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On line lab practical: effective option for station based lab exam

On line lab practical: effective option for station based lab exam. Ann C. Smith Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics. The Course. General Microbiology (BSCI 223) Survey course 250 students per lecture section 1- 2 lecture sections per semester Lab component Lab Curriculum

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On line lab practical: effective option for station based lab exam

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  1. On line lab practical: effective option for station based lab exam Ann C. Smith Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics

  2. The Course • General Microbiology (BSCI 223) • Survey course • 250 students per lecture section • 1- 2 lecture sections per semester • Lab component • Lab Curriculum • American Society for Microbiology guidelines • Preparation for advance Microbiology labs

  3. The Laboratory Fundamental/minimal requirements: • Attain competency in techniques • Learn vocabulary • Understand the nature of working with organisms that are potential pathogens

  4. Challenges • Survey course with are large enrollment of students and 10 – 15 teaching assistants • Some lab techniques are repeated to allow students options for review, but some are only experience one time in one lab • During lab students see the results to their own work or their groups work but are not exposed to a wider variety of alternate scenarios • Students do not have an option to repeat work or come back to lab to review

  5. Goals • Design a mechanism for students to review lab results and extend learning of lab material. • Design a comprehensive lab exam that provides • a challenge and re-enforcement of learning for the students and • an assessment tool for the instructor

  6. Initial Approach • Review • Set up stations in “Demo” lab, open at set times • Use of bulletin board displays • Short in-lab quizzes with Practical-style questions • Exam • Traditional lab practical • Stations, timed

  7. Problems • Lab Prep takes significant time (with three labs taking the exam simultaneously, there is a requirement for three “set ups”. • During the time that all 300 – 440 students pass through the lab exam displays are altered or destroyed. • Lab practical set up (timed, stations) stressful for students • Lab practical set up is stressful for instructors. • Lab practical set up does not allow for variation in exam questions from section to section.

  8. Solutions ~ technology • Course Learning Center in WebCT • Organization • Communication • New learning opportunities that complement lab and lecture • Use of quiz tool • On line Lab review quizzes • On line Lab exams

  9. On line Lab Review quizzes • Design • Data base of questions • Use of images captured from lab

  10. Lab Review Quiz Set up

  11. Lab Review Quizzes • Impressions -> Goal 1(option for students to review/extend lab learning) is realized • Positive • Options for students to review lab data/concepts • Options to extend learning through the automated feedback option • Students receive immediate feed back • Easy access for students through the online course environment • * increases student competency with technology • Negative • Time to set up (but once the data base is established it is easy to modify and use!)

  12. Goal 2- the comprehensive lab exam • On line lab practical • Offered for the first time in Fall 2001 • Two online exams per semester: • Midterm • Comprehensive Final • Lab meets in computer lab for the exam days. TA’s proctor exam. • Grading is automated in the same manner as the quizzes.

  13. Grading • A breeze! • The system grades the exams automatically. Grades are held until all students have completed the exam. • Once grades are released, students can see questions, their answers, and the automated feedback. • In WebCT grades are automatically listed in a spreadsheet which can be downloaded to a spreadsheet program.

  14. Impressions • Learning goals • Comprehensive exam in same style as review • Allow good assessment of learning • Versatility • Easy to maintain and update • Cataloging feature • No grading • Scores on Exams have increased • Initial set up investment is significant.

  15. Students love the system! • “Very helpful” • “Keep them online” • “Great way to study” • “Very useful and easy to access” • “I like the quizzes and the lab exams because of the pictures and different types of questions.”

  16. Acknowledgements • Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics • College of Life Sciences • Undergraduate Technology Apprentice Program • Office of Information Technology

  17. On line exams- Set up • See the set up in WebCT • www.courses.umd.edu • See me for guest password

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