Lauren Gollahon Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX

1. Combining Classroom Activities and Service Learning Provides a Two-Pronged Approach for Improving Student Learning: Vision and Change for Large Lecture Classes in Biology Lauren Gollahon Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX Class Material Proposed transfer of knowledge • Proposed Methods: • Instructor: • The data collection and analysis will follow the template established by Bransford and Schwartz6, incorporating the concepts of Metacognition and the Affective Domain as well as conventional methods of assessment such as quiz and exam scores. • Pre and post course exams and surveys will be given to assess student knowledge base, critical thinking skills and attitudes towards science. • Weekly readings and quizzes will be assigned. • One lecture period each week will be devoted to major topics. • The second lecture period will be devoted to case studies, problem sets and small group activities guided by peer mentoring. ABSTRACT One increasingly important theme in enhancing student learning, retention and successful job placement is community involvement. There is an increasing call for traditional college students to acquire hands-on skills and experiences. Furthermore, active learning strategies implemented in the classroom have proven more effective for student learning than didactive teaching styles.Therefore, based on these observations, I hypothesizethat Service Learning combined with in-class case study problem sets will allow students to develop this needed skill, giving students a deeper understanding of course material and how to apply this knowledge in both hypothetical and true-life settings. Furthermore, students exposed to true-life settings, will have a basis from which they can better recognize and appropriately address bioethical issues than their classroom counterparts. A. CLASSROOMLOGISTICS • Memorization • No context for • application Linear Solution ? Critical thinking Problem solving B. Progress to Date: Pilot SL section implemented in Spring 2014. Representative responses from 8 participants are listed below. Question: Discuss how this service learning experience has/has not changed your perception of the class material. Student Comments: 1. “With regards to the class material, I feel this experience has allowed me to apply the material we are learning to real life situations and to better understand what is happening in the body of the patients.” 2. “Physiology is helping me understand how all of our systems are linked together and if one is disrupted the entire body is affected. The Neuroscience institute physically demonstrates this with being around the patients.” 3. “I think our time spent at the Neuroscience Institute has made the material easier to learn because it is applicable. It gives me the opportunity to think about the material in a different way, therefore I am able to think about it again, learn it again and use it in an applicable situation.” 4. “This entire experience has given real life application to the information we are learning in class. It is one thing to memorize the information and learn the material, but being able to see this material being used by real therapists and doctors gives a much deeper understanding of the information.” Current transfer of knowledge Class Material Figure 2. Predicted changes in knowledge transfer. While case studies alone may enhance student learning and attitudes towards science, by applying knowledge through service-oriented learning and reflective questions, followed by reinforcement in-class through case studies, it is hypothesized that students will have improved critical thinking skills relatable to real-world scenarios. Service Learning Case Studies Case Studies EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN 1. Obtain IRB approval. 2. Students will be given a pre-test that includes application of the Scientific Method to course material and hypothetical scenarios with bioethical issues. 3. The SL component will comprise a small section of 12-18 test students. Control students will be a cohort normalized from Anatomy and Physiology 2 main lecture section. 4. Each SL student is expected to keep a set schedule for at least 1 hour but not more than 2 hours each week at the Covenant NeuroSciences Institute. Control students are those with no community engagement. 6. Each week 1 lecture will be devoted to major topics in a specific organ system. The second lecture will be in-class problem sets and case studies. 7. SL students will maintain an ejournal addressing guided self-reflection questions as well as their own observations that incorporate the material with their experience for that week (test – real; control – hypothetical). 8. All students will be administered a post-learning quiz. 9. SL students will meet weekly as a group to share experiences, reflect on their assignment and how they could apply what they learned. C. Figure 1. Current a priori studies of transfer in DBER suggest that applying knowledge in a new context is difficult for most students. For example, studies in chemistry 1,2 show that while students can memorize formulaic equations to problem-solve, this knowledge is not transferred to recognizing and solving problems involving the particulate images of atoms and molecules. Thus, such habits developed early in the students’ learning, handicap their ability to apply learned solution features to new situations3.Cognitive science reports4.5suggest that students need help to understand which aspects of problems are critical for determining the appropriate solution method and which are not. Critical thinking Problem solving Future Goals: Assess how peer mentoring affects student attitudes towards science and teaching. Expand the SL Section to include more community partners and options. Submit STEM-based proposal exploring how SL and/or case studies in a modified “flipped” course change students perceptions of course materials, applications and solution choices. Partner with education psychology colleagues to develop appropriate rubrics to measure these changes.7 Prepare a DBER manuscript describing the methodologies and results. Linear Solution Figure 3. Proposed large lecture class format. A. Current classroom structure. B. Undergraduate Teaching Assistants (UTAs) recruited from prior semesters will be trained as peer mentors. These students will attend one lecture section to guide student learning during small group activities, case studies and problem sets. Real-time activities incorporating Learning Catalytics will also be incorporated. C. Service Learning Section students will partner with Covenant NeuroScience Institute. Reflective questions and discussions will follow. References 1. Nakhleh, M.B. (1993), Are our students conceptual thinkers or algorithmic problem solvers? Journal of Chemical Education, 71, 52-55. 2 .Nakhleh, M.B., and Mitchell, R.C. (1993). Concept learning versus problem solving: There is a difference. Journal of Chemical Education, 70(3), 190-192. 3 . Novick, L.R. (1988). Analogical transfer, problem similarity, and expertise. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 14, 510-520. 4. Teichert, M.A., Tien, L.T., Anthony, S., and Rickey, D. (2008). Effects of context on students’ molecular-level ideas. International Journal of Science Education, 30, 1095-1114. 5. National Research Council. (1999). How people learn: Bridging research and practice. M.S. Donovan, J.D. Bransford, and J.W. Pellegrino (Eds.). Committee on Learning Research and Educational Practice, Commission on Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education. Washington, DC: National Academy Press. 6. Bransford, J.D., and Schwartz, D.L. (1999). Rethinking transfer: A simple proposal with multiple implications. Review of Research in Education, 24, 61-100. 7. Short, S. D., & Hawley, P. H. (2012). Evolutionary Attitudes and Literacy Survey (EALS): Development and Validation of a Short Form. Evolution: Education and Outreach, 5(3), 419-428.