An Experimental Approach to Teaching and Learning Elementary Statistical Mechanics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ellis, Frank B.; Ellis, David C.

2008-01-01

Introductory statistical mechanics is studied for a simple two-state system using an inexpensive and easily built apparatus. A large variety of demonstrations, suitable for students in high school and introductory university chemistry courses, are possible. This article details demonstrations for exothermic and endothermic reactions, the dynamic…

Randomizing Roaches: Exploring the "Bugs" of Randomization in Experimental Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wagler, Amy; Wagler, Ron

2014-01-01

Understanding the roles of random selection and random assignment in experimental design is a central learning objective in most introductory statistics courses. This article describes an activity, appropriate for a high school or introductory statistics course, designed to teach the concepts, values and pitfalls of random selection and assignment…

Inference and the Introductory Statistics Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pfannkuch, Maxine; Regan, Matt; Wild, Chris; Budgett, Stephanie; Forbes, Sharleen; Harraway, John; Parsonage, Ross

2011-01-01

This article sets out some of the rationale and arguments for making major changes to the teaching and learning of statistical inference in introductory courses at our universities by changing from a norm-based, mathematical approach to more conceptually accessible computer-based approaches. The core problem of the inferential argument with its…

Evaluating the Use of Random Distribution Theory to Introduce Statistical Inference Concepts to Business Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Larwin, Karen H.; Larwin, David A.

2011-01-01

Bootstrapping methods and random distribution methods are increasingly recommended as better approaches for teaching students about statistical inference in introductory-level statistics courses. The authors examined the effect of teaching undergraduate business statistics students using random distribution and bootstrapping simulations. It is the…

The Introductory Sociology Survey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Best, Joel

1977-01-01

The Introductory Sociology Survey (ISS) is designed to teach introductory students basic skills in developing causal arguments and in using a computerized statistical package to analyze survey data. Students are given codebooks for survey data and asked to write a brief paper predicting the relationship between at least two variables. (Author)

Teaching an Introductory Statistics Course with CyberStats, an Electronic Textbook

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Symanzik, Jurgen; Vukasinovic, Natascha

2006-01-01

In the Fall 2001 semester, we taught a "Web-enhanced" version of the undergraduate course "Statistical Methods" ("STAT 2000") at Utah State University. The course used the electronic textbook CyberStats in addition to "face-to-face" teaching. This paper gives insight in our experiences in teaching this…

An Empirical Consideration of a Balanced Amalgamation of Learning Strategies in Graduate Introductory Statistics Classes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vaughn, Brandon K.

2009-01-01

This study considers the effectiveness of a "balanced amalgamated" approach to teaching graduate level introductory statistics. Although some research stresses replacing traditional lectures with more active learning methods, the approach of this study is to combine effective lecturing with active learning and team projects. The results of this…

Teaching Introductory Statistics Online--Satisfying the Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tudor, Gail E.

2006-01-01

This paper describes the components of a successful, online, introductory statistics course and shares students' comments and evaluations of each component. Past studies have shown that quality interaction with the professor is lacking in many online courses. While students want a course that is well organized and easy to follow, they also want to…

Best Practices in Teaching Statistics and Research Methods in the Behavioral Sciences [with CD-ROM

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dunn, Dana S., Ed.; Smith, Randolph A., Ed.; Beins, Barney, Ed.

2007-01-01

This book provides a showcase for "best practices" in teaching statistics and research methods in two- and four-year colleges and universities. A helpful resource for teaching introductory, intermediate, and advanced statistics and/or methods, the book features coverage of: (1) ways to integrate these courses; (2) how to promote ethical conduct;…

Introducing Multimedia Presentations and a Course Website to an Introductory Sociology Course: How Technology Affects Student Perceptions of Teaching Effectiveness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koeber, Charles

2005-01-01

I use a quasi-experiment and follow-up questionnaire to ascertain the effects of PowerPoint multimedia presentations and a Blackboard course website on the course grades and perceptions of teaching effectiveness of introductory sociology students. Results of t-tests showed no statistically significant difference in course grades between…

Toward a New Conceptual Framework for Teaching about Flood Risk in Introductory Geoscience Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lutz, Tim

2011-01-01

An analysis of physical geology textbooks used in introductory courses shows that there is a systematic lack of clarity regarding flood risk. Some problems originate from confusion relating to statistical terms such as "100-year flood" and "100-year floodplain." However, the main problem is conceptual: statistics such as return…

The Statistics Teaching Inventory: A Survey on Statistics Teachers' Classroom Practices and Beliefs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zieffler, Andrew; Park, Jiyoon; Garfield, Joan; delMas, Robert; Bjornsdottir, Audbjorg

2012-01-01

This paper reports on an instrument designed to assess the practices and beliefs of instructors of introductory statistics courses across the disciplines. Funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation, this project developed, piloted, and gathered validity evidence for the Statistics Teaching Inventory (STI). The instrument consists of 50…

Teaching statistics in biology: using inquiry-based learning to strengthen understanding of statistical analysis in biology laboratory courses.

PubMed

Metz, Anneke M

2008-01-01

There is an increasing need for students in the biological sciences to build a strong foundation in quantitative approaches to data analyses. Although most science, engineering, and math field majors are required to take at least one statistics course, statistical analysis is poorly integrated into undergraduate biology course work, particularly at the lower-division level. Elements of statistics were incorporated into an introductory biology course, including a review of statistics concepts and opportunity for students to perform statistical analysis in a biological context. Learning gains were measured with an 11-item statistics learning survey instrument developed for the course. Students showed a statistically significant 25% (p < 0.005) increase in statistics knowledge after completing introductory biology. Students improved their scores on the survey after completing introductory biology, even if they had previously completed an introductory statistics course (9%, improvement p < 0.005). Students retested 1 yr after completing introductory biology showed no loss of their statistics knowledge as measured by this instrument, suggesting that the use of statistics in biology course work may aid long-term retention of statistics knowledge. No statistically significant differences in learning were detected between male and female students in the study.

Using Real-Life Data When Teaching Statistics: Student Perceptions of this Strategy in an Introductory Statistics Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Neumann, David L.; Hood, Michelle; Neumann, Michelle M.

2013-01-01

Many teachers of statistics recommend using real-life data during class lessons. However, there has been little systematic study of what effect this teaching method has on student engagement and learning. The present study examined this question in a first-year university statistics course. Students (n = 38) were interviewed and their reflections…

"Of Course I'm Communicating; I Lecture Every Day": Enhancing Teaching and Learning in Introductory Statistics. Scholarship of Teaching and Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wulff, Shaun S.; Wulff, Donald H.

2004-01-01

This article focuses on one instructor's evolution from formal lecturing to interactive teaching and learning in a statistics course. Student perception data are used to demonstrate the instructor's use of communication to align the content, students, and instructor throughout the course. Results indicate that the students learned, that…

Statistics Graduate Students' Professional Development for Teaching: A Communities of Practice Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Justice, Nicola

2007-01-01

Graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) are responsible for instructing approximately 25% of introductory statistics courses in the United States (Blair, Kirkman, & Maxwell, 2013). Most research on GTA professional development focuses on structured activities (e.g., courses, workshops) that have been developed to improve GTAs' pedagogy and content…

Teaching Statistics in Biology: Using Inquiry-based Learning to Strengthen Understanding of Statistical Analysis in Biology Laboratory Courses

PubMed Central

2008-01-01

There is an increasing need for students in the biological sciences to build a strong foundation in quantitative approaches to data analyses. Although most science, engineering, and math field majors are required to take at least one statistics course, statistical analysis is poorly integrated into undergraduate biology course work, particularly at the lower-division level. Elements of statistics were incorporated into an introductory biology course, including a review of statistics concepts and opportunity for students to perform statistical analysis in a biological context. Learning gains were measured with an 11-item statistics learning survey instrument developed for the course. Students showed a statistically significant 25% (p < 0.005) increase in statistics knowledge after completing introductory biology. Students improved their scores on the survey after completing introductory biology, even if they had previously completed an introductory statistics course (9%, improvement p < 0.005). Students retested 1 yr after completing introductory biology showed no loss of their statistics knowledge as measured by this instrument, suggesting that the use of statistics in biology course work may aid long-term retention of statistics knowledge. No statistically significant differences in learning were detected between male and female students in the study. PMID:18765754

Predicting Acquisition of Learning Outcomes: A Comparison of Traditional and Activity-Based Instruction in an Introductory Statistics Course.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Geske, Jenenne A.; Mickelson, William T.; Bandalos, Deborah L.; Jonson, Jessica; Smith, Russell W.

The bulk of experimental research related to reforms in the teaching of statistics concentrates on the effects of alternative teaching methods on statistics achievement. This study expands on that research by including an examination of the effects of instructor and the interaction between instructor and method on achievement as well as attitudes,…

A Computer-Assisted Instruction in Teaching Abstract Statistics to Public Affairs Undergraduates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ozturk, Ali Osman

2012-01-01

This article attempts to demonstrate the applicability of a computer-assisted instruction supported with simulated data in teaching abstract statistical concepts to political science and public affairs students in an introductory research methods course. The software is called the Elaboration Model Computer Exercise (EMCE) in that it takes a great…

Introductory Graduate Research Courses: An Examination of the Knowledge Base.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mundfrom, Daniel J.; Shaw, Dale G.; Thomas, Ann; Young, Suzanne; Moore, Alan D.

This study addresses the question, "What should graduate students know about research and statistics after completing an initial course?" Individuals who teach such courses at various Carnegie classifications of institutions were surveyed about the specific characteristics of an introductory graduate research course at their own institutions to…

On Teaching about the Coefficient of Variation in Introductory Statistics Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trafimow, David

2014-01-01

The standard deviation is related to the mean by virtue of the coefficient of variation. Teachers of statistics courses can make use of that fact to make the standard deviation more comprehensible for statistics students.

What Does Research Suggest about the Teaching and Learning of Introductory Statistics at the College Level? A Review of the Literature

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zieffler, Andrew; Garfield, Joan; Alt, Shirley; Dupuis, Danielle; Holleque, Kristine; Chang, Beng

2008-01-01

Since the first studies on the teaching and learning of statistics appeared in the research literature, the scholarship in this area has grown dramatically. Given the diversity of disciplines, methodology, and orientation of the studies that may be classified as "statistics education research," summarizing and critiquing this body of work for…

Introductory Statistics Course Tertiary Students' Understanding of P-Values

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reaburn, Robyn

2014-01-01

This study aimed to gain knowledge of students' beliefs and difficulties in understanding p-values, and to use this knowledge to develop improved teaching programs. This study took place over four consecutive teaching semesters of a one-semester tertiary statistics unit. The study was cyclical, in that the results of each semester were used to…

A Story-Based Simulation for Teaching Sampling Distributions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Turner, Stephen; Dabney, Alan R.

2015-01-01

Statistical inference relies heavily on the concept of sampling distributions. However, sampling distributions are difficult to teach. We present a series of short animations that are story-based, with associated assessments. We hope that our contribution can be useful as a tool to teach sampling distributions in the introductory statistics…

A Case-Based Curriculum for Introductory Geology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goldsmith, David W.

2011-01-01

For the past 5 years I have been teaching my introductory geology class using a case-based method that promotes student engagement and inquiry. This article presents an explanation of how a case-based curriculum differs from a more traditional approach to the material. It also presents a statistical analysis of several years' worth of student…

How I Teach the Second Law of Thermodynamics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kincanon, Eric

2013-01-01

An alternative method of presenting the second law of thermodynamics in introductory courses is presented. The emphasis is on statistical approaches as developed by Atkins. This has the benefit of stressing the statistical nature of the law.

Teaching the Meaning of Statistical Techniques with Microcomputer Simulation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Motoko Y.; And Others

Students in an introductory statistics course are often preoccupied with learning the computational routines of specific summary statistics and thereby fail to develop an understanding of the meaning of those statistics or their conceptual basis. To help students develop a better understanding of the meaning of three frequently used statistics,…

Statistical Education in the 21st Century: A Review of Challenges, Teaching Innovations and Strategies for Reform

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tishkovskaya, Svetlana; Lancaster, Gillian A.

2012-01-01

Over the past few decades there has been a large amount of research dedicated to the teaching of statistics. The impact of this research has started to change course content and structure, in both introductory and advanced courses for statisticians and those from other disciplines. In the light of these changes future directions in the teaching…

Incorporating online teaching in an introductory pharmaceutical practice course: a study of student perceptions within an Australian University.

PubMed

Benino, Diana; Girardi, Antonia; Czarniak, Petra

2011-10-01

To examine student perceptions regarding online lectures and quizzes undertaken during a pharmaceutical practice course for first year undergraduate students enrolled in the Bachelor of Pharmacy course at an Australian University. The University uses a standard instrument to collect feedback from students regarding unit satisfaction. Data were collected for three different teaching modalities: traditional face-to-face, online and partially online. Descriptive statistics support that, from a student's perspective, partial online delivery is the preferred teaching methodology for an introductory pharmaceutical practice unit. This study has served to highlight that while there are a few points of significant difference between traditional and online teaching and learning, a combination of the two provides a reasonable avenue for teaching exploration. This result has implications for teaching practice generally, and within the pharmacy discipline, specifically.

Reflection on Training, Experience, and Introductory Statistics: A Mini-Survey of Tertiary Level Statistics Instructors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hassad, Rossi A.

2006-01-01

Instructors of statistics who teach non-statistics majors possess varied academic backgrounds, and hence it is reasonable to expect variability in their content knowledge, and pedagogical approach. The aim of this study was to determine the specific course(s) that contributed mostly to instructors' understanding of statistics. Courses reported…

Statistical Literacy Social Media Project for the Masses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gundlach, Ellen; Maybee, Clarence; O'Shea, Kevin

2015-01-01

This article examines a social media assignment used to teach and practice statistical literacy with over 400 students each semester in large-lecture traditional, fully online, and flipped sections of an introductory-level statistics course. Following the social media assignment, students completed a survey on how they approached the assignment.…

Teacher of Teachers: An Interview with James H. Korn

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sikorski, Jason F.

2004-01-01

Jason Sikorski is currently a graduate student in the clinical psychology program at Auburn University. He has taught courses in introductory psychology, experimental psychology, social psychology, and statistics. He served as the first chair of the Society for the Teaching of Psychology's (STP) Graduate Student Teaching Association, which aims to…

Incorporating online teaching in an introductory pharmaceutical practice course: a study of student perceptions within an Australian University

PubMed Central

Benino, Diana; Girardi, Antonia; Czarniak, Petra

Objective To examine student perceptions regarding online lectures and quizzes undertaken during a pharmaceutical practice course for first year undergraduate students enrolled in the Bachelor of Pharmacy course at an Australian University. Methods The University uses a standard instrument to collect feedback from students regarding unit satisfaction. Data were collected for three different teaching modalities: traditional face-to-face, online and partially online. Results Descriptive statistics support that, from a student's perspective, partial online delivery is the preferred teaching methodology for an introductory pharmaceutical practice unit. Conclusions This study has served to highlight that while there are a few points of significant difference between traditional and online teaching and learning, a combination of the two provides a reasonable avenue for teaching exploration. This result has implications for teaching practice generally, and within the pharmacy discipline, specifically. PMID:24198864

A Study of Faculty Views of Statistics and Student Preparation beyond an Introductory Class

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Doehler, Kirsten; Taylor, Laura; Smith, Jessalyn

2013-01-01

The purpose of this research is to better understand the role of statistics in teaching and research by faculty from all disciplines and their perceptions of the statistical preparation of their students. This study reports the findings of a survey administered to faculty from seven colleges and universities regarding the use of statistics in…

Teaching Univariate Measures of Location-Using Loss Functions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Paolino, Jon-Paul

2018-01-01

This article presents a new method for introductory teaching of the sample mean, median and mode(s) from a univariate dataset. These basic statistical concepts are taught at various levels of education from elementary school curriculums to courses at the tertiary level. These descriptive measures of location can be taught as optimized solutions to…

How Large Should a Statistical Sample Be?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Menil, Violeta C.; Ye, Ruili

2012-01-01

This study serves as a teaching aid for teachers of introductory statistics. The aim of this study was limited to determining various sample sizes when estimating population proportion. Tables on sample sizes were generated using a C[superscript ++] program, which depends on population size, degree of precision or error level, and confidence…

Visualizing and Understanding Probability and Statistics: Graphical Simulations Using Excel

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gordon, Sheldon P.; Gordon, Florence S.

2009-01-01

The authors describe a collection of dynamic interactive simulations for teaching and learning most of the important ideas and techniques of introductory statistics and probability. The modules cover such topics as randomness, simulations of probability experiments such as coin flipping, dice rolling and general binomial experiments, a simulation…

The Longitudinal Study of Computer Simulation in Learning Statistics for Hospitality College Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huang, Ching-Hsu

2014-01-01

The class quasi-experiment was conducted to determine whether using computer simulation teaching strategy enhanced student understanding of statistics concepts for students enrolled in an introductory course. One hundred and ninety-three sophomores in hospitality management department were invited as participants in this two-year longitudinal…

Beyond P Values and Hypothesis Testing: Using the Minimum Bayes Factor to Teach Statistical Inference in Undergraduate Introductory Statistics Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Page, Robert; Satake, Eiki

2017-01-01

While interest in Bayesian statistics has been growing in statistics education, the treatment of the topic is still inadequate in both textbooks and the classroom. Because so many fields of study lead to careers that involve a decision-making process requiring an understanding of Bayesian methods, it is becoming increasingly clear that Bayesian…

Some Experience with Interactive Computing in Teaching Introductory Statistics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Diegert, Carl

Students in two biostatistics courses at the Cornell Medical College and in a course in applications of computer science given in Cornell's School of Industrial Engineering were given access to an interactive package of computer programs enabling them to perform statistical analysis without the burden of hand computation. After a general…

Assessment of Teaching Approaches in an Introductory Astronomy College Classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alexander, William R.

In recent years, there have been calls from the astronomy education research community for the increased use of learner-centered approaches to teaching, and systematic assessments of various teaching approaches using such tools as the Astronomy Diagnostic Test 2.0 (ADT 2.0). The research presented is a response to both calls. The ADT 2.0 was used in a modified form to obtain baseline assessments of introductory college astronomy classes that were taught in a traditional, mostly didactic manner. The ADT 2.0 (modified) was administered both before and after the completion of the courses. The courses were then altered to make modest use of learner-centered lecture tutorials. The ADT 2.0 (modified) was again administered before and after completion of the modified courses. Overall, the modest learner-centered approach showed mixed statistical results, with an increase in effect size (from medium to large), but no change in normalized gain index (both were low). Additionally, a mathematically rigorous approach showed no statistically significant improvements in conceptual understanding compared with a mathematically nonrigorous approach. This study will interpret the results from a variety of perspectives. The overall implementation of the lecture tutorials and their implications for teaching will also be discussed.

Engaging Diverse Students in Statistical Inquiry: A Comparison of Learning Experiences and Outcomes of Under-Represented and Non-Underrepresented Students Enrolled in a Multidisciplinary Project-Based Statistics Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dierker, Lisa; Alexander, Jalen; Cooper, Jennifer L.; Selya, Arielle; Rose, Jennifer; Dasgupta, Nilanjana

2016-01-01

Introductory statistics needs innovative, evidence-based teaching practices that support and engage diverse students. To evaluate the success of a multidisciplinary, project-based course, we compared experiences of under-represented (URM) and non-underrepresented students in 4 years of the course. While URM students considered the material more…

Effects of an Instructional Gaming Characteristic on Learning Effectiveness, Efficiency, and Engagement: Using a Storyline for Teaching Basic Statistical Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Novak, Elena; Johnson, Tristan E.; Tenenbaum, Gershon; Shute, Valerie J.

2016-01-01

The study explored instructional benefits of a storyline gaming characteristic (GC) on learning effectiveness, efficiency, and engagement with the use of an online instructional simulation for graduate students in an introductory statistics course. A storyline is a game-design element that connects scenes with the educational content. In order to…

Development and Initial Validation of a Scale to Measure Instructors' Attitudes toward Concept-Based Teaching of Introductory Statistics in the Health and Behavioral Sciences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hassad, Rossi; Coxon, APM

2007-01-01

Despite more than a decade of reform efforts, students continue to experience difficulty understanding and applying statistical concepts. The predominant focus of reform has been on content, pedagogy, technology and assessment, with little attention to instructor characteristics. However, there is strong theoretical and empirical evidence that…

Effects of an Instructional Gaming Characteristic on Learning Effectiveness, Efficiency, and Engagement: Using a Storyline to Teach Basic Statistical Analytical Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Novak, Elena

2012-01-01

The study explored instructional benefits of a storyline gaming characteristic (GC) on learning effectiveness, efficiency, and engagement with the use of an online instructional simulation for graduate students in an introductory statistics course. In addition, the study focused on examining the effects of a storyline GC on specific learning…

Fostering the Development of Quantitative Life Skills through Introductory Astronomy: Can it be Done?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Follette, Katherine B.; McCarthy, D. W.

2012-01-01

We present preliminary results from a student survey designed to test whether the all-important life skill of numeracy/quantitative literacy can be fostered and improved upon in college students through the vehicle of non-major introductory courses in Astronomy. Many instructors of introductory science courses for non-majors would state that a major goal of our classes is to teach our students to distinguish between science and pseudoscience, truth and fiction, in their everyday lives. It is difficult to believe that such a skill can truly be mastered without a fair amount of mathematical sophistication in the form of arithmetic, statistical and graph reading skills that many American college students unfortunately lack when they enter our classrooms. In teaching what is frequently their "terminal science course in life” can we instill in our students the numerical skills that they need to be savvy consumers, educated citizens and discerning interpreters of the ever-present polls, studies and surveys in which our society is awash? In what may well be their final opportunity to see applied mathematics in the classroom, can we impress upon them the importance of mathematical sophistication in interpreting the statistics that they are bombarded with by the media? Our study is in its second semester, and is designed to investigate to what extent it is possible to improve important quantitative skills in college students through a single semester introductory Astronomy course.

Gambling as a teaching aid in the introductory physics laboratory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horodynski-Matsushigue, L. B.; Pascholati, P. R.; Vanin, V. R.; Dias, J. F.; Yoneama, M.-L.; Siqueira, P. T. D.; Amaku, M.; Duarte, J. L. M.

1998-07-01

Dice throwing is used to illustrate relevant concepts of the statistical theory of uncertainties, in particular the meaning of a limiting distribution, the standard deviation, and the standard deviation of the mean. It is an important part in a sequence of especially programmed laboratory activities, developed for freshmen, at the Institute of Physics of the University of São Paulo. It is shown how this activity is employed within a constructive teaching approach, which aims at a growing understanding of the measuring processes and of the fundamentals of correct statistical handling of experimental data.

The Appropriateness of Scratch and App Inventor as Educational Environments for Teaching Introductory Programming in Primary and Secondary Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Papadakis, Stamatios; Kalogiannakis, Michail; Orfanakis, Vasileios; Zaranis, Nicholas

2017-01-01

Teaching programming is a complex task. The task is even more challenging for introductory modules. There is an ongoing debate in the teaching community over the best approach to teaching introductory programming. Visual block-based programming environments allow school students to create their own programs in ways that are more accessible than in…

Using VITA Service Learning Experiences to Teach Hypothesis Testing and P-Value Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Drougas, Anne; Harrington, Steve

2011-01-01

This paper describes a hypothesis testing project designed to capture student interest and stimulate classroom interaction and communication. Using an online survey instrument, the authors collected student demographic information and data regarding university service learning experiences. Introductory statistics students performed a series of…

Enhancing the Teaching and Learning of Mathematical Visual Images

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Quinnell, Lorna

2014-01-01

The importance of mathematical visual images is indicated by the introductory paragraph in the Statistics and Probability content strand of the Australian Curriculum, which draws attention to the importance of learners developing skills to analyse and draw inferences from data and "represent, summarise and interpret data and undertake…

Improving student performance in an introductory biology majors course: A social action project in the scholarship of teaching

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chambers, Sara Lang Ketchum

This social action study followed an introductory biology course for a three-year period to determine whether changes in teaching personnel, instructional techniques and reorientation to student-centered learning would impact student performance. The course was redirected from a traditional lecture-laboratory format to one emphasizing active learning inquiry methods. Student retention, achievement, and failure were observed for three years in addition to one year prior, and one year following, the study. The study examined the two semester introductory biology course required of all biology majors and those intending a career in science, medicine or dentistry. During the first semester of the study, the dropout rate decreased from 46% to 21%. Prior to the study, 39% of the students completing the course received a grade of D or F while only 4% received a grade of B or above. During the first semester of the study 14% of the students received a grade of D or F while 46% received a B, B+ or A grade. Similar results were seen in other semesters of the study. A statistical comparison of student retention and performance was carried out using grade data for classes taught by the original faculty, the action study faculty and the post-study faculty. The differences between the original faculty and the action study faculty were statistically significant. Effect size calculations indicated large differences between the action study faculty and the two other faculty groups in terms of student retention, achievement and failure. The results are attributed to both the personnel change and, more significantly, the change in teaching methods and emphasis on student-active learning. Comparison between the pre- and post-study teams showed less dramatic effect sizes than when the action study data were compared with the data from either other team. Nevertheless, the post-study results showed that although the retention rate dropped during the year after the study, the improvement in student performance continued. The literature supports the conclusion that the use of an inquiry-based learning model is superior to the traditional lecture-laboratory format for teaching science courses at the introductory undergraduate level.

The change in students' understanding of the mole concept in introductory college chemistry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, Shane Harvie

This study investigated the difference between the students' understanding of the mole concept in chemistry at the beginning and at the end of the first semester of introductory chemistry courses. The study also identified the relationship between the criterion variable understanding of the mole concept in chemistry and the independent variables of cognitive level, type of introductory college chemistry class, and the number of lectures spent teaching the mole concept. In addition, this study examined (a) the students' misconceptions and (b) the aspects of the traditional teaching methods used in the introductory college chemistry courses that helped the students' understanding of the mole concept. This study was conducted using 180 volunteer students in their first semester of an introductory college chemistry course. These students were given a pretest instrument called the Mole Concepts Examination (MCE) to measure their understanding of the mole concept, the Group Assessment of Logical Thinking (GALT) to measure the students' cognitive level of logical thinking, and a posttest of the MCE to measure the students' understanding of the mole concept at the end of the semester. In addition, an interview was given to a selected group of 18 students to find out if the students remember the teaching techniques used to help them understand the mole concept and to determine some of the misconceptions that the students retained at the end of the semester. Results indicated a statistically significant relationship between students' understanding of the mole concept and their cognitive level. There was no significant relationship between students' understanding of the mole concept and the type of class, or the number of lectures spent teaching the mole concept. Qualitative results indicated that students were able to explain their answers to the posttest questions; students were able to identify some instructional techniques that helped them to understand the mole concept, and students of all cognitive levels retained misconceptions about the mole concept at the end of the semester.

Keeping It Real, Keeping Them Interested and Keeping It in Their Minds

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Howley, Peter P.

2008-01-01

As part of many universities' Business degrees, students will undertake an introductory statistics course. Lecturers need to help these students appreciate and recognise the value of possessing quantitative skills and to learn and apply such skills. Three components to teaching that address these aims as well as the interdependence of these…

"Flipping" the introductory clerkship in radiology: impact on medical student performance and perceptions.

PubMed

Belfi, Lily M; Bartolotta, Roger J; Giambrone, Ashley E; Davi, Caryn; Min, Robert J

2015-06-01

Among methods of "blended learning" (ie, combining online modules with in-class instruction), the "flipped classroom" involves student preclass review of material while reserving class time for interactive knowledge application. We integrated blended learning methodology in a "flipped" introductory clerkship in radiology, and assessed the impact of this approach on the student educational experience (performance and perception). In preparation for the "flipped clerkship," radiology faculty and residents created e-learning modules that were uploaded to an open-source website. The clerkship's 101 rising third-year medical students were exposed to different teaching methods during the course, such as blended learning, traditional lecture learning, and independent learning. Students completed precourse and postcourse knowledge assessments and surveys. Student knowledge improved overall as a result of taking the course. Blended learning achieved greater pretest to post-test improvement of high statistical significance (P value, .0060) compared to lecture learning alone. Blended learning also achieved greater pretest to post-test improvement of borderline statistical significance (P value, .0855) in comparison to independent learning alone. The difference in effectiveness of independent learning versus lecture learning was not statistically significant (P value, .2730). Student perceptions of the online modules used in blended learning portions of the course were very positive. They specifically enjoyed the self-paced interactivity and the ability to return to the modules in the future. Blended learning can be successfully applied to the introductory clerkship in radiology. This teaching method offers educators an innovative and efficient approach to medical student education in radiology. Copyright © 2015 AUR. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Using a Common Experience to Teach Introductory Managerial Accounting

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

King, Gail Hoover; McConnell, Cheryl

2010-01-01

Teaching introductory accounting courses can be both challenging and rewarding. In introductory financial and managerial accounting, students struggle with the unfamiliar terminology and concepts. However, managerial accounting offers distinct challenges in that managerial accounting reports used for decision-making are not publically available,…

A Mixed-Methods Investigation of Preservice Music Teaching Efficacy Beliefs and Commitment to Music Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Prichard, Stephanie

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the music teaching efficacy beliefs and commitment to teaching of preservice music teachers enrolled in an introductory music education course. Also explored was the impact of introductory music education course experiences on preservice music teachers' music teaching efficacy beliefs and commitment to…

Reinforcing Sampling Distributions through a Randomization-Based Activity for Introducing ANOVA

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, Laura; Doehler, Kirsten

2015-01-01

This paper examines the use of a randomization-based activity to introduce the ANOVA F-test to students. The two main goals of this activity are to successfully teach students to comprehend ANOVA F-tests and to increase student comprehension of sampling distributions. Four sections of students in an advanced introductory statistics course…

Factors Influencing Academic Performance in Quantitative Courses among Undergraduate Business Students of a Public Higher Education Institution

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yousef, Darwish Abdulrahamn

2017-01-01

Purpose: This paper aims to investigate the impacts of teaching style, English language and communication and assessment methods on the academic performance of undergraduate business students in introductory quantitative courses such as Statistics for Business 1 and 2, Quantitative Methods for Business, Operations and Production Management and…

Teaching an Application of Bayes' Rule for Legal Decision-Making: Measuring the Strength of Evidence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Satake, Eiki; Murray, Amy Vashlishan

2014-01-01

Although Bayesian methodology has become a powerful approach for describing uncertainty, it has largely been avoided in undergraduate statistics education. Here we demonstrate that one can present Bayes' Rule in the classroom through a hypothetical, yet realistic, legal scenario designed to spur the interests of students in introductory- and…

SYMBIOSIS: Development, Implementation, and Assessment of a Model Curriculum across Biology and Mathematics at the Introductory Level

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Depelteau, Audrey M.; Joplin, Karl H.; Govett, Aimee; Miller, Hugh A., III; Seier, Edith

2010-01-01

With the support of the East Tennessee State University (ETSU) administration and a grant from Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the departments of Biological Sciences, Mathematics and Statistics, and Curriculum and Instruction have developed a biology-math integrated curriculum. An interdisciplinary faculty team, charged with teaching the 18…

Teaching Introductory Psychology: Tips from "ToP"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Griggs, Richard A., Ed.; Jackson, Sherri L., Ed.

2011-01-01

This book follows in the footsteps of the first three volumes in the "Handbook for Teaching Introductory Psychology" series. In the prefaces to these volumes, the various editors all stressed two major points relevant to the development of this series. These comments also apply to this book. First, introductory psychology is one of the most…

Integrating Sociological Research into Large Introductory Courses: Learning Content and Increasing Quantitative Literacy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Atkinson, Maxine P.; Czaja, Ronald F.; Brewster, Zachary B.

2006-01-01

Sociologists can make meaningful contributions to quantitative literacy by teaching sociological research skills in sociology classes, including introductory courses. We report on the effectiveness of requiring a research module in a large introductory class. The module is designed to teach both basic research skills and to increase awareness of…

The Evolution of a Program of Introductory Courses: Fragmentation and Integration.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Candland, Douglas K.

