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

该项目正在比较不同的主动学习模块(ALM)的有效性，这些模块旨在提高学生在大型课堂环境中对细胞生物学的理解。这些活动集中在细胞生物学中的三个核心过程：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如何运作的基础；由于它们的复杂性，构成了重大的教学挑战。智力价值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是同样有效的吗？对于特定的主题，某些策略是否比其他策略更好？在这项研究中，这些施舍正在华盛顿大学的一门大规模招生课程中进行测试，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到了多少以及他们在不同活动中的参与度来衡量的。学习收益是通过比较学生在有效测试中的表现来衡量的。关于学生感知和参与的数据是从每次活动后召开的学生焦点小组收集的，并对每次活动中学生参与的录像带进行分析。施舍的衡量标准还包括它们在大教室里设计和执行的相对“成本”。这项研究将产生经过研究验证的课堂活动，促进学生学习细胞生物学。通过对不同主动学习策略的直接比较，可以洞察到在教授特定概念时，哪些因素使一种策略比另一种策略更有效。更广泛的影响改善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。本研究探讨了主题、主动学习策略和人口统计学之间的相互作用，目的是找出对更大范围的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具有特别有益的影响，这表明在设计协作主动学习策略方面的进步可能在缩小STEM课堂上的“学习差距”方面发挥重要作用。这项研究中开发和测试的活动将分发给其他机构，因此有可能影响美国每年约30万名学习生物学入门的学生。此外，更好地理解不同主动学习策略的相对好处和挑战可能有助于指导STEM教育工作者未来在教师发展和教学材料设计方面的资源分配决定。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员的基础，并为美国不断扩大的全国性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.