The Tyranny of Content: “Content Coverage” as a Barrier to Evidence-Based Teaching Approaches and Ways to Overcome It

Abstract

This article proposes that a content-coverage approach to teaching can be a barrier to adopting more learner-centered active-learning approaches to teach biology. It includes strategies that instructors can implement to move to a learner-centered approach incorporating active learning.

From panic to pedagogy: Using online active learning to promote inclusive instruction in ecology and evolutionary biology courses and beyond

“…Below we list some common challenges when incorporating active learning and then provide some solutions for how to make implementation of these activities easier, more effective, and more inclusive in an online context. The content we provide is not an all-encompassing list (see Brownell & Tanner, 2012;Petersen et al, 2020), but along with the quick-reference active learning activities (Table 1) and web resources (Table 2) Change (AAAS, 2011(AAAS, , 2015(AAAS, , 2018. Excellent tools exist to help biology faculty implement this framework in their courses, for example the BioCore Guide (Brownell et al, 2014;Cary & Branchaw, 2017) and the BioSkills Guide (Clemmons et al, 2020 In addition to making changes within individual courses, implementation of curriculum-wide changes at the department level are also possible, discussed in depth by Branchaw et al (2020).…”

“…Active Learning often necessitates cutting course content in order to make space for active learning techniques(Roach, 2014). Even though there is strong evidence that exposing students to more topics on a shallower level does not increase learning; cutting material remains difficult(Petersen et al, 2020). Reasons for this difficulty include textbook design, discipline-specific norms, standardized exams, accreditation of programs, departmental norms, instructor priorities, and a host of other factors(Petersen et al, 2020).Solution: Instead of just covering a list of topics and specific facts, Petersen and colleagues(Petersen et al, 2020) recommend focusing on core concepts and competencies and building the course content around mastery of those concepts; this practice aligns Vision and…”

From panic to pedagogy: Using online active learning to promote inclusive instruction in ecology and evolutionary biology courses.

“…Below we list some common challenges when incorporating active learning and then provide some solutions for how to make implementation of these activities easier, more effective, and more inclusive in an online context. The content we provide is not an all-encompassing list (see Brownell and Tanner, 2012;Petersen et al, 2020), but along with the quick-reference active learning activities (Table 1 ) and web resources (Appendix A ) provided, should help instructors incorporate active learning into their online ecology and evolution classrooms.…”

“…Active Learning often necessitates cutting course content in order to make space for active learning techniques (Roach, 2014). Even though there is strong evidence that exposing students to more topics on a shallower level does not increase learning; cutting material remains difficult (Petersen et al, 2020). Reasons for this difficulty include textbook design, discipline-specific norms, standardized exams, accreditation of programs, departmental norms, instructor priorities, and a host of other factors (Petersen et al, 2020).…”

“…Solution: Instead of just covering a list of topics and specific facts, Petersen and colleagues (Petersen et al, 2020) recommend focusing on core concepts and competencies and building the course content around mastery of those concepts; this practice aligns Vision and Change(AAAS 2011; 2015; 2018). Excellent tools exist to help biology faculty implement this framework in their courses, for example the BioCore Guide (Brownell et al, 2014;Cary and Branchaw, 2017) and the BioSkills Guide (Clemmons et al, 2020).…”