Background, rationale, and consequences of a plan for teaching introductory undergraduate psychology are described. The setting is a college where eight to ten members of the psychology department have traditionally shared the teaching of introductory courses. The faculty recognized that there was not consensus on the content of an exemplary…

Teaching Strategies in Introductory Sociology for College Students with Learning Disabilities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adams, Murray C.; Crews, W. Bee

1991-01-01

Focuses on teaching techniques proven effective in reaching learning-disabled students enrolled in introductory sociology courses. Examines the definition and characteristics of such students. Finds these techniques increase teaching effectiveness and are useful for handicapped and nonhandicapped students. Suggests specific strategies and…

Examining Physics Graduate Teaching Assistants' Pedagogical Content Knowledge for Teaching a New Physics Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seung, Eulsun; Bryan, Lynn A.; Haugan, Mark P.

2012-01-01

In this study, we investigated the pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) that physics graduate teaching assistants (TAs) developed in the context of teaching a new introductory physics curriculum, "Matter and Interactions" ("M&I"). "M&I" is an innovative introductory physics course that emphasizes a unified framework for understanding the world and…

Contrasting Grading Approaches in Introductory Physics and Quantum Mechanics: The Case of Graduate Teaching Assistants

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marshman, Emily; Sayer, Ryan; Henderson, Charles; Singh, Chandralekha

2017-01-01

At large research universities, physics graduate teaching assistants (TAs) are often responsible for grading in courses at all levels. However, few studies have focused on TAs' grading practices in introductory and advanced physics courses. This study was designed to investigate whether physics graduate TAs grade students in introductory physics…

Can Wii Engage College-Level Learners? Use of Commercial Off-the-Shelf Gaming in an Introductory Statistics Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stansbury, Jessica A.; Wheeler, Evangeline A.; Buckingham, Justin T.

2014-01-01

Technological advancements and growing dependence on media outlets as sources of information compete for the attention of individuals born in a rapidly expanding digital age. As a result, educators using traditional, nondigital teaching methods struggle with keeping students engaged in the classroom. The present study assessed the extent to which…

The Disproportionate and Potentially Negative Influence of Research Universities on the Quality of Geoscience Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Samson, P. J.

2010-12-01

There is a large and growing body of research indicating that post-secondary education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields is failing to prepare citizens for the 21st century economy. Introductory STEM courses are vital for preparing science majors for their fields of study and are the only exposure to science many college students will receive, but the quality of teaching in these courses is often not informed by research on teaching and learning. Research universities play an especially prominent role in the design of introductory courses. While research and doctoral universities account for only about 6% of all higher education institutions, they confer 32 per cent of the baccalaureate degrees, and 56 per cent of the baccalaureates earned by recent recipients of science and engineering doctorates. By assuming that larger introductory classes occur at research institutions one can estimate that a dominant number of students receiving introductory instruction in the geosciences are probably occurring at research institutions. Moreover, research universities produce the majority of tenure-track faculty who will later teach at four-year colleges, so the role of research institutions in the influence of introductory course design is expected to be disproportionately large. While introductory courses at research universities play a influential role in how such courses are designed, the teaching of introductory courses is too often viewed as an undesirable assignment for instructors at those institutions. The effort seems unrewarding with incentives for improving teaching at research institutions perceived as modest at best, if not negative. It is commonly perceived that teaching introductory courses will decrease opportunities for teaching higher-level courses to graduate students and/or to conduct research. Furthermore, even for those interested in improving their pedagogical methods, current approaches to professional development are generally difficult to scale and/or costly to institutions and outside instructors' normal workflow. This presentation reports on the results of surveys of research university instructors in an attempt to quantify the state of the introductory course. The surveys attempt to identify common barriers to improvement. Based on these surveys strategies for how to best implement systemic change in introductory courses at research universities are presented in the hope of stimulating discussion and a call to action.

Teaching Introductory Programming to IS Students: The Impact of Teaching Approaches on Learning Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhang, Xihui; Zhang, Chi; Stafford, Thomas F.; Zhang, Ping

2013-01-01

Introductory programming courses are typically required for undergraduate students majoring in Information Systems. Instructors use different approaches to teaching this course: some lecturing and assigning programming exercises, others only assigning programming exercises without lectures. This research compares the effects of these two teaching…

Holistic Approach to Learning and Teaching Introductory Object-Oriented Programming

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thota, Neena; Whitfield, Richard

2010-01-01

This article describes a holistic approach to designing an introductory, object-oriented programming course. The design is grounded in constructivism and pedagogy of phenomenography. We use constructive alignment as the framework to align assessments, learning, and teaching with planned learning outcomes. We plan learning and teaching activities,…

Characterizing Teaching in Introductory Geology Courses: Measuring Classroom Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Budd, D. A.; van der Hoeven Kraft, K. J.; McConnell, D. A.; Vislova, T.

2013-01-01

Most research about reformed teaching practices in the college science classroom is based on instructor self-report. This research describes what is happening in some introductory geology courses at multiple institutions across the country using external observers. These observations are quantified using the Reformed Teaching Observation Protocol…

Forum: Crafting the Introductory Course in Religious Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCutcheon, Russell T.; Hollander, Aaron T.; Durdin, Andrew F.; Gardner, Kelli A.; Miller, Adam T.; Crews, Emily D.

2016-01-01

This series of short essays considers the complex choices and decision-making processes of instructors preparing to teach, and continuing to teach, introductory courses in religious studies. In a paper originally presented in the University of Chicago's "The Craft of Teaching in the Academic Study of Religion" series, Russell McCutcheon…

Insights into teaching quantum mechanics in secondary and lower undergraduate education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krijtenburg-Lewerissa, K.; Pol, H. J.; Brinkman, A.; van Joolingen, W. R.

2017-06-01

This study presents a review of the current state of research on teaching quantum mechanics in secondary and lower undergraduate education. A conceptual approach to quantum mechanics is being implemented in more and more introductory physics courses around the world. Because of the differences between the conceptual nature of quantum mechanics and classical physics, research on misconceptions, testing, and teaching strategies for introductory quantum mechanics is needed. For this review, 74 articles were selected and analyzed for the misconceptions, research tools, teaching strategies, and multimedia applications investigated. Outcomes were categorized according to their contribution to the various subtopics of quantum mechanics. Analysis shows that students have difficulty relating quantum physics to physical reality. It also shows that the teaching of complex quantum behavior, such as time dependence, superposition, and the measurement problem, has barely been investigated for the secondary and lower undergraduate level. At the secondary school level, this article shows a need to investigate student difficulties concerning wave functions and potential wells. Investigation of research tools shows the necessity for the development of assessment tools for secondary and lower undergraduate education, which cover all major topics and are suitable for statistical analysis. Furthermore, this article shows the existence of very diverse ideas concerning teaching strategies for quantum mechanics and a lack of research into which strategies promote understanding. This article underlines the need for more empirical research into student difficulties, teaching strategies, activities, and research tools intended for a conceptual approach for quantum mechanics.

Using a Dual Safeguard Web-Based Interactive Teaching Approach in an Introductory Physics Class

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Li, Lie-Ming; Li, Bin; Luo, Ying

2015-01-01

We modified the Just-in-Time Teaching approach and developed a dual safeguard web-based interactive (DGWI) teaching system for an introductory physics course. The system consists of four instructional components that improve student learning by including warm-up assignments and online homework. Student and instructor activities involve activities…

Transforming Common-Sense Beliefs into Newtonian Thinking through Just-in-Time Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Formica, Sarah P.; Easley, Jessica L.; Spraker, Mark C.

2010-01-01

To determine whether teaching an introductory physics course with a traditional lecture style or with Just-in-Time teaching (a student-centered, interactive-engagement style) will help students to better understand Newtonian concepts, such as Newton's Third Law, 222 students in introductory physics courses taught by traditional lecture styles and…

The Process of Physics Teaching Assistants' Pedagogical Content Knowledge Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seung, Eulsun

2013-01-01

This study explored the process of physics teaching assistants' (TAs) PCK development in the context of teaching a new undergraduate introductory physics course. "Matter and Interactions" (M&I) has recently adopted a new introductory physics course that focuses on the application of a small number of fundamental physical…

Application of the K-W-L Teaching and Learning Method to an Introductory Physics Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wrinkle, Cheryl Schaefer; Manivannan, Mani K.

2009-01-01

The K-W-L method of teaching is a simple method that actively engages students in their own learning. It has been used with kindergarten and elementary grades to teach other subjects. The authors have successfully used it to teach physics at the college level. In their introductory physics labs, the K-W-L method helped students think about what…

Explaining Gibbsean phase space to second year students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vesely, Franz J.

2005-03-01

A new approach to teaching introductory statistical physics is presented. We recommend making extensive use of the fact that even systems with a very few degrees of freedom may display chaotic behaviour. This permits a didactic 'bottom-up' approach, starting out with toy systems whose phase space may be depicted on a screen or blackboard, then proceeding to ever higher dimensions in Gibbsean phase space.

The Power of Doing: A Learning Exercise That Brings the Central Limit Theorem to Life

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Price, Barbara A.; Zhang, Xiaolong

2007-01-01

This article demonstrates an active learning technique for teaching the Central Limit Theorem (CLT) in an introductory undergraduate business statistics class. Groups of students carry out one of two experiments in the lab, tossing a die in sets of 5 rolls or tossing a die in sets of 10 rolls. They are asked to calculate the sample average of each…

Does My Baby Really Look Like Me? Using Tests for Resemblance between Parent and Child to Teach Topics in Categorical Data Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Froelich, Amy G.; Nettleton, Dan

2013-01-01

In this article, we present a study to test whether neutral observers perceive a resemblance between a parent and a child. We demonstrate the general approach for two separate parent/ child pairs using survey data collected from introductory statistics students serving as neutral observers. We then present ideas for incorporating the study design…

Teaching Health Care in Introductory Economics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cutler, David M.

2017-01-01

Health care is one of the economy's biggest industries, so it is natural that the health care industry should play some role in the teaching of introductory economics. There are many ways that health care can appear in such a context: in the teaching of microeconomics, as a macroeconomic issue, to learn about social welfare, and even to learn how…

Lessons Learned from Teaching Scratch as an Introduction to Object-Oriented Programming in Delphi

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van Zyl, Sukie; Mentz, Elsa; Havenga, Marietjie

2016-01-01

As part of curriculum changes in South Africa, an introductory programming language, Scratch, must first be taught before switching to the well-established teaching of Delphi. The nature of programming in Scratch is considerably different from that in Delphi. It was assumed that the teaching of Scratch as introductory programming language could…

Comparison of Traditional and ADRI Based Teaching Approaches in an Introductory Programming Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Malik, Sohail Iqbal; Coldwell-Neilson, Jo

2017-01-01

Aim/Purpose: This study introduced a new teaching and learning approach based on an ADRI (Approach, Deployment, Result, Improvement) model in an introductory programming (IP) course. The effectiveness of the new teaching and learning process was determined by collecting feedback from the IP instructors and by analyzing the final exam grades of the…

You've Got a Deal! Using the Film "Draft Day" to Teach Fundamental Contract Law and Analytical Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ruud, Judith Kish; Ruud, William N.; Moussavi, Farzad

2017-01-01

This article proposes a film assignment that uses a series of activities built around the film "Draft Day" to supplement traditional pedagogies for teaching contract law in introductory courses. This film facilitates learning by reinforcing the contract formation principles faculty teach in introductory courses; showing contract…

The Science Teaching Self-Efficacy of Prospective Elementary Education Majors Enrolled in Introductory Geology Lab Sections

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baldwin, Kathryn A.

2014-01-01

This study examined prospective elementary education majors' science teaching self-efficacy while they were enrolled in an introductory geology lab course for elementary education majors. The Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument Form B (STEBI-B) was administered during the first and last lab class sessions. Additionally, students were…

A Survey of the Teaching Practices and Materials Used in Introductory College Chemistry. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dodson, B.C.

Surveyed were current objectives, teaching methods and teaching materials used in introductory college chemistry. Six general objectives were identified: (1) to develop the ability to do critical thinking, (2) to make the students familiar with the facts, principles, and concepts of chemistry, (3) to help the students understand the nature of…

The Evaluation of Significant Figures in the History of Social Psychology: A Class Exercise in the Teaching of Introductory Social Psychology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Innes, John Michael; Chambers, Timothy Peter

2017-01-01

In teaching social psychology, the process of identifying a particular theorist can lead to an enhanced understanding of the theories associated with that individual. Employing this process into a summative assessment, this article outlines an exercise that facilitated the teaching of introductory social psychology to 147 undergraduate students.…

Introductory labs; what they don't, should, and can teach (and why)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wieman, Carl

2016-03-01

Introductory physics labs are widely used and expensive. They have a wide variety of potential learning goals, but these are seldom specified and less often measured if they are achieved. We cover three different research projects on introductory labs: 1) We have done cognitive task analyses of both experimental research in physics and instructional labs. The striking differences explain much of the unhappiness expressed by students with labs: 2) We have measured the effectiveness of two introductory physics lab courses specifically intended to teach the physics content covered in standard introductory courses on mechanics and E & M. As measured by course exams, the benefit is 0 +/-2% for both. 3) We show how it is possible to use lab courses to teach students to correctly evaluate physical models with uncertain data. Such quantitative critical thinking is an important skill that is not learned in typical lab courses, but is well learned by our modified lab instruction.

Barriers to Teaching Introductory Physical Geography Online

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ritter, Michael E.

2012-01-01

Learning geography online is becoming an option for more students but not without controversy. Issues of faculty resources, logistics, professional recognition, and pedagogical concerns are cited as barriers to teaching online. Offering introductory physical geography online presents special challenges. As a general education course, an…

Teaching Introductory Geoscience: A Cutting Edge Workshop Report

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manduca, C.; Tewksbury, B.; Egger, A.; MacDonald, H.; Kirk, K.

2008-12-01

Introductory undergraduate courses play a pivotal role in the geosciences. They serve as recruiting grounds for majors and future professionals, provide relevant experiences in geoscience for pre-service teachers, and offer opportunities to influence future policy makers, business people, professionals, and citizens. An introductory course is also typically the only course in geoscience that most of our students will ever take. Because the role of introductory courses is pivotal in geoscience education, a workshop on Teaching Introductory Courses in the 21st Century was held in July 2008 as part of the On the Cutting Edge faculty development program. A website was also developed in conjunction with the workshop. One of the central themes of the workshop was the importance of considering the long-term impact a course should have on students. Ideally, courses can be designed with this impact in mind. Approaches include using the local geology to focus the course and illustrate concepts; designing a course for particular audience (such as Geology for Engineers); creating course features that help students understand and interpret geoscience in the news; and developing capstone projects to teach critical thinking and problem solving skills in a geologic context. Workshop participants also explored strategies for designing engaging activities including exploring with Google Earth, using real-world scenarios, connecting with popular media, or making use of campus features on local field trips. In addition, introductory courses can emphasize broad skills such as teaching the process of science, using quantitative reasoning and developing communication skills. Materials from the workshop as well as descriptions of more than 150 introductory courses and 350 introductory-level activities are available on the website: http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/intro/index.html.

Innovative Technology for Teaching Introductory Astronomy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guidry, Mike

The application of state-of-the-art technology (primarily Java and Flash MX Actionscript on the client side and Java PHP PERL XML and SQL databasing on the server side) to the teaching of introductory astronomy will be discussed. A completely online syllabus in introductory astronomy built around more than 350 interactive animations called ""Online Journey through Astronomy"" and a new set of 20 online virtual laboratories in astronomy that we are currently developing will be used as illustration. In addition to demonstration of the technology our experience using these technologies to teach introductory astronomy to thousands of students in settings ranging from traditional classrooms to full distance learning will be summarized. Recent experiments using Java and vector graphics programming of handheld devices (Personal Digital Assistants and cell phones) with wireless wide-area connectivity for applications in astronomy education will also be described.

Fish: A New Computer Program for Friendly Introductory Statistics Help

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brooks, Gordon P.; Raffle, Holly

2005-01-01

All introductory statistics students must master certain basic descriptive statistics, including means, standard deviations and correlations. Students must also gain insight into such complex concepts as the central limit theorem and standard error. This article introduces and describes the Friendly Introductory Statistics Help (FISH) computer…

Semantics in Teaching Introductory Physics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, H. Thomas

1999-01-01

Contends that the large vocabulary used for precise purposes in physics contains many words that have related but potentially confusing meanings in everyday usage. Analyzes the treatment of Newton's Laws of Motion in several well-known introductory textbooks for evidence of inconsistent language use. Makes teaching suggestions. (Contains 11…

Using Astrology to Teach Research Methods to Introductory Psychology Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ward, Roger A.; Grasha, Anthony F.

1986-01-01

Provides a classroom demonstration designed to test an astrological hypothesis and help teach introductory psychology students about research design and data interpretation. Illustrates differences between science and nonscience, the role of theory in developing and testing hypotheses, making comparisons among groups, probability and statistical…

The Influence of Learning and Teaching Styles on Student Attitudes and Achievement in the Introductory Economics Course: A Case Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wetzel, James N.; And Others

1982-01-01

Reports the results of a study that examined the influence of learning and teaching styles on changes in student achievement in economics and attitude toward economics among undergraduates enrolled in an introductory economics course. (AM)

An Alternative to the Problematic Macro-Micro Structure of Introductory Economics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tinari, Frank D.

The paper explains an alternative structure to teaching micro and macroeconomic theory and describes the characteristics that make it an effective framework for introductory and principles courses. The teaching of economics principles typically proceeds by separating macroeconomic theory and microeconomic theory. But the use of the macro-micro…

Teaching Perspectives among Introductory Computer Programming Faculty in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mainier, Michael J.

2011-01-01

This study identified the teaching beliefs, intentions, and actions of 80 introductory computer programming (CS1) faculty members from institutions of higher education in the United States using the Teacher Perspectives Inventory. Instruction method used inside the classroom, categorized by ACM CS1 curriculum guidelines, was also captured along…

Reinvigorating Introductory Biology: A Theme-based, Investigative Approach To Teaching Biology Majors.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Norton, Cynthia G.; Gildensoph, Lynne H.; Phillips, Martha M.; Wygal, Deborah D.; Olson, Kurt H.; Pellegrini, John J.; Tweeten, Kathleen A.

1997-01-01

Describes the reform of an introductory biology curriculum to reverse high attrition rates. Objectives include fostering self-directed learning, emphasizing process over content, and offering laboratory experiences that model the way to acquire scientific knowledge. Teaching methods include discussion, group mentoring, laboratory sections, and…

A Cost-Effective Two-Part Experiment for Teaching Introductory Organic Chemistry Techniques

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sadek, Christopher M.; Brown, Brenna A.; Wan, Hayley

2011-01-01

This two-part laboratory experiment is designed to be a cost-effective method for teaching basic organic laboratory techniques (recrystallization, thin-layer chromatography, column chromatography, vacuum filtration, and melting point determination) to large classes of introductory organic chemistry students. Students are exposed to different…

Addressing the Problem of Service Teaching Introductory Economics Subjects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barrett, Steven

2005-01-01

Enrolments in undergraduate economics programs have been falling constantly since the early 1990s. This trend coincides with the increasing popularity of business and management degrees. Consequently, the major activity of many, if not most economics departments and schools in Australia is service teaching of introductory economics to first year…

Six Classroom Exercises to Teach Natural Selection to Undergraduate Biology Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kalinowski, Steven T.; Leonard, Mary J.; Andrews, Tessa M.; Litt, Andrea R.

2013-01-01

Students in introductory biology courses frequently have misconceptions regarding natural selection. In this paper, we describe six activities that biology instructors can use to teach undergraduate students in introductory biology courses how natural selection causes evolution. These activities begin with a lesson introducing students to natural…

Technological Tools in the Introductory Statistics Classroom: Effects on Student Understanding of Inferential Statistics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meletiou-Mavrotheris, Maria

2004-01-01

While technology has become an integral part of introductory statistics courses, the programs typically employed are professional packages designed primarily for data analysis rather than for learning. Findings from several studies suggest that use of such software in the introductory statistics classroom may not be very effective in helping…

Research for Better Teaching in Pennsylvania Schools 1970-1971. Vol. II.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pennsylvania Association of Teacher Educators.

An introductory article and ten research reports are presented. The introductory article, "A Challenge To Implement Research," by Ben J. Wiens, discusses how the Pennsylvania Association of Teacher Educators (PATE) is working to encourage much-needed research. The studies are 1) "A Descriptive Summary of Elementary Student Teaching Programs in…

A Qualitative Assessment of the Learning Outcomes of Teaching Introductory American Politics in Comparative Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gelbman, Shamira M.

2011-01-01

This article discusses the findings of an ethnographic content analysis of students' written reflections as a means for assessing the learning outcomes of teaching introductory American politics in comparative perspective. It focuses especially on determining whether and how this approach enhanced students' understanding and retention of knowledge…

Introductory Economic Geography: Problem-Solving or a Teaching Problem?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wheeler, James O.

Because economic geography is viewed as a field with too many different aspects for one person to master, teaching an introductory course in the subject poses the challenge of selecting an organizing theme. One specific approach, organized around higher level generalizations and theories, is the use of location theory. Coupling location theory…

The Application of VARK Learning Styles in Introductory Level Economics Units

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wright, Sarah; Stokes, Anthony

2015-01-01

The issues of developing strategies and approaches to teaching introductory level economics courses at university have been long standing. With the development of economics learning standards in Australia, this is a time to consider teaching and learning approaches to engage students and develop skills in economics. This paper considers that to…

What Teaching Teaches: Mentoring and the Performance Gains of Mentors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Amaral, Katie E.; Vala, Martin

2009-01-01

A peer mentoring program was added to an introductory chemistry course at a large university. The introductory chemistry course prepares students with little or no previous chemistry background to enter the mainstream general chemistry sequence and is part lecture and part small-group problem-solving. Faculty instructors are responsible for the…

Sex and Gender in the Social Sciences: Reassessing the Introductory Course, Principles in Microeconomics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gappa, Judith M.; Pearce, Janice

Developed to help faculty teaching introductory courses in microeconomics, psychology, and sociology in colleges and universities incorporate existing knowledge about women into their course content and teaching practices, this report is organized into two sets of guidelines. The first, "Content Guidelines: Sex and Gender in the Introductory…

Teaching Critical Thinking: An Investigation of a Task in Introductory Macroeconomics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Anna

2004-01-01

This paper is an investigation of understandings of critical thinking from two teaching perspectives: academic staff and tutors. It explores critical thinking as situated within an assessment task in introductory macroeconomics. This study found that while the two academic staff conceptualized critical thinking as a set of concrete cognitive…

The Client-Centered Approach as a Foundation for Teaching the Introductory Course in Public Relations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Najor, Michele A.; Motschall, Melissa

2001-01-01

Describes how the authors use a broad-based, client-centered model to teach an introductory course in public relations, integrating writing assignments for "clients" into course topics, which include history, ethics, theory, research, program planning, publicity, crisis management, and evaluation methods. Discusses course objectives, and notes…

"Economics with Training Wheels": Using Blogs in Teaching and Assessing Introductory Economics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cameron, Michael P.

2012-01-01

Blogs provide a dynamic interactive medium for online discussion, consistent with communal constructivist pedagogy. The author of this article describes and evaluates a blog assignment used in the teaching and assessment of a small (40-60 students) introductory economics course. Using qualitative and quantitative data collected across four…

The Analysis of Analogy Use in the Teaching of Introductory Quantum Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Didis, Nilufer

2015-01-01

This study analyzes the analogies used in the teaching of introductory quantum theory concepts. Over twelve weeks, the researcher observed each class for a semester and conducted interviews with the students and the instructor. In the interviews, students answered questions about quantum theory concepts, which the instructor had taught them using…

A Faculty-Development Model for Transforming Introductory Biology and Ecology Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

D'Avanzo, Charlene; Anderson, Charles W.; Hartley, Laurel M.; Pelaez, Nancy

2012-01-01

The Diagnostic Question Cluster (DQC) project integrates education research and faculty development to articulate a model for the effective transformation of introductory biology and ecology teaching. Over three years, faculty members from a wide range of institutions used active teaching and DQCs, a type of concept inventory, as pre- and…

Student Logical Implications and Connections between Symbolic Representations of a Linear System within the Context of an Introductory Linear Algebra Course Employing Inquiry-Oriented Teaching and Traditional Lecture

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Payton, Spencer D.

2017-01-01

This study aimed to explore how inquiry-oriented teaching could be implemented in an introductory linear algebra course that, due to various constraints, may not lend itself to inquiry-oriented teaching. In particular, the course in question has a traditionally large class size, limited amount of class time, and is often coordinated with other…

An Empirical Evaluation of Puzzle-Based Learning as an Interest Approach for Teaching Introductory Computer Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Merrick, K. E.

2010-01-01

This correspondence describes an adaptation of puzzle-based learning to teaching an introductory computer programming course. Students from two offerings of the course--with and without the puzzle-based learning--were surveyed over a two-year period. Empirical results show that the synthesis of puzzle-based learning concepts with existing course…

Creating and Teaching a Web-Based, University-Level Introductory Chemistry Course that Incorporates Laboratory Exercises and Active Learning Pedagogies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Phipps, Linda R.

2013-01-01

An introductory, nonscience-majors chemistry course was converted to a Web-based course. The differences in student populations, teaching strategies, laboratory methods, and learning outcomes are described. Practical information is also given on the use of software and other online technology to implement course conversion. (Contains 2 tables.)

Impact of a New Teaching and Learning Approach in an Introductory Programming Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Iqbal Malik, Sohail; Coldwell-Neilson, Jo

2017-01-01

High failure and dropout rates are reported in introductory programming (IP) courses in different studies despite extensive research attempting to address the issue. In this study, we introduced an ADRI (Approach, Deployment, Result, Improvement) approach in the teaching and learning process of an IP course to improve learning and success rates.…

What Do Conceptual Holes in Assessment Say about the Topics We Teach in General Chemistry?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Luxford, Cynthia J.; Holme, Thomas A.

2015-01-01

Introductory chemistry has long been considered a service course by various departments that entrust chemistry departments with teaching their students. As a result, most introductory courses include a majority of students who are not chemistry majors, and many are health and science related majors who are required to take chemistry. To identify…

Teaching about Climate Change in the Business Curriculum: An Introductory Module and Resource List

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Takacs, C. Helen

2013-01-01

Business managers are increasingly engaged with climate change issues, but pedagogy on climate change in the business curriculum is in its infancy. The author addresses the need for greater integration of climate change knowledge in the business curriculum by describing a teaching module for an undergraduate introductory business course and…

Seinfeld and Economics: How to Achieve the Revised Bloom's Taxonomy in an Introductory Economics Class

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Deal, John; Hegde, S. Aaron

2013-01-01

This paper presents an innovative teaching technique, the utilization of a popular sitcom to teach an introductory economics course. Using clips from the television show "Seinfeld," instructors can present the oft-perceived difficult, yet basic, economic concepts in an amenable manner, which also enables the achieving of higher levels of…

An Evaluation of Grading and Instructional Feedback Skills of Graduate Teaching Assistants in Introductory Psychology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Doe, Sue R.; Gingerich, Karla J.; Richards, Tracy L.

2013-01-01

This study explored graduate teaching assistant (GTA) grading on 480 papers across two writing assignments as integrated into large Introductory Psychology courses. We measured GTA accuracy, consistency, and commenting (feedback) quality. Results indicate that GTA graders improved, although unevenly, in accuracy and consistency from Time 1 to 2…

The Effects of Different Teaching Approaches in Introductory Financial Accounting

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chiang, Bea; Nouri, Hossein; Samanta, Subarna

2014-01-01

The purpose of the research is to examine the effect of the two different teaching approaches in the first accounting course on student performance in a subsequent finance course. The study compares 128 accounting and finance students who took introductory financial accounting by either a user approach or a traditional preparer approach to examine…

The Effect of "Clickers" on Attendance in an Introductory Statistics Course: An Action Research Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Amstelveen, Raoul H.

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to design and implement a Classroom Response System, also known as a "clicker," to increase attendance in introductory statistics courses at an undergraduate university. Since 2010, non-attendance had been prevalent in introductory statistics courses. Moreover, non-attendance created undesirable classrooms…

Comparing Student Success and Understanding in Introductory Statistics under Consensus and Simulation-Based Curricula

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hldreth, Laura A.; Robison-Cox, Jim; Schmidt, Jade

2018-01-01

This study examines the transferability of results from previous studies of simulation-based curriculum in introductory statistics using data from 3,500 students enrolled in an introductory statistics course at Montana State University from fall 2013 through spring 2016. During this time, four different curricula, a traditional curriculum and…

Introductory Courses and the Search

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schaffer, Dennis R.; Purohit, Anal

1975-01-01

This study surveyed 363 undergraduate students to determine the extent that introductory courses affected their selection of majors, minors, and career goals. The results indicated a significant relationship between an instructor perceived by students as better than average in teaching an introductory course and the selection of a major. (Author)

CAPER Team Innovations in Teaching and Learning in ASTRO 101

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slater, Timothy F.; Prather, E. E.; Bailey, J. M.; Bardar, E.; Brissenden, G.; Dokter, E. F.; Hudgins, D.; Keller, J.

2006-12-01

The Conceptual Astronomy and Physics Education Research (CAPER) Team, based at the University of Arizona but drawing on the collective expertise of astronomy educators around the world, is conducting scholarly research and developing instructional strategies in an effort to support high-quality astronomy teaching. One avenue of research is focused on creating and validating conceptual inventories that instructors can use to measure the effectiveness of their instructional interventions. We have recently completed new inventories in the topic areas of (1) light and spectra; (2) stars and stellar formation; and (3) planetary atmospheres and the greenhouse effect. In addition, we are using results from research on students’ naive beliefs and reasoning difficulties to development instructional strategies that promote a learner centered classroom. Our research into the effectiveness of two such curriculum projects (Lecture-Tutorials for Introductory Astronomy and Ranking Tasks for Introductory Astronomy) show that these curriculum result in statistically significant gains in student understanding across a broad range of topics, much greater than lecture alone. A third avenue of research centers on improving how ASTRO 101 is taught on a national level. Informed by our continual evaluation and fine tuning of different forms of collaborative group learning and peer instruction teaching strategies, we have developed a multi-day series of workshops that are designed to help faculty better implement innovative teaching strategies that promote a learner-centered teaching environment in the ASTO 101 large lecture course. The workshops are being assessed and iteratively improved through formative evaluation approaches aimed at determining to what extent they have a positive impact on classroom practice.

Media Literacy in Action? What Are We Teaching in Introductory College Media Studies Courses?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ashley, Seth

2015-01-01

An introductory media studies course is a staple of post-secondary education. What are instructors teaching in this course, and to what extent are the principles of media literacy education being incorporated into this likely home? This article reports the findings of a small survey of instructors, who describe aspects of their course content and…

Just-in-Time Teaching Exercises to Engage Students in an Introductory-Level Dinosaur Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guertin, Laura A.; Zappe, Sarah E.; Kim, Heeyoung

2007-01-01

The Just-in-Time Teaching (JiTT) technique allows students to be engaged in course material outside of the classroom by answering web-based questions. The responses are summarized and presented to students in class with a follow-up active learning exercise. College students enrolled in an introductory-level general education geoscience course were…

Fostering 21st-Century Evolutionary Reasoning: Teaching Tree Thinking to Introductory Biology Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Novick, Laura R.; Catley, Kefyn M.

2016-01-01

The ability to interpret and reason from Tree of Life (ToL) diagrams has become a vital component of science literacy in the 21st century. This article reports on the effectiveness of a research-based curriculum, including an instructional booklet, laboratory, and lectures, to teach the fundamentals of such tree thinking in an introductory biology…

On the outside Teaching in: Using Internet Video-Conferencing to Instruct an Introductory Sociology Course from a Remote Location

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koeber, Charles; Wright, David W.

2008-01-01

This study uses a quasi-experiment to evaluate the effectiveness of Internet videoconferencing technology. The instructor used a laptop, webcam, high-speed DSL connection, and Polycom[TM] Viewstation to teach a course unit of introductory sociology from a remote location to an experimental group of students in a large multimedia classroom. The…

Using a Serious Game Approach to Teach Secure Coding in Introductory Programming: Development and Initial Findings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adamo-Villani, Nicoletta; Oania, Marcus; Cooper, Stephen

2013-01-01

We report the development and initial evaluation of a serious game that, in conjunction with appropriately designed matching laboratory exercises, can be used to teach secure coding and Information Assurance (IA) concepts across a range of introductory computing courses. The IA Game is a role-playing serious game (RPG) in which the student travels…

Too Early for Physics? Effect of Class Meeting Time on Student Evaluations of Teaching in Introductory Physics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tobin, R. G.

