CLICKER QUESTION

Question :

JT is a 63 year old female who presents to her physician with complaints of fatigue and shortness of breath on exertion, both of which are progressively worsening.  She reports no chest pain, cough, or peripheral swelling.  Her physical examination findings include a normal pressure, a normal and regular heart rate, and decreased radial pulses.  Her lung exam is normal.  Auscultation of her heart reveals a loud S1, no third heart sound, an opening snap, and a low pitched diastolic murmur that is heard most prominently at the apex of the heart.  An echocardiogram reveals a pressure gradient between the left atrium and ventricle of 10 cm of water.

Given the history, physical findings, and findings on echocardiogram, considered the diagnosis.  Which of the following would be the preferred treatment for this patient?

a.       Mitral valvuloplasty

b.      ACE inhibitor therapy

c.       Mitral valve surgery

d.      Aortic valve surgery

The purpose of my question was to stimulte cognitive processes. Students must consider all of the patient’s signs and symptoms, think through the differential diagnosis, then determine the most likely diagnosis. Then the list of answers are the possible  treatments. There is only one right answer. What I decided to change is to add another possible answer: e. none of the above. The reason is that if they reached the incorrect diagnosis, none of the answers would be correct. This would allow them to consider the characteristics of the true diagnosis, and the clinical difference between their proposed diagnosis and the true diagnosis.

HOMEWORK:

1.       What is the big take home message(s) from the Prezler paper.

For me, there were two big themes that I pulled out of this paper.

The first is that students in upper division courses were less likely to view clicker questions as valuable to their learning.  The authors propose that the reason was that most of the students moved into the upper division courses without having used clickers in previous courses.  The clicker questions represented change in what those students are used to.  What I take from this is that in higher-level courses, the instructor must present the students with and evidence-based rationale for using clickers in their classroom.  Also, it is important to use quicker questions that are of a higher cognitive level.

A second refers to figure 6.  These data demonstrate that in both lower and upper division courses, clickers improved performance on exams.  This was the most objective data presented in this paper and my opinion.

2.       Using the information from Caldwell’s paper, write two high quality clicker questions that will provide meaningful information about student understanding.

Question 1:

JT is a 63 year old female who presents to her physician with complaints of fatigue and shortness of breath on exertion, both of which are progressively worsening.  She reports no chest pain, cough, or peripheral swelling.  Her physical examination findings include a normal pressure, a normal and regular heart rate, and decreased radial pulses.  Her lung exam is normal.  Auscultation of her heart reveals a loud S1, no third heart sound, an opening snap, and a low pitched diastolic murmur that is heard most prominently at the apex of the heart.  An echocardiogram reveals a pressure gradient between the left atrium and ventricle of 10 cm of water.

Given the history, physical findings, and findings on echocardiogram, considered the diagnosis.  Which of the following would be the preferred treatment for this patient?

a.       Mitral valvuloplasty

b.      ACE inhibitor therapy

c.       Mitral valve surgery

d.      Aortic valve surgery

Question 2:

JT is a 53-year-old male who presents to his physician with exercise intolerance, shortness of breath on minimal exertion, and ankle swelling.  His medical history includes a diagnosis of coronary artery disease.  He had coronary artery bypass surgery 6 years ago.  His electrocardiogram shows normal sinus rhythm, a normal PR interval, and a QRS duration of 180 ms.  His most recent echocardiogram revealed an