The use of small groups in a large lecture microbiology course

Suchman, Erica; Smith, Roger E.; Ahermae, S; McDowell, Kaleb; Timpson, William M.

doi:10.1038/sj.jim.7000007

Cited by 9 publications

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“…3 A number of studies indicate that active learning, especially the use of small group activities improves student's performance and enthusiasm in diverse college courses. [4][5][6][7][8] There are however conflicting data on whether TBL improves knowledge outcomes compared to other educational techniques. Hence, this study was conducted to assess the knowledge outcomes in TBL.…”

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confidence: 99%

A Comparative Study of Team-Based Learning on the Traditional Method of Conducting Tutorials in Physiology for First Year MBBS Students

Amalladinna¹,

Pujari²,

Patil³

2017

jebmh

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BACKGROUND In medical education, didactic lectures, tutorials, bedside clinics, etc. are some of the teaching-learning method incorporated in the curriculum. Most of the methods are teacher oriented where students are not involved much. Active participation of the students, i.e. student centered approach increases the understanding of the subject. In physiology, the tutorials are conducted to discuss the individual topics. It was observed that active participation of students in physiology tutorials is less. This study was undertaken to actively involve the students during tutorials and to assess their understanding by Team-Based Learning (TBL). MATERIALS AND METHODS In this study, the performance of the students in team-based learning was compared with the traditional learning. The pretest and post-test was conducted at the beginning and at the end of the tutorial in both the groups. In the study group, the tutorial topics were discussed in teams, whereas in control group, the tutorial was conducted by traditional method. RESULTS There was a significant increase in performance in post-test in study group compared to control group (p <0.001). TBL sessions will be more interesting and interacting compared to traditional method. TBL method improves the student's understanding of the topics in detail and hence enhances the performance. CONCLUSION The different teaching-learning methods, which increase the student's involvement should be implemented in the medical education to facilitate the learning process.

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confidence: 99%

A Comparative Study of Team-Based Learning on the Traditional Method of Conducting Tutorials in Physiology for First Year MBBS Students

Amalladinna¹,

Pujari²,

Patil³

2017

jebmh

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“…The traditional approach of teaching microbial physiology as a lecture course is efficient in that it allows the teacher to present a large amount of information to many students. The downside of this approach is that it fosters passive learning where students expect to be told what to learn and how to learn it (31). Students do not develop the skills or the interest to learn on their own, and enthusiasm for the course is low.…”

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confidence: 99%

“…Several recent papers examine the value of small groups for teaching microbiology. Suchman et al (31) found that small group activities were effective in an introductory microbiology course if the activities had welldefined and obtainable goals and clearly articulated guidelines. Cooperative learning activities increased student interest in research in microbiology (5) and the inclusion of collaborative learning and other activities improved the final grades of students in an introductory microbiology course for allied health students (19).…”

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confidence: 99%

Team-Based Learning Enhances Long-Term Retention and Critical Thinking in an Undergraduate Microbial Physiology Course

MCINERNEY¹,

FINK²

2003

Journal of Microbiology &Amp; Biology Education

109

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Teaching microbial physiology can be challenging because it is easy to overwhelm students with information. Microorganisms metabolize a number of compounds as carbon and/or energy sources and use diverse pathways and modes of energy conservation. In addition, an enormous amount of information has accumulated on microbial metabolism. However, such information is critically needed if the students are to understand how microorganisms function.What are the ways in which instructors can respond to this challenge? The traditional approach of teaching microbial physiology as a lecture course is efficient in that it allows the teacher to present a large amount of information to many students. The downside of this approach is that it fosters passive learning where students expect to be told what to learn and how to learn it (31). Students do not develop the skills or the interest to learn on their own, and enthusiasm for the course is low. It is also counterproductive, given what we know about how students learn and what the mission of a university is. It is clear that learning styles of students in science classes are diverse (5,6,12,22). Thus, at best, the lecture format reaches only a select group of students. The mission of a university should be to introduce students to research and inspire in them the passion for discovery (16). Finally, there is the temptation to cover as much material as possible in a lecture, but this often comes at the expense of in-depth understanding of key concepts such that students have difficulty applying these concepts in new contexts (1). These points raise the question of how we can change our mode of instruction so that students acquire the information base they need, but they also engage in the genuine inquiry that is at the heart of the scientific process.A number of studies indicate that active learning, especially the use of small group activities, improves student performance and enthusiasm in diverse college courses (2-7, 9, 18, 19, 21, 31, 37). Several recent papers examine the value of small groups for teaching microbiology. Suchman et al. (31) found that small group activities were effective in an introductory microbiology course if the activities had welldefined and obtainable goals and clearly articulated guidelines. Cooperative learning activities increased student interest in research in microbiology (5) and the inclusion of collaborative learning and other activities improved the final grades of students in an introductory microbiology course for allied health students (19). Trempy et al. (32) found that cooperative learning where students work interdependently on well-defined tasks resulted in high retention of key concepts and high student satisfaction in a microbiology course that included both science, mathematics, engineering, and technology (SMET) majors and non-SMET majors.These reports on the use of small groups indicate some clear benefits from small groups in comparison with a primary reliance on lecturing. However, there may be additional benefits in a mor...

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“…It is generally agreed that a shift in large-class format from "lecture-centric" to "active learning" is desirable for student learning 5,6 . Improvements in student engagement and/or learning have been reported through use of more active learning methods utilizing student response systems 7,8,9,10,11 and collaborative projects 12,13,14 . Moreover, there is growing evidence that personal response systems (PRS) can improve engagement 7,15,16 and learning 7,8,10 .…”

Section: Issues Of Engagementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of Laptops in Large Lecture Classes on Attentiveness and Engagement

Samson¹

2011 ASEE Annual Conference &Amp; Exposition Proceedings

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The value of in-class Internet technologies to student attentiveness, engagement, and learning remains both controversial and filled with promising potential. In this study, students were given the option to use LectureTools, an interactive suite of tools designed specifically for larger classes. The availability of these tools dramatically changed the mechanics of the course as over 90% of students attending lecture voluntarily brought their laptops to class. On one hand, surveys over multiple semesters show that students believe the availability of a laptop is more likely to increase their time on tasks unrelated to the conduct of the course. On the other hand, the surveys also ascertained that students felt more attentive with the technology, significantly more engaged, and able to learn more with the technology than in similar classes without it. LectureTools also led to a dramatic increase in the number of students posing questions during class time, with more than half posing at least one question during class over the course of a semester, a percentage far higher than achieved in semesters prior to the use of this technology. These results suggest that while having laptops in the classroom can be a distraction to students, students of today show confidence that they are capable of productive multitasking, showing that they not only can handle this technology when applied through "deliberate engagement" using tools like LectureTools, but thrive with it, as seen through improved attentiveness, learning, and overall engagement even in larger classes.

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The use of small groups in a large lecture microbiology course

Cited by 9 publications

References 0 publications

A Comparative Study of Team-Based Learning on the Traditional Method of Conducting Tutorials in Physiology for First Year MBBS Students

A Comparative Study of Team-Based Learning on the Traditional Method of Conducting Tutorials in Physiology for First Year MBBS Students

Team-Based Learning Enhances Long-Term Retention and Critical Thinking in an Undergraduate Microbial Physiology Course

Effect of Laptops in Large Lecture Classes on Attentiveness and Engagement

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