2017-01-01

This paper reports observations that show a significant effect of class meeting time on student evaluations of teaching for an introductory college physics class. Students in a lecture section with an early-morning meeting time gave the class and instructors consistently lower ratings than those in an otherwise nearly identical section that met an…

Teaching Astronomy Using Tracker

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Belloni, Mario; Christian, Wolfgang; Brown, Douglas

2013-01-01

A recent paper in this journal presented a set of innovative uses of video analysis for introductory physics using Tracker. In addition, numerous other papers have described how video analysis can be a meaningful part of introductory courses. Yet despite this, there are few resources for using video analysis in introductory astronomy classes. In…

Towards a Virtual Teaching Assistant to Answer Questions Asked by Students in Introductory Computer Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heiner, Cecily

2009-01-01

Students in introductory programming classes often articulate their questions and information needs incompletely. Consequently, the automatic classification of student questions to provide automated tutorial responses is a challenging problem. This dissertation analyzes 411 questions from an introductory Java programming course by reducing the…

Teaching Introductory Physics with an Environmental Focus

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martinuk, Mathew; Moll, Rachel F.; Kotlicki, Andrzej

2010-01-01

Throughout North America the curriculum of introductory physics courses is nearly standardized. In 1992, Tobias wrote that four texts dominate 90% of the introductory physics market and current physics education research is focusing on how to sustain educational reforms. The instructional team at the University of British Columbia (UBC) recently…

Teaching Elementary Accounting to Non-Accounting Majors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lloyd, Cynthia B.; Abbey, Augustus

2009-01-01

A central recurring theme in business education is the optimal strategy for improving introductory accounting, the gateway subject of business education. For many students, especially non-accounting majors, who are required to take introductory accounting as a requirement of the curriculum, introductory accounting has become a major obstacle for…

Introductory physics going soft

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Langbeheim, Elon; Livne, Shelly; Safran, Samuel A.; Yerushalmi, Edit

2012-01-01

We describe an elective course on soft matter at the level of introductory physics. Soft matter physics serves as a context that motivates the presentation of basic ideas in statistical thermodynamics and their applications. It also is an example of a contemporary field that is interdisciplinary and touches on chemistry, biology, and physics. We outline a curriculum that uses the lattice gas model as a quantitative and visual tool, initially to introduce entropy, and later to facilitate the calculation of interactions. We demonstrate how free energy minimization can be used to teach students to understand the properties of soft matter systems such as the phases of fluid mixtures, wetting of interfaces, self-assembly of surfactants, and polymers. We discuss several suggested activities in the form of inquiry projects which allow students to apply the concepts they have learned to experimental systems.

Evolving Roles For Teaching Assistants In Introductory Courses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dunbar, R. W.; Egger, A. E.; Schwartz, J. K.

2008-12-01

As we bring new research-based learning approaches, curricular innovations, and student engagement practices into the introductory science classroom, expectations of teaching assistants (TAs) should have, and have, changed. Similarly, the 21st century teaching assistant has different expectations of us. Maintaining relevance in this context means bringing TAs into an integrated teaching team that supports effective learning for students and provides structured professional development opportunities for TAs. A number of support efforts on our campus, with counterparts at many other universities, seek to optimize the instructional impact of faculty and teaching assistants, thus opening the door to enhanced student engagement (e.g. the quality of effort students put forth, their persistence in science and/or engineering courses, and their perception of scientific relevance in everyday life). Among these efforts, School of Earth Sciences course development TAs work 1:1 in advance of the term with introductory course faculty to design exercises and course materials that meet clearly articulated student learning goals or pedagogical challenges. Throughout the process, TAs are mentored by the faculty as well as science pedagogy experts. Initially funded by a major teaching award, the School is now moving to institutionalize this successful program which has broadened the definition of the TA role. Another area of optimization, reflecting Shulman's concept of pedagogical content knowledge, is our campus mandate that TA development take place within a departmental, as well as general, context. Both Chemistry and Physics expect introductory course TAs to lead interactive, guided-inquiry or tutorial-style sections. Integrating these sections with lecture and positively reinforcing course goals requires TA buy-in and a set of pedagogical facilitation skills cultivated through course-specific training and active mentoring while teaching. To better support the mentoring process in these and other departments, the MinT (Mentors in Teaching) program provides resources and a learning community for advanced graduate students who mentor TAs. There is clearly more to do, but we have come a long way from sink or swim toward an enriched infrastructure of support for teaching and learning in the introductory science classroom.

Teaching Electrostatics and Entropy in Introductory Physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reeves, Mark

Entropy changes underlie the physics that dominates biological interactions. Indeed, introductory biology courses often begin with an exploration of the qualities of water that are important to living systems. However, one idea that is not explicitly addressed in most introductory physics or biology courses is important contribution of the entropy in driving fundamental biological processes towards equilibrium. I will present material developed to teach electrostatic screening in solutions and the function of nerve cells where entropic effects act to counterbalance electrostatic attraction. These ideas are taught in an introductory, calculus-based physics course to biomedical engineers using SCALEUP pedagogy. Results of student mastering of complex problems that cross disciplinary boundaries between biology and physics, as well as the challenges that they face in learning this material will be presented.

Effectiveness of different tutorial recitation teaching methods and its implications for TA training

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Endorf, Robert

2008-04-01

We present results from a comparative study of student understanding for students who attended recitation classes that used different teaching methods. The purpose of the study was to evaluate which teaching methods would be the most effective for recitation classes associated with large lectures in introductory physics courses. Student volunteers from our introductory calculus-based physics course at the University of Cincinnati attended a special recitation class that was taught using one of four different teaching methods. A total of 272 students were divided into approximately equal groups for each method. Students in each class were taught the same topic, ``Changes in Energy and Momentum,'' from ``Tutorials in Introductory Physics'' by Lillian McDermott, Peter Shaffer and the Physics Education Group at the University of Washington. The different teaching methods varied in the amount of student and teacher engagement. Student understanding was evaluated through pretests and posttests. Our results demonstrate the importance of the instructor's role in teaching recitation classes. The most effective teaching method was for students working in cooperative learning groups with the instructors questioning the groups using Socratic dialogue. In addition, we investigated student preferences of modes of instruction through an open-ended survey. Our results provide guidance and evidence for the teaching methods which should be emphasized in training course instructors.

Using the Teach Astronomy Website to Enrich Introductory Astronomy Classes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hardegree-Ullman, K. K.; Impey, C. D.; Patikkal, A.; Austin, C. L.

2013-04-01

This year we implemented Teach Astronomy as a free online resource to be used as a teaching tool for non-science major astronomy courses and for a general audience interested in the subject. The comprehensive astronomy content of the website includes: an introductory text book, encyclopedia articles, images, two to three minute topical video clips, podcasts, and news articles. Teach Astronomy utilizes a novel technology to cluster, display, and navigate search results, called a Wikimap. We will present an overview of how Teach Astronomy works and how instructors can use it as an effective teaching tool in the classroom. Additionally, we will gather feedback from science instructors on how to improve the features and functionality of the website, as well as develop new assignment ideas using Teach Astronomy.

Learning physics: A comparative analysis between instructional design methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mathew, Easow

The purpose of this research was to determine if there were differences in academic performance between students who participated in traditional versus collaborative problem-based learning (PBL) instructional design approaches to physics curricula. This study utilized a quantitative quasi-experimental design methodology to determine the significance of differences in pre- and posttest introductory physics exam performance between students who participated in traditional (i.e., control group) versus collaborative problem solving (PBL) instructional design (i.e., experimental group) approaches to physics curricula over a college semester in 2008. There were 42 student participants (N = 42) enrolled in an introductory physics course at the research site in the Spring 2008 semester who agreed to participate in this study after reading and signing informed consent documents. A total of 22 participants were assigned to the experimental group (n = 22) who participated in a PBL based teaching methodology along with traditional lecture methods. The other 20 students were assigned to the control group (n = 20) who participated in the traditional lecture teaching methodology. Both the courses were taught by experienced professors who have qualifications at the doctoral level. The results indicated statistically significant differences (p < .01) in academic performance between students who participated in traditional (i.e., lower physics posttest scores and lower differences between pre- and posttest scores) versus collaborative (i.e., higher physics posttest scores, and higher differences between pre- and posttest scores) instructional design approaches to physics curricula. Despite some slight differences in control group and experimental group demographic characteristics (gender, ethnicity, and age) there were statistically significant (p = .04) differences between female average academic improvement which was much higher than male average academic improvement (˜63%) in the control group which may indicate that traditional teaching methods are more effective in females, whereas there was no significant difference noted in the experimental group between male and female participants. There was a statistically significant and negative relationship (r = -.61, p = .01) between age and physics pretest scores in the control group. No statistical analyses yielded significantly different average academic performance values in either group as delineated by ethnicity.

Improving Introductory Astronomy Education in American Colleges and Universities: A Review of Recent Progress

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Waller, William H.; Slater, Timothy F.

2011-01-01

Over the past 15 years, professional astronomers, their societies, and associated funding agencies have collaborated to improve astronomy teaching and learning at the introductory undergraduate level. Many nonscience majors and preservice teachers enroll in these introductory astronomy courses, thus meriting the focused attention. In this review…

Introductory Astronomy Course at the University of Cape Town: Probing Student Perspectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rajpaul, Vinesh; Allie, Saalih; Blyth, Sarah-Louise

2014-01-01

We report on research carried out to improve teaching and student engagement in the introductory astronomy course at the University of Cape Town. This course is taken by a diverse range of students, including many from educationally disadvantaged backgrounds. We describe the development of an instrument, the Introductory Astronomy Questionnaire…

Enhancing the Teaching of Introductory Economics with a Team-Based, Multi-Section Competition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beaudin, Laura; Berdiev, Aziz N.; Kaminaga, Allison Shwachman; Mirmirani, Sam; Tebaldi, Edinaldo

2017-01-01

The authors describe a unique approach to enhancing student learning at the introductory economics level that utilizes a multi-section, team-based competition. The competition is structured to supplement learning throughout the entire introductory course. Student teams are presented with current economic issues, trends, or events, and use economic…

Research and Teaching: Reenvisioning the Introductory Science Course as a Cognitive Apprenticeship

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thompson, Meredith M.; Pastorino, Lucia; Lee, Star; Lipton, Paul

2016-01-01

Introductory science courses play a critical role in the recruitment and retention of undergraduate science majors. In particular, first-year courses are opportunities to engage students in scientific practices and motivate them to consider scientific careers. We developed an introductory course using a semester-long series of established…

A comparative evaluation of teaching methods in an introductory neuroscience course for physical therapy students.

PubMed

Willett, Gilbert M; Sharp, J Graham; Smith, Lynette M

2008-01-01

The use of computer-based instruction (CBI) in physical therapy education is growing, but its effectiveness compared to lecture is undefined. This study compared CBI to lecture in an introductory neuroscience course for students in their first year of a 3 year professional program leading to the Doctor of Physical Therapy Degree. Twenty-eight students participated in 2003 and 34 in 2004. A randomized, cross-over design was employed. The course was divided into two sections with an exam after each. Students in one group participated in CBI during the first half of the course and lecture during the second half with the order of participation reversed for the other group. A 6 months post-course review exam was also administered. Exam scores, study time, and student opinions regarding teaching methods were collected after each half of the course. Course development costs for both teaching approaches were also documented. There were no statistically significant differences in exam scores between participant groups. CBI students spent less time studying. Student did not distinguish a major preference for either instruction method. Many students preferred that CBI be used as a complementary rather than mutually exclusive instructional method. Lecture-based instruction was much less expensive than CBI. Lecture-based instruction was more cost effective than CBI, but CBI was more time efficient in terms of student learning.

The Relationship between Statistics Self-Efficacy, Statistics Anxiety, and Performance in an Introductory Graduate Statistics Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schneider, William R.

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between statistics self-efficacy, statistics anxiety, and performance in introductory graduate statistics courses. The study design compared two statistics self-efficacy measures developed by Finney and Schraw (2003), a statistics anxiety measure developed by Cruise and Wilkins (1980),…

Alignment of TAs' beliefs with practice and student perception

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chini, Jacquelyn J.; Al-Rawi, Ahlam

2013-01-01

Graduate teaching assistants (TAs) play an important role in introductory physics courses, particularly in large enrollment courses where the TA may be viewed as more approachable and accessible than the lecture instructor. Thus, while TAs may still be in the process of developing their views on teaching physics, their practices directly influence a large number of introductory students. As the first steps in reforming our introductory courses and TA training program, we collected multiple types of data on TAs teaching in traditional algebra-based physics laboratories. Drawing on prior work on TAs' pedagogical knowledge, we explore how the beliefs expressed by TAs in interviews align with their practices during a laboratory video-taped mid-semester. Additionally, we explore how both the TAs' expressed beliefs and practices align with students' responses to an end-of-semester TA evaluation survey.

Teaching introductory undergraduate physics using commercial video games

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mohanty, Soumya D.; Cantu, Sergio

2011-09-01

Commercial video games are increasingly using sophisticated physics simulations to create a more immersive experience for players. This also makes them a powerful tool for engaging students in learning physics. We provide some examples to show how commercial off-the-shelf games can be used to teach specific topics in introductory undergraduate physics. The examples are selected from a course taught predominantly through the medium of commercial video games.

The Development of Introductory Statistics Students' Informal Inferential Reasoning and Its Relationship to Formal Inferential Reasoning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jacob, Bridgette L.

2013-01-01

The difficulties introductory statistics students have with formal statistical inference are well known in the field of statistics education. "Informal" statistical inference has been studied as a means to introduce inferential reasoning well before and without the formalities of formal statistical inference. This mixed methods study…

Research and Teaching: From Gatekeeper to Gateway: Improving Student Success in an Introductory Biology Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scott, Amy N.; McNair, Delores E.; Lucas, Jonathan C.; Land, Kirkwood M.

2017-01-01

Introductory science, math, and engineering courses often have problems related to student engagement, achievement, and course completion. To begin examining these issues in greater depth, this pilot study compared student engagement, achievement, and course completion in a small and large section of an introductory biology class. Results based on…

Faraday's Principle and Air Travel in the Introductory Labs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abdul-Razzaq, Wathiq; Thakur, Saikat Chakraborty

2017-01-01

We all know that we must improve the quality of teaching in science at all levels. Not only physicists but also many students from other areas of study take the introductory physics courses in college. Physics introductory laboratories (labs) can be one of the best tools to help these students understand applications of scientific principles that…

Effectiveness of Workshop Style Teaching in Students' Learning of Introductory Electricity and Magnetism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mehta, Nirav; Cheng, Kelvin

2012-10-01

We have developed an interactive workshop-style course for our introductory calculus-based physics sequence at Trinity University. Lecture is limited to approximately 15 min. at the beginning of class, and the remainder of the 50-min. class is devoted to inquiry-based activities and problem solving. So far, lab is done separately and we have not incorporated the lab component into the workshop model. We use the Brief Electricity and Magnetism Assessment (BEMA) to compare learning gains between the workshop and traditional lecture-based course for the Spring 2012 semester. Both the workshop and lecture courses shared the same inquiry-based lab component that involved pre-labs, prediction-observation and post-lab activities. Our BEMA results indicate statistically significant improvement in overall learning gains compared to the traditional course. We compare our workshop BEMA scores both to traditional lecture scores here at Trinity and to those from other institutions.

Statistics Graduate Students' Professional Development for Teaching: A Communities of Practice Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Justice, Nicola

Graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) are responsible for instructing approximately 25% of introductory statistics courses in the United States (Blair, Kirkman, & Maxwell, 2013). Most research on GTA professional development focuses on structured activities (e.g., courses, workshops) that have been developed to improve GTAs' pedagogy and content knowledge. Few studies take into account the social contexts of GTAs' professional development. However, GTAs perceive their social interactions with other GTAs to be a vital part of their preparation and support for teaching (e.g., Staton & Darling, 1989). Communities of practice (CoPs) are one way to bring together the study of the social contexts and structured activities of GTA professional development. CoPs are defined as groups of practitioners who deepen their knowledge and expertise by interacting with each other on an ongoing basis (e.g., Lave & Wenger, 1991). Graduate students may participate in CoPs related to teaching in many ways, including attending courses or workshops, participating in weekly meetings, engaging in informal discussions about teaching, or participating in e-mail conversations related to teaching tasks. This study explored the relationship between statistics graduate students' experiences in CoPs and the extent to which they hold student-centered teaching beliefs. A framework for characterizing GTAs' experiences in CoPs was described and a theoretical model relating these characteristics to GTAs' beliefs was developed. To gather data to test the model, the Graduate Students' Experiences Teaching Statistics (GETS) Inventory was created. Items were written to collect information about GTAs' current teaching beliefs, teaching beliefs before entering their degree programs, characteristics of GTAs' experiences in CoPs, and demographic information. Using an online program, the GETS Inventory was administered to N =218 statistics graduate students representing 37 institutions in 24 different U.S. states. The data gathered from the national survey suggest that statistics graduate students often experience CoPs through required meetings and voluntary discussions about teaching. Participants feel comfortable disagreeing with the people they perceive to be most influential on their teaching beliefs. Most participants perceive a faculty member to have the most influential role in shaping their teaching beliefs. The survey data did not provide evidence to support the proposed theoretical model relating characteristics of experiences in CoPs and beliefs about teaching statistics. Based on cross-validation results, prior beliefs about teaching statistics was the best predictor of current beliefs. Additional models were retained that included student characteristics suggested by previous literature to be associated with student-centered or traditional teaching beliefs (e.g., prior teaching experience, international student status). The results of this study can be used to inform future efforts to help promote student-centered teaching beliefs and teaching practices among statistics GTAs. Modifications to the GETS Inventory are suggested for use in future research designed to gather information about GTAs, their teaching beliefs, and their experiences in CoPs. Suggestions are also made for aspects of CoPs that might be studied further in order to learn how CoPs can promote teaching beliefs and practices that support student learning.

The Structure of the Introductory Economics Course in United States Colleges.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sweeney, M. Jane Barr; And Others

1983-01-01

This survey examined class size, teaching methods, and the one-semester/two-semester organization of the introductory economics course. Student satisfaction with respect to their institution was also studied. (Author/RM)

Deconstructing Constructivism: Modeling Causal Relationships Among Constructivist Learning Environment Factors and Student Outcomes in Introductory Chemistry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Komperda, Regis

The purpose of this dissertation is to test a model of relationships among factors characterizing aspects of a student-centered constructivist learning environment and student outcomes of satisfaction and academic achievement in introductory undergraduate chemistry courses. Constructivism was chosen as the theoretical foundation for this research because of its widespread use in chemical education research and practice. In a constructivist learning environment the role of the teacher shifts from delivering content towards facilitating active student engagement in activities that encourage individual knowledge construction through discussion and application of content. Constructivist approaches to teaching introductory chemistry courses have been adopted by some instructors as a way to improve student outcomes, but little research has been done on the causal relationships among particular aspects of the learning environment and student outcomes. This makes it difficult for classroom teachers to know which aspects of a constructivist teaching approach are critical to adopt and which may be modified to better suit a particular learning environment while still improving student outcomes. To investigate a model of these relationships, a survey designed to measure student perceptions of three factors characterizing a constructivist learning environment in online courses was adapted for use in face-to-face chemistry courses. These three factors, teaching presence, social presence, and cognitive presence, were measured using a slightly modified version of the Community of Inquiry (CoI) instrument. The student outcomes investigated in this research were satisfaction and academic achievement, as measured by standardized American Chemical Society (ACS) exam scores and course grades. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to statistically model relationships among the three presence factors and student outcome variables for 391 students enrolled in six sections of a general chemistry course taught by four instructors at a single university using a common textbook. The quantitative analysis of student data was supported by investigating the instructor's approach to teaching using instructor responses to a modified version of the Approaches to Teaching Inventory (ATI), semi-structured interview questions, and information available in the course syllabus. The results of the SEM analysis indicate that incoming math ability, as measured by ACT math scores, has the largest effect on student academic achievement in introductory chemistry courses. Of the three presence factors, cognitive presence has the largest direct effect on academic achievement and student satisfaction. Teaching presence has a direct effect on satisfaction similar in size to the effect of cognitive presence. The relationship between social presence and student outcomes is found to be relatively small. Given the role that both teaching and social presence play in influencing cognitive presence, these results suggest that classroom teachers should emphasize the development of a learning environment with a large degree of cognitive presence where students take ownership of their own learning process. This type of learning environment can be supported by specific instructor behaviors such as facilitating discussions and implementing group work focused on collaboration and developing shared understandings.

Students' attitudes towards use of COMPUSTAT in teaching an introductory course in business finance.

PubMed

Sachdeva, Darshan

2007-10-01

This paper describes the use of the COMPUSTAT database in teaching an introductory course in business finance at a large College of Business Administration. To understand students' attitudes towards this innovative method of instruction in business finance, a simple one-page questionnaire of 10 attitudinal statements was used. Responses of 148 students, analyzed by chi square, indicated students were unanimous in their opinion that the World Wide Web greatly paved the way in data retrieval from the COMPUSTAT database. They further reported that this interface facilitated analyses for the course. Also their understanding of finance was enhanced, and they were motivated to learn more. They seem to be highly in favor of using COMPUSTAT database in the introductory courses in business finance and expressed this view by suggesting that this financial database should be made an integral part of teaching other courses in finance.

Committee for the Introductory Course in History (CINCH), 1988-1991: An Overview of Its Investigations and Findings.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center for Faculty Development, Princeton, NJ.

Between 1988 and 1991, the Center for Faculty Development undertook a project to evaluate the teaching of the Introductory Course in History at American community colleges. Based upon a survey of over 100 introductory history teachers and conference discussions, it was determined that two sets of course guidelines for faculty were required, one…

CMSC-130 Introductory Computer Science, Lecture Notes

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-07-01

Introductory Computer Science lecture notes are used in the classroom for teaching CMSC 130, an introductory computer science course , using the ...Unit Testing 2. The Syntax Of Subunits Will Be Studied In The Subsequent Course CMSC130 -5- Lecture 11 TOP-DOWN TESTING Data Processor Procedure...used in the preparation of these lecture notes: Reference Manual For The Ada Prosramming Language, ANSI/MIL-STD

Teaching Introductory Psychology in the Community College Classroom: Enhancing Student Understanding and Retention of Essential Information

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Debb, Scott M.; Debb, Sharon M.

2012-01-01

Enrolling in an introductory course in psychology is a staple of many community college students' core curriculum. For those students who plan to pursue social science and humanities-related majors in particular, introductory psychology helps provide a solid base upon which future coursework at all academic levels will be built. The goal of any…

Handpiece and bur skills evaluation during an introductory Clinical Skills Programme in a graduate-entry dental school: a pilot study.

PubMed

Foley, J I; Drummie, J

2012-06-01

To assess the effect of an introductory Clinical Skills Program on the development of two tasks aimed at teaching a Class II cavity preparation technique. A prospective, observational study. Twenty three first year students (F: 19; M: 4) were asked to complete two cavities on a Frasaco(®) tooth 46 using a FG 565 pear-shaped diamond bur. Task One: A groove was cut from the central fissure area to within 1mm of the marginal ridge which was 5mm in length, 2mm in width and 2mm in depth. Task Two: As for Task One and in addition, a slot was cut vertically downward at the marginal ridge to create a box 2mm in length, 2mm in width and 3mm in depth. Both tasks were undertaken at the start of an introductory Clinical Skills course and two months later after further skills practice. Cavity dimensions were measured using a digital caliper with a depth gauge. Data were analysed using a two-sample t-test (MINITAB(®) 15.1). Regarding Task One, a statistically-significant improvement in groove width was noted (p=0.001). Concerning Task Two, both the groove width and the box width improved and both were statistically significant p=0.023 and p=0.049, respectively). A Clinical Skills Program would appear to result in an improvement in cavity preparation, particularly in relation to cavity width.

An Instructional Consultation Service for Graduate Teaching Assistants.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Habel, J. C.; Graveel, J. G.

1988-01-01

Described is a support program that guides prospective college teachers in teaching an introductory soil science laboratory course. Ideas are presented about the preparation for teaching and concerns of teaching assistants. A table citing classroom observation protocol is included. (RT)

A Historical Perspective on Problems in Botany Teaching.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hershey, David R.

1996-01-01

Discusses how the many problems in botany teaching are interrelated and most have existed since at least the early 1900s. Considers botany teaching at both the precollege and introductory college levels. Discusses botany neglect in biology teaching, botanical illiteracy, uninteresting or irrelevant botany teaching, zoochauvinism, research…

An Exploration of Student Attitudes and Satisfaction in a GAISE-Influenced Introductory Statistics Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Paul, Warren; Cunnington, R. Clare

2017-01-01

We used the Survey of Attitudes Toward Statistics to (1) evaluate using presemester data the Students' Attitudes Toward Statistics Model (SATS-M), and (2) test the effect on attitudes of an introductory statistics course redesigned according to the Guidelines for Assessment and Instruction in Statistics Education (GAISE) by examining the change in…

A Diagnostic Assessment for Introductory Molecular and Cell Biology

PubMed Central

Wood, William B.; Martin, Jennifer M.; Guild, Nancy A.; Vicens, Quentin; Knight, Jennifer K.

2010-01-01

We have developed and validated a tool for assessing understanding of a selection of fundamental concepts and basic knowledge in undergraduate introductory molecular and cell biology, focusing on areas in which students often have misconceptions. This multiple-choice Introductory Molecular and Cell Biology Assessment (IMCA) instrument is designed for use as a pre- and posttest to measure student learning gains. To develop the assessment, we first worked with faculty to create a set of learning goals that targeted important concepts in the field and seemed likely to be emphasized by most instructors teaching these subjects. We interviewed students using open-ended questions to identify commonly held misconceptions, formulated multiple-choice questions that included these ideas as distracters, and reinterviewed students to establish validity of the instrument. The assessment was then evaluated by 25 biology experts and modified based on their suggestions. The complete revised assessment was administered to more than 1300 students at three institutions. Analysis of statistical parameters including item difficulty, item discrimination, and reliability provides evidence that the IMCA is a valid and reliable instrument with several potential uses in gauging student learning of key concepts in molecular and cell biology. PMID:21123692

Lower-Secondary Introductory Chemistry Course: A Novel Approach Based on Science-Education Theories, with Emphasis on the Macroscopic Approach, and the Delayed Meaningful Teaching of the Concepts of Molecule and Atom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tsaparlis, Georgios; Kolioulis, Dimitrios; Pappa, Eleni

2010-01-01

We present a programme for a novel introductory lower-secondary chemistry course (seventh or eighth grade) that aims at the application of theories of science education, and in particular of conceptual/meaningful learning and of teaching methodology that encourages active and inquiry forms of learning The approach is rigorous with careful use of…

The Write Stuff: Teaching the Introductory Public Relations Writing Course.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

King, Cynthia M.

2001-01-01

Outlines an introductory public relations writing course. Presents course topics and objectives, and assignments designed to meet them. Provides a sample grading rubric and evaluates major public relations writing textbooks. Discusses learning and assessment strategies. (SR)

Teaching practices of the undergraduate introductory biomechanics faculty: a North American survey.

PubMed

Garceau, Luke R; Ebben, William P; Knudson, Duane V

2012-11-01

Instruction and assessment strategies of undergraduate introductory biomechanics instructors have yet to be comprehensively examined. The purpose of this study was to identify the current instruction and assessment practices of North American undergraduate introductory biomechanics instructors and equipment needed for effective instruction in lecture and laboratory sessions. One hundred and sixty-five respondents (age: 42.5 +/- 10.3 years) who currently teach or have taught an introductory biomechanics course in North America were recruited by electronic mail. Subjects completed a web-based survey, consisting of 60 open- and closed-ended questions. Pearson's correlation coefficients were used to assess relationships between instructor's familiarity with either the Biomechanics Concept Inventory or the NASPE Guidelines for Undergraduate Biomechanics, and instructor and course characteristics (number of years teaching, age, faculty rank, number of quizzes given, etc.) A number of variables were significantly (p < 0.05) correlated. Answers to open-ended questions were processed using content analysis, with results categorized in content areas including: instructor and course characteristics; lecture instruction; assessment and equipment; laboratory instruction; assessment and equipment; and instructor's perspectives. Many active learning strategies for lecture and laboratory instruction were identified by faculty. Limited student preparation and limited resources were noted as the instructor's most common challenges.

Sound and Vision: Using Progressive Rock To Teach Social Theory.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ahlkvist, Jarl A.

2001-01-01

Describes a teaching technique that utilizes progressive rock music to educate students about sociological theories in introductory sociology courses. Discusses the use of music when teaching about classical social theory and offers an evaluation of this teaching strategy. Includes references. (CMK)

Survey of Attitudes Toward Statistics: Factor Structure Invariance by Gender and by Administration Time

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hilton, Sterling C.; Schau, Candace; Olsen, Joseph A.

2004-01-01

In addition to student learning, positive student attitudes have become an important course outcome for many introductory statistics instructors. To adequately assess changes in mean attitudes across introductory statistics courses, the attitude instruments used should be invariant by administration time. Attitudes toward statistics from 4,910…

Development and Assessment of a Preliminary Randomization-Based Introductory Statistics Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tintle, Nathan; VanderStoep, Jill; Holmes, Vicki-Lynn; Quisenberry, Brooke; Swanson, Todd

2011-01-01

The algebra-based introductory statistics course is the most popular undergraduate course in statistics. While there is a general consensus for the content of the curriculum, the recent Guidelines for Assessment and Instruction in Statistics Education (GAISE) have challenged the pedagogy of this course. Additionally, some arguments have been made…

Exploring Factors Related to Completion of an Online Undergraduate-Level Introductory Statistics Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zimmerman, Whitney Alicia; Johnson, Glenn

2017-01-01

Data were collected from 353 online undergraduate introductory statistics students at the beginning of a semester using the Goals and Outcomes Associated with Learning Statistics (GOALS) instrument and an abbreviated form of the Statistics Anxiety Rating Scale (STARS). Data included a survey of expected grade, expected time commitment, and the…

Development of the Solar System Concept Inventory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hornstein, S.; Prather, E.

2009-12-01

Concept inventories can provide useful insight into students’ understanding of key physical concepts. Knowing what your students have learned during a course is a valuable tool for improving your own teaching. Unfortunately, current astronomy concept inventories are not suitable for an introductory solar system course because they either cover too broad of a range of topics (e.g. Astronomy Diagnostic Test) or are too narrowly focused (e.g. Greenhouse Effect Concept Inventory, Lunar Phase Concept Inventory). We have developed the Solar System Concept Inventory (SSCI) to cover those topics commonly taught in an introductory solar system course. The topics included on the SSCI were selected by having faculty identify the key concepts they address when teaching about the solar system. SSCI topics include formation mechanisms, planetary interiors, atmospheric effects, and small solar system bodies. Student interviews were conducted to identify common naive ideas and reasoning difficulties relating to these key topics. The SSCI has been through two semesters of national, multi-institutional field-testing, involving over 1500 students. After the first semester of testing, question statistics were used to flag ineffective questions and flagged questions were revised or eliminated. We will present an overall outline of the SSCI development as well as our question-flagging criteria and question analyses from the latest round of field-testing. We would like to thank the NSF for funding under Grant No. 0715517, a CCLI Phase III Grant for the Collaboration of Astronomy Teaching Scholars (CATS) Program.

The educational and financial impact of using patient educators to teach introductory physical exam skills.

PubMed

Allen, Sharon S; Miller, Jane; Ratner, Edward; Santilli, Jamie

2011-01-01

Physical exam skills are essential to core competencies for physicians in training. It is increasingly difficult to secure time and funding for physician faculty to teach these critical skills. This study was designed to determine whether Patient Educators (PE) (non-physician instructors) in an introductory clinical medicine (ICM) course (1) were as effective as physician faculty in teaching the physical exam, (2) impacted consistency of student performance on a final practical exam, and (3) whether this model was cost effective. PE were introduced into an ICM course at the University of Minnesota from 2006 to 2008. Each year, students' physical exam competencies were evaluated by a performance-based head-to-toe examination and 6 months later by an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE). Differences in test scores between years and variability (i.e., consistency) among yearly scores were assessed. The cost per student was calculated by considering a stable compensation cost per hour for the required number of physician faculty, standardized patients, and PE in each year. Mean student performance was statistically lower with PE, but only by two percentage points. The amount of variation within the medical student classes' physical exam skills remained stable as the use of PE expanded. Total educator salary costs per student declined from $449 in 2006 to $196 in 2008. In terms of sustainability and student performance, the use of trained lay educators has equivalent outcomes and is less costly for physical exam instruction in the pre-clinical years.

