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Brown Bag Workshop. Using a Course Site in a Lab Course SCI 100 – Water: An Interdisciplinary Study Karin Readel. Science 100. Lab based science course for students not majoring in natural or physical sciences 1 90 min lecture/ week and 1 110-min lab per week
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Brown Bag Workshop Using a Course Site in a Lab Course SCI 100 – Water: An Interdisciplinary Study Karin Readel
Science 100 • Lab based science course for students not majoring in natural or physical sciences • 1 90 min lecture/ week and 1 110-min lab per week • Serves approximately 200 students /semester (10 lab sections of 20 students each)
Labs are “Group Oriented” Students work in same groups throughout semester
Group Projects • 20% of course grade is “Group Project” • Each group develops a hypothesis involving a water quality issue. • Groups design and run experiments • Results presented in 3 ways- • Individual lab reports • Group oral presentation • Group web page
Why Use Blackboard? • Centralized location for course information • No more “I lost my paper” excuses • No appropriate textbook or lab manual for this course • Saves Xeroxing $$$ • Allows instructor last minute flexibility
Why Use Blackboard? • Encourages students to become more computer literate • 20% of students rank themselves as “beginners” • Only 24% consider themselves comfortable in the role of “group computer person”
How do I use Blackboard? • Post Course Documents • Use discussion boards: • To enhance lab group interaction • For extra credit interactions • Use the digital drop box for submission and return of lecture papers • Track which information students access
Posting Course Documents: • Course syllabus • Lecture and lab schedule • Lecture outlines • Lab handouts & assignments
Discussion Boards: • I create a “Group Page” for each lab group • Accessible only by group members, instructor and TA • Groups are required to post and develop project ideas here • Allows asynchronous cooperation • Reinforces group bonds outside of class
Extra Credit Discussion Board: • Students can earn extra credit by summarizing articles related to course material • Students learn material not specifically covered in class • Shows relationship between SCI 100 and the “real world” • Increases interaction between students in different lecture and lab sections
Fall 2000 Problems: • Lack of use of Blackboard as a whole • Accessed by only 30% of students • “too complicated” • Poor attendance during first lab when directions for accessing Blackboard were provided • Problems with accounts/ passwords • Software problems
Changes for Spring 2001: • Sent e-mail to all students 1 week before class started letting them know lab started the first week • Demonstrated Blackboard in first lab and lecture • Online survey during first week of class to prompt students to access Blackboard
Changes for Spring 2001: • All course documents are now in rich text format • Lecture papers turned in electronically using digital drop box. • Requiring more formal project proposal on group discussion boards involving all group members • Lab handouts include worksheet to turn in at end of each lab • worth 5% of grade; encourages being prepared
Additional problems encountered: • Some password/ software/ connection problems • Approximately 20% of class didn’t do survey • Students confused by digital drop box • adding vs. sending files