Workshop Biology: Demonstrating the Effectiveness of Active Learning in an Introductory Biology Course

Udovic, Daniel; Morris, Deborah; Dickman, Alan; Postlethwait, John H.; Wetherwax, Peter

doi:10.1641/0006-3568(2002)052[0272:wbdteo]2.0.co;2

Cited by 151 publications

(118 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…Stimulation of deeper learning and understanding as well as increased motivation and enthusiasm for the subject have been achieved in classes from 40 to 400 students by scientific teaching strategies in fields as disparate as astronomy (Powell, 2003), genetics (Pukkila, 2004), and chemistry (Wright et al, 1998;Berg et al, 2003). The University of Oregon's Workshop Biology curriculum (Udovic et al, 2002) became one of several experimental teaching approaches in the life sciences that succeeded during the 1990s in enhancing students' conceptual learning, attitudes toward science, and problem solving capacities (see also Ebert-May et al, 1997;Lawson, 2003). Taking physics as an example, it is expected that the spread of active learning pedagogies through other sciences will be accelerated by the development of instruments comparable to the FCI, designed to measure student comprehension of concepts deemed to be important for understanding each of the scientific disciplines.…”

Section: Classroom Studiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Impending Revolution in Undergraduate Science Education

2005

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There is substantial evidence that scientific teaching in the sciences, i.e. teaching that employs instructional strategies that encourage undergraduates to become actively engaged in their own learning, can produce levels of understanding, retention and transfer of knowledge that are greater than those resulting from traditional lecture/lab classes. But widespread acceptance by university faculty of new pedagogies and curricular materials still lies in the future. In this essay we review recent literature that sheds light on the following questions:• What has evidence from education research and the cognitive sciences told us about undergraduate instruction and student learning in the sciences? • What role can undergraduate student research play in a science curriculum?• What benefits does information technology have to offer?• What changes are needed in institutions of higher learning to improve science teaching? We conclude that widespread promotion and adoption of the elements of scientific teaching by university science departments could have profound effects in promoting a scientifically literate society and a reinvigorated research enterprise.

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Section: Classroom Studiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Impending Revolution in Undergraduate Science Education

2005

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“…As Udovic, Morris, Dickman, Postlethwait, and Wetherwax (2002) and Kolesnikova (2016b) state in their study, this approach may not provide students with valuable skills, or even with a body of knowledge that lasts much beyond the end of the term (Udovic et al, 2002). Moreover, it has been found in most universities by many teachers and students that the traditional teaching method in classroom is of limited effectiveness in both teaching and learning.…”

Section: Traditional Teaching Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Combined Teaching Method: An Experimental Study

Kolesnikova¹

2016

WJE

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The search for the best approach to business education has led educators and researchers to seek many different teaching strategies, ranging from the traditional teaching methods to various experimental approaches such as active learning techniques. The aim of this experimental study was to compare the effects of the traditional and combined (traditional plus active learning) teaching methods in the process of knowledge formation among future primary school teachers. Participants were randomly selected from available Ukrainian 5 th year students. After they were pre-tested, randomly divided into two equal groups. The participants in the experimental group were instructed through combined teaching methods, while those in the control group were only taught through traditional lecture. Following the completion of the course, both groups were received their post-test. The results of both groups were equal at the beginning of experiment. An investigation on the post-test indicated that both teaching methods increased the students' post-test scores significantly. Also, the result of post-test scores in the experimental group increased statistically significant than that the control group. This study concluded that active learning plus the traditional teaching method is a feasible alternative to the traditional teaching method only format.

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“…A simple approach is to indicate mean change (Udovic et al, 2002). However, there is less room for improvement if pretest scores are already high and there are frequently dramatic differences between sections.…”

Section: Quantitative Techniquesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, representative examples of student work could be presented from early, middle, and later portions of a course (Moncada, 1993). Alternatively, representative answers to reflective questions can be used to illustrate common strengths and weaknesses (Udovic et al, 2002). Student responses can often be categorized by type and reported in the form of a table or graph (see Fig.…”

Section: Qualitative Techniquesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These might include applications of new technologies, both scientific and instructional, such as incorporating molecular techniques into laboratories and using a variety of computer-assisted instructional aids. Articles might also include descriptions of how new pedagogical approaches were implemented in individual courses, e.g., cooperative learning (Johnson et al, 1991); concept mapping (Novak and Gowin, 1984); peer instruction (Mazur, 1997); investigative laboratories (Sundberg and Moncada, 1994); minute papers, (Angelo and Cross, 1993); and "Workshop Biology" (Udovic et al, 2002) or "Studio Biology" (Montelone, personal communication). Success, however, was rarely defined beyond the instructor's impressions and student reactions.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Assessing Student Learning

Sundberg

2002

CBE

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Biology education research has now reached a level of maturity where the expectation is that researchers will assess the effectiveness of their innovation on student learning. This may include an examination of affective outcomes, such as student attitudes and beliefs, as well as student understanding of discipline-based content. A variety of tools are available to generate assessment data, each with certain advantages and disadvantages. They include not only quantitative measures, which lend themselves to familiar statistical analyses, but also qualitative techniques that can provide a rich understanding of complex outcomes. This article describes some of the most commonly used assessment techniques, their advantages and disadvantages, and typical ways such information is reported.

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Workshop Biology: Demonstrating the Effectiveness of Active Learning in an Introductory Biology Course

Cited by 151 publications

References 6 publications

The Impending Revolution in Undergraduate Science Education

The Impending Revolution in Undergraduate Science Education

Combined Teaching Method: An Experimental Study

Assessing Student Learning

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