Teaching Quantum Mechanics on an Introductory Level.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Muller, Rainer; Wiesner, Hartmut

2002-01-01

Presents a new research-based course on quantum mechanics in which the conceptual issues of quantum mechanics are taught at an introductory level. Involves students in the discovery of how quantum phenomena deviate from classical everyday experiences. (Contains 31 references.) (Author/YDS)

Statistics Using Just One Formula

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rosenthal, Jeffrey S.

2018-01-01

This article advocates that introductory statistics be taught by basing all calculations on a single simple margin-of-error formula and deriving all of the standard introductory statistical concepts (confidence intervals, significance tests, comparisons of means and proportions, etc) from that one formula. It is argued that this approach will…

Primarily Statistics: Developing an Introductory Statistics Course for Pre-Service Elementary Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Green, Jennifer L.; Blankenship, Erin E.

2013-01-01

We developed an introductory statistics course for pre-service elementary teachers. In this paper, we describe the goals and structure of the course, as well as the assessments we implemented. Additionally, we use example course work to demonstrate pre-service teachers' progress both in learning statistics and as novice teachers. Overall, the…

Faculty Views on the Appropriateness of Teaching Undergraduate Psychology Courses Online

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mandernach, B. Jean; Mason, Teresa; Forrest, Krista D.; Hackathorn, Jana

2012-01-01

This study examines faculty views concerning the appropriateness of teaching specific undergraduate psychology courses in an online format. Faculty express concern about teaching methodology and counseling/clinical content courses online, but endorse teaching introductory and nonclinical content courses in either format; faculty report diverse…

Master Teaching Experiences for Introductory Psychology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bartz, Wayne R., Ed.

Twenty-two classroom activities appropriate for college introductory psychology classes are presented. The activities require from one to four classroom sessions and introduce a variety of psychology concepts, including description, prediction, and control; research methodology; learning and memory; need for achievement; perception and creativity;…

Can Graduate Teaching Assistants Teach Inquiry-Based Geology Labs Effectively?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ryker, Katherine; McConnell, David

2014-01-01

This study examines the implementation of teaching strategies by graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) in inquiry-based introductory geology labs at a large research university. We assess the degree of inquiry present in each Physical Geology lab and compare and contrast the instructional practices of new and experienced GTAs teaching these labs. We…

The Pedagogy of Pedagogy: Teaching GTAs To Teach.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williamson, L. Keith

A long-standing aspect of collegiate culture at many advanced-degree-granting universities is the use of Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs) to teach an introductory course. This practice presents a serious pedagogical challenge--namely, how to train inexperienced GTAs to teach the course. Too often new GTAs are merely supplied with the textbook…

Experimental statistics for biological sciences.

PubMed

Bang, Heejung; Davidian, Marie

2010-01-01

In this chapter, we cover basic and fundamental principles and methods in statistics - from "What are Data and Statistics?" to "ANOVA and linear regression," which are the basis of any statistical thinking and undertaking. Readers can easily find the selected topics in most introductory statistics textbooks, but we have tried to assemble and structure them in a succinct and reader-friendly manner in a stand-alone chapter. This text has long been used in real classroom settings for both undergraduate and graduate students who do or do not major in statistical sciences. We hope that from this chapter, readers would understand the key statistical concepts and terminologies, how to design a study (experimental or observational), how to analyze the data (e.g., describe the data and/or estimate the parameter(s) and make inference), and how to interpret the results. This text would be most useful if it is used as a supplemental material, while the readers take their own statistical courses or it would serve as a great reference text associated with a manual for any statistical software as a self-teaching guide.

The Impact of Student-Directed Projects in Introductory Statistics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spence, Dianna J.; Bailey, Brad; Sharp, Julia L.

2017-01-01

A multi-year study investigated the impact of incorporating student-directed discovery projects into introductory statistics courses. Pilot instructors at institutions across the United States taught statistics implementing student-directed projects with the help of a common set of instructional materials designed to facilitate such projects.…

Race, Sex, and Their Influences on Introductory Statistics Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van Es, Cindy; Weaver, Michelle M.

2018-01-01

The Survey of Attitudes Toward Statistics or SATS was administered for three consecutive years to students in an Introductory Statistics course at Cornell University. Questions requesting demographic information and expected final course grade were added. Responses were analyzed to investigate possible differences between sexes and racial/ethnic…

Using Facebook Data to Turn Introductory Statistics Students into Consultants

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Childers, Adam F.

2017-01-01

Facebook provides businesses and organizations with copious data that describe how users are interacting with their page. This data affords an excellent opportunity to turn introductory statistics students into consultants to analyze the Facebook data using descriptive and inferential statistics. This paper details a semester-long project that…

Cognitive Transfer Outcomes for a Simulation-Based Introductory Statistics Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Backman, Matthew D.; Delmas, Robert C.; Garfield, Joan

2017-01-01

Cognitive transfer is the ability to apply learned skills and knowledge to new applications and contexts. This investigation evaluates cognitive transfer outcomes for a tertiary-level introductory statistics course using the CATALST curriculum, which exclusively used simulation-based methods to develop foundations of statistical inference. A…

A Preliminary Study of the Effectiveness of Different Recitation Teaching Methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Endorf, Robert J.; Koenig, Kathleen M.; Braun, Gregory A.

2006-02-01

We present preliminary results from a comparative study of student understanding for students who attended recitation classes which used different teaching methods. Student volunteers from our introductory calculus-based physics course attended a special recitation class that was taught using one of four different teaching methods. A total of 272 students were divided into approximately equal groups for each method. Students in each class were taught the same topic, "Changes in energy and momentum," from Tutorials in Introductory Physics. The different teaching methods varied in the amount of student and teacher engagement. Student understanding was evaluated through pretests and posttests given at the recitation class. Our results demonstrate the importance of the instructor's role in teaching recitation classes. The most effective teaching method was for students working in cooperative learning groups with the instructors questioning the groups using Socratic dialogue. These results provide guidance and evidence for the teaching methods which should be emphasized in training future teachers and faculty members.

Problem Orientation in Physical Geography Teaching.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Church, Michael

1988-01-01

States that the introduction of real, quantitative problems in classroom and field teaching improves scientific rigor and leads more directly to applied studies. Examines the use of problems in an introductory hydrology course, presenting teaching objectives and the full course structure to illustrate their integration with other teaching modes.…

Exploring and Developing Graduate Teaching Assistants' Pedagogies via Lesson Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dotger, Sharon

2011-01-01

Graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) teach many undergraduates in introductory science courses in the USA. Previous literature suggests that GTAs would prefer more context-dependent opportunities to learn to teach more effectively. This study explores the impact of participation in a lesson study cycle with GTAs responsible for an undergraduate…

Students' Difficulties with Integration in Electricity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nguyen, Dong-Hai; Rebello, N. Sanjay

2011-01-01

This study investigates the common difficulties that students in introductory physics experience when solving problems involving integration in the context of electricity. We conducted teaching-learning interviews with 15 students in a second-semester calculus-based introductory physics course on several problems involving integration. We found…

An Introductory Exercise for Courses in Birding.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Applegate, James E.

1982-01-01

Introduces a teaching method called guided design which involves a series of problems and solutions with feedback that leads students in a logical sequence through material being taught. Presents 15 worksheets to demonstrate the use of this technique in an introductory ornithology course. (Author/DC)

Structural Model of the Effects of Cognitive and Affective Factors on the Achievement of Arabic-Speaking Pre-Service Teachers in Introductory Statistics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nasser, Fadia M.

2004-01-01

This study examined the extent to which statistics and mathematics anxiety, attitudes toward mathematics and statistics, motivation and mathematical aptitude can explain the achievement of Arabic speaking pre-service teachers in introductory statistics. Complete data were collected from 162 pre-service teachers enrolled in an academic…

Introductory Statistics in the Garden

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wagaman, John C.

2017-01-01

This article describes four semesters of introductory statistics courses that incorporate service learning and gardening into the curriculum with applications of the binomial distribution, least squares regression and hypothesis testing. The activities span multiple semesters and are iterative in nature.

Thinking Statistically in Writing: Journals and Discussion Boards in an Introductory Statistics Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Theoret, Julie M.; Luna, Andrea

2009-01-01

This action research combined qualitative and quantitative techniques to investigate two different types of writing assignments in an introductory undergraduate statistics course. The assignments were written in response to the same set of prompts but in two different ways: homework journal assignments or initial posts to a computer discussion…

Student and Professor Gender Effects in Introductory Business Statistics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haley, M. Ryan; Johnson, Marianne F.; Kuennen, Eric W.

2007-01-01

Studies have yielded highly mixed results as to differences in male and female student performance in statistics courses; the role that professors play in these differences is even less clear. In this paper, we consider the impact of professor and student gender on student performance in an introductory business statistics course taught by…

Retention of Statistical Concepts in a Preliminary Randomization-Based Introductory Statistics Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tintle, Nathan; Topliff, Kylie; VanderStoep, Jill; Holmes, Vicki-Lynn; Swanson, Todd

2012-01-01

Previous research suggests that a randomization-based introductory statistics course may improve student learning compared to the consensus curriculum. However, it is unclear whether these gains are retained by students post-course. We compared the conceptual understanding of a cohort of students who took a randomization-based curriculum (n = 76)…

Effect of Task Presentation on Students' Performances in Introductory Statistics Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tomasetto, Carlo; Matteucci, Maria Cristina; Carugati, Felice; Selleri, Patrizia

2009-01-01

Research on academic learning indicates that many students experience major difficulties with introductory statistics and methodology courses. We hypothesized that students' difficulties may depend in part on the fact that statistics tasks are commonly viewed as related to the threatening domain of math. In two field experiments which we carried…

Using R in Introductory Statistics Courses with the pmg Graphical User Interface

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Verzani, John

2008-01-01

The pmg add-on package for the open source statistics software R is described. This package provides a simple to use graphical user interface (GUI) that allows introductory statistics students, without advanced computing skills, to quickly create the graphical and numeric summaries expected of them. (Contains 9 figures.)

Contrasting grading approaches in introductory physics and quantum mechanics: The case of graduate teaching assistants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marshman, Emily; Sayer, Ryan; Henderson, Charles; Singh, Chandralekha

2017-06-01

At large research universities, physics graduate teaching assistants (TAs) are often responsible for grading in courses at all levels. However, few studies have focused on TAs' grading practices in introductory and advanced physics courses. This study was designed to investigate whether physics graduate TAs grade students in introductory physics and quantum mechanics using different criteria and if so, why they may be inclined to do so. To investigate possible discrepancies in TAs' grading approaches in courses at different levels, we implemented a sequence of instructional activities in a TA professional development course that asked TAs to grade student solutions of introductory physics and upper-level quantum mechanics problems and explain why, if at all, their grading approaches were different or similar in the two contexts. We analyzed the differences in TAs' grading approaches in the two contexts and discuss the reasons they provided for the differences in their grading approaches in introductory physics and quantum mechanics in individual interviews, class discussions, and written responses. We find that a majority of the TAs graded solutions to quantum mechanics problems differently than solutions to introductory physics problems. In quantum mechanics, the TAs focused more on physics concepts and reasoning and penalized students for not showing evidence of understanding. The findings of the study have implications for TA professional development programs, e.g., the importance of helping TAs think about the difficulty of a problem from an introductory students' perspective and reflecting on the benefits of formative assessment.

The Relative Acceptability of the Multimedia Teaching Format

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cunningham, William H.; And Others

1976-01-01

This research was designed to measure how students enrolled in introductory marketing courses perceived mass section multimedia lecture classes in comparison with other commonly utilized teaching formats. (Author/RK)

Using a dual safeguard web-based interactive teaching approach in an introductory physics class

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Lie-Ming; Li, Bin; Luo, Ying

2015-06-01

We modified the Just-in-Time Teaching approach and developed a dual safeguard web-based interactive (DGWI) teaching system for an introductory physics course. The system consists of four instructional components that improve student learning by including warm-up assignments and online homework. Student and instructor activities involve activities both in the classroom and on a designated web site. An experimental study with control groups evaluated the effectiveness of the DGWI teaching method. The results indicate that the DGWI method is an effective way to improve students' understanding of physics concepts, develop students' problem-solving abilities through instructor-student interactions, and identify students' misconceptions through a safeguard framework based on questions that satisfy teaching requirements and cover all of the course material. The empirical study and a follow-up survey found that the DGWI method increased student-teacher interaction and improved student learning outcomes.

Known-to-Unknown Approach to Teach about Coulomb's Law

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thamburaj, P. K.

2007-01-01

Analogies from life experiences help students understand various relationships presented in an introductory chemistry course. Coulomb's law is a complex relationship encountered in introductory general chemistry. A proper understanding of the relationships between the quantities involved in Coulomb's law is necessary in order for students to…

Apparatus for Teaching Physics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gottlieb, Herbert H., Ed.

1981-01-01

Describes: (1) a seven-segment LED display successfully used as an "illuminated" object for introductory optics experiments and advantages for its use; (2) a series/parallel circuit demonstration especially useful in introductory courses for nonmajors; and (3) a method for igniting a sodium arc lamp with an incandescent lamp. (JN)

Teaching Introductory Chemistry with Videocassette Presentations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Enger, John; And Others

Reported here is the development and evaluation of an extensive series of video-cassette presentations developed for introductory chemical education. In measures of course achievement, students instructed by the video-cassette-discussion format received higher average scores than those taught by live lecture methods. A survey showed that the…

AIBS Education Review, Vol. 2, No. 4.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Creager, Joan G., Ed.

This issue contains articles on experiences gained in the construction of terminal performance objectives for introductory biology courses, the impact of audiotutorial instruction on faculty load and departmental operating levels, an experiment designed to improve the teaching of biology in large enrollment introductory courses, a minicourse on…

Three Conceptions of Thermodynamics: Technical Matrices in Science and Engineering

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Christiansen, Frederik V.; Rump, Camilla

2008-01-01

Introductory thermodynamics is a topic which is covered in a wide variety of science and engineering educations. However, very different teaching traditions have evolved within different scientific specialties. In this study we examine three courses in introductory thermodynamics within three different scientific specialties: physics, chemical…

A Conceptual Framework for Graduate Teaching Assistant Professional Development Evaluation and Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reeves, Todd D.; Marbach-Ad, Gili; Miller, Kristen R.; Ridgway, Judith; Gardner, Grant E.; Schussler, Elisabeth E.; Wischusen, E. William

2016-01-01

Biology graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) are significant contributors to the educational mission of universities, particularly in introductory courses, yet there is a lack of empirical data on how to best prepare them for their teaching roles. This essay proposes a conceptual framework for biology GTA teaching professional development (TPD)…

Knife River: Early Village Life on the Plains. Teaching with Historic Places.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Metcalf, Fay

This document, from the lesson plan series, "Teaching with Historic Places," examines the Native Americans who lived on the plains along the Knife River in what is now North Dakota. Following an introductory section, the document sets out student objectives, teaching activities, readings, and illustrations. The teaching activity…

Concept Maps in Introductory Statistics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Witmer, Jeffrey A.

2016-01-01

Concept maps are tools for organizing thoughts on the main ideas in a course. I present an example of a concept map that was created through the work of students in an introductory class and discuss major topics in statistics and relationships among them.

Incorporating an Interactive Statistics Workshop into an Introductory Biology Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) Enhances Students’ Statistical Reasoning and Quantitative Literacy Skills †

PubMed Central

Olimpo, Jeffrey T.; Pevey, Ryan S.; McCabe, Thomas M.

2018-01-01

Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) provide an avenue for student participation in authentic scientific opportunities. Within the context of such coursework, students are often expected to collect, analyze, and evaluate data obtained from their own investigations. Yet, limited research has been conducted that examines mechanisms for supporting students in these endeavors. In this article, we discuss the development and evaluation of an interactive statistics workshop that was expressly designed to provide students with an open platform for graduate teaching assistant (GTA)-mentored data processing, statistical testing, and synthesis of their own research findings. Mixed methods analyses of pre/post-intervention survey data indicated a statistically significant increase in students’ reasoning and quantitative literacy abilities in the domain, as well as enhancement of student self-reported confidence in and knowledge of the application of various statistical metrics to real-world contexts. Collectively, these data reify an important role for scaffolded instruction in statistics in preparing emergent scientists to be data-savvy researchers in a globally expansive STEM workforce. PMID:29904549

Incorporating an Interactive Statistics Workshop into an Introductory Biology Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) Enhances Students' Statistical Reasoning and Quantitative Literacy Skills.

PubMed

Olimpo, Jeffrey T; Pevey, Ryan S; McCabe, Thomas M

2018-01-01

Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) provide an avenue for student participation in authentic scientific opportunities. Within the context of such coursework, students are often expected to collect, analyze, and evaluate data obtained from their own investigations. Yet, limited research has been conducted that examines mechanisms for supporting students in these endeavors. In this article, we discuss the development and evaluation of an interactive statistics workshop that was expressly designed to provide students with an open platform for graduate teaching assistant (GTA)-mentored data processing, statistical testing, and synthesis of their own research findings. Mixed methods analyses of pre/post-intervention survey data indicated a statistically significant increase in students' reasoning and quantitative literacy abilities in the domain, as well as enhancement of student self-reported confidence in and knowledge of the application of various statistical metrics to real-world contexts. Collectively, these data reify an important role for scaffolded instruction in statistics in preparing emergent scientists to be data-savvy researchers in a globally expansive STEM workforce.

Assessment of Student Learning Associated with Tree Thinking in an Undergraduate Introductory Organismal Biology Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, James J.; Cheruvelil, Kendra Spence; Auvenshine, Stacie

2013-01-01

Phylogenetic trees provide visual representations of ancestor-descendant relationships, a core concept of evolutionary theory. We introduced "tree thinking" into our introductory organismal biology course (freshman/sophomore majors) to help teach organismal diversity within an evolutionary framework. Our instructional strategy consisted…

Teaching Introductory Weather and Climate Using Popular Movies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yow, Donald M.

2014-01-01

Addressing the need for an introductory atmospheric science course for nonscience majors, a course was developed that provides a general understanding of atmospheric processes by examining how meteorological events are portrayed in movies. The course also uses films to study the causes of, impacts associated with, and potential adaptations to…

Using a Hybrid Approach to Facilitate Learning Introductory Programming

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cakiroglu, Unal

2013-01-01

In order to facilitate students' understanding in introductory programming courses, different types of teaching approaches were conducted. In this study, a hybrid approach including comment first coding (CFC), analogy and template approaches were used. The goal was to investigate the effect of such a hybrid approach on students' understanding in…

Introductory Level Problems Illustrating Concepts in Pharmaceutical Engineering

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McIver, Keith; Whitaker, Kathryn; De Delva, Vladimir; Farrell, Stephanie; Savelski, Mariano J.; Slater, C. Stewart

2012-01-01

Textbook style problems including detailed solutions introducing pharmaceutical topics at the level of an introductory chemical engineering course have been created. The problems illustrate and teach subjects which students would learn if they were to pursue a career in pharmaceutical engineering, including the unique terminology of the field,…

An Integrated Learning Project in Introductory Soils.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robinson, C. A.; Schafer, J.

1993-01-01

Describes a problem-solving teaching method used in the Introductory Soils course at Iowa State University whereby students are assigned to groups and asked to serve as an advisor to a landowner. Using a computerized database for most data acquisition, students recommend farm usage and urban/alternate development plans. Includes the program…

Graphical User Interface Programming in Introductory Computer Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Skolnick, Michael M.; Spooner, David L.

Modern computing systems exploit graphical user interfaces for interaction with users; as a result, introductory computer science courses must begin to teach the principles underlying such interfaces. This paper presents an approach to graphical user interface (GUI) implementation that is simple enough for beginning students to understand, yet…

How We Teach Introductory Bible Courses: A Comparative and Historical Sampling

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cornell, Collin; LeMon, Joel M.

2016-01-01

This study identifies the dominant modes of biblical interpretation being taught in introductory Bible courses through a qualitative analysis of course syllabi from three institutional contexts: evangelical Christian colleges, private colleges, and public universities. Despite a proliferation of methods and scholarly approaches to the Bible, this…

Computer Mediated Communication and Student Learning in Large Introductory Sociology Classes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wright, Eric R.; Lawson, Anthony H.

2005-01-01

Over the past several years, scholars of teaching and learning have demonstrated the potential of collaborative learning strategies for improving student learning. This paper examines the use of computer-mediated communication to promote collaborative student learning in large introductory sociology courses. Specifically, we summarize a project we…

A Self-Paced Introductory Programming Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gill, T. Grandon; Holton, Carolyn F.

2006-01-01

In this paper, a required introductory programming course being taught to MIS undergraduates using the C++ programming language is described. Two factors make the objectives of the course--which are to provide students with an exposure to the logical organization of the computer in addition to teaching them basic programming logic--particularly…

A Guided Inquiry Liquid/Liquid Extractions Laboratory for Introductory Organic Chemistry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Raydo, Margaret L.; Church, Megan S.; Taylor, Zane W.; Taylor, Christopher E.; Danowitz, Amy M.

2015-01-01

A guided inquiry laboratory experiment for teaching liquid/liquid extractions to first semester undergraduate organic chemistry students is described. This laboratory is particularly useful for introductory students as the analytes that are separated are highly colored dye molecules. This allows students to track into which phase each analyte…

Measuring Student Engagement, Knowledge, and Perceptions of Climate Change in an Introductory Environmental Geology Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McNeal, Karen S.; Spry, Jacob M.; Mitra, Ritayan; Tipton, Jamie L.

2014-01-01

This research examines a semester-long introductory environmental geology course, which emphasized climate science using an Earth systems approach and employed a multipronged teaching strategy comprising lecture, movie viewing, class dialogues, and journaling. Evidence of student engagement during various pedagogical approaches (e.g., movie…

A Model for Teaching an Introductory Programming Course Using ADRI

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Malik, Sohail Iqbal; Coldwell-Neilson, Jo

2017-01-01

High failure and drop-out rates from introductory programming courses continue to be of significant concern to computer science disciplines despite extensive research attempting to address the issue. In this study, we include the three entities of the didactic triangle, instructors, students and curriculum, to explore the learning difficulties…

Flipping an Introductory Biostatistics Course: A Case Study of Student Attitudes and Confidence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Loux, Travis M.; Varner, Sara Emily; VanNatta, Matthew

2016-01-01

Flipped classrooms have become an interesting alternative to traditional lecture-based courses throughout the undergraduate curriculum. In this article, we compare a flipped classroom approach to the traditional lecture-based approach to teaching introductory biostatistics to first-year graduate students in public health. The traditional course…

Beat the Instructor: An Introductory Forecasting Game

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Snider, Brent R.; Eliasson, Janice B.

2013-01-01

This teaching brief describes a 30-minute game where student groups compete in-class in an introductory time-series forecasting exercise. The students are challenged to "beat the instructor" who competes using forecasting techniques that will be subsequently taught. All forecasts are graphed prior to revealing the randomly generated…

Threshold Concepts and Conceptions: Student Learning in Introductory Management Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wright, April L.; Gilmore, Anne

2012-01-01

This article explores how insights from the broader education literature on threshold concepts and conceptions can be applied to improve the teaching of undergraduate introductory management courses. The authors propose that these courses are underpinned by the threshold conception, or "underlying game," that management is a practice…

Meeting the Challenge: Teaching Sensitive Subject Matter

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crosby, Dorian B.

2012-01-01

When teaching diversity courses that discuss sensitive issues, such as racial, gender, sexuality, religious, and ethnic discrimination, it is possible to encounter student resistance, which can subsequently prevent students from comprehending the content. While teaching an introductory course on African American history in a Black Studies…

A Laboratory Experiment, Based on the Maillard Reaction, Conducted as a Project in Introductory Statistics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kravchuk, Olena; Elliott, Antony; Bhandari, Bhesh

2005-01-01

A simple laboratory experiment, based on the Maillard reaction, served as a project in Introductory Statistics for undergraduates in Food Science and Technology. By using the principles of randomization and replication and reflecting on the sources of variation in the experimental data, students reinforced the statistical concepts and techniques…

Do Introductory Statistics Courses in the United States Improve Students' Attitudes?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schau, Candace; Emmioglu, Esma

2012-01-01

We examined the attitudes of about 2200 students enrolled in 101 sections of post-secondary introductory statistics service courses located across the United States. Using the "Survey of Attitudes Toward Statistics-36," we assessed students' attitudes when they entered and left their courses, as well as changes in attitudes across their courses.…

A First Assignment to Create Student Buy-In in an Introductory Business Statistics Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Newfeld, Daria

2016-01-01

This paper presents a sample assignment to be administered after the first two weeks of an introductory business focused statistics course in order to promote student buy-in. This assignment integrates graphical displays of data, descriptive statistics and cross-tabulation analysis through the lens of a marketing analysis study. A marketing sample…

Incorporating Code-Based Software in an Introductory Statistics Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Doehler, Kirsten; Taylor, Laura

2015-01-01

This article is based on the experiences of two statistics professors who have taught students to write and effectively utilize code-based software in a college-level introductory statistics course. Advantages of using software and code-based software in this context are discussed. Suggestions are made on how to ease students into using code with…

Courses About Computers--For Secondary School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mattei, K. C.

1974-01-01

Goals and guidelines for teaching courses about computers to secondary school students are discussed. A method of teaching introductory ideas of computer operations through the use of a programmable calculator is suggested. (DT)

Helping Graduate Teaching Assistants in Biology Use Student Evaluations as Professional Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kendall, K. Denise; Niemiller, Matthew L.; Dittrich-Reed, Dylan; Schussler, Elisabeth E.

2014-01-01

Graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) are often used as instructors in undergraduate introductory science courses, particularly in laboratory and discussion sections associated with large lectures. These GTAs are often novice teachers with little opportunity to develop their teaching skills through formal professional development. Focused…

Teaching Web Security Using Portable Virtual Labs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Li-Chiou; Tao, Lixin

2012-01-01

We have developed a tool called Secure WEb dEvelopment Teaching (SWEET) to introduce security concepts and practices for web application development. This tool provides introductory tutorials, teaching modules utilizing virtualized hands-on exercises, and project ideas in web application security. In addition, the tool provides pre-configured…

Current Practices in Teaching Introductory Epidemiology: How We Got Here, Where to Go

PubMed Central

Keyes, Katherine M.; Galea, Sandro

2014-01-01

The number of students and disciplines requiring basic instruction in epidemiologic methods is growing. As a field, we now have a lexicon of epidemiologic terminology and particular methods that have developed and become canonical through the historical development of the field. Yet, many of our basic concepts remain elusive to some students, particularly those not pursuing a career in epidemiology. Further, disagreement and redundancy across basic terms limit their utility in teaching epidemiology. Many approaches to teaching epidemiology generally start with labeling key concepts and then move on to explain them. We submit that an approach grounded not in labels but in foundational concepts may offer a useful adjunct to introductory epidemiology education. We propose 7 foundational steps in conducting an epidemiologic study and provide examples of how these steps can be operationalized, using simple graphics that articulate how populations are defined, samples are selected, and individuals are followed to count cases. A reorganization of introductory epidemiology around core first principles may be an effective way forward for educating the next generation of public health scientists. PMID:25190677

Evaluating and Redesigning Teaching Learning Sequences at the Introductory Physics Level

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guisasola, Jenaro; Zuza, Kristina; Ametller, Jaume; Gutierrez-Berraondo, José

2017-01-01

In this paper we put forward a proposal for the design and evaluation of teaching and learning sequences in upper secondary school and university. We will connect our proposal with relevant contributions on the design of teaching sequences, ground it on the design-based research methodology, and discuss how teaching and learning sequences designed…

Effectiveness of different tutorial recitation teaching methods and its implications for TA training

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koenig, Kathleen M.; Endorf, Robert J.; Braun, Gregory A.

2007-06-01

We present results from a comparative study of student understanding for students who attended recitation classes that used different teaching methods. Student volunteers from our introductory calculus-based physics course attended a special recitation class that was taught using one of four different teaching methods. A total of 272 students were divided into approximately equal groups for each method. Students in each class were taught the same topic, “Changes in Energy and Momentum,” from Tutorials in Introductory Physics. The different teaching methods varied in the amount of student and teacher engagement. Student understanding was evaluated through pre- and post-tests. Our results demonstrate the importance of the instructor’s role in teaching recitation classes. The most effective teaching method was for students working in cooperative learning groups with the instructors questioning the groups using Socratic dialogue. In addition, we investigated student preferences for modes of instruction through an open-ended survey. Our results provide guidance and evidence for the teaching methods that should be emphasized in training course instructors.

Learning Statistics at the Farmers Market? A Comparison of Academic Service Learning and Case Studies in an Introductory Statistics Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hiedemann, Bridget; Jones, Stacey M.

2010-01-01

We compare the effectiveness of academic service learning to that of case studies in an undergraduate introductory business statistics course. Students in six sections of the course were assigned either an academic service learning project (ASL) or business case studies (CS). We examine two learning outcomes: students' performance on the final…

The Development and Evolution of an Introductory Statistics Course for In-Service Middle-Level Mathematics Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schmind, Kendra K.; Blankenship, Erin E.; Kerby. April T.; Green, Jennifer L.; Smith, Wendy M.

2014-01-01

The statistical preparation of in-service teachers, particularly middle school teachers, has been an area of concern for several years. This paper discusses the creation and delivery of an introductory statistics course as part of a master's degree program for in-service mathematics teachers. The initial course development took place before the…

76 FR 59304 - Technical Amendment; Updates to Titles of Officials, Office Names, and References

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-26

..., Reporting and recordkeeping requirements, Statistics. Dated: September 20, 2011. Samuel D. Rauch III, Deputy....121 Introductory text 2 300.128 3 300.140 1 300.141 Introductory text 2 300.144 1 300.151 Introductory...

TeachAstronomy.com - Digitizing Astronomy Resources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hardegree-Ullman, Kevin; Impey, C. D.; Austin, C.; Patikkal, A.; Paul, M.; Ganesan, N.

2013-06-01

Teach Astronomy—a new, free online resource—can be used as a teaching tool in non-science major introductory college level astronomy courses, and as a reference guide for casual learners and hobbyists. Digital content available on Teach Astronomy includes: a comprehensive introductory astronomy textbook by Chris Impey, Wikipedia astronomy articles, images from Astronomy Picture of the Day archives and (new) AstroPix database, two to three minute topical video clips by Chris Impey, podcasts from 365 Days of Astronomy archives, and an RSS feed of astronomy news from Science Daily. Teach Astronomy features an original technology called the Wikimap to cluster, display, and navigate site search results. Development of Teach Astronomy was motivated by steep increases in textbook prices, the rapid adoption of digital resources by students and the public, and the modern capabilities of digital technology. This past spring semester Teach Astronomy was used as content supplement to lectures in a massive, open, online course (MOOC) taught by Chris Impey. Usage of Teach Astronomy has been steadily growing since its initial release in August of 2012. The site has users in all corners of the country and is being used as a primary teaching tool in at least four states.

Deliberation as Communication Instruction: A Study of a Climate Change Deliberation in an Introductory Biology Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Drury, Sara A. Mehltretter

2015-01-01

The author argues that deliberation is an innovative method for teaching communication skills, particularly group communication, in the undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) curriculum. A case study using a deliberation activity on global climate change in an introductory biology course demonstrates how deliberative…

Using Rubber-Elastic Material-Ideal Gas Analogies To Teach Introductory Thermodynamics. Part II: The Laws of Thermodynamics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Brent

2002-01-01

Describes the laws of thermodynamics as a supplement to an introductory thermodynamics undergraduate course. Uses rubber-elastic materials (REM) which have strong analogies to the concept of ideal gas. Provides examples of the analogies between ideal gas and REM and mathematical analogies. (YDS)

Teaching Quantum Interpretations: Revisiting the Goals and Practices of Introductory Quantum Physics Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baily, Charles; Finkelstein, Noah D.

