Gerald Bergtrom , Ph.D. Professor of Biological Sciences & Learning Technology Consultant

1. Maximizing Content Coverage and Learning in a Blended Biology Course Gerald Bergtrom, Ph.D. Professor of Biological Sciences & Learning Technology Consultant Sept. 16, 2010

2. The Original F2F Course Home: Text readings & slide presentations assessed by online quizzes, due before lecture F2F: Lecture, in- class exams 10% 90% • Content delivered at home & in class • No time for interactive, collaborative learning

3. Redesign Decisions for the Blended Course: • Stable canon of content moved online. • Provide multiple modes of content delivery • No lecturing in class. • The Result: • Freedom to model scientific thinking and • “science as a way of knowing” in class and • at home…

4. The Blended Course Home Text readings, un-narrated PowerPoint slide presentations,online quizzes VOP lectures, Muddiest Points Discussions Short Papers online exams Integration: mutual reinforcement of online and F2F activities F2F: Debrief muddiest points F2F: Index Card Qs F2F: Clicker Qs 5% 10% 13% 12% 5% 10% 45% 55%

5. Index Card Challenge & Clicker questions …engage all students, promote collaboration Learning goals: -critical thinking -analytical inquiry -collaborative problem solving -more self-confident students

6. INDEX CARD EXERCISE A ship’s captain visiting a far away paradise island saw much livestock and produce. Years of breeding had yielded a variety of fast growing maize with more and larger kernels on the cob. Island farmers stopped growing the other varieties of maize. Some years later, the captain returned with her ship to find the island desolate, strewn with animal and human remains. Why? Work in groups of 3-5 (no more, no less); write your response on a 4X5” index card signed by your group members.

7. A follow-up concept question Understanding evolution is a key to understanding life because it led to the • improvement of species. • diversity of species. • the extinction of the dinosaurs. • origin of cells. Conceptual misunderstanding!

8. Question reset… Understanding evolution is a key to understanding life because it led to the • improvement of species. • diversity of species. • the extinction of the dinosaurs. • origin of cells. Peer instruction success!

9. 28S 28S Index Card Assignment Look at these sucrose density (sedimentation velocity) gradient separations of purified RNA. What can you conclude from these results? 18S 18S Work in groups of 3-5 (no more, no less); write your response on a 4x5” index card signed by your group members. 4-5S 4-5S [total cell RNA] [ribosomal RNA] Fraction number Fraction number

10. Index Card Assignment If I ask you to run a gradient of purified messenger RNA (mRNA) from a culture of liver cells, what should the gradient look like after the centrifugation? Draw what the RNA profile might look like and explain your drawing. Work in groups of 3-5 (no more, no less); write your response on a 4x5” index card signed by your group members.

11. Was ‘going blended’ hard to do? • Finding time for redesign • Settling on a mode of content delivery • Integration of online & F2F activities • But mostly • Letting go of old, cherished ways of teaching!

12. Some Numbers, Some Thoughts • Does this inversion mean that more learning is takes place in the blended course, or • that I have discounted objective testing because it doesn’t measure the kind or learning I aim for?

13. It was an effort, but the payoff was • A more enjoyable, more effective way of teaching science. • Enduring, easily updatable course materials. • More content coverage. • More student engagement with content, concept and each other • more learning.

14. Be my guest… You are enrolled in my blended Cell Biology course as a guest. To get in: Click on this link: https://uwm.courses.wisconsin.edu/ Log on using guest.bergtrom as your login name and password. Scroll down the next screen and click on the blended Cell Biology course link. Use the clickable tabs above the announcements area (circled) to explore course features. Pertinent tabs are Course Home (takes you back to Announcements), Content (contains syllabus, general information, slide shows, assignments, etc.). Also, check out Discussions, Quizzes, Dropbox, Grades (where you can see a student’s eye view of the gradebook), and Surveys (e.g., an anonymous course evaluation form).

15. Maximizing Content Coverage and Learning in a Blended Biology Course Gerald Bergtrom, Ph.D. Professor of Biological Sciences & Learning Technology Consultant Learning Technology Center University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee bergtrom@uwm.edu 414-229-4319

16. Supplements

17. These curves tally the [P] over time for enzyme reactions containing different starting [S]. they level off because the reactions are reaching equilibrium. The [S] are reaching higher levels. all substrate has been converted to product. most substrate has been converted to product. [S]= 4mM [P] 2mM 1mM 60 120 Time (seconds) Enzyme Kinetics

18. Index Card Exercise Discuss this question with your classmates. Then set up your equations and solutions, showing only the calculations necessary to answer the question. To be submitted individually Phosphoglucomutase Glucose-1-P Glucose-6-P DH =DG0 + TDS DG0 = -RTlnKeq This reaction was conducted under standard conditions. The starting [glucose-1-P] = 0.20M The equilibrium [glucose-6-P] = 0.19M The equilibrium [glucose 1-P] = 0.01M • Determine the Keq for this reaction • Is this reaction exergonic or endergonic? Explain.

19. . Asynchronous Discussion Forum Consider the following: Primase is a sloppy enzyme that makes many mistakes.  Eventually the RNA primers it makes are disposed of and replaced with DNA synthesized by DNA Polymerase with higher fidelity.  This is wasteful.  It would be more energy efficient if a DNA polymerase made an accurate copy in the first place. INSTRUCTIONS:   Post aninitial response to the statement below by midnight on 04-07-10 (late posts will not receive credit). Formulate a thoughtful, reflective reply to one or more of your classmates initial response posts beginning on 04-08-10 at 12:00am but no later than midnight 01-10-10 (replies posted before the 4th day will not receive credit)

20. Instructions for a short writing exercise (Learning Objective: increase scientific literacy) Write a 1-2 page (250-500) word, double spaced one page paper on the recent synthesis of a complete microbial genome.  Sources should be cited on a separate page.  Your paper must address the following: 1. What did the researchers do? 2. How did they do it? 3. What is to be gained by knowing their results?  That is, what is the value (social and/or scientific) of the research?  4. Cite Sources on a separate page 5. Check spelling. For full credit on this paper, you must address all of these points.