the ecosystem and the loss of energy in the atmosphere before it reaches

autotrophs. I was surprised, too, and now I will remember that information. My sense is

that a lot of it is review of the book, and I observed my neighbors checking their

textbooks a few times during the activity. This is good, in that it reinforces what they

read previously, but perhaps there‟s some room to incorporate new information that is not

a review of the text. Some students might not see the utility of reading the book if they

will see it all again in the computer activity.

The manual that serves as the guide and place for recording progress through the

computer activity is generally fine, but some questions were a bit too simple for college

students (what lives in a forest, for example), and the students were left hanging as to

correct responses on everything. For example, my table came up with a jaguar, fungus,

and a chipmunk (my idea) as things living in the forest ecosystem. However, we were

unclear about what chipmunks ate (nuts and berries?), and whether fungi excreted

anything into their environment (no?). No one asked the proctors about these questions.

They guessed and moved on. That said, when questions were asked of proctors, the

proctors were fantastic. The gentleman with glasses and a green shirt that day did an

45

excellent job of bringing in some new ideas, and the others ranged from good to excellent. Important points like the role of heat in the energy flow were brought home,

and I‟m certain that everyone in my group understood.

The time allotted to the activity seemed just right. Some groups moved faster than others

at various points, but everyone seemed to be done by the time the activity was over, and

the availability of extra materials after the main parts are completed is great. My student

partner started reading some of that material, and then the activity ended.

What Did We Learn Today? (25 minutes)

This was crucial. It was a bit confusing at first, but things were linked up nicely by the

end. I think it might also be interesting to provide suggestions to students for additional

reading/exercises related to today‟s topic. It would be especially cool to show some

actual research that is being done that speaks to some of the topics covered in class- it

would be a nice way of showing students what it might be like to pursue graduate studies

in Biology. Maybe even bring in a biologist who has done an interesting project in the

area to summarize it and answer questions.

Summing Up

Overall, this was an effective and engaging class. I enjoyed interacting with the students,

and I was interested in the content covered. I learned several new and interesting things.

My concern with the studio format, though, is that it will be great for mature and

motivated students, but less mature students will get a lot of free time in which to goof

off. My sense was that Mike‟s group was less serious about the activity than mine

(perhaps he‟s a trouble maker), and I think that it‟s important not to write those students

off. Perhaps proctors can spend more time at problem tables, prompting students to do

the activity.

Also, it might be worthwhile to think about ways for instructors/proctors to participate

more in the computer activity phase of the class. Instructors/proctors seem to walk

around, checking on groups, but there‟s a lot of self-teaching (and failure to self-teach)

going on, and I think there‟s room for more active involvement. Perhaps stopping at

points in the activity with some kind of event that brings their attention back to the

instructor and adds something to what they‟re doing... I‟m not sure, but in some sense, it

seemed like the up-front investment in the manual and computer activity was being

wasted because the time it opened up for the instructors wasn‟t being used to provide

more to the students.

Stephen Long

Department of Political Science Peer Review Memo 3 (Class Visit 2)

46

9:38-9:46: Pre-lecture. Good slides on endocrine system, reproductive system, urinary

system.

9:46-11:10 Exercise. Like the question format, but it is all direct recall. Not sure working

through the book in class does what we couldn't do on our own- what is the value added by

doing this in the classroom? Students don't always read the whole page in the computer

activity- skip forward to answers to manual questions. Direct quote from one student in my

group: "These are going to be hard to memorize." Bald TA needed help to explain things to

my group, women holding baby did a much better job. Students were copying mindlessly until

the larger TA came and called them on it- he is fantastic.

11:10: Wrap up. Hormone list is complicated as one slide. Urinary system also complicated.

Good jokes about drinking. Overall, this was a very good, interesting class, but the same issues

came up as before with the studio format. Some of it seems to be too much like what they

could do at home, rather than taking full advantage of having a professor and TAs in the room.

I still think it would be awesome to have a segment each week in which you bring in someone

or profile someone's work who is doing research in the area you're discussing- it would give

them a better idea of how scientists are building on what they've learned, what a career in

biology might be like, etc.