2015-01-01

Most introductory quantum physics instructors would agree that transitioning students from classical to quantum thinking is an important learning goal, but may disagree on whether or how this can be accomplished. Although (and perhaps because) physicists have long debated the physical interpretation of quantum theory, many instructors choose to…

A Proposal for More Sophisticated Normative Principles in Introductory Economics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schmidt, Stephen

2017-01-01

Introductory textbooks teach a simple normative story about the importance of maximizing economic surplus that supports common policy claims. There is little defense of the claim that maximizing surplus is normatively important, which is not obvious to non-economists. Difficulties with the claim that society should maximize surplus are generally…

Studying the Solar System Can Be More than Just "Stamp Collecting"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

LoPresto, Michael C.

2017-01-01

While teaching his first-ever introductory college astronomy course, I heard a graduate student make the comment that compared to other areas of astronomy, studying the solar system is just "stamp collecting." Coverage of the solar system in an introductory college astronomy course certainly "could" consist mostly of showing…

Prism Foil from an LCD Monitor as a Tool for Teaching Introductory Optics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Planinsic, Gorazd; Gojkosek, Mihael

2011-01-01

Transparent prism foil is part of a backlight system in LCD monitors that are widely used today. This paper describes the optical properties of the prism foil and several pedagogical applications suitable for undergraduate introductory physics level. Examples include experiments that employ refraction, total internal reflection, diffraction and…

Consumer Education. An Introductory Unit for Inmates in Penal Institutions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schmoele, Henry H.; And Others

This introductory consumer education curriculum outline contains materials designed to help soon-to-be-released prisoners to develop an awareness of consumer concerns and to better manage their family lives. Each of the four units provided includes lesson objectives, suggested contents, suggested teaching methods, handouts, and tests. The unit on…

"Measuring Me": Using Nutrition Education Curriculum Activities to Teach Elementary Mathematics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McLeod, Sara; Carraway-Stage, Virginia; Hovland, Jana; Duffrin, Melani

2012-01-01

"Measuring Me" is an introductory activity developed to be used while collecting pre-study anthropometric data for the Food Math and Science Teacher Enhancement Resource (FoodMASTER) Initiative. Using "Measuring Me" as an introductory activity for collecting anthropometric measurements in the classroom was feasible and well received by students…

A One-Year Introductory Robotics Curriculum for Computer Science Upperclassmen

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Correll, N.; Wing, R.; Coleman, D.

2013-01-01

This paper describes a one-year introductory robotics course sequence focusing on computational aspects of robotics for third- and fourth-year students. The key challenges this curriculum addresses are "scalability," i.e., how to teach a robotics class with a limited amount of hardware to a large audience, "student assessment,"…

Ditching the Script: Moving beyond "Automatic Thinking" in Introductory Political Science Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Glover, Robert W.; Tagliarina, Daniel

2011-01-01

Political science is a challenging field, particularly when it comes to undergraduate teaching. If we are to engage in something more than uncritical ideological instruction, it demands from the student a willingness to approach alien political ideas with intellectual generosity. Yet, students within introductory classes often harbor inherited…

What Motivates Introductory Geology Students to Study for an Exam?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lukes, Laura A.; McConnell, David A.

2014-01-01

There is a need to understand why some students succeed and persist in STEM fields and others do not. While numerous studies have focused on the positive results of using empirically validated teaching methods in introductory science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) courses, little data has been collected about the student experience in…

A Brief Look at Introductory Information Science in Library Schools, 1980.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davis, Charles H.; Shaw, Debora

1981-01-01

Reports the extent and content of introductory information science instruction at 79 of the 105 member schools of the Association of American Library Schools (AALS). Of the 58 schools offering computer programming instruction, 38 teach BASIC; 18, PL/I-PL/C; 15, COBOL; and 12, FORTRAN. Twelve references are listed. (RAA)

An Evaluation of Classroom Practices, Inquiry and Teaching Beliefs in Introductory Geoscience Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ryker, Katherine Dameron Almquist

2014-01-01

The incorporation of reformed, inquiry-based pedagogies in introductory courses has been shown to improve content knowledge, student retention, interest and attitudes towards science. However, there is evidence that suggests these techniques are not being widely used by the geoscience community. This research focuses on the incorporation of…

"Reverse Engineering" in Introductory Physics Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Badraslioglu, Duruhan

2016-01-01

One of the intermediate goals of STEM education has been turning our students into problem solvers and critical thinkers who are equipped with better scientific analysis skills. In light of this initiative, it is imperative that we, the educators, modify the way we teach classic introductory physics topics, and in the long run all sciences, and…

Psychology Teacher's Resource Book. First Course, Third Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Margo, Ed.; Wertheimer, Michael, Ed.

Now in its third edition, this book contains background materials and resources for teaching introductory high school psychology. There are 11 chapters. Textbooks appropriate for introductory courses are reviewed in the first chapter. Books of reading which are a potentially valuable source of information to both student and teacher are listed in…

Science Fiction and Introductory Sociology: The "Handmaid" in the Classroom.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Laz, Cheryl

1996-01-01

Focuses on the uses of science fiction to teach sociology and develop critical and creative thinking. Maintains that in the last 20 years science fiction has become concerned increasingly with social themes. Concludes with a detailed description of the use of "The Handmaid's Tale" in an introductory sociology course. (MJP)

A Problem-Based Learning Approach to Teaching Introductory Soil Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Amador, Jose A.; Gorres, Josef H.

2004-01-01

At most land-grant universities in the USA, Introduction to Soil Science is traditionally taught using a combination of lecture and laboratory formats. To promote engagement, improve comprehension, and enhance retention of content by students, we developed a problem-based learning (PBL) introductory soil science course. Students work in groups to…

[Economics] Introductory Lesson (Begin Day One). Lesson Plan.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lewin, Roland

This introductory lesson on teaching economics concepts contains sections on the following: purpose; objectives; time; materials needed; and step-by-step classroom procedures. The focus is on the economic problem of scarcity and opportunity costs. Attached is an original skit, "There's no such thing as a free lunch," and a chart that…

Analyzing Conceptual Gains in Introductory Calculus with Interactively-Engaged Teaching Styles

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomas, Matthew

2013-01-01

This dissertation examines the relationship between an instructional style called Interactive-Engagement (IE) and gains on a measure of conceptual knowledge called the Calculus Concept Inventory (CCI). The data comes from two semesters of introductory calculus courses (Fall 2010 and Spring 2011), consisting of a total of 482 students from the…

Particle in a Box: An Experiential Environment for Learning Introductory Quantum Mechanics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anupam, Aditya; Gupta, Ridhima; Naeemi, Azad; JafariNaimi, Nassim

2018-01-01

Quantum mechanics (QMs) is a foundational subject in many science and engineering fields. It is difficult to teach, however, as it requires a fundamental revision of the assumptions and laws of classical physics and probability. Furthermore, introductory QM courses and texts predominantly focus on the mathematical formulations of the subject and…

Which Introductory Programming Approach Is Most Suitable for Students: Procedural or Visual Programming?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eid, Chaker; Millham, Richard

2012-01-01

In this paper, we discuss the visual programming approach to teaching introductory programming courses and then compare this approach with that of procedural programming. The involved cognitive levels of students, as beginning students are introduced to different types of programming concepts, are correlated to the learning processes of…

Introductory Accounting Students' Motives, Expectations and Preparedness for Higher Education: Some Portuguese Evidence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Teixeira, Cláudia; Gomes, Delfina; Borges, Janete

2015-01-01

In Portugal, the massive expansion and diversification of higher education has led to a large and diverse student population. This has impacted on the complexity of the higher education learning environment and has implications for the teaching and learning activities. Thus, the current study examines Portuguese introductory accounting students'…

Teaching of the International Component in the Introductory Marketing Course: A Replication Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zimmer, Robert; Koernig, Stephen K.; Greene, Scott

2004-01-01

For almost three decades, the AACSB and business leaders have sought increased emphasis on internationalizing students' perspectives. Recent studies demonstrate mixed results in the extent to which business schools have globalized their curricula. With decreasing student interest in the marketing major, Introductory Marketing emerges as a critical…

Addressing Gender Disparity in Introductory Physics Courses: Are existing reforms enough?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Finkelstein, Noah; Pollock, Steven; Dubson, Michael

2007-03-01

Previously researchers have reported that by transforming teaching practices in introductory physics, it is possible to eliminate the disparity in achievement of males and females on measures of conceptual learning. [1] We follow-up on the studies of the original researchers by comparing achievement of male and female students on measures of conceptual learning in the introductory physics courses at a large public research university. Just as the original authors find, we observe that reform teaching practices, such as the use of Peer Instruction [2] increase the learning gains of all students in introductory physics. Additionally, we observe a significant reduction in this gender gap in learning gains in some but not all of our transformed courses. Notably, however, the gender gap does not completely disappear in any of our courses. In addition to discussing learning gains, we analyze shifts in student beliefs [3] and examine correlations between student beliefs and learning gains. [1] Lorenzo, M et al. (2006).Am. J. Phys. 74(2): 118-122 [2] Mazur, E. (1997). Peer Instruction (Prentice Hall). [3] Adams, W.K et al. Physical Review, ST:PER. 2,1,010101.

When Allport Met Freud: Using Anecdotes in the Teaching of Psychology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kaufman, James C.; Bristol, Adam S.

2001-01-01

Proposes using anecdotes in introductory psychology courses to teach key points, principles, and people. Offers theoretical and empirical support for anecdotes as teaching tools. Believes that anecdotes, such as when Gordon Allport met Sigmund Freud, provide an enjoyable experience and enable students to better remember information. (CMK)

Mentored Discussions of Teaching: An Introductory Teaching Development Program for Future STEM Faculty

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baiduc, Rachael R.; Linsenmeier, Robert A.; Ruggeri, Nancy

2016-01-01

Today's science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) graduate students and postdoctoral fellows are tomorrow's new faculty members; but these junior academicians often receive limited pedagogical training. We describe four iterations of an entry-level program with a low time commitment, Mentored Discussions of Teaching (MDT). The…

The College Teaching of English.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gerber, John C., Ed.

Thirteen essays on the teaching of college English are included--(1) "Prospect" by John H. Fisher, (2) "The Study and Teaching of English" by William C. De Vane, (3) "Introductory Literature Courses" by Hoyt Trowbridge, (4) "General and Interdisciplinary Courses" by Robert C. Pooley, (5) "Freshman Composition" by Robert M. Gorrell, (6) "Advanced…

Training Teachers and Serving Students: Applying Usability Testing in Writing Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McGovern, Heather

2007-01-01

Teachers often test course materials by using them in class. Usability testing provides an alternative: teachers receive student feedback and revise materials "before" teaching a class. Case studies based on interviews and observations with two teaching assistants who usability tested materials before teaching introductory technical writing…

Walking the Talk: The Complexities of Teaching about Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ball, Tamara; Wells, Gordon

2006-01-01

Teaching a course entitled "Introduction to Theories of Education" requires that one practice what one is preaching. We describe an attempt to organize and provide undergraduates enrolled in an introductory course of 300+ students, with a viable, yet more collaborative and "product-based" alternative to the familiar lecture and…

Teaching Integrative Thought: Techniques and Data.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Malloy, Thomas E.

Focusing on techniques for teaching students to integrate diverse ideas at a deep level of cognitive processing, a study evaluated an idea integration package for teaching writing in the college classroom. Subjects, 29 college students from an introductory psychology class at a Utah university, were divided into two groups. The integration group…

Looking across the Divide: Analyzing Cross-Disciplinary Approaches for Teaching Business Communication

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Laster, Nicole M.; Russ, Travis L.

2010-01-01

This study elucidates pedagogical differences and similarities between the ways in which instructors from business and communication disciplines teach the introductory business communication course. During the spring of 2008, the authors surveyed 444 instructors teaching this course at colleges and universities across the United States. Their…

Assessment of Teaching Competence for Improvement of Instruction.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National IOTA Program, Tempe, AZ.

This report provides a general overview of the Instrument for the Observation of Teaching Activities (IOTA) program for assessing and improving teacher competence. IOTA is an analytic, objective, and specific means of assessing teaching activities. The normal three-step progression of groups through the introductory and training stages of the…

Teaching Writing and Critical Thinking in Large Political Science Classes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Franklin, Daniel; Weinberg, Joseph; Reifler, Jason

2014-01-01

In the interest of developing a combination of teaching techniques designed to maximize efficiency "and" quality of instruction, we have experimentally tested three separate and relatively common teaching techniques in three large introductory political science classes at a large urban public university. Our results indicate that the…

The Astronomy Diagnostic Test: Past, Present and Future

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deming, G. L.; Hufnagel, B. R.

2000-12-01

During 1998, the Collaboration for Astronomy Education Research (Adams, Adrian, Brick, Deming, Hufnagel, Slater, and Zeilik) developed a content-based diagnostic test for undergraduate non-science majors taking their first introductory level astronomy course. Student interviews and written feedback were used to construct a series of questions reflecting the students' natural language and with distractors (wrong answers) that mirror commonly held misconceptions. Version 1.9 of the Astronomy Diagnostic Test (ADT) was administered during Spring 1999 by volunteers teaching astronomy at 22 institutions across the United States. Minor modifications were made and Version 2.0 was released on June 21, 1999. The ADT 2.0 currently is available to the astronomical community through two websites and we continue to collect pretest/posttest results. Award of an NSF Small Grant for Exploratory Research has enabled us to work with a team of education researchers at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education. Our database will be subjected to a statistical analysis in order to establish reliability of ADT 2.0. In addition, content, face, and construct validity are being examined. If you are teaching an introductory astronomy course aimed at non-science majors for Spring 2001, your class can be part of this project. We are looking for volunteers! We are also interested in hearing your ideas for a "next-generation" version of the ADT. Funding provided by NSF grant REC-0089239

What Teaching Teaches: Mentoring and the Performance Gains of Mentors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amaral, Katie E.; Vala, Martin

2009-05-01

A peer mentoring program was added to an introductory chemistry course at a large university. The introductory chemistry course prepares students with little or no previous chemistry background to enter the mainstream general chemistry sequence and is part lecture and part small-group problem-solving. Faculty instructors are responsible for the lecture while peer mentors handle the group problem-solving portion. Peer mentors, recruited from previous introductory chemistry course, are chosen for their knowledge of the material and their helpfulness in group activities. While a number of studies on peer mentoring have reported the benefits to the mentored students, the present study looks at the benefits to the mentors. Grade enhancement in the main-stream general chemistry sequence, withdrawal rates, and number of additional chemistry courses taken by the mentors have been compared to under-prepared students who took the introductory chemistry course but did not serve as mentors and well-prepared students who did not need the introductory chemistry course. Our results show that mentors earned higher grades, withdrew from chemistry courses at a lower rate, and took more courses in chemistry than their counterparts. The enhanced achievement and retention of the mentors in chemistry suggests that programs that encourage under-prepared students to mentor are worthwhile endeavors.

Introductory Life Science Mathematics and Quantitative Neuroscience Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duffus, Dwight; Olifer, Andrei

2010-01-01

We describe two sets of courses designed to enhance the mathematical, statistical, and computational training of life science undergraduates at Emory College. The first course is an introductory sequence in differential and integral calculus, modeling with differential equations, probability, and inferential statistics. The second is an…

Computer Assisted Problem Solving in an Introductory Statistics Course. Technical Report No. 56.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anderson, Thomas H.; And Others

The computer assisted problem solving system (CAPS) described in this booklet administered "homework" problem sets designed to develop students' computational, estimation, and procedural skills. These skills were related to important concepts in an introductory statistics course. CAPS generated unique data, judged student performance,…

Introductory Statistics and Fish Management.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jardine, Dick

2002-01-01

Describes how fisheries research and management data (available on a website) have been incorporated into an Introductory Statistics course. In addition to the motivation gained from seeing the practical relevance of the course, some students have participated in the data collection and analysis for the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department. (MM)

The Importance of Introductory Statistics Students Understanding Appropriate Sampling Techniques

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Menil, Violeta C.

2005-01-01

In this paper the author discusses the meaning of sampling, the reasons for sampling, the Central Limit Theorem, and the different techniques of sampling. Practical and relevant examples are given to make the appropriate sampling techniques understandable to students of Introductory Statistics courses. With a thorough knowledge of sampling…

Computational Inquiry in Introductory Statistics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Toews, Carl

2017-01-01

Inquiry-based pedagogies have a strong presence in proof-based undergraduate mathematics courses, but can be difficult to implement in courses that are large, procedural, or highly computational. An introductory course in statistics would thus seem an unlikely candidate for an inquiry-based approach, as these courses typically steer well clear of…

Teaching mindfulness to occupational therapy students: pilot evaluation of an online curriculum.

PubMed

Reid, Denise T

2013-02-01

How mindfulness can be learned by occupational therapy students to manage their own self-care processes has not been fully examined as yet. This article describes an online curriculum approach for teaching a general introductory mindfulness course and examines outcomes with master's entry-level occupational therapy students. Fifteen students participated in an 8-week online mindfulness curriculum and completed a pre- and post-training survey. The Mindfulness Attention and Awareness Scale (MAAS) was used to measure mindfulness. Demographic, MAAS-scored mindfulness, and clinical utility data were collected. Results showed a statistically significant change (t = -4.82, p = 0.002) in MAAS mindfulness scores from the program start to end. Informal practice exercises and guided meditations were perceived by participants as being more helpful ways for developing an understanding and approach to mindfulness than were readings about mindfulness. This study suggests that mindfulness can be taught using an online approach.

Demystifying Introductory Chemistry. Part 4: An Approach to Reaction Thermodynamics through Enthalpies, Entropies, and Free Energies of Atomization.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spencer, James N.; And Others

1996-01-01

Presents an alternative approach to teaching reaction thermodynamics in introductory chemistry courses using calculations of enthalpies, entropies, and free energies of atomization. Uses a consistent concept, that of decomposition of a compound to its gaseous atoms, to discuss not only thermodynamic parameters but also equilibrium and…

The "Nut-Drop" Experiment--Bringing Millikan's Challenge to Introductory Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCann, Lowell I.; Blodgett, Earl D.

2009-01-01

One of the difficulties in teaching 20th-century physics ideas in introductory physics is that many seminal experiments that are discussed in textbooks are difficult or expensive for students to access experimentally. In this paper, we discuss an analogous exercise to Millikan's oil-drop experiment that lets students experience some of the physics…

A Qualitative Evaluation of the Use of Multimedia Case Studies in an Introductory Engineering Course at Two Southeastern Universities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huett, Kim C.; Kawulich, Barbara

2015-01-01

Collaborating at two universities to improve teaching and learning in undergraduate engineering, an interdisciplinary team of researchers, instructors, and evaluators planned and implemented the use of multimedia case studies with students enrolled in an introductory engineering course. This qualitative action evaluation study focuses on results…

Another Nibble at the Core: Student Learning in a Thematically-Focused Introductory Sociology Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Howard, Jay R.; Novak, Katherine B.; Cline, Krista M. C.; Scott, Marvin B.

2014-01-01

Identifying and assessing core knowledge has been and continues to be a challenge that vexes the discipline of sociology. With the adoption of a thematic approach to courses in the core curriculum at Butler University, faculty teaching Introductory Sociology were presented with the opportunity and challenge of defining the core knowledge and…

A Reactive Blended Learning Proposal for an Introductory Control Engineering Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mendez, Juan A.; Gonzalez, Evelio J.

2010-01-01

As it happens in other fields of engineering, blended learning is widely used to teach process control topics. In this paper, the inclusion of a reactive element--a Fuzzy Logic based controller--is proposed for a blended learning approach in an introductory control engineering course. This controller has been designed in order to regulate the…

Dualism-Based Design of the Introductory Chinese MOOC "Kit de contact en langue chinoise"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang-Szilas, Jue; Bellassen, Joël

2017-01-01

This article reviews the existing Chinese language Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) and points out three problems in their design: the monism-based teaching method, the non-integration of cultural elements, and the lack of learner-learner interactions. It then presents the design principles of the Introductory Chinese MOOC in an attempt to…

Don't Lose Your Marbles!: Game Project Teaches Introductory Manufacturing Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kapur, Arjun; Carter, Horlin; Dillon, Dave

2006-01-01

This article describes a lab activity conducted in an introductory manufacturing class. In this good, simple, mass-production project, the students designed and produced a small game composed of a piece of plywood and 14 glass marbles. In appearance, the game is something like Chinese checkers, but it involves jumping over marbles, then removing…

Teaching a Chemistry MOOC with a Virtual Laboratory: Lessons Learned from an Introductory Physical Chemistry Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Malley, Patrick J.; Agger, Jonathan R.; Anderson, Michael W.

2015-01-01

An analysis is presented of the experience and lessons learned of running a MOOC in introductory physical chemistry. The course was unique in allowing students to conduct experimental measurements using a virtual laboratory constructed using video and simulations. A breakdown of the student background and motivation for taking the course is…

Music and Cultural Analysis in the Classroom: Introducing Sociology through Heavy Metal.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ahlkvist, Jarl A.

1999-01-01

Demonstrates that popular music's potential as a tool for teaching interactive introductory sociology courses is enhanced when a cultural analysis of a specific music genre is incorporated into the classroom. Presents a two-part model for integrating a cultural analysis of heavy metal music and its subculture into the introductory course. Includes…

At U. of Maryland, an Effort to Make Introductory Courses Extraordinary

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berrett, Dan

2012-01-01

Required introductory courses are as important as they are unloved. They are a key part of the general-education curriculum, which makes up as much as one-third of the typical baccalaureate student's education, and they are the subject of seemingly never-ending revitalization efforts. Many senior faculty members avoid teaching such courses because…

Using Google Earth and Satellite Imagery to Foster Place-Based Teaching in an Introductory Physical Geology Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Monet, Julie; Greene, Todd

2012-01-01

Students in an introductory physical geology course often have difficulty making connections between basic course topics and assembling key concepts (beyond textbook examples) to interpret how geologic processes shape the characteristics of the local and regional natural environment. As an approach to address these issues, we designed and…

An Infiltration Exercise for Introductory Soil Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barbarick, K. A.; Ippolito, J. A.; Butters, G.; Sorge, G. M.

2005-01-01

One of the largest challenges in teaching introductory soil science is explaining the dynamics of soil infiltration. To aid students in understanding the concept and to further engage them in active learning in the soils laboratory course, we developed an exercise using Decagon Mini-Disk Infiltrometers with a tension head (h[subscript o]) of 2 cm.…

Research and Teaching: Instructor Use of Group Active Learning in an Introductory Biology Sequence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Auerbach, Anna Jo; Schussler, Elisabeth E.

2016-01-01

Active learning (or learner-centered) pedagogies have been shown to enhance student learning in introductory biology courses. Student collaboration has also been shown to enhance student learning and may be a critical part of effective active learning practices. This study focused on documenting the use of individual active learning and group…

Game-Themed Programming Assignment Modules: A Pathway for Gradual Integration of Gaming Context into Existing Introductory Programming Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sung, K.; Hillyard, C.; Angotti, R. L.; Panitz, M. W.; Goldstein, D. S.; Nordlinger, J.

2011-01-01

Despite the proven success of using computer video games as a context for teaching introductory programming (CS1/2) courses, barriers including the lack of adoptable materials, required background expertise (in graphics/games), and institutional acceptance still prevent interested faculty members from experimenting with this approach. Game-themed…

Research and Teaching: Photovoice as a Pedagogical Tool--Student Engagement in Undergraduate Introductory Chemistry for Nonscience Majors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stroud, Mary W.

2014-01-01

This study explores the use of Photovoice as a pedagogical tool in two introductory undergraduate chemistry courses for nonscience majors. Photovoice, historically linked to participatory action research, is a qualitative mode of inquiry in which the perspectives provided in narratives and pictures are generally personal, subjective, and unique.…

Teaching an Introductory Programming Language in a General Education Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ali, Azad; Smith, David

2014-01-01

A department of computer science (CS) has faced a peculiar situation regarding their selection of introductory programming course. This course is a required course for the students enrolled in the CS program and is a prerequisite to their other advanced programming courses. At the same time, the course can be considered a general education course…

Innovative Interactive Lecture Demonstrations Using Wireless Force Sensors and Accelerometers for Introductory Physics Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yoder, G.; Cook, J.

2010-01-01

Interactive lecture demonstrations (ILDs) are a powerful tool designed to help instructors bring state-of-the-art teaching pedagogies into the college-level introductory physics classroom. ILDs have been shown to improve students' conceptual understanding, and many examples have been created and published by Sokoloff and Thornton. We have used the…

Java vs. Python Coverage of Introductory Programming Concepts: A Textbook Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McMaster, Kirby; Sambasivam, Samuel; Rague, Brian; Wolthuis, Stuart

2017-01-01

In this research, we compare two languages, Java and Python, by performing a content analysis of words in textbooks that describe important programming concepts. Our goal is to determine which language has better textbook support for teaching introductory programming courses. We used the TextSTAT program to count how often our list of concept…

Active Learning in Introductory Economics: Do MyEconLab and Aplia Make Any Difference?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nguyen, Trien; Trimarchi, Angela

2010-01-01

This paper reports experiment results of teaching large classes of introductory economics with modern learning technology such as MyEconLab or Aplia. This new technology emerges partially in response to the enrollment pressure currently facing many institutions of higher education. Among other things, the technology provides an integrated online…

Peer-Taught Drug Awareness in the Introductory Psychology Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goodwin, Kerri A.

2007-01-01

In contrast to "Just Say No" lectures on drug use common in K to 12 drug education programs (e.g., Drug Abuse Resistance Education, or D.A.R.E.), this activity used peer teaching in an Introductory Psychology course to promote active learning and open discussion of controversial issues about drug use. Working in small groups, students researched…

An Introductory Biology Lab that Uses Enzyme Histochemistry to Teach Students about Skeletal Muscle Fiber Types

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sweeney, Lauren J.; Brodfuehrer, Peter D.; Raughley, Beth L.

2004-01-01

One important goal of introductory biology laboratory experiences is to engage students directly in all steps in the process of scientific discovery. Even when laboratory experiences are built on principles discussed in the classroom, students often do not adequately apply this background to interpretation of results they obtain in lab. This…

Using Clickers to Improve Student Engagement and Performance in an Introductory Biochemistry Class

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Addison, Stephen; Wright, Adrienne; Milner, Rachel

2009-01-01

As part of ongoing efforts to enhance teaching practices in a large-class introductory biochemistry course, we have recently tested the effects of using a student response system (clickers) on student exam performances and engagement with the course material. We found no measurable difference in class mean composite examination score for students…

Drawing Out Theory: Art and the Teaching of Political Theory.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Char R.

2000-01-01

Discusses how to use art in introductory political theory courses. Provides examples of incorporating art to teach political theory, such as examining Machiavelli's "The Prince" and Michelangelo's "David" to understand Florentine (Florence, Italy) political theory. (CMK)

The Play's the Thing...Some thoughts on Introductory Physics Teaching

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Montemayor, Victor J.

1999-09-01

Teaching science in general, and physics and astronomy in particular, is difficult in an era of decreasing attention spans and increasing extracurricular activities and responsibilities among students. but engaging and involving them is certainly not impossible.

Research and Teaching: Implementation of Interactive Engagement Teaching Methods in a Physical Oceanography Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keiner, Louis E.; Gilman, Craig

2015-01-01

This study measures the effects of increased faculty-student engagement on student learning, success rates, and perceptions in a Physical Oceanography course. The study separately implemented two teaching methods that had been shown to be successful in a different discipline, introductory physics. These methods were the use of interactive…

Teaching in Unfamiliar Terrain: Empowering Student and Teacher Learning through a Photography Assignment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mount, Liz

2018-01-01

This article addresses a challenge for sociologists who teach at institutions located in unfamiliar cultural contexts through a photo elicitation project to develop students' sociological imaginations while teaching the instructor about students' social contexts. In introductory courses, we must present sociology as a field of study that is…

Theorizing and Documenting the Spread of Teach for All and Its Impact on Global Education Reform

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Straubhaar, Rolf; Friedrich, Daniel

2015-01-01

Within global education policy, the role of multilateral agencies in pushing crossnational policy borrowing is increasingly being complemented by efforts from private international networks within civil society, such as Teach For All. This introductory article summarizes the scarce extant literature on Teach For All, highlighting the contributions…

It Doesn't Really Matter which Body of Information We Transmit. Theme: Why Teach History?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Decarie, Graeme

1989-01-01

Argues that the introductory history course should focus on teaching students to find, evaluate, and present information in a coherent manner rather than merely present a cluster of facts to be memorized. Suggests an article review assignment which teaches students to effectively evaluate and communicate knowledge. (LS)

Teaching Introductory Life Science Courses in Colleges of Agriculture: Faculty Experiences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Balschweid, Mark; Knobloch, Neil A.; Hains, Bryan J.

2014-01-01

Insignificant numbers of college students declaring STEM majors creates concern for the future of the U.S. economy within the global marketplace. This study highlights the educational development and teaching strategies employed by STEM faculty in teaching first-year students in contextualized life science courses, such as animal, plant, and food…

Students' Understanding of the Descriptive and Predictive Nature of Teaching Models in Organic Chemistry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Treagust, David F.; Chittleborough, Gail D.; Mamiala, Thapelo L.

2004-01-01

The purpose of the study was to investigate secondary students' understanding of the descriptive and predictive nature of teaching models used in representing compounds in introductory organic chemistry. Of interest were the relationships between teaching models, scientific models, and students' mental models and expressed models. The results from…

Your Guide for Teaching Money Management. [Revised.] Money Management.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baran, Nancy H., Ed.; Tarrant, Sharon M., Ed.

This guide provides a framework for teaching consumer education to senior high and adult education classes. It may be used to develop a broad consumer economics program, to teach a single unit, or to incorporate money-managing concepts into various subject areas. Introductory materials include suggestions for adapting materials to curriculum…

Offering More than "Here Is the Textbook": Teaching Assistants' Perspectives on Introductory Science Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dotger, Sharon

2010-01-01

Eight Earth science graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) participated in a semester-long seminar designed to facilitate change in their practice. The seminar used lesson-study methodology to facilitate discussion of GTAs' beliefs about teaching while planning a research lesson for implementation in their laboratory. This article reports the results…

Campus Use of the Teaching Portfolio: Twenty-Five Profiles. AAHE Teaching Initiative.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anderson, Erin, Ed.

Twenty-five profiles of college and university programs using teaching portfolios to evaluate faculty are presented to illustrate how portfolio use relates to institutional context and purposes of evaluation. An introductory section makes observations about the profiles in general and highlights some issues emerging during preparation of the…

Teaching About Women in Hispanic Literature: Current Methods and Materials.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maier, Carol

Awareness of a new and altered method of teaching literature, similar to that described by Adrienne Rich, grew from the experience of teaching a small introductory course in twentieth century Hispanic women writers to students with diverse language, cultural, and economic backgrounds. Although about half the students were native Spanish speakers,…

Acid-Base Learning Outcomes for Students in an Introductory Organic Chemistry Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stoyanovich, Carlee; Gandhi, Aneri; Flynn, Alison B.

2015-01-01

An outcome-based approach to teaching and learning focuses on what the student demonstrably knows and can do after instruction, rather than on what the instructor teaches. This outcome-focused approach can then guide the alignment of teaching strategies, learning activities, and assessment. In organic chemistry, mastery of organic acid-base…

"Novice Teachers" Views of an Introductory Workshop about Teaching in the Biosciences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gartland, Kevan M. A.; Perkins, Joy; Shearer, Morven C.; Tierney, Anne M.; Wilson, Jackie J.

2013-01-01

Seven regional networking events, aimed at supporting and developing "early stage" novice university bioscience teachers were held across the UK. These workshops allowed 230 participants to reflect on teaching styles, learn about Higher Education Academy resources and discuss strategies to deal with a range of teaching situations.…

Using the Psychic Blue Dot to Teach about Science (and Pseudoscience)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ashton, William A.

2008-01-01

A new teaching method is described for teaching research methods in an Introductory Psychology curriculum with the goals of making the section on research methods more interesting, providing an active learning environment for research methods and to allow students to examine scientifically the claims of pseudoscience. Student groups created and…

Creating a Learner-Centered Teaching Environment Using Student Choice in Assignments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hanewicz, Cheryl; Platt, Angela; Arendt, Anne

2017-01-01

Learner-centered teaching (LCT) has been found to be a more effective pedagogy for online students, as traditional teaching methods do not work well in online courses. Professors in an upper-level technology management class revised their online introductory course to incorporate cafeteria-style grading. This LCT approach allowed students to…

Teaching to the Test: A Pragmatic Approach to Teaching Logic

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vannatta, Seth C.

2014-01-01

The proper goal of an introductory logic course, teaching critical thinking, is best achieved by maintaining the principle of continuity between student experiences and the curriculum. To demonstrate this I explain Dewey's naturalistic approach to logic and the process of inquiry, one which presents the elements of traditional logic in the…

Using active learning strategies to investigate student learning and attitudes in a large enrollment, introductory geology course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berry, Stacy Jane

There has been an increased emphasis for college instruction to incorporate more active and collaborative involvement of students in the learning process. These views have been asserted by The Association of American Colleges (AAC), the National Science Foundation (NSF), and The National Research Counsel (NRC), which are advocating for the modification of traditional instructional techniques to allow students the opportunity to be more cooperative (Task Group on General Education, 1988). This has guided educators and facilitators into shifting teaching paradigms from a teacher centered to a more student-centered curriculum. The present study investigated achievement outcomes and attitudes of learners in a large enrollment (n ~ 200), introductory geology course using a student centered learning cycle format of instruction versus another similar section that used a traditional lecture format. Although the course is a recruiting class for majors, over 95% of the students that enroll are non-majors. Measurements of academic evaluation were through four unit exams, classroom communication systems, weekly web-based homework, in-class activities, and a thematic collaborative poster/paper project and presentation. The qualitative methods to investigate the effectiveness of the teaching design included: direct observation, self-reporting about learning, and open-ended interviews. By disaggregating emerging data, we tried to concentrate on patterns and causal relationships between achievement performance and attitudes regarding learning geology. Statistical analyses revealed positive relationships between student engagement in supplemental activities and achievement mean scores within and between the two sections. Completing weekly online homework had the most robust relationship with overall achievement performance. Contrary to expectations, a thematic group project only led to modest gains in achievement performance, although the social and professional gains could be considered as significant as the academic merit. The qualitative data substantiated the achievement success and revealed a positive relationship between a student centered learning environment and attitudes regarding learning geology. Our findings indicated a positive trend favoring active learning instructional practices, particularly methods that emphasize independent and active thinking, and analyzing of data. Of particular interest was the correlation between the amount of student ownership in an activity and students' attitude toward authenticity and application in learning. Students' perceptions and attitudes provided depth in program evaluation and helped in identifying which components used in teaching methodologies were the most effective towards learning. Although the exigencies of high enrollment introductory courses set limits for this study, the outcomes support the positive influence that active learning has on achievement performance in a high enrollment, introductory Geology course.

Teach Astronomy: An Online Textbook for Introductory Astronomy Courses and Resources for Informal Learners

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hardegree-Ullman, Kevin; Impey, C. D.; Patikkal, A.

2012-05-01

This year we implemented Teach Astronomy (www.teachastronomy.com) as a free online resource to be used as a teaching tool for non-science major astronomy courses and for a general audience interested in the subject. The comprehensive content includes: an introductory astronomy text book by Chris Impey, astronomy articles on Wikipedia, images from the Astronomy Picture of the Day, two to three minute topical video clips by Chris Impey, podcasts from 365 Days of Astronomy, and astronomy news from Science Daily. Teach Astronomy utilizes a novel technology to cluster, display, and navigate search results, called a Wikimap. Steep increases in textbook prices and the unique capabilities of emerging web technology motivated the development of this free online resource. Recent additions to Teach Astronomy include: images and diagrams for the textbook articles, mobile device implementation, and suggested homework assignments for instructors that utilize recent discoveries in astronomy. We present an overview of how Teach Astronomy has been implemented for use in the classroom and informal settings, and suggestions for utilizing the rich content and features of the web site.

Assessing the Effectiveness of Studio Physics in Introductory-Level Courses at Georgia State University

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Upton, Brianna; Evans, John; Morrow, Cherilynn; Thoms, Brian

2009-11-01

Previous studies have shown that many students have misconceptions about basic concepts in physics. Moreover, it has been concluded that one of the challenges lies in the teaching methodology. To address this, Georgia State University has begun teaching studio algebra-based physics. Although many institutions have implemented studio physics, most have done so in calculus-based sequences. The effectiveness of the studio approach in an algebra-based introductory physics course needs further investigation. A 3-semester study assessing the effectiveness of studio physics in an algebra-based physics sequence has been performed. This study compares the results of student pre- and post-tests using the Force Concept Inventory. Using the results from this assessment tool, we will discuss the effectiveness of the studio approach to teaching physics at GSU.

Applications of "Integrated Data Viewer'' (IDV) in the classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nogueira, R.; Cutrim, E. M.

2006-06-01

Conventionally, weather products utilized in synoptic meteorology reduce phenomena occurring in four dimensions to a 2-dimensional form. This constitutes a road-block for non-atmospheric-science majors who need to take meteorology as a non-mathematical and complementary course to their major programs. This research examines the use of Integrated Data Viewer-IDV as a teaching tool, as it allows a 4-dimensional representation of weather products. IDV was tested in the teaching of synoptic meteorology, weather analysis, and weather map interpretation to non-science students in the laboratory sessions of an introductory meteorology class at Western Michigan University. Comparison of student exam scores according to the laboratory teaching techniques, i.e., traditional lab manual and IDV was performed for short- and long-term learning. Results of the statistical analysis show that the Fall 2004 students in the IDV-based lab session retained learning. However, in the Spring 2005 the exam scores did not reflect retention in learning when compared with IDV-based and MANUAL-based lab scores (short term learning, i.e., exam taken one week after the lab exercise). Testing the long-term learning, seven weeks between the two exams in the Spring 2005, show no statistically significant difference between IDV-based group scores and MANUAL-based group scores. However, the IDV group obtained exam score average slightly higher than the MANUAL group. Statistical testing of the principal hypothesis in this study, leads to the conclusion that the IDV-based method did not prove to be a better teaching tool than the traditional paper-based method. Future studies could potentially find significant differences in the effectiveness of both manual and IDV methods if the conditions had been more controlled. That is, students in the control group should not be exposed to the weather analysis using IDV during lecture.

Teaching Introductory Physics with an Environmental Focus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martinuk, Mathew ``Sandy''; Moll, Rachel F.; Kotlicki, Andrzej

2010-09-01

Throughout North America the curriculum of introductory physics courses is nearly standardized. In 1992, Tobias wrote that four texts dominate 90% of the introductory physics market and current physics education research is focusing on how to sustain educational reforms.2 The instructional team at the University of British Columbia (UBC) recently implemented some key curriculum and pedagogical changes in Physics 100, their algebra-based introductory course for non-physics majors. These changes were aimed at improving their students' attitudes toward physics and their ability to apply physics concepts to useful real-life situations. In order to demonstrate that physics is relevant to real life, a theme of energy and environment was incorporated into the course.

Basic Math Skills and Performance in an Introductory Statistics Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Marianne; Kuennen, Eric

2006-01-01

We identify the student characteristics most associated with success in an introductory business statistics class, placing special focus on the relationship between student math skills and course performance, as measured by student grade in the course. To determine which math skills are important for student success, we examine (1) whether the…

Computer-Automated Approach for Scoring Short Essays in an Introductory Statistics Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zimmerman, Whitney Alicia; Kang, Hyun Bin; Kim, Kyung; Gao, Mengzhao; Johnson, Glenn; Clariana, Roy; Zhang, Fan

2018-01-01

Over two semesters short essay prompts were developed for use with the Graphical Interface for Knowledge Structure (GIKS), an automated essay scoring system. Participants were students in an undergraduate-level online introductory statistics course. The GIKS compares students' writing samples with an expert's to produce keyword occurrence and…

76 FR 11373 - Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Atlantic Herring; Amendment 4

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-02

...). This action specifies that ABC is to be recommended by the Council's Scientific and Statistical..., paragraphs (a) introductory text, (b)(1), (b)(2), (b)(3), (b)(4), (e), and (f) introductory text are revised... OFL. The Council's Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) shall recommend ABC to the Council...

A Critical Understanding and Transformation of an Introductory Statistics Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Magalhães, Marcos Nascimento; Magalhães, Maria Cecilia Camargo

2014-01-01

In this paper, we report on the impact of four activities and two interviews on the organization of an introductory statistics course attended by future mathematics teachers at the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil. The activities were designed to enhance students' learning and collaborative knowledge construction, based on Vygotsky's…

Exploring Foundation Concepts in Introductory Statistics Using Dynamic Data Points

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ekol, George

2015-01-01

This paper analyses introductory statistics students' verbal and gestural expressions as they interacted with a dynamic sketch (DS) designed using "Sketchpad" software. The DS involved numeric data points built on the number line whose values changed as the points were dragged along the number line. The study is framed on aggregate…

Student Performance in an Introductory Business Statistics Course: Does Delivery Mode Matter?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haughton, Jonathan; Kelly, Alison

2015-01-01

Approximately 600 undergraduates completed an introductory business statistics course in 2013 in one of two learning environments at Suffolk University, a mid-sized private university in Boston, Massachusetts. The comparison group completed the course in a traditional classroom-based environment, whereas the treatment group completed the course in…

Mainstreaming Remedial Mathematics Students in Introductory Statistics: Results Using a Randomized Controlled Trial

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Logue, Alexandra W.; Watanabe-Rose, Mari

2014-01-01

This study used a randomized controlled trial to determine whether students, assessed by their community colleges as needing an elementary algebra (remedial) mathematics course, could instead succeed at least as well in a college-level, credit-bearing introductory statistics course with extra support (a weekly workshop). Researchers randomly…

Future of the Introductory Psychology Textbook: A Survey of College Publishers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buskit, William; Cush, David T.

1997-01-01

Examines aspects of the introductory psychology textbook market through a publishing house survey. Aspects covered are the current and future number of introductory texts, fewer textbook publishers, custom publishing, changing content, and computer technologies. Discusses the results of the publishers' responses and provides statistical tables of…

Assessment of student knowledge of the weak and strong nuclear forces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shakya, Pramila

The purpose of this study was to determine if the use of active-learning activities to teach weak force and strong force to students enrolled in various courses at The University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg campus and Gulf Park campus at different class times would increase their knowledge. There were eighty-six students that took part in this study. The study was conducted in the lab classes of an introductory astronomy survey course (AST 111), an introductory algebra-based physics course (PHY 112), and an introductory calculus-based physics course (PHY 202) during fall semester, 2014. Each class was randomly assigned as active-learning or direct instruction. A pretest followed by lecture was administered to all groups. The active-learning group performed four activities whereas the direct group watched a video irrelevant to the lesson. At the end of the lesson, the same post-test was given to all groups. Various statistical methods were used to analyze the differences in mean pretest and posttest scores. Overall, results show that the mean posttest scores were higher than the mean pretest scores. Findings support the use of active-learning activities work to the small number of students or the equal number of students in a group. The mean posttest scores of the direct instruction classes were higher than those of the active-learning groups.

Meta-analysis of teaching methods: a 50k+ student study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sayre, Eleanor; Archibeque, Benjamin; Gomez, K. Alison; Heckendorf, Tyrel; Madsen, Adrian M.; McKagan, Sarah B.; Schenk, Edward W.; Shepard, Chase; Sorell, Lane; von Korff, Joshua

2015-04-01

The Force Concept Inventory (FCI) and the Force and Motion Conceptual Evaluation (FMCE) are the two most widely-used conceptual tests in introductory mechanics. Because they are so popular, they provide an excellent avenue to compare different teaching methods at different kinds of institutions with varying student populations. We conducted a secondary analysis of all peer-reviewed papers which publish data from US and Canadian colleges and universities. Our data include over fifty thousand students drawn from approximately 100 papers; papers were drawn from Scopus, ERIC, ComPADRE, and journal websites. We augment published data about teaching methods with institutional data such as Carnegie Classification and average SAT scores. We statistically determine the effectiveness of different teaching methods as measured by FCI and FMCE gains and mediated by institutional and course factors. As in the landmark 1998 Hake study, we find that classes using interactive engagement (IE) have significantly larger learning gains than classes using traditional instruction. However, we find a broader distribution of normalized gains occurs in each of traditional and IE classes, and the differences between IE and traditional instruction have changed over time and are more context dependent.

Increasing Student Success Using Online Quizzing in Introductory (Majors) Biology

PubMed Central

Orr, Rebecca; Foster, Shellene

2013-01-01

Students often complain about their perceived disconnect between the time and effort spent studying and their subsequent performance on exams. Robert Bjork's research asserts that retrieval of stored information acts as a memory modifier, and that using tests as learning events creates “desirable difficulties that enhance learning.” To determine the effect of utilizing testing as a learning event in the introductory (majors) biology classroom, we used an online homework platform to give required quizzes throughout the course. Analysis of exam grades earned by those taking 100% of pre-exam quizzes indicates that not only does this group have a significantly higher exam average than the group of students who took 0% of the pre-exam quizzes, but they also have a significantly higher exam average than the class average. Through detailed, statistical analysis, the benefit of quizzing is demonstrated to be significant for students of diverse academic abilities. Pre-exam quizzing using an online homework platform is an effective way to increase student performance on exams and allows class time to be utilized for teaching activities. PMID:24006398

Why do they not answer and do they really learn? A case study in analysing student response flows in introductory physics using an audience response system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jääskeläinen, Markku; Lagerkvist, Andreas

2017-07-01

In this paper we investigate teaching with a classroom response system in introductory physics with emphasis on two issues. First, we discuss retention between question rounds and the reasons why students avoid answering the question a second time. A question with declining response rate was followed by a question addressing the student reasons for not answering. We find that there appear to be several reasons for the observed decline, and that the students need to be reminded. We argue that small drops are unimportant as the process appears to work despite the drops. Second, we discuss the dynamics of learning in a concept-sequence in electromagnetism, where a majority of the students, despite poor statistics in a first round, manage to answer a followup question correctly. In addition, we analyse the response times for both situations to connect with research on student reasoning on situations with misconception-like answers. From the combination of the answer flows and response time behaviours we find it plausible that conceptual learning occurred during the discussion phase.

An Informed Approach to Improving Quantitative Literacy and Mitigating Math Anxiety in Undergraduates Through Introductory Science Courses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Follette, K.; McCarthy, D.

2012-08-01

Current trends in the teaching of high school and college science avoid numerical engagement because nearly all students lack basic arithmetic skills and experience anxiety when encountering numbers. Nevertheless, such skills are essential to science and vital to becoming savvy consumers, citizens capable of recognizing pseudoscience, and discerning interpreters of statistics in ever-present polls, studies, and surveys in which our society is awash. Can a general-education collegiate course motivate students to value numeracy and to improve their quantitative skills in what may well be their final opportunity in formal education? We present a tool to assess whether skills in numeracy/quantitative literacy can be fostered and improved in college students through the vehicle of non-major introductory courses in astronomy. Initial classroom applications define the magnitude of this problem and indicate that significant improvements are possible. Based on these initial results we offer this tool online and hope to collaborate with other educators, both formal and informal, to develop effective mechanisms for encouraging all students to value and improve their skills in basic numeracy.

Students' Pre-Knowledge as a Guideline in the Teaching of Introductory Thermal Physics at University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leinonen, Risto; Rasanen, Esa; Asikainen, Mervi; Hirvonen, Pekka E.

2009-01-01

This study concentrates on analysing university students' pre-knowledge of thermal physics. The students' understanding of the basic concepts and of the adiabatic compression of an ideal gas was studied at the start of an introductory level course. A total of 48 students participated in a paper-and-pencil test, and analysis of the responses…

History-Infused Lessons in Introductory Calculus at the Secondary Level: Students' Learning and Perceptions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Poh, Wei Beng; Dindyal, Jaguthsing

2016-01-01

A history-infused lesson package developed by a team of teachers in a professional learning community was used to teach introductory calculus in a secondary school. First, we report a quasi-experimental design that showed that students in the experimental group performed significantly better than students in the control group. Second, we report on…

What Cognitive Science May Learn from Instructional Design: A Case Study in Introductory Computer Programming.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van Merrienboer, Jeroen J. G.

The contributions of instructional design to cognitive science are discussed. It is argued that both sciences have their own object of study, but share a common interest in human cognition and performance as part of instructional systems. From a case study based on experience in teaching introductory computer programming, it is concluded that both…

Research and Teaching: Exploring the Use of an Online Quiz Game to Provide Formative Feedback in a Large-Enrollment, Introductory Biochemistry Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Milner, Rachel; Parrish, Jonathan; Wright, Adrienne; Gnarpe, Judy; Keenan, Louanne

2015-01-01

In a large-enrollment, introductory biochemistry course for nonmajors, the authors provide students with formative feedback through practice questions in PDF format. Recently, they investigated possible benefits of providing the practice questions via an online game (Brainspan). Participants were randomly assigned to either the online game group…

Teaching Assistants' Performance at Identifying Common Introductory Student Difficulties in Mechanics Revealed by the Force Concept Inventory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maries, Alexandru; Singh, Chandralekha

2016-01-01

The Force Concept Inventory (FCI) has been widely used to assess student understanding of introductory mechanics concepts by a variety of educators and physics education researchers. One reason for this extensive use is that many of the items on the FCI have strong distractor choices which correspond to students' alternate conceptions in…

Experimental Course Development in Introductory Economics at Indiana University. The Journal of Economic Education, Special Issue No. 4, Fall 1975.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saunders, Phillip

A two part experimental introductory college economics course is described. Data on the combination macroeconomics and microeconomics course have been collected over eight consecutive terms and are presented in nine chapters. Chapter I describes course goals as stimulation of student interest, teaching a few basic economic principles, helping…

Five Well Established Research Results Which I Think Are Probably True, Teachable in Introductory Sociology, and Worth Teaching.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davis, James A.

Appropriate for college level introductory sociology classes, five units on empirical research use empirical results that are true, demonstrable, causal, and thought-provoking. The units take educational attainment as the main variable, drawing on data from the decennial census and the NORC Social Surveys. Each unit begins with a lecture, followed…

Organic Chemistry in Action! Developing an Intervention Program for Introductory Organic Chemistry to Improve Learners' Understanding, Interest, and Attitudes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Dwyer, Anne; Childs, Peter

2014-01-01

The main areas of difficulty experienced by those teaching and learning organic chemistry at high school and introductory university level in Ireland have been identified, and the findings support previous studies in Ireland and globally. Using these findings and insights from chemistry education research (CER), the Organic Chemistry in Action!…

Pilot Study Using the Augmented Reality Sandbox to Teach Topographic Maps and Surficial Processes in Introductory Geology Labs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Woods, Terri L.; Reed, Sarah; Hsi, Sherry; Woods, John A.; Woods, Michael R.

2016-01-01

Spatial thinking is often challenging for introductory geology students. A pilot study using the Augmented Reality sandbox (AR sandbox) suggests it can be a powerful tool for bridging the gap between two-dimensional (2D) representations and real landscapes, as well as enhancing the spatial thinking and modeling abilities of students. The AR…

Using the Concept Map Technique in Teaching Introductory Cell Biology to College Freshmen

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yarden, Hagit; Marbach-Ad, Gili; Gershoni, Jonathan M.

2004-01-01

In our study, we focused on the conceptual understanding of the concepts and processes presented in the first lectures of an introductory course in cellular biology for biology majors. The study topic we considered was, "the structure of DNA and the functions of nucleotides". One hundred and eighteen students were asked to prepare concept maps…

Clicking to Learn: A Case Study of Embedding Radio-Frequency Based Clickers in an Introductory Management Information Systems Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nelson, Matthew L.; Hauck, Roslin V.

2008-01-01

The challenges associated with teaching a core introductory management information systems (MIS) course are well known (large class sizes serving a majority of non-MIS majors, sustaining student interests, encouraging class participation, etc.). This study offers a mechanism towards managing these challenges through the use of a simple and…

Experiential Learning in the Introductory Class: The Role of Minor League Hockey in Teaching Social Psychology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Forrest, Krista D.

2005-01-01

To convince my students they are surrounded by social psychology, we attended a minor league hockey game. During the next class period I asked students to write a brief paragraph about their experiences. From those paragraphs I chose four reoccurring themes to analyze from a social psychological perspective. My introductory classes and I benefited…

Development and Implementation of a Simple, Engaging Acid Rain Neutralization Experiment and Corresponding Animated Instructional Video for Introductory Chemistry Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rand, Danielle; Yennie, Craig J.; Lynch, Patrick; Lowry, Gregory; Budarz, James; Zhu, Wenlei; Wang, Li-Qiong

2016-01-01

Here we describe an acid rain neutralization laboratory experiment and its corresponding instructional video. This experiment has been developed and implemented for use in the teaching laboratory of a large introductory chemistry course at Brown University. It provides a contextually relevant example to introduce beginner-level students with…

Do Mathematics and Reading Competencies Integrated into Career and Technical Education Courses Improve High School Student State Assessment Scores?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pierce, Kristin B.; Hernandez, Victor M.

2015-01-01

A quasi experimental study tested a contextual teaching and learning model for integrating reading and mathematics competencies through 13 introductory career and technical education (CTE) courses. The treatment group consisted of students in the 13 introductory courses taught by the CTE teachers who designed the units and the control group…

How to Recognize Success and Failure: Practical Assessment of an Evolving, First-Semester Laboratory Program Using Simple, Outcome-Based Tools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gron, Liz U.; Bradley, Shelly B.; McKenzie, Jennifer R.; Shinn, Sara E.; Teague, M. Warfield

2013-01-01

This paper presents the use of simple, outcome-based assessment tools to design and evaluate the first semester of a new introductory laboratory program created to teach green analytical chemistry using environmental samples. This general chemistry laboratory program, like many introductory courses, has a wide array of stakeholders within and…

Peer Instruction in Introductory Physics: A Method to Bring about Positive Changes in Students' Attitudes and Beliefs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhang, Ping; Ding, Lin; Mazur, Eric

2017-01-01

This paper analyzes pre-post matched gains in the epistemological views of science students taking the introductory physics course at Beijing Normal University (BNU) in China. In this study we examined the attitudes and beliefs of science majors (n = 441) in four classes, one taught using traditional (lecture) teaching methods, and the other three…

Using PARSEL Modules to Contextualizing the States-of-Matter Approach (SOMA) to Introductory Chemistry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tsaparlis, Georgios

2008-01-01

SOMA (States-Of-Matter Approach) is an introductory chemistry program for all students in the tenth or eleventh grade (age 16-17), which introduces chemistry through the separate study of the three states of matter. SOMA is basically a formalistic approach. In this paper, we discuss the use of PARSEL modules in providing a teaching approach to…

Using Rubber-Elastic Material-Ideal Gas Analogies To Teach Introductory Thermodynamics. Part I: Equations of State.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Brent

2002-01-01

Describes equations of state as a supplement to an introductory thermodynamics undergraduate course. Uses rubber-elastic materials (REM) which have strong analogies to the concept of an ideal gas and explains the molar basis of REM. Provides examples of the analogies between ideal gas and REM and mathematical analogies. (Contains 22 references.)…

Just-in-Time Teaching in Sociology or How I Convinced My Students to Actually Read the Assignment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Howard, Jay R.

2004-01-01

In the process of collecting assessment data in the author's introductory sociology course, he made a startling and disappointing discovery. For the most part, students simply were not bothering to read the basics version of the introductory survey textbook that he assigned. This discovery presented him with two related challenges. First, he had…

Crossing the Threshold in Introductory Women's and Gender Studies Courses: An Assessment of Student Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hassel, Holly; Launius, Christie

2017-01-01

This article reports on a scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) project in the introductory women's and gender studies course, occasioned by a curricular redesign to focus the course on four threshold concepts within the field: the social construction of gender, privilege and oppression, intersectionality, and feminist praxis. The authors…

Four-Year Turfgrass Management Programs in the United States: II. Organization and Content of Introductory Turfgrass Management Courses.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karnok, Keith J.; And Others

1993-01-01

A survey of 32 land-grant institutions was conducted to determine format, topical content, and teaching methods of introductory turfgrass management courses of 4-year turfgrass management programs in the United States. Required courses included a basic soils class and a course in biology or botany, usually transmitted by the lecture method. (MDH)

College Students' Perceptions of What Teaching Assistants Are Self-Disclosing in the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Punyanunt-Carter, Narissra Maria

2006-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine college students' perceptions of their teaching assistants' self-disclosure behavior in the classroom. Students in the introductory speech course rated their teaching assistants' self-disclosure based on positive and negative statements. In addition, student rated the self-disclosure on intent to disclose,…

Teaching Experience: How to Make and Use PowerPoint-Based Interactive Simulations for Undergraduate IR Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meibauer, Gustav; Aagaard Nøhr, Andreas

2018-01-01

This article is about designing and implementing PowerPoint-based interactive simulations for use in International Relations (IR) introductory undergraduate classes based on core pedagogical literature, models of human skill acquisition, and previous research on simulations in IR teaching. We argue that simulations can be usefully employed at the…

Bridging the Gap between Instructional and Research Laboratories: Teaching Data Analysis Software Skills through the Manipulation of Original Research Data

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hansen, Sarah J. R.; Zhu, Jieling; Karch, Jessica M.; Sorrento, Cristina M.; Ulichny, Joseph C.; Kaufman, Laura J.

2016-01-01

The gap between graduate research and introductory undergraduate teaching laboratories is often wide, but the development of teaching activities rooted within the research environment offers an opportunity for undergraduate students to have first-hand experience with research currently being conducted and for graduate students to develop…

Who Will Teach Our Children? A Strategy for Improving California's Schools. The Report of the California Commission on the Teaching Profession.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

California Commission on the Teaching Profession, Sacramento.

This report sets forth 27 recommendations by the California Commission on the Teaching Profession for improving California schools. After an outline summary of the recommendations and an introductory discussion of education as California's "growth industry," the recommendations are presented according to three general topic areas. The…

Using Fiction to Teach Introductory Anthropology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ellenbaum, Charles O.

A discussion of the role of fiction in a college level anthropology course is divided into two sections. The first section describes several advantages of using fiction rather than a text to teach anthropology. Teacher and students share more or less equally in the teaching process with this approach. The teacher is no longer an authority on a…

ICE: An Automated Tool for Teaching Advanced C Programming

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gonzalez, Ruben

2017-01-01

There are many difficulties with learning and teaching programming that can be alleviated with the use of software tools. Most of these tools have focused on the teaching of introductory programming concepts where commonly code fragments or small user programs are run in a sandbox or virtual machine, often in the cloud. These do not permit user…

Active versus Passive Teaching Styles: An Empirical Study of Student Learning Outcomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Michel, Norbert; Cater, John James, III; Varela, Otmar

2009-01-01

This study compares the impact of an active teaching approach and a traditional (or passive) teaching style on student cognitive outcomes. Across two sections of an introductory business course, one class was taught in an active or nontraditional manner, with a variety of active learning exercises. The second class was taught in a passive or…

Teaching Free Speech in Advertising Classrooms (Approaches to Teaching Freedom of Expression).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Geske, Joel

1991-01-01

Argues that free expression is an important concept to teach to introductory advertising students. Explains how free expression can be taught through student role playing within a talk show format. Reports research showing student enthusiasm for the method. Concludes that the method can be successful in the large lecture classroom format. (SG)

Introductory Computer Programming Course Teaching Improvement Using Immersion Language, Extreme Programming, and Education Theories

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Velez-Rubio, Miguel

2013-01-01

Teaching computer programming to freshmen students in Computer Sciences and other Information Technology areas has been identified as a complex activity. Different approaches have been studied looking for the best one that could help to improve this teaching process. A proposed approach was implemented which is based in the language immersion…

A comparative evaluation of teaching methods in an introductory neuroscience course for physical therapy students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Willett, Gilbert M.

Background and purpose. Use of computer based instruction (CBI) in physical therapy (P.T.) education is growing. P.T. educators have reported few studies regarding the effectiveness of CBI compared to lecture based instruction, and none have specifically addressed the area of neuroscience. The purpose of this study was to determine whether CBI would be a better alternative than lecture for teaching introductory neuroscience information to first year P.T. students. Subjects. This study was conducted over two years, with 28 participants in 2003 and 34 in 2004. Methods. A randomized, cross-over design was employed for this investigation. The course in which the study took place was divided into two sections with an exam after each. Both sections included 5 one hour lectures (or 5 equivalent CBI modules) and a two hour laboratory experience. Exams consisted of 30 multiple choice questions. Students in one group participated in CBI during the first half of the course and lecture during the second half. The order of participation was reversed for students in the other group. A review exam (60 multiple choice questions) was also taken by participants six months post-participation in the course. Exam scores, study time, course development costs, and student opinions regarding teaching methods were collected after each section of the course and analyzed using quantitative and qualitative methods. Results. There were no statistically significant differences in "within course" or review exam scores between participant groups based on instructional method, however, CBI taught students spent less time studying. Student opinions did not distinguish a major preference for either instruction method. Many students preferred that CBI be used as a complimentary rather than mutually exclusive instructional method. Lecture based instruction was clearly more cost effective than CBI. Conclusion. In this study, lecture based instruction was clearly the better choice of teaching method in terms of cost, but CBI was more time efficient in terms of student learning.

Teaching Camera Calibration by a Constructivist Methodology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Samper, D.; Santolaria, J.; Pastor, J. J.; Aguilar, J. J.

2010-01-01

This article describes the Metrovisionlab simulation software and practical sessions designed to teach the most important machine vision camera calibration aspects in courses for senior undergraduate students. By following a constructivist methodology, having received introductory theoretical classes, students use the Metrovisionlab application to…

Teaching Anthropology to "Nonelite" Students: A Beginning Discussion.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Newman, Stanley M.

1990-01-01

Describes a strategy for designing an introductory course in cultural anthropology for "nonelite" students. Discusses the thematic approach to teaching anthropology. Emphasis is placed on the importance of using the culture concept as an analytical tool to understand culturally different behaviors. (JS)

Real and Virtual Images Using a Classroom Hologram.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Olson, Dale W.

