Leaving a Trail a Breadcrumbs

1. Leaving a Trail a Breadcrumbs • Stephanie Stockwell and Amanda BieseckerJMU Department of Integrated Science and Technology • Introduction to TBL • Finding activities • Tips on writing activities • Practice writing an activity question • Our research comparing TBL to traditional lecture

2. The problem:68% surveyed employers say higher education is NOT doing an adequate job of preparing 21st century graduates. “Raising the Bar: Employers’ Views On College Learning In The Wake Of The Economic Downturn” AACU 2010

3. Employers call for a greater emphasis on… “Raising the Bar: Employers’ Views On College Learning In The Wake Of The Economic Downturn” AACU 2010

4. One Solution: Active Learning • Encouraged by NRC and NSF to improve science education • Increases performance on cognitive measures • Benefits disadvantaged or at-risk students • Benefits students with learning disabilities • Examples: writing, discussion, problem-solving, working in teams, creating, evaluating...

5. Let’s focus on improving THESE! One approach: team activities in Team-Based Learning

7. Team-based learning: How does it compare to lecture?

8. Team-based learning: What does it look like?

9. Common student concerns • “I am a little bit nervous about being able to understand everything I have to teach myself.” • “I don’t want to let my group down or be let down by my group.” • “How will I know what’s important if you don’t tell me?”

10. Preparation for class: Focused readings • Assigned reading (textbook, handout, etc.) • Focus points • Pre-class assignments • Crossword/ simple questions • Muddy points • Optional extra credit homework

11. The Dilemma • Our situation – wanting to use active learning to improve critical thinking • Our problem—finding good active learning activities that... • foster higher order thinking • keep students interested and on task • promote teamwork and communication

12. Where to find ready-made activities • Med Ed portal (https://www.mededportal.org/) • National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science (http://sciencecases.lib.buffalo.edu/cs/) • Team-Based Learning Collaborative (http://www.teambasedlearning.org) • But... What if you can’t find an activity suitable for your content, course level, course format…?

13. What works for us… Identify learning objective(s) Rough outline (i.e. Part I/II) Find inspiration Assign team role and define task Write starter questions Transform questions for data analysis Edit (challenge questions)

15. Your turn… • Select a theme for YOUR activity. • Your story? • What role will the students play? • What will their task be? Identify learning objective(s) Find inspiration Assign team role and define task

16. Identify learning objective(s) Rough outline (i.e. Part I/II) Find inspiration Assign team role and define task Write starter questions Transform questions for data analysis Edit (challenge questions)

18. “A Biological Arms Race” Identify learning objective(s) Rough outline (i.e. Part I/II) Find inspiration Assign team role and define task The facts The inspiration • DNA vs. RNA structure • Ubiquity of viruses • Definition of bacteriophages • Pros/cons of antibiotic v. phagetherapies • Viral structure • Structure/function of DNA, RNA, proteins, and lipids (macromolecules) • Viral lifecycles • Viral host range • Basic bacterial phylogeny • Basic mechanisms of transcription & translation • Previous week: Super Bug antibiotic resistance • Phage therapy as an alternative to antibiotics • JMU vs. VT football game on September 11th, 2011

19. Set the scene Sept. 11th, 2010 is a great day for college football—The JMU Dukes defeat their long-time rival and college football powerhouse Virginia Tech 21-16… Sad to see the weekend end, students return to their classes as usual on Monday morning. Unfortunately, the true events of the previous weekend are just beginning to unfold… On Tuesday and Wednesday approximately 50 students come to the University Health Center (UHC) complaining of fever, headache, and general malaise. These students are advised to return to their dorms/apartments to catch up on their rest and drink lots of fluids… Having an interest in infectious disease, the medical director of the UHC quickly recognizes that these students are all suffering from the pneumonic plague—a lung infection of the bacterial pathogen, Yersiniapestis,resulting from the inhalation of infectious cells… Given the natural rarity of the disease, it is likely that these outbreaks are a result of a bioterrorist attack at the previous VT-JMU football game… As the outbreak spreads throughout both campuses, health care workers are advised to prescribe antibiotics to all patients presenting any plague-like symptoms. You belong to a team of scientists in the Division of Emerging Infections and Surveillance Services (DEISS) at the CDC. Upon receiving the JMU Y. pestissamples, you get reports from both campuses that the antibiotic treatments are not working—the plague is spreading throughout student housing and patients are not improving. Both campus have seen the first of what is likely to be many casualties. This is a biological arms race andyou are losing.

20. Identify learning objective(s) Rough outline (i.e. Part I/II) Find inspiration Assign team role and define task The story Bioterrorist attack of a VT vs. JMU football game—antibiotic resistant Yersiniapestis Student role: Team of scientists in the Division of Emerging Infections and Surveillance Services (DEISS) at the CDC Task: Develop a phage therapy to stop the epidemic Rough outline Convince your boss. Isolate a YP phage. Characterize the new phage. Lytic vs. lysogenic Molecular make-up Define host range

21. Rough outline (i.e. Part I/II) Write starter questions Transform questions for data analysis Edit (challenge questions) Starter questions Compare/contrast antibiotic vs. phage therapies. Where might you find a YP phage? What makes a virus a virus? Structure/function of viral particles? What are the steps of a viral infection? What’s the difference between RNA and DNA? How are new viruses made? Is the host-range of a virus narrow or broad? Convince your boss. Part I: Isolate a YP phage. Part II: Characterize it. Lifecycle Molecular make-up Host range

22. Effective formats • Design an experiment (preferably using new techniques) • Predict experimental outcomes • Interpret existing data • Draw conclusions from multiple pieces of data (e.g. weave new info with that from previous activities) • Consider social context (e.g., ethics, environmental/economic impact) • Make decisions and defend choices to other teams after simultaneous report

23. Compare/contrast antibiotic vs. phage therapies Suggestions for implementation: Specific (reasonable) choices, that need to be ranked, will help focus students. Defending choice to other groups will prompt great discussion and maximize productivity.

24. Convince your boss. The facts Why phage therapy? DNA vs. RNA structure Ubiquity of viruses Pros/cons of antibiotic therapies Definition of bacteriophages Viral structure Structure/function of macromolecules Viral lifecycles Viral host range Basic bacterial phylogeny

25. Where might you find a YP phage?

26. Which virus?

27. Part I: Isolation The facts Why phage therapy? Select the source Select a virus type DNA vs. RNA structure Ubiquity of viruses Pros/cons of antibiotic therapies Definition of bacteriophages Viral structure Structure/function of macromolecules Viral lifecycles Viral host range Basic bacterial phylogeny

28. What makes a virus a virus?

29. Part I: Isolate a virus The facts How could you isolate? Why phage therapy? Select the source Select a virus type Label DNA vs. RNA structure Ubiquity of viruses Pros/cons of antibiotic therapies Definition of bacteriophages Viral structure Structure/function of macromolecules Viral lifecycles Viral host range Basic bacterial phylogeny

30. Structure/function of viral particles? Predict the outcome of adding something that destroys… DNA RNA Protein Lipids

31. Structure of nucleic acids?

32. Part II: Characterize The facts Outcome of degrading… How could you isolate? Why phage therapy? Select the source Select a virus type Genome analysis Label DNA vs. RNA structure Ubiquity of viruses Pros/cons of antibiotic therapies Definition of bacteriophages Viral structure Structure/function of macromolecules Viral lifecycles Viral host range Basic bacterial phylogeny

33. Mechanism of infection? Change, and predict… Support or refute?

34. Host range? Pulling from the tools/assays shown previously, design a controlled experiment to test the virus’s host range.

35. Part II: Characterize The facts Infection predictions Host range—design exp. Outcome of degrading… Genome analysis DNA vs. RNA structure Ubiquity of viruses Pros/cons of antibiotic therapies Definition of bacteriophages Viral structure Structure/function of macromolecules Viral lifecycles Viral host range Basic bacterial phylogeny

36. Step back Write starter questions Transform questions for data analysis Edit (challenge questions) • Editing: • Trim to the appropriate length • Get the most bang for your buck • Review the complexity • Levels should vary • Sprinkle in lower-level questions • Add challenge questions • Introduce simultaneous report

37. Effective formats • Design an experiment (preferably using new techniques) • Predict experimental outcomes • Interpret existing data • Draw conclusions from multiple pieces of data • Consider social context (e.g., ethics, environmental/economic impact) • Make decisions and defend choices to other teams after simultaneous report

38. Your content…Overuse of antibiotics leads to resistance in bacteria. • Design an experiment (preferably using new techniques) • Predict experimental outcomes • Interpret existing data • Draw conclusions from multiple pieces of data • Consider social context (e.g., ethics, environmental/economic impact) • Make decisions and defend choices to other teams after simultaneous report

39. Comparing TBL to Lecture: Mixed-Majors Introductory Biotechnology Course Course Experimental Question Does TBL work as well as traditional lecture? Do students perform as well on tests and exams? Does their confidence increase? Will majors respond differently to TBL than non-majors? • Mixed majors • First course in ISAT major • General Education course in life sciences • 2 x 50min classroom time • 100-minute lab component • TBL n =46 (2 sections) • Lecture n=38 (2 sections) • Honors TBL n=12 (1 section)

40. Comparing TBL to Lecture: Experimental Design

41. Regular lecture and TBL mean student performance on iRATs and tRATs

42. Regular lecture and TBL mean student performance on iRATs and tRATs

43. Non-cognitive Assessment: 17 Items on Likert Scale

44. Non-cognitive assessment: 17 Items * denotes significantly different (p<0.005) values within pedagogical groups. ˄ denotes significantly different (p<0.05) values of pre- and post-test values between major categories within a given pedagogical grouping.

45. Conclusions • No differences in... • Weekly test performance • Midterm/final exam performance • Change in confidence • Change in attitude (d.n.s.) • Any measure according to gender

46. … and here’s what former students have to say… • “I studied because I don’t want to look like an idiot in front of my team!” • “Are there lecture sections of this class? That must suck.” • “Time goes really fast in this class. In most classes I just watch the clock.” • “The alternative teaching method, while incredibly frustrating, was somewhat effective. I learned a lot more biology than I ever have before.” • “Class was very fun-- I WANTED to go even though attendance was not required.” • “I barely studied for the final. I remembered everything from class.” • “This was my favorite class– I never knew what we were going to be doing.” • “It was challenging, but this is the first time a science course really stuck with me.”

47. Overall, evaluation comments are positive