Curricular Learning to Optimize Science Education: C.L.O.S.E. the Gap in Introductory Biology

这个项目是测试的假设，一个高度结构化的课程设计，开发和测试在四分之一的3个季度的生物学导论序列在华盛顿大学（UW）的专业，可以实施教师谁教生物学导论在三个机构不同的使命（从社区学院到R1机构）和班级规模（从40到700）。 智力优点：该小组最近的工作（哈克等人（2011）科学332 1213-1216，http：//www.sciencemag.org/content/332/6034/1213.abstract）表明，高度结构化的课程设计-将在无讲课的课堂上的强化主动学习与每天和每周以在线测验形式进行的形成性评估相结合-提高了学生的总体成绩，缩小了来自弱势背景与弱势背景的学生之间的成绩差距。扩大参与：目前的目标是确定课程材料是否可以在其他教师手中产生类似的结果，与其他学生群体（在东密歇根州和东华盛顿大学和埃弗雷特（华盛顿）社区学院）合作。 这些机构的课程内容与华盛顿大学的生物学180完全或基本重叠，该课程已经得到了基于证据的高结构材料的支持。当该项目完成时，数据将从选择性到开放式招生，从R1到社区学院，以及从700到40的班级招生机构中获得。材料的有效性在一个教师手中最少的教学经验-特别是-博士后研究助理或一个新聘请的，终身教职的研究教员的生物学的UW部门-也正在调查在同一个过程中，使材料的性能比较在同一个学生群体，当由经验丰富的教师与经验不足的教师交付。

This project is testing the hypothesis that a highly structured course design, developed and tested in one quarter of the 3-quarter introductory biology sequence for majors at the University of Washington (UW), can be implemented by instructors who teach introductory biology at three institutions diverse as to mission (from community college to an R1 institution) and class size (from 40 to 700). Intellectual merit: Recent work by this group (Haak et al (2011) Science 332 1213-1216,http://www.sciencemag.org/content/332/6034/1213.abstract) has shown that the highly structured course design--which combines intensive active learning in lecture-free class sessions with daily and weekly formative assessments in the form of on-line quizzes--increased overall student performance and lowered the achievement gap between students from disadvantaged versus advantaged backgrounds. Broadening participation: The current goal is to determine if the course materials can produce similar results in the hands of other instructors, working with other student populations (at Eastern Michigan and Eastern Washington Universities and at Everett (Washington) Community College). The course content at these institutions overlaps completely or substantially with Biology 180 at the University of Washington, the course that is already supported with evidence-based, high-structure materials. When the project is completed, data will be available from institutions ranging from selective to open enrollment, from R1s to community colleges, and with class enrollments from 700 to 40. The efficacy of the materials in the hands of an instructor with minimal teaching experience-specifically--a post-doctoral research associate or a newly hired, tenure-track research faculty member of the UW Department of Biology--is also being investigated within the same course to enable comparison of materials on performance in the same student population, when delivered by experienced versus inexperienced faculty.