1992-01-01

Describes the design and fabrication of a classroom hologram and activities utilizing the hologram to teach the concepts of real and virtual images to high school and introductory college students. Contrasts this method with three other approaches to teach about images. (MDH)

Organic Chemistry in Action! What Is the Reaction?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Dwyer, Anne; Childs, Peter

2015-01-01

The "Organic Chemistry in Action!" ("OCIA!") program is a set of teaching resources designed to facilitate the teaching and learning of introductory level organic chemistry. The "OCIA!" program was developed in collaboration with practicing and experienced chemistry teachers, using findings from Chemistry Education…

Data Analysis and Graphing in an Introductory Physics Laboratory: Spreadsheet versus Statistics Suite

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peterlin, Primoz

2010-01-01

Two methods of data analysis are compared: spreadsheet software and a statistics software suite. Their use is compared analysing data collected in three selected experiments taken from an introductory physics laboratory, which include a linear dependence, a nonlinear dependence and a histogram. The merits of each method are compared. (Contains 7…

The "Core Concepts Plus" Paradigm for Creating an Electronic Textbook for Introductory Business and Economic Statistics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haley, M. Ryan

2013-01-01

This paper describes a flexible paradigm for creating an electronic "Core Concepts Plus" textbook (CCP-text) for a course in Introductory Business and Economic Statistics (IBES). In general terms, "core concepts" constitute the intersection of IBES course material taught by all IBES professors at the author's university. The…

Evaluating Two Models of Collaborative Tests in an Online Introductory Statistics Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Björnsdóttir, Auðbjörg; Garfield, Joan; Everson, Michelle

2015-01-01

This study explored the use of two different types of collaborative tests in an online introductory statistics course. A study was designed and carried out to investigate three research questions: (1) What is the difference in students' learning between using consensus and non-consensus collaborative tests in the online environment?, (2) What is…

Course Format Effects on Learning Outcomes in an Introductory Statistics Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sami, Fary

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine if course format significantly impacted student learning and course completion rates in an introductory statistics course taught at Harford Community College. In addition to the traditional lecture format, the College offers an online, and a hybrid (blend of traditional and online) version of this class.…

From Research to Practice: Basic Mathematics Skills and Success in Introductory Statistics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lunsford, M. Leigh; Poplin, Phillip

2011-01-01

Based on previous research of Johnson and Kuennen (2006), we conducted a study to determine factors that would possibly predict student success in an introductory statistics course. Our results were similar to Johnson and Kuennen in that we found students' basic mathematical skills, as measured on a test created by Johnson and Kuennen, were a…

The effectiveness of the problem-based learning teaching model for use in introductory Chinese undergraduate medical courses: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Zhang, Yanqi; Zhou, Liang; Liu, Xiaoyu; Liu, Ling; Wu, Yazhou; Zhao, Zengwei; Yi, Dali; Yi, Dong

2015-01-01

Although the problem-based learning (PBL) emerged in 1969 and was soon widely applied internationally, the rapid development in China only occurred in the last 10 years. This study aims to compare the effect of PBL and lecture-based learning (LBL) on student course examination results for introductory Chinese undergraduate medical courses. Randomized and nonrandomized controlled trial studies on PBL use in Chinese undergraduate medical education were retrieved through PubMed, the Excerpta Medica Database (EMBASE), Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and VIP China Science and Technology Journal Database (VIP-CSTJ) with publication dates from 1st January 1966 till 31 August 2014. The pass rate, excellence rate and examination scores of course examination were collected. Methodological quality was evaluated based on the modified Jadad scale. The I-square statistic and Chi-square test of heterogeneity were used to assess the statistical heterogeneity. Overall RRs or SMDs with their 95% CIs were calculated in meta-analysis. Meta-regression and subgroup meta-analyses were also performed based on comparators and other confounding factors. Funnel plots and Egger's tests were performed to assess degrees of publication bias. The meta-analysis included 31studies and 4,699 subjects. Fourteen studies were of high quality with modified Jadad scores of 4 to 6, and 17 studies were of low quality with scores of 1 to 3. Relative to the LBL model, the PBL model yielded higher course examination pass rates [RR = 1.09, 95%CI (1.03, 1.17)], excellence rates [RR = 1.66, 95%CI (1.33, 2.06)] and examination scores [SMD = 0.82, 95%CI (0.63, 1.01)]. The meta-regression results show that course type was the significant confounding factor that caused heterogeneity in the examination-score meta-analysis (t = 0.410, P<0.001). The examination score SMD in "laboratory course" subgroup [SMD = 2.01, 95% CI: (1.50, 2.52)] was higher than that in "theory course" subgroup [SMD = 0.72, 95% CI: (0.56, 0.89)]. PBL teaching model application in introductory undergraduate medical courses can increase course examination excellence rates and scores in Chinese medical education system. It is more effective when applied to laboratory courses than to theory-based courses.

The Effectiveness of the Problem-Based Learning Teaching Model for Use in Introductory Chinese Undergraduate Medical Courses: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

PubMed Central

Zhang, Yanqi; Zhou, Liang; Liu, Xiaoyu; Liu, Ling; Wu, Yazhou; Zhao, Zengwei; Yi, Dali; Yi, Dong

2015-01-01

Background Although the problem-based learning (PBL) emerged in 1969 and was soon widely applied internationally, the rapid development in China only occurred in the last 10 years. This study aims to compare the effect of PBL and lecture-based learning (LBL) on student course examination results for introductory Chinese undergraduate medical courses. Methods Randomized and nonrandomized controlled trial studies on PBL use in Chinese undergraduate medical education were retrieved through PubMed, the Excerpta Medica Database (EMBASE), Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and VIP China Science and Technology Journal Database (VIP-CSTJ) with publication dates from 1st January 1966 till 31 August 2014. The pass rate, excellence rate and examination scores of course examination were collected. Methodological quality was evaluated based on the modified Jadad scale. The I-square statistic and Chi-square test of heterogeneity were used to assess the statistical heterogeneity. Overall RRs or SMDs with their 95% CIs were calculated in meta-analysis. Meta-regression and subgroup meta-analyses were also performed based on comparators and other confounding factors. Funnel plots and Egger’s tests were performed to assess degrees of publication bias. Results The meta-analysis included 31studies and 4,699 subjects. Fourteen studies were of high quality with modified Jadad scores of 4 to 6, and 17 studies were of low quality with scores of 1 to 3. Relative to the LBL model, the PBL model yielded higher course examination pass rates [RR = 1.09, 95%CI (1.03, 1.17)], excellence rates [RR = 1.66, 95%CI (1.33, 2.06)] and examination scores [SMD = 0.82, 95%CI (0.63, 1.01)]. The meta-regression results show that course type was the significant confounding factor that caused heterogeneity in the examination-score meta-analysis (t = 0.410, P<0.001). The examination score SMD in “laboratory course” subgroup [SMD = 2.01, 95% CI: (1.50, 2.52)] was higher than that in “theory course” subgroup [SMD = 0.72, 95% CI: (0.56, 0.89)]. Conclusions PBL teaching model application in introductory undergraduate medical courses can increase course examination excellence rates and scores in Chinese medical education system. It is more effective when applied to laboratory courses than to theory-based courses. PMID:25822653

Toward using games to teach fundamental computer science concepts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Edgington, Jeffrey Michael

Video and computer games have become an important area of study in the field of education. Games have been designed to teach mathematics, physics, raise social awareness, teach history and geography, and train soldiers in the military. Recent work has created computer games for teaching computer programming and understanding basic algorithms. We present an investigation where computer games are used to teach two fundamental computer science concepts: boolean expressions and recursion. The games are intended to teach the concepts and not how to implement them in a programming language. For this investigation, two computer games were created. One is designed to teach basic boolean expressions and operators and the other to teach fundamental concepts of recursion. We describe the design and implementation of both games. We evaluate the effectiveness of these games using before and after surveys. The surveys were designed to ascertain basic understanding, attitudes and beliefs regarding the concepts. The boolean game was evaluated with local high school students and students in a college level introductory computer science course. The recursion game was evaluated with students in a college level introductory computer science course. We present the analysis of the collected survey information for both games. This analysis shows a significant positive change in student attitude towards recursion and modest gains in student learning outcomes for both topics.

Development and analysis of spectroscopic learning tools and the light and spectroscopy concept inventory for introductory college astronomy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bardar, Erin M.

Electromagnetic radiation is the fundamental carrier of astronomical information. Spectral features serve as the fingerprints of the universe, revealing many important properties of objects in the cosmos such as temperature, elemental compositions, and relative motion. Because of its importance to astronomical research, the nature of light and the electromagnetic spectrum is by far the most universally covered topic in astronomy education. Yet, to the surprise and disappointment of instructors, many students struggle to understand underlying fundamental concepts related to light and spectroscopic phenomena. This dissertation describes research into introductory college astronomy students' understanding of light and spectroscopy concepts, through the development and analysis of both instructional materials and an assessment instrument. The purpose of this research was two-fold: (1) to develop a novel suite of spectroscopic learning tools that enhance student understanding of light and spectroscopy and (2) to design and validate a Light and Spectroscopy Concept Inventory (LSCI) with the sensitivity to distinguish the relative effectiveness of various teaching interventions within the context of introductory college astronomy. Through a systematic investigation that included multiple rounds of clinical interviews, open-ended written surveys, and multiple-choice testing, introductory college astronomy students' commonly held misconceptions and reasoning difficulties were explored for concepts relating to: (1) The nature of the electromagnetic spectrum, including the interrelationships of wavelength, frequency, energy, and speed; (2) interpretation of Doppler shift; (3) properties of blackbody radiation; and (4) the connection between spectral features and underlying physical processes. These difficulties guided the development of instructional materials including six unique "homelab" exercises, a binocular spectrometer, a spectral analysis software tool, and the 26-question Light and Spectroscopy Concept Inventory (LSCI). In the fall of 2005, a multi-institution field-test of the LSCI was conducted with student examinees from 14 course sections at 11 colleges and universities employing various instructional techniques. Through statistical analysis, the inventory was proven to be a reliable (Cronbach's alpha = 0.77) and valid assessment instrument that was able to illustrate statistically significant learning gains (p < 0.05) for most course sections, with students utilizing our suite of instructional materials exhibiting among the highest performance gains (Effect Size = 1.31).

Teaching Writing in Economics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schmeiser, Katherine

2017-01-01

In this article, the author provides motivation and a template for integrating and teaching writing in a variety of economics courses: core theory or introductory courses, topic courses, and economic writing/research courses. For each assignment, pedagogical reasoning and syllabus integration are discussed. Additionally, the author shows that…

Cutting Costs, Improving Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roach, Ronald

2009-01-01

As a newcomer to the Department of Natural Sciences at University of Maryland-Eastern Shore (UMES) in fall 2007, assistant biochemistry professor Jennifer L. Hearne concluded from teaching "Principles of Chemistry I" that the introductory general education course needed a makeover. In addition to alleviating teaching inefficiencies,…

Comparing Three Methods for Teaching Newton's Third Law

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Trevor I.; Wittman, Michael C.

2007-01-01

Although guided-inquiry methods for teaching introductory physics have been individually shown to be more effective at improving conceptual understanding than traditional lecture-style instruction, researchers in physics education have not studied differences among reform-based curricula in much detail. Several researchers have developed…

Teaching Undergraduates to Think Like Scientists

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Caccavo, Frank, Jr.

2009-01-01

The author discusses the importance of incorporating research into undergraduate curricula. Pedagogical approaches include faculty-directed research projects, off-campus internships, and research-oriented courses (R-courses). Examples of R-courses are reviewed, and an introductory microbiology course that teaches first year students "how to do…

Census Bureau Education Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bureau of the Census (DOC), Washington, DC. Data User Services Div.

This document consists of nine individual booklets published by the Bureau of the Census. "Census Bureau Education Program: Update 1" consists of introductory material and describes the teaching resource series that are presented here and that make up the Bureau's education program. "Census Bureau Teaching Resource 1 - Congressional…

Perspectives: Concerns about Cancer Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stronck, David R.

1983-01-01

Suggests teaching a unit on cancer in high school or introductory college courses for non-majors based on surveys of student interest and recommendations to teach prevention/cure of the disease. Discusses smoking, diet, and environmental factors as causes of cancer. Provides several instructional strategies, encouraging student…

Cooperative Learning as a Tool To Teach Vertebrate Anatomy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koprowski, John L.; Perigo, Nan

2000-01-01

Describes a method for teaching biology that includes more investigative exercises that foster an environment for cooperative learning in introductory laboratories that focus on vertebrates. Fosters collaborative learning by facilitating interaction between students as they become experts on their representative vertebrate structures. (SAH)

Introductory Statistics Students' Conceptual Understanding of Study Design and Conclusions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fry, Elizabeth Brondos

Recommended learning goals for students in introductory statistics courses include the ability to recognize and explain the key role of randomness in designing studies and in drawing conclusions from those studies involving generalizations to a population or causal claims (GAISE College Report ASA Revision Committee, 2016). The purpose of this study was to explore introductory statistics students' understanding of the distinct roles that random sampling and random assignment play in study design and the conclusions that can be made from each. A study design unit lasting two and a half weeks was designed and implemented in four sections of an undergraduate introductory statistics course based on modeling and simulation. The research question that this study attempted to answer is: How does introductory statistics students' conceptual understanding of study design and conclusions (in particular, unbiased estimation and establishing causation) change after participating in a learning intervention designed to promote conceptual change in these areas? In order to answer this research question, a forced-choice assessment called the Inferences from Design Assessment (IDEA) was developed as a pretest and posttest, along with two open-ended assignments, a group quiz and a lab assignment. Quantitative analysis of IDEA results and qualitative analysis of the group quiz and lab assignment revealed that overall, students' mastery of study design concepts significantly increased after the unit, and the great majority of students successfully made the appropriate connections between random sampling and generalization, and between random assignment and causal claims. However, a small, but noticeable portion of students continued to demonstrate misunderstandings, such as confusion between random sampling and random assignment.

Student Selection of the Textbook for an Introductory Physics Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dake, L. S.

2007-01-01

Several years ago I had to select a new textbook for my calculus-based introductory physics class. I subscribe to Just-in-Time Teaching methods,1 which require students to read the book before the material is covered in class. Thus, the readability of the text by the students is critical. However, I did not feel that I was the best judge of this…

Teaching the Indirect Method of the Statement of Cash Flows in Introductory Financial Accounting: A Comprehensive, Problem-Based Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brickner, Daniel R.; McCombs, Gary B.

2004-01-01

In this article, the authors provide an instructional resource for presenting the indirect method of the statement of cash flows (SCF) in an introductory financial accounting course. The authors focus primarily on presenting a comprehensive example that illustrates the "why" of SCF preparation and show how journal entries and T-accounts can be…

Introductory Epidemiology. An Instructor Resource Guide. Appendix to a Final Report on the Paraprofessional Rurally Oriented Family Home Health Training Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Best, Stephen H.; Myer, Donna Foster

This instructor's resource guide, one in a series of products from a project to develop an associate degree program for paraprofessional rural family health promoters, deals with teaching a course in introductory epidemiology. Covered in the first section of the guide are the role of epidemiology in rural health promotional training, general…

Research and Teaching: Examining the Effectiveness of a Postexam Review Activity to Promote Self-Regulation in Introductory Biology Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Andaya, Gillian; Hrabak, Victoria D.; Reyes, Sarah T.; Diaz, Rafael E.; McDonald, Kelly K.

2017-01-01

A postexam review activity was implemented in an introductory biology course to help students learn from their mistakes and strengthen reasoning and self-regulatory skills. The goal of this study was to design and test a strategy to measure the effectiveness of the postexam review using student performance and attitudinal measures. We evaluated…

Physics Almost Saved the President! Electromagnetic Induction and the Assassination of James Garfield: A Teaching Opportunity in Introductory Physics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Overduin, James; Molloy, Dana; Selway, Jim

2014-01-01

Electromagnetic induction is probably one of the most challenging subjects for students in the introductory physics sequence, especially in algebra-based courses. Yet it is at the heart of many of the devices we rely on today. To help students grasp and retain the concept, we have put together a simple and dramatic classroom demonstration that…

When in Rome, Do as Jon Stewart Does: Using "America--The Book" as a Textbook for Introductory-Level Classes in American Politics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Teten, Ryan Lee

2010-01-01

This article draws from different experiences in teaching Introduction to American Politics classes over a six-year period. It examines the value of using nontraditional texts in introductory political science classes that may also fulfill general education requirements, in order to engage as many students as possible in the subject matter. It…

Learning beyond the Classroom: Evaluating the Use of Pinterest in Learning and Teaching in an Introductory Anthropology Class

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pearce, Nick; Learmonth, Sarah

2013-01-01

This paper details a case study of using Pinterest as an educational resource in an introductory anthropology course. Its use was evaluated through the data provided by the platform itself and focus groups. This evaluation found that Pinterest was a popular and useful tool for developing curated multimedia resources to support students' learning.…

Does Context Matter? Convergent and Divergent Findings in the Cross-Institutional Evaluation of Graduate Teaching Assistant Professional Development Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reeves, Todd D.; Hake, Laura E.; Chen, Xinnian; Frederick, Jennifer; Rudenga, Kristin; Ludlow, Larry H.; O'Connor, Clare M.

2018-01-01

Graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) play important instructional roles in introductory science courses, yet they often have little training in pedagogy. The most common form of teaching professional development (PD) for GTAs is a presemester workshop held at the course, department, or college level. In this study, we compare the effectiveness of…

Effective Teaching Strategies for Successful Inclusion: A Focus on Down Syndrome. A Resource Guide for Educators and Parents.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tien, Barbara

This guide focuses on methods to teach students with Down Syndrome to maximize their inclusion in school and the community. Following an introductory section, the 10 chapters provide information and practical guidelines on the following topics: (1) acknowledging the label but teaching the student; (2) medical facts about Down Syndrome (e.g.,…

Co-Teaching and Collaboration: Preservice Teachers' Knowledge, Attitudes, and Perceived Sense of Efficacy in Teaching Students with Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bowlin, Tamara M.; Bell, Sherry Mee; Coleman, Mari Beth; Cihak, David F.

2015-01-01

A quasi-experimental design and multiple regression analysis were used to examine responses of 153 preservice general and special education teachers as a function of (a) participation in an introductory special education course and (b) viewing a co-teaching video (Friend, 2005) versus observing an inclusive classroom. Based on responses to pre-…

On the Development of a Programming Teaching Tool: The Effect of Teaching by Templates on the Learning Process

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Al-Imamy, Samer; Alizadeh, Javanshir; Nour, Mohamed A.

2006-01-01

One of the major issues related to teaching an introductory programming course is the excessive amount of time spent on the language's syntax, which leaves little time for developing skills in program design and solution creativity. The wide variation in the students' backgrounds, coupled with the traditional classroom (one size-fits-all) teaching…

Use of Religious Tracts in the Teaching of an Introductory Course in Persuasive Communication.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dorgan, Howard

The use of religious tracts in teaching a course in persuasive communication is described in this paper. Excerpts from a number of tracts are presented to show how religious tracts can be used in teaching about (1) persuasive messages that appeal to fear, (2) the question of ethics in persuasion, (3) appeals to concerns about physiological…

Assessing a Broad Teaching Approach: The Impact of Combining Active Learning Methods on Student Performance in Undergraduate Peace and Conflict Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sjöstedt, Roxanna

2015-01-01

Teaching introductory International Relations (IR) and peace and conflict studies can be challenging, as undergraduate teaching frequently involves large student groups that limit student activity to listening and taking notes. According to pedagogic research, this is not the optimal structure for learning. Rather, although a teacher can pass on…

Applied Linguistics: A Survey for Language Teachers. Collier MacMillan Teacher's Library.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kehoe, Monika, Ed.

This book, written for those who have no formal training in linguistics but who have an interest in language or language teaching, is meant as a practical text for use in introductory courses in Applied Linguistics. Its emphasis is on second language teaching, but it is also of interest to those who teach native speakers because it covers the…

Reflections of First-Year Teachers on School Culture: Questions, Hopes, and Challenges. New Directions for School Leadership.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Donaldson, Morgaen L., Ed.; Poon, Brian, Ed.

1999-01-01

This collection of papers presents the reflections of five beginning public school teachers from the greater Boston area on their first years in teaching. They share lessons garnered from teaching, writing, and reflecting together on their introductory experiences. As their first months in teaching passed, they found themselves working in some…

Dance for Physically Disabled Persons: A Manual for Teaching Ballroom, Square, and Folk Dances to Users of Wheelchairs and Crutches.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hill, Kathleen

The final booklet in a series on physical education and sports for the handicapped presents ideas for teaching dance to the physically disabled. Introductory sections consider the rehabilitation role of dance, physiological and psychological benefits, and facilities for dance instruction. Step-by-step suggestions are given for teaching ballroom…

A Non-Muslim Teaching Islam: Pedagogical and Ethical Challenges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berkson, Mark

2005-01-01

This paper is a reflection on the two most significant challenges that I have faced teaching the introductory course in Islam. The first is the challenge of teaching Islam after September 11, 2001, the events of which gave rise to such pedagogical questions as how much and in what ways the course syllabus should change, and in particular how we…

A Handbook for Teaching & Learning in Higher Education: Enhancing Academic Practice.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fry, Heather, Ed.; Ketteridge, Steve, Ed.; Marshall, Stephanie, Ed.

This book was written to support the excellence in teaching required to bring about learning of the highest quality. Chapters seek to offer the best practical advice in teaching, learning, and assessment, as well as references to research findings. An introductory section sets out the purpose of the book and examines the changing role and place of…

Scholarship in Teaching and Learning: An Interview with John Mitterer

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Daniel, David B.

2009-01-01

John Mitterer earned his PhD in cognitive psychology from McMaster University. Like many teaching professors, his career took an unexpected turn early on when he was hired to teach introductory psychology at Brock University, near Niagara Falls, in Ontario, Canada. It was love at first lecture. He never left the course and now, as a full professor…

Getting Political Science in on the Joke: Using "The Daily Show" and Other Comedy to Teach Politics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beavers, Staci L.

2011-01-01

The challenges of teaching introductory-level U.S. politics to reluctant audiences are well known and widely lamented. This article investigates the pedagogical potential of political satire, specifically "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart", in engaging students in this tough-to-teach course. Based on a review of available literature and…

Teach Astronomy: An Online Resource for Introductory Astronomy Courses and Informal Learners

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Austin, Carmen; Impey, C. D.; Hardegree-Ullman, K.; Patikkal, A.; Ganesan, N.

2013-01-01

Teach Astronomy (www.teachastronomy.com) is a new, free online resource—a teaching tool for non-science major astronomy courses and a reference guide for lifelong learners interested in the subject. Digital content available includes: a comprehensive introductory astronomy textbook by Chris Impey, Wikipedia astronomy articles, images from Astronomy Picture of the Day archives and AstroPix database, two to three minute topical video clips by Chris Impey, podcasts from 365 Days of Astronomy archives, and an RSS feed of astronomy news from Science Daily. Teach Astronomy features an original technology called the Wikimap to cluster, display, and navigate site search results. Motivation behind the development of Teach Astronomy includes steep increases in textbook prices, the rapid adoption by students and the public of digital resources, and the modern capabilities of digital technology. Recent additions to Teach Astronomy include: AstroPix images—from some of the most advanced observatories and complete with metadata, mobile device functionality, links to WikiSky where users can see the location of astronomical objects in the sky, and end of chapter textbook review questions. Next in line for development are assignments for classroom use. We present suggestions for utilizing the rich content and features of the web site.

Designing flexible instructional space for teaching introductory physics with emphasis on inquiry and collaborative active learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bykov, Tikhon

2010-03-01

In recent years McMurry University's introductory physics curriculum has gone through a series of significant changes to achieve better integration of traditional course components (lecture/lab/discussion) by means of instructional design and technology. A system of flexible curriculum modules with emphasis on inquiry-based teaching and collaborative active learning has been introduced. To unify module elements, a technology suite has been used that consists of Tablet PC's and software applications including Physlets, tablet-adapted personal response system, PASCO data acquisition systems, and MS One-note collaborative writing software. Adoption of the new teaching model resulted in reevaluation of existing instructional spaces. The new teaching space will be created during the renovation of the McMurry Science Building. This space will allow for easy transitions between lecture and laboratory modes. Movable partitions will be used to accommodate student groups of different sizes. The space will be supportive of small peer-group activities with easy-to-reconfigure furniture, multiple white and black board surfaces and multiple projection screens. The new space will be highly flexible to account for different teaching functions, different teaching modes and learning styles.

Two thumbs up: using popular films in introductory aging courses.

PubMed

Karasik, Rona J; Hamon, Raeann; Writz, Jennifer; Moddu Reddy, Anand

2014-01-01

Good teaching requires thoughtful planning and creative thinking, especially when trying to engage students in material that is unfamiliar to them or encumbered by stereotypes, like aging. Classic and contemporary media can provide unique teaching opportunities in gerontology classrooms. Popular films can have a powerful influence over viewers' attitudes and perceptions, and spur in-depth discussions of aging-related topics common to introductory aging courses (e.g., ageism, abuse, inequality, caregiving, healthy aging, and intimate relationships). Additionally, films appeal to multiple learning styles, engaging a variety of learners. This article examines the value of using films in introductory aging courses, offers strategies for incorporating films in the gerontology classroom, suggests sample activities and assignments that pair popular films with aging course topics, identifies challenges of using film in various classrooms settings, and provides a detailed typology of films on each of the following aging topics: ageism and stereotypes, cognitive impairment, death and dying, diversity, family relationships, health and wellness, sexuality and intimacy, and work and retirement.

Introductory astronomy course at the University of Cape Town: Probing student perspectives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rajpaul, Vinesh; Allie, Saalih; Blyth, Sarah-Louise

2014-12-01

We report on research carried out to improve teaching and student engagement in the introductory astronomy course at the University of Cape Town. This course is taken by a diverse range of students, including many from educationally disadvantaged backgrounds. We describe the development of an instrument, the Introductory Astronomy Questionnaire (IAQ), which we administered as pre- and posttests to students enrolled in the course. The instrument comprised a small number of questions which probed three areas of interest: student motivation and expectations, astronomy content, and worldview. Amongst our findings were that learning gains were made in several conceptual areas, and that students appeared to develop a more nuanced view of the nature of astronomy. There was some evidence that the course had a positive impact on students' worldviews, particularly their attitudes towards science. We also identified a promising predictor of course success that could in the future be used to identify students requiring special teaching intervention.

Snapping Sharks, Maddening Mindreaders, and Interactive Images: Teaching Correlation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mitchell, Mark L.

Understanding correlation coefficients is difficult for students. A free computer program that helps introductory psychology students distinguish between positive and negative correlation, and which also teaches them to understand the differences between correlation coefficients of different size is described in this paper. The program is…

Pathways of Learning: Teaching Students and Parents about Multiple Intelligences.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lazear, David

This book is concerned with reinventing the learning process from a multiple intelligences perspective and urges explicitly teaching students about multiple intelligences to further their metacognitive understanding. The multiple-intelligence-based curriculum is intended to interface with the regular academic curriculum. An introductory chapter…

Teaching Discrete Mathematics Entirely from Primary Historical Sources

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barnett, Janet Heine; Bezhanishvili, Guram; Lodder, Jerry; Pengelley, David

2016-01-01

We describe teaching an introductory discrete mathematics course entirely from student projects based on primary historical sources. We present case studies of four projects that cover the content of a one-semester course, and mention various other courses that we have taught with primary source projects.

Teaching 'How To' Technologies in Context.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leigh, Patricia Randolph

The introductory instructional technology course at Iowa State University is a survey course covering various technologies. In this case, the instructor chose to create a situated learning environment using low-technology everyday surroundings to teach the fundamentals of photographic and video production, linking the photography, audio, and video…

Objectives, Strategies, and Ethnics in Teaching Introductory Courses in Sociology of Sport.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McKay, Jim; Pearson, Kent

1984-01-01

Strategies that may be useful in helping undergraduates develop a critical view of sport are presented in this article. Several ethical problems that may arise from teaching sociology of sport in a way that contradicts typical assumptions about sport are discussed. (Author/DF)

Overall Goals and Objectives for Mathematical Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

D'Ambrosio, Ubiratan

Overall goals and trends in mathematical education are discussed, with emphasis on the question "why teach mathematics?" In an introductory chapter, the philosophy of schooling in various countries is considered, with the suggestion that reasons for teaching mathematics are political as well as philosophical. The historical role of…

Physics instructors are not blank slates either: An exploratory study of introductory physics instruction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mitchell, Willyetta Adele

2009-11-01

The purpose of the study was to investigate the views of the nature of science and the classroom practices of instructors who teach introductory physics at a research intensive university. A study of this nature is necessary because calls to change how science is taught have been made since the 1800's, yet the methods of instruction have remained virtually unchanged. The conflict between how science is taught and how students learn science can be remedied by effective professional development at the university. However, training on the change process is virtually nonexistent in teacher education programs and in teacher professional development workshops at all levels. The Views About Science Survey (VASS) was first administered to a sample of twenty-nine physics instructors and graduate assistants who have taught introductory physics courses within the last five years. To assess instructional practices in introductory physics at a research extensive university, a purposeful, stratified sample of 56 classes was observed. The interactions between the students and teachers were analyzed using the Flanders Interaction Analysis. The findings suggest that the physics instructors hold a mixed view of the nature of science. The instructors' views do not necessarily indicate how they teach physics. The results also showed that the professors reported that they use elements of effective teaching practices throughout their instruction. The results of the classroom observations revealed that non interactive lecture is the dominate instructional method used. The Flander's confirms that the majority of the class time is spent with the teacher talking and the student passively listening.

Improve ay101 teaching by single modifications versus unchanged controls: statistically-supported examples

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Byrd, Gene G.; Byrd, Dana

2017-06-01

The two main purposes of this paper on improving Ay101 courses are presentations of (1) some very effective single changes and (2) a method to improve teaching by making just single changes which are evaluated statistically versus a control group class. We show how simple statistical comparison can be done even with Excel in Windows. Of course, other more sophisticated and powerful methods could be used if available. One of several examples to be discussed on our poster is our modification of an online introductory astronomy lab course evaluated by the multiple choice final exam. We composed questions related to the learning objectives of the course modules (LOQs). Students could “talk to themselves” by discursively answering these for extra credit prior to the final. Results were compared to an otherwise identical previous unmodified class. Modified classes showed statistically much better final exam average scores (78% vs. 66%). This modification helped those students who most need help. Students in the lower third of the class preferentially answered the LOQs to improve their scores and the class average on the exam. These results also show the effectiveness of relevant extra credit work. Other examples will be discussed as specific examples of evaluating improvement by making one change and then testing it versus a control. Essentially, this is an evolutionary approach in which single favorable “mutations” are retained and the unfavorable removed. The temptation to make more than one change each time must be resisted!

Graduate teaching assistants in a reformed introductory physics course: Synthesis of quantitative analyses of instructor action and qualitative analyses of instructor attitudes and perspectives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Calder, Austin Michael

Physics Education Research (PER) has shown us that when students have opportunities to make sense of concepts they tend to remember them better and can apply them more appropriately to new situations. PER has also revealed that an interactive, cooperative, small group environment is more conducive to achieving this than traditional lecture and recitation sections. It is useful to consider the aims of reformed instruction from the point of view of the graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) in physics, who are facilitating the instruction. The data in this dissertation comes from audio-recordings of GTAs teaching in an algebra-based introductory course; I develop a rubric for assessing the teaching practices of the GTAs which separates teaching into five categories according to the reformed practices present. The rubric and technique developed here could be used as a diagnostic for GTAs new to a reformed classroom. I also conducted surveys of the GTA participants, as well as semi-structured interviews to gain more information about the attitudes and perspectives toward reformed physics instruction. Results from this work include: (1) A diagnostic tool for teaching improvement and (2) a detailed understanding of the GTA facilitators' teaching practices in the reformed physics laboratory.

Transforming common-sense beliefs into Newtonian thinking through Just-In-Time Teaching

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Formica, Sarah P.; Easley, Jessica L.; Spraker, Mark C.

2010-07-01

To determine whether teaching an introductory physics course with a traditional lecture style or with Just-in-Time teaching (a student-centered, interactive-engagement style) will help students to better understand Newtonian concepts, such as Newton’s Third Law, 222 students in introductory physics courses taught by traditional lecture styles and Just-in-Time teaching at North Georgia College & State University over the span of five semesters were examined using the Force Concept Inventory as a pretest and a post-test. Overall, the gains favor the Just-in-Time teaching method with a 37.6%±2.0% gain compared to the 17.9%±2.5% seen in traditional lecture classes. When analyzing only those gains pertaining to the Newton’s Third Law questions, the results again favor the Just-in-Time teaching method with a gain of 50.8%±4.1% while the traditional lecture classes only saw a gain of 6.6%±5.2% . We also employed a new method of analysis which was a BIT Coding method created to quickly identify students’ understanding of Newton’s Third Law questions. This study shows that students in courses that are taught using the Just-in-Time teaching strategy better understand Newton’s Third Law after instruction than do students in traditional lecture courses.

A National Study Assessing the Teaching and Learning of Introductory Astronomy Part II: Analysis of Student Demographics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prather, Edward; Rudolph, A. L.; Brissenden, G.; Consiglio, D.; Gonzaga, V.; CATS

2010-01-01

This is the second in a series of reports on a national study of the teaching and learning of astronomy in general education, non-science major, introductory college astronomy courses (Astro 101). The results show dramatic improvement in student learning with increased use of interactive learning strategies even after controlling for individual student characteristics. In addition, we find that the positive effects of interactive learning strategies apply equally to men and women, across ethnicities, for students with all levels of prior mathematical preparation and physical science course experience, independent of GPA, and regardless of primary language. These results powerfully illustrate that all categories of students can benefit from the effective implementation of interactive learning strategies. We acknowledge the NSF for funding under Award No. 0715517, a CCLI Phase III Grant for the Collaboration of Astronomy Teaching Scholars (CATS) Program and Award No. AST-0847170, a PAARE Grant.

Integrating writing into an introductory environmental science curriculum: Perspectives from biology and physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Selkin, P. A.; Cline, E. T.; Beaufort, A.

2008-12-01

In the University of Washington, Tacoma's Environmental Science program, we are implementing a curriculum-wide, scaffolded strategy to teach scientific writing. Writing in an introductory science course is a powerful means to make students feel part of the scientific community, an important goal in our environmental science curriculum. Writing is already an important component of the UW Tacoma environmental science program at the upper levels: our approach is designed to prepare students for the writing-intensive junior- and senior-level seminars. The approach is currently being tested in introductory biology and physics before it is incorporated in the rest of the introductory environmental science curriculum. The centerpiece of our approach is a set of research and writing assignments woven throughout the biology and physics course sequences. The assignments progress in their degree of complexity and freedom through the sequence of introductory science courses. Each assignment is supported by a number of worksheets and short written exercises designed to teach writing and critical thought skills. The worksheets are focused on skills identified both by research in science writing and the instructors' experience with student writing. Students see the assignments as a way to personalize their understanding of basic science concepts, and to think critically about ideas that interest them. We find that these assignments provide a good way to assess student comprehension of some of the more difficult ideas in the basic sciences, as well as a means to engage students with the challenging concepts of introductory science courses. Our experience designing these courses can inform efforts to integrate writing throughout a geoscience or environmental science curriculum, as opposed to on a course-by-course basis.

Current practices in teaching introductory epidemiology: how we got here, where to go.

PubMed

Keyes, Katherine M; Galea, Sandro

2014-10-01

The number of students and disciplines requiring basic instruction in epidemiologic methods is growing. As a field, we now have a lexicon of epidemiologic terminology and particular methods that have developed and become canonical through the historical development of the field. Yet, many of our basic concepts remain elusive to some students, particularly those not pursuing a career in epidemiology. Further, disagreement and redundancy across basic terms limit their utility in teaching epidemiology. Many approaches to teaching epidemiology generally start with labeling key concepts and then move on to explain them. We submit that an approach grounded not in labels but in foundational concepts may offer a useful adjunct to introductory epidemiology education. We propose 7 foundational steps in conducting an epidemiologic study and provide examples of how these steps can be operationalized, using simple graphics that articulate how populations are defined, samples are selected, and individuals are followed to count cases. A reorganization of introductory epidemiology around core first principles may be an effective way forward for educating the next generation of public health scientists. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

First-Year and Non-First-Year Student Expectations Regarding In-Class and Out-of-Class Learning Activities in Introductory Biology †

PubMed Central

Brown, Tanya L.; Brazeal, Kathleen R.; Couch, Brian A.

2017-01-01

National calls for teaching transformation build on a constructivist learning theory and propose that students learn by actively engaging in course activities and interacting with other students. While interactive pedagogies can improve learning, they also have the potential to challenge traditional norms regarding class participation and learning strategies. To better understand the potential openness of students to interactive teaching practices, we administered a survey during the first week of two sections of an introductory biology course to characterize how students envisioned spending time during class as well as what activities they expected to complete outside of class during non-exam weeks and in preparation for exams. Additionally, we sought to test the hypothesis that the expectations of first-year students differed from those of non-first-year students. Analyses of closed-ended and open-ended questions revealed that students held a wide range of expectations and that most students expressed expectations consistent with some degree of transformed teaching. Furthermore, first-year students expected more active learning in class, more out-of-class coursework during non-exam weeks, and more social learning strategies than non-first-year students. We discuss how instructor awareness of incoming student expectations might be used to promote success in introductory science courses. PMID:28512514

Incorporating Geodetic Data in Introductory Geoscience Classrooms through UNAVCO's GETSI "Ice Mass and Sea Level Changes" Module

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stearns, L. A.; Walker, B.; Pratt-Sitaula, B.

2015-12-01

GETSI (Geodesy Tools for Societal Issues) is an NSF-funded partnership program between UNAVCO, Indiana University, Mt. San Antonio College, and the Science Education Resource Center (SERC). We present results from classroom testing and assessment of the GETSI Ice Mass and Sea Level Changes module that utilizes geodetic data to teach about ice sheet mass loss in introductory undergraduate courses. The module explores the interactions between global sea level rise, Greenland ice mass loss, and the response of the solid Earth. It brings together topics typically addressed in introductory Earth science courses (isostatic rebound, geologic measurements, and climate change) in a way that highlights the interconnectivity of the Earth system and the interpretation of geodetic data. The module was tested 3 times at 3 different institution types (R1 institution, comprehensive university, and community college), and formative and summative assessment data were obtained. We will provide an overview of the instructional materials, describe our teaching methods, and discuss how formative and summative assessment data assisted in revisions of the teaching materials and changes in our pedagogy during subsequent implementation of the module. We will also provide strategies for faculty who wish to incorporate the module into their curricula. Instructional materials, faculty and student resources, and implementation tips are freely available on the GETSI website.

Forecasting the student–professor matches that result in unusually effective teaching

PubMed Central

Gross, Jennifer; Lakey, Brian; Lucas, Jessica L; LaCross, Ryan; R Plotkowski, Andrea; Winegard, Bo

2015-01-01

Background Two important influences on students' evaluations of teaching are relationship and professor effects. Relationship effects reflect unique matches between students and professors such that some professors are unusually effective for some students, but not for others. Professor effects reflect inter-rater agreement that some professors are more effective than others, on average across students. Aims We attempted to forecast students' evaluations of live lectures from brief, video-recorded teaching trailers. Sample Participants were 145 college students (74% female) enrolled in introductory psychology courses at a public university in the Great Lakes region of the United States. Methods Students viewed trailers early in the semester and attended live lectures months later. Because subgroups of students viewed the same professors, statistical analyses could isolate professor and relationship effects. Results Evaluations were influenced strongly by relationship and professor effects, and students' evaluations of live lectures could be forecasted from students' evaluations of teaching trailers. That is, we could forecast the individual students who would respond unusually well to a specific professor (relationship effects). We could also forecast which professors elicited better evaluations in live lectures, on average across students (professor effects). Professors who elicited unusually good evaluations in some students also elicited better memory for lectures in those students. Conclusions It appears possible to forecast relationship and professor effects on teaching evaluations by presenting brief teaching trailers to students. Thus, it might be possible to develop online recommender systems to help match students and professors so that unusually effective teaching emerges. PMID:24953773

A Discussion of the Effect of Open-Book and Closed-Book Exams on Student Achievement in an Introductory Statistics Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Block, Robert M.

2012-01-01

The use of open-book tests, closed-book tests, and notecards on tests in an introductory statistics course is described in this article. A review of the literature shows that open-book assessments are universally recognized to reduce anxiety. The literature is mixed however on whether deeper learning or better preparation occurs with open-book…

Moving beyond Reflection: Reflexivity and Epistemic Cognition in Teaching and Teacher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Feucht, Florian C.; Lunn Brownlee, Jo; Schraw, Gregory

2017-01-01

Building on reflective practices and action taking as cornerstones of teacher education and professional development, we argue that epistemic reflexivity becomes a powerful tool for teachers to facilitate meaningful and sustainable change in their classroom teaching. In this introductory article, we provide an overview of epistemic reflexivity…

Cardiovascular Physiology Teaching: Computer Simulations vs. Animal Demonstrations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Samsel, Richard W.; And Others

1994-01-01

At the introductory level, the computer provides an effective alternative to using animals for laboratory teaching. Computer software can simulate the operation of multiple organ systems. Advantages of software include alteration of variables that are not easily changed in vivo, repeated interventions, and cost-effective hands-on student access.…

A Linear Algebraic Approach to Teaching Interpolation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tassa, Tamir

2007-01-01

A novel approach for teaching interpolation in the introductory course in numerical analysis is presented. The interpolation problem is viewed as a problem in linear algebra, whence the various forms of interpolating polynomial are seen as different choices of a basis to the subspace of polynomials of the corresponding degree. This approach…

Teaching and Understanding of Quantum Interpretations in Modern Physics Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baily, Charles; Finkelstein, Noah D.

2010-01-01

Just as expert physicists vary in their personal stances on interpretation in quantum mechanics, instructors vary on whether and how to teach interpretations of quantum phenomena in introductory modern physics courses. In this paper, we document variations in instructional approaches with respect to interpretation in two similar modern physics…

Teaching Elementary Particle Physics: Part I

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hobson, Art

2011-01-01

I'll outline suggestions for teaching elementary particle physics, often called "high energy physics," in high school or introductory college courses for non-scientists or scientists. Some presentations of this topic simply list the various particles along with their properties, with little overarching structure. Such a laundry list approach is a…

Creating Peer-Led Media to Teach Sensitive Topics: Recommendations from Practicing Health Educators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hudson, Heather K.; Bliss, Kadi R.; Bice, Matthew R.; Lodyga, Marc G.; Ragon, Bruce M.

2014-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to evaluate consumer (instructor) reception of Channel Surfing Contraceptives in order to determine components necessary for creation of peer-led educational videos to teach sensitive contraceptive topics. Methods: Two focus group interviews with introductory-level undergraduate personal health instructors…

Appealing to Good Students in Introductory Economics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jensen, Elizabeth J.; Owen, Ann L.

2003-01-01

Examines effective teaching techniques using a unique data set that allows matching student and instructor characteristics to assess impact on student interest in economics. Finds devoting more time to discussion is effective but varies by type of student. Determines that a using many teaching techniques appeals to learning styles adopted by good…

Elections: Secondary Teaching Activities in the Participation Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schultz, John; Taft-Morales, Hugh

One of a series of teacher-developed curriculum guides designed to encourage student participation and involvement in important social issues, this secondary level guide helps 7th through 12th grade English and social studies educators teach about the election process. An introductory section suggests practical considerations, means of enlisting…

Systems Concepts Effectively Taught Using Systems Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ludwig, Claudia; Baliga, Nitin S.

2008-01-01

This article describes two lessons within the authors' education module entitled, Ecological Networks, that successfully teaches introductory systems content to middle and high school students. To catch students' attention when teaching these new concepts, they decided to use a network that was familiar and fun for students--a cell-phone…

The Electronic Biology Classroom: Implementation and Student Opinion.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davis, Mark S.

This paper describes a method for teaching introductory biology using a multimedia approach. This methodology aimed to increase student participation, promote independent learning, and enhance computer literacy. Five multimedia tools were used to teach the course. PowerPoint slide shows were used to present lecture material; videodiscs displayed…

Teaching the Minimum Wage in Econ 101 in Light of the New Economics of the Minimum Wage.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Krueger, Alan B.

2001-01-01

Argues that the recent controversy over the effect of the minimum wage on employment offers an opportunity for teaching introductory economics. Examines eight textbooks to determine topic coverage but finds little consensus. Describes how minimum wage effects should be taught. (RLH)

Wastewater Treatment I. Instructor's Manual.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

California Water Pollution Control Association, Sacramento. Joint Education Committee.

This instructor's manual provides an outline and guide for teaching Wastewater Treatment I. It consists of nine sections. An introductory note and a course outline comprise sections 1 and 2. Section 3 (the bulk of the guide) presents lesson outlines for teaching the ten chapters of the manual entitled "Operation of Wastewater Treatment…

Effective Learner-Centered Approach for Teaching an Introductory Digital Systems Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Debiec, Piotr

2018-01-01

In the Internet era, students have increasingly lost interest in traditional lectures; as a consequence, their learning motivation and exam performance have decreased. The widespread adoption of learner-centered teaching methods that address this issue faces certain barriers, including: 1) the significant faculty effort necessary to prepare…

An Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Stereo Slides in Teaching Geomorphology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Giardino, John R.; Thornhill, Ashton G.

1984-01-01

Provides information about producing stereo slides and their use in the classroom. Describes an evaluation of the teaching effectiveness of stereo slides using two groups of 30 randomly selected students from introductory geomorphology. Results from a pretest/postttest measure show that stereo slides significantly improved understanding. (JM)

Learning and Teaching Information Technology--Computer Skills in Context. ERIC Digest.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eisenberg, Michael B.; Johnson, Doug

This digest describes an integrated approach to teaching computer skills in K-12 schools. The introductory section discusses the importance of integrating information skills into the curriculum. "Technology Skills for Information Problem Solving: A Curriculum Based on the Big6 Skills Approach" (Michael B. Eisenberg, Doug Johnson, and…

Teaching Rural Sociology to Students with Non-Rural Backgrounds.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spaulding, Irving A.

A course designed to teach rural sociology to urban and suburban university students is described in this paper. Introductory material sets forth the objectives and the conceptual approach of the course, which systematically examines social changes associated with food and fiber production throughout the world. Five concepts--group, imperative…

Perceptions and Practices: Biology Graduate Teaching Assistants' Framing of a Controversial Socioscientific Issue

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gardner, Grant; Jones, Gail

2011-01-01

Graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) are gaining increasing responsibility for the instruction of undergraduate science students, yet little is known about their beliefs about science pedagogy or subsequent classroom practices. This study looked at six GTAs who were primary instructors in an introductory biology laboratory course. Teaching…

Teaching Leadership: Do Students Remember and Utilize the Concepts We Teach?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, Jennifer R.; Townsend, Christine D.; Linder, James R.

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine how leadership competencies are remembered and utilized following instruction in a structured collegiate leadership course. The population for this study consisted of experienced collegiate leaders who completed an introductory leadership theory course. The purposive sample included 74 students who…

Teaching Programming to Novices: A Review of Approaches and Tools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brusilovsky, P.; And Others

Three different approaches to teaching introductory programming are reviewed: the incremental approach, the sub-language approach, and the mini-language approach. The paper analyzes all three approaches, providing a brief history of each and describing an example of a programming environment supporting this approach. In the incremental approach,…

Teaching Introductory Upper-Level Religion and Theology Classes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clingerman, Forrest; O'Brien, Kevin J.

2015-01-01

The undergraduate study of religion is predominantly undertaken by non-majors who are meeting a general education requirement. This means that, while curricular discussions make important distinctions between the work of lower- and upper-division courses, many religion and theology faculty are teaching hybrid courses that we call…

Students' Difficulties With Multiple Representations in Introductory Mechanics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nguyen, Dong-Hai; Rebello, N. Sanjay

2011-01-01

Research in physics education indicates that the use of multiple representations in teaching and learning helps students become better problem-solvers. We report on a study to investigate students' difficulties in solving mechanics problems presented in multiple representations. We conducted teaching/learning interviews with 20 students in a…

Accommodating Student Differences: A Resource for Teaching Gifted and Talented Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alberta Dept. of Education, Edmonton. Education Response Centre.

This document presents a selection of teacher designed activities to help meet the needs of gifted and talented students. The four teaching units focus on creativity, independent study, critical thinking, and communication skills. Introductory material explains how the teachers of Parkland County (Alberta) worked together in informal and…

Virtualization for Cost-Effective Teaching of Assembly Language Programming

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cadenas, José O.; Sherratt, R. Simon; Howlett, Des; Guy, Chris G.; Lundqvist, Karsten O.

2015-01-01

This paper describes a virtual system that emulates an ARM-based processor machine, created to replace a traditional hardware-based system for teaching assembly language. The virtual system proposed here integrates, in a single environment, all the development tools necessary to deliver introductory or advanced courses on modern assembly language…

Experiential Approaches to Teaching Survey Research: Role Strains and Relationships.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Suelzle, Marijean; And Others

Research and instructional role strains are identified, based on the use of large-scale mail surveys for college self-study that are used to teach introductory research methodology. The two organizational hierarchies, the research model and the instructional model, are examined. Experiences at Northwestern University, Northeastern Illinois…

Using Metaphors to Teach Organization Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taber, Tom D.

2007-01-01

Metaphors were used to teach systems thinking and to clarify concepts of organizational theory in an introductory MBA management course. Gareth Morgan's metaphors of organization were read by students and applied as frames to analyze a business case. In addition, personal metaphors were written by individual students in order to describe the…

Could Charles Darwin Teach Psychology in the 1980s?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rigby, Marilyn K.

1988-01-01

Discusses the implications of Charles Darwin's personal and professional history for an academic career in psychology. Relationships between his theoretical position and the content of an introductory psychology course he might teach and how he might fare in a contemporary academic environment are sketched in this fictionalized account.…

Robotics for Computer Scientists: What's the Big Idea?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Touretzky, David S.

2013-01-01

Modern robots, like today's smartphones, are complex devices with intricate software systems. Introductory robot programming courses must evolve to reflect this reality, by teaching students to make use of the sophisticated tools their robots provide rather than reimplementing basic algorithms. This paper focuses on teaching with Tekkotsu, an open…

An Exploration of Student Experiences with Learner-Centered Instructional Strategies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stefaniak, Jill E.; Tracey, Monica W.

2015-01-01

In this exploratory study, we examined how undergraduate students experience learning in a learner-centered teaching environment and their perceptions of motivation towards learning material in an introductory public speaking communications course. Six faculty members participated in a semester-long study where their teaching strategies were…

Introductory Programming Subject in European Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aleksic, Veljko; Ivanovic, Mirjana

2016-01-01

Programming is one of the basic subjects in most informatics, computer science mathematics and technical faculties' curricula. Integrated overview of the models for teaching programming, problems in teaching and suggested solutions were presented in this paper. Research covered current state of 1019 programming subjects in 715 study programmes at…

Are Case Studies a Good Teaching Tool for CS1?

DTIC Science & Technology

1995-01-01

old AP/CS tests to compare our students’ performance against the results obtained by ETS. Currently, the introductory courses at CMU are taught using...Carrasquel, J., Goldenson, D. & Miller, P. L. (1985). Competency Testing in Introductory Computer Science: The Mastery Examination at Carnegie Mellon... courses is that many places do not have enough facilities (or the necessary time) required for long programming assignments. In our opinion, using case

How Gender and Reformed Introductory Physics Impacts Student Success in Advanced Physics Courses and Continuation in the Physics Major

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rodriguez, Idaykis; Potvin, Geoff; Kramer, Laird H.

2016-01-01

Active-learning approaches to teaching introductory physics have been found to improve student learning and affective gains on short-term outcomes [S. Freeman et al., "Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 111," 8410 (2014)]; however, whether or not the benefits of active learning impact women to the same degree as men has been a point of…

Strengthening introductory psychology: A new model for teaching the introductory course.

PubMed

Gurung, Regan A R; Hackathorn, Jana; Enns, Carolyn; Frantz, Susan; Cacioppo, John T; Loop, Trudy; Freeman, James E

2016-01-01

Introductory psychology (Intro Psych) is one of the most popular and frequently taught courses on college campuses, yet educators in psychology have limited knowledge about what is covered in classes around the nation or the extent to which class content reflects the current scope of the discipline. There is no explicit model to guide course content selection for the intro course, which poses substantial challenges for instructors. This article proposes a new model for teaching the intro course that integrates (a) scientific foundations, (b) 5 major domains or pillars of knowledge (biological, cognitive, developmental, social and personality, and mental and physical health), and (c) cross-cutting themes relevant to all domains (cultural and social diversity, ethics, variations in human functioning, and applications; American Psychological Association, 2014). We advocate for national assessment of the course, a similar introductory course for majors and nonmajors, the inclusion of experiential or laboratory components, and additional training resources for instructors of the intro course. Given the exponential growth of psychological knowledge and applications during the past decades, we caution against attempting to provide exhaustive coverage of all topic areas of psychology in a one-semester course. We conclude by discussing the challenges that lie ahead for the discipline of psychology as it launches this new model for Intro Psych. (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Standing to Preach, Moving to Teach: What TAs Learned from Teaching in Flexible and Less-Flexible Spaces

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Victoria; Leger, Andy; Riel, Annie

2016-01-01

This paper examines the effect of the architectural layout of two classrooms (one flexible and one less-flexible) on Teaching Assistants' (TAs) movement and interactions with students. Four TAs from a first-year undergraduate introductory course were chosen for the two studies. In study 1, the TAs taught the same lesson twice to two groups of…

Teaching with Games: Online Resources and Examples for Entry Level Courses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Teed, R.; Manduca, C.

2004-12-01

Using games to teach introductory geoscience can motivate students to enthusiastically learn material that they might otherwise condemn as "boring". A good educational game is one that immerses the players in the material and engages them for as long as it takes to master that material. There are some good geoscience games already available, but instructors can also create their own, suitable to their students and the content that they are teaching. Game-Based Learning is a module on the Starting Point website for faculty teaching entry level geosciences. It assists faculty in using games in their teaching by providing a description of the features of game-based learning, why you would use it, how to use games to teach geoscience, examples, and references. Other issues discussed include the development of video games for teaching, having your students create educational games, what makes a good game, handling competition in the classroom, and grading. The examples include descriptions of and rules for a GPS treasure hunt, a geology quiz show, and an earthquake game, as well as links to several online geological video games, and advice on how to design a paleontology board game. Starting Point is intended to help both experienced faculty and new instructors meet the challenge of teaching introductory geoscience classes, including environmental science and oceanography as well as more traditional geology classes. For many students, these classes are both the first and the last college-level science class that they will ever take. They need to learn enough about the Earth in that one class to sustain them for many decades as voters, consumers, and sometimes even as teachers. Starting Point is produced by a group of authors working with the Science Education Resource Center. It contains dozens of detailed examples categorized by geoscience topic with advice about using them and assessing learning. Each example is linked to one of many modules, such as Game-Based Learning, Interactive Lectures, or Using an Earth History Approach. These modules describe teaching tools and techniques, provide examples and advice about using them in an introductory geoscience class, and give instructors details on how to create their own exercises.

A Survey of Introductory Statistics Courses at University Faculties of Pharmaceutical Sciences in Japan.

PubMed

Matsumura, Mina; Nakayama, Takuto; Sozu, Takashi

2016-01-01

A survey of introductory statistics courses at Japanese medical schools was published as a report in 2014. To obtain a complete understanding of the way in which statistics is taught at the university level in Japan, it is important to extend this survey to related fields, including pharmacy, dentistry, and nursing. The current study investigates the introductory statistics courses offered by faculties of pharmaceutical sciences (six-year programs) at Japanese universities, comparing the features of these courses with those studied in the survey of medical schools. We collected relevant data from the online syllabi of statistics courses published on the websites of 71 universities. The survey items included basic course information (for example, the course names, the targeted student grades, the number of credits, and course classification), textbooks, handouts, the doctoral subject and employment status of each lecturer, and course contents. The period surveyed was July-September 2015. We found that these 71 universities offered a total of 128 statistics courses. There were 67 course names, the most common of which was "biostatistics (iryou toukeigaku)." About half of the courses were designed for first- or second-year students. Students earned fewer than two credits. There were 62 different types of textbooks. The lecturers held doctoral degrees in 18 different subjects, the most common being a doctorate in pharmacy or science. Some course content differed, reflecting the lecturers' academic specialties. The content of introductory statistics courses taught in pharmaceutical science programs also differed slightly from the equivalent content taught in medical schools.

Exploring one aspect of pedagogical content knowledge of teaching assistants using the Conceptual Survey of Electricity and Magnetism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karim, Nafis I.; Maries, Alexandru; Singh, Chandralekha

2018-06-01

The Conceptual Survey of Electricity and Magnetism (CSEM) has been used to assess student understanding of introductory concepts of electricity and magnetism because many of the items on the CSEM have strong distractor choices which correspond to students' alternate conceptions. Instruction is unlikely to be effective if instructors do not know the common alternate conceptions of introductory physics students and explicitly take into account common student difficulties in their instructional design. Here, we discuss research involving the CSEM to evaluate one aspect of the pedagogical content knowledge of teaching assistants (TAs): knowledge of introductory students' alternate conceptions in electricity and magnetism as revealed by the CSEM. For each item on the CSEM, the TAs were asked to identify the most common incorrect answer choice selected by introductory physics students if they did not know the correct answer after traditional instruction. Then, we used introductory student CSEM post-test data to assess the extent to which TAs were able to identify the most common alternate conception of introductory students in each question on the CSEM. We find that the TAs were thoughtful when attempting to identify common student difficulties and they enjoyed learning about student difficulties this way. However, they struggled to identify many common difficulties of introductory students that persist after traditional instruction. We discuss specific alternate conceptions that persist after traditional instruction, the extent to which TAs were able to identify them, and results from think-aloud interviews with TAs which provided valuable information regarding why the TAs sometimes selected certain alternate conceptions as the most common but were instead very rare among introductory students. We also discuss how tasks such as the one used in this study can be used in professional development programs to engender productive discussions about the importance of being knowledgeable about student alternate conceptions in order to help students learn. Interviews with TAs engaged in this task as well as our experience with such tasks in our professional development programs suggest that they are beneficial.

The Role of Introductory Geosciences in Students' Quantitative Literacy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wenner, J. M.; Manduca, C.; Baer, E. M.

2006-12-01

Quantitative literacy is more than mathematics; it is about reasoning with data. Colleges and universities have begun to recognize the distinction between mathematics and quantitative literacy, modifying curricula to reflect the need for numerate citizens. Although students may view geology as 'rocks for jocks', the geosciences are truthfully rife with data, making introductory geoscience topics excellent context for developing the quantitative literacy of students with diverse backgrounds. In addition, many news items that deal with quantitative skills, such as the global warming phenomenon, have their basis in the Earth sciences and can serve as timely examples of the importance of quantitative literacy for all students in introductory geology classrooms. Participants at a workshop held in 2006, 'Infusing Quantitative Literacy into Introductory Geoscience Courses,' discussed and explored the challenges and opportunities associated with the inclusion of quantitative material and brainstormed about effective practices for imparting quantitative literacy to students with diverse backgrounds. The tangible results of this workshop add to the growing collection of quantitative materials available through the DLESE- and NSF-supported Teaching Quantitative Skills in the Geosciences website, housed at SERC. There, faculty can find a collection of pages devoted to the successful incorporation of quantitative literacy in introductory geoscience. The resources on the website are designed to help faculty to increase their comfort with presenting quantitative ideas to students with diverse mathematical abilities. A methods section on "Teaching Quantitative Literacy" (http://serc.carleton.edu/quantskills/methods/quantlit/index.html) focuses on connecting quantitative concepts with geoscience context and provides tips, trouble-shooting advice and examples of quantitative activities. The goal in this section is to provide faculty with material that can be readily incorporated into existing introductory geoscience courses. In addition, participants at the workshop (http://serc.carleton.edu/quantskills/workshop06/index.html) submitted and modified more than 20 activities and model courses (with syllabi) designed to use best practices for helping introductory geoscience students to become quantitatively literate. We present insights from the workshop and other sources for a framework that can aid in increasing quantitative literacy of students from a variety of backgrounds in the introductory geoscience classroom.

Secondary analysis of teaching methods in introductory physics: A 50 k-student study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Von Korff, Joshua; Archibeque, Benjamin; Gomez, K. Alison; Heckendorf, Tyrel; McKagan, Sarah B.; Sayre, Eleanor C.; Schenk, Edward W.; Shepherd, Chase; Sorell, Lane

2016-12-01

Physics education researchers have developed many evidence-based instructional strategies to enhance conceptual learning of students in introductory physics courses. These strategies have historically been tested using assessments such as the Force Concept Inventory (FCI) and the Force and Motion Conceptual Evaluation (FMCE). We have performed a review and analysis of FCI and FMCE data published between 1995 and 2014. We confirm previous findings that interactive engagement teaching techniques are significantly more likely to produce high student learning gains than traditional lecture-based instruction. We also establish that interactive engagement instruction works in many settings, including those with students having a high and low level of prior knowledge, at liberal arts and research universities, and enrolled in both small and large classes.

A National Study Assessing the Teaching and Learning of Introductory Astronomy Part II: Analysis of Student Demographics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rudolph, Alexander; Prather, E. E.; Brissenden, G.; Consiglio, D.; Gonzaga, V.

2010-01-01

This is the second in a series of reports on a national study of the teaching and learning of astronomy in general education, non-science major, introductory college astronomy courses (Astro 101). The results show dramatic improvement in student learning with increased use of interactive learning strategies even after controlling for individual student characteristics. In addition, we find that the positive effects of interactive learning strategies apply equally to men and women, across ethnicities, for students with all levels of prior mathematical preparation and physical science course experience, independent of GPA, and regardless of primary language. These results powerfully illustrate that all categories of students can benefit from the effective implementation of interactive learning strategies.

Six Classroom Exercises to Teach Natural Selection to Undergraduate Biology Students

PubMed Central

Kalinowski, Steven T.; Leonard, Mary J.; Andrews, Tessa M.; Litt, Andrea R.

2013-01-01

Students in introductory biology courses frequently have misconceptions regarding natural selection. In this paper, we describe six activities that biology instructors can use to teach undergraduate students in introductory biology courses how natural selection causes evolution. These activities begin with a lesson introducing students to natural selection and also include discussions on sexual selection, molecular evolution, evolution of complex traits, and the evolution of behavior. The set of six topics gives students the opportunity to see how natural selection operates in a variety of contexts. Pre- and postinstruction testing showed students’ understanding of natural selection increased substantially after completing this series of learning activities. Testing throughout this unit showed steadily increasing student understanding, and surveys indicated students enjoyed the activities. PMID:24006396

Just-in-Time Teaching Exercises to Engage Students in an Introductory-Level Dinosaur Course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guertin, Laura A.; Zappe, Sarah E.; Kim, Heeyoung

2007-12-01

The Just-in-Time Teaching (JiTT) technique allows students to be engaged in course material outside of the classroom by answering web-based questions. The responses are summarized and presented to students in class with a follow-up active learning exercise. College students enrolled in an introductory-level general education geoscience course were surveyed over a two-semester period on their engagement level during lecture and perceived learning of course content. Data show that students are able to reflect on their prior knowledge and construct new knowledge with weekly graded JiTT exercises. Despite increasing and competing pressures outside of the classroom, students reported increased learning and engagement in a course with required weekly assignments.

Monitoring how changes in pedagogical practices have improved student interest and performance for an introductory biochemistry course.

PubMed

Karamanos, Yannis; Couturier, Catherine; Boutin, Viviane; Mysiorek, Caroline; Matéos, Aurélie; Berger, Sylvie

2018-04-01

This study describes feedback on the effects of changes introduced in our teaching practices for an introductory biochemistry course in the Life Sciences curriculum. Students on this course have diverse educational qualifications and are taught in large learning groups, creating challenges for the management of individual learning. We used the constructive alignment principle, refining the learning contract and re-drafting the teaching program to introduce active learning and an organization of activities that promotes the participation of all the students and helps their understanding. We also created teaching resources available through the university virtual work environment. Our research aimed to measure the effects of those changes on the students' success. Monitoring of the student performance showed a continuous increase in the percentage of students who passed the course, from 2.13% to 33.5% in 4 years. Analysis of student perceptions highlighted that the teaching methodology was greatly appreciated by the students, whose attendance also improved. The recent introduction of clickers-questions constituted a complementary leverage. The active involvement of the students and better results for summative assessments are altogether a strong motivation for teaching staff to continue to make improvements.

The Mole as an Explanatory Device: How Do You Know a Mole if You See One? A Manual for Chemistry Students. Sample Teaching Materials: The Explanatory Modes Project.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roberts, Douglas A.

This booklet is designed to supplement the study of introductory chemistry. It deals particularly with the mole concept but also includes ideas for analyzing the kinds of statements that appear in all science textbooks and scientific writing. The material in the booklet should be studied after the completion of an introductory textbook study of…

Bringing (Century-Old) Technology into the Classroom, Part II: Teaching Vibrations and Waves, Electricity and Magnetism, and Optics with Antiques

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jewett, John W., Jr.

2016-01-01

This is the second in a series of two articles on using antique devices to teach introductory physics. As mentioned in the first article, students can more clearly see the physics required for the operation of antique devices than for modern-day technological devices. This article further discusses antiques used to teach vibrations and waves,…

Student Outcomes Associated with Use of Asynchronous Online Discussion Forums in Gross Anatomy Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Green, Rodney A.; Hughes, Diane L.

2013-01-01

Asynchronous online discussion forums are increasingly common in blended learning environments but the relationship to student learning outcomes has not been reported for anatomy teaching. Forums were monitored in two multicampus anatomy courses; an introductory first year course and a second year physiotherapy-specific course. The forums are…

Teaching Arturo Ui: Triumph of Whose Will?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rhiel, Mary

1993-01-01

Describes a unit on teaching Brecht in an introductory literature course, and suggests that students are better able to read and discuss Brecht's Hitler play if they first view and discuss Leni Riefenstahl's film Triumph of the Will. Guidelines are provided on how best to present and explore the two works with students. (LET)

The Node Acquisition and Integration Technique: A Node-Link Based Teaching/Learning Strategy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Diekhoff, George M.

This paper presents the results of three experiments conducted in connection with development of a node-link based teaching/learning strategy. In experiment 1, subjects were instructed to either define concepts selected from a unit of introductory psychology or to describe the relationships existing between pairs of concepts. The cognitive…