Comparison of Active Learning Strategies in Cell Biology Education: Is All Active Learning Equally Effective?

这个项目是比较不同的主动学习模块（ALM）的有效性，旨在增加学生在大型讲座环境中的细胞生物学的理解。这些活动集中在细胞生物学的三个中心过程：蛋白质翻译，真核基因调控和细胞周期。这些过程是理解细胞功能的基础；而且，由于它们的复杂性，给教学带来了重大挑战。许多研究已经证明了将主动学习融入大学科学课堂的好处。然而，两个问题随之而来：所有的主动学习策略都同样有效吗？是否有些策略比其他策略更适合特定主题？在这项研究中，ALMs正在华盛顿大学的一个招生人数众多的课程中进行测试，该课程已经实施了教学创新，如同伴助教、自动响应系统（点击器）和一些有指导的小组活动。ALM的有效性是根据学生学习的多少以及他们在不同活动中的参与程度来衡量的。学习成果是通过比较学生在有效考试中的表现来衡量的。从每次活动后召集的学生焦点小组和每次活动期间学生参与情况的录像带分析中收集有关学生感知和参与的数据。此外，在一个大型教室中设计和实施这些课程的相对“成本”也被衡量出来。本研究将产生经过研究验证的课堂活动，以促进学生对细胞生物学的学习。对不同的主动学习策略进行直接比较，可以让我们深入了解是什么因素使一种策略比另一种策略在教授特定概念时更有效。更广泛的影响改进STEM教育需要认识到不同教学策略对不同学生群体的相对好处。本研究调查了主题、主动学习策略和人口统计学之间的相互作用，目的是确定对广大学生有效的主动学习策略。有证据表明，协作学习练习对代表性不足的群体有特别有益的影响，这表明设计协作主动学习策略的进展可能在减少STEM教室的“学习差距”方面发挥重要作用。在这项研究中开发和测试的活动将被分发给其他机构，因此有可能影响每年在美国学习生物学入门课程的大约30万名学生。此外，更好地了解不同主动学习策略的相对优势和挑战，可能有助于STEM教育工作者在教师发展和教学材料设计方面指导未来的资源分配决策。培养一名博士后学者，并让本科生担任研究助理，将有助于扩大具有STEM教育研究经验的年轻专业人士的基础，并为美国日益壮大的全国STEM教育网络的发展做出贡献

This project is comparing the effectiveness of different active learning modules (ALM) designed to increase student understanding of cell biology in a large lecture environment. The activities are focused on three central processes in cell biology: protein translation, eukaryotic gene regulation, and the cell cycle. These processes are fundamental to an understanding of how cells function; and, due to their complexity, present significant teaching challenges. Intellectual Merit Many studies have demonstrated the benefits of integrating active learning into the college science classroom. However, two questions then arise: Are all active learning strategies equally effective? Are some strategies better for specific topics than are others? In this study the ALMs are being tested in a large-enrollment course at the University of Washington that has already implemented teaching innovations such as peer TAs, automated response systems (clickers) and some guided group activities. ALM effectiveness is being measured in terms of how much students learn and how engaged they are in the different activities. Learning gains are being measured by comparing student performance on validated tests. Data on student perception and engagement are being gathered from student focus groups convened after each activity and videotape analysis of student participation during each activity. The ALMs are also being measured in terms of their relative 'cost' to design and execute in a large classroom. This study will result in the production of research-validated in-class activities that promote student learning in cell biology. Direct comparison of different active learning strategies will provide insight into what elements make one strategy more effective than another for teaching a particular concept. Broader Impacts Improvement of STEM education requires an appreciation for the relative benefits of different teaching strategies for diverse populations of students. This study investigates the interplay between topic, active learning strategy and demographics with the goal of identifying active learning strategies that are effective for a broad population of students. There is evidence that collaborative learning exercises have a particularly beneficial impact on underrepresented groups, suggesting that advances in designing collaborative active learning strategies may play a significant role in decreasing the 'learning gap' in STEM classrooms. The activities developed and tested in this study will be made available for distribution to other institutions and thus have potential to impact the approximately 300,000 students who take introductory biology in the U.S. each year. Further, an improved understanding of the relative benefits and challenges of different active learning strategies may help guide future resource allocation decisions by STEM educators in terms of faculty development and design of instructional materials. Training of a postdoctoral scholar and involvement of undergraduates as research assistants will help broaden the base of young professionals with experience in STEM education research and contribute to the development of a growing national STEM education network in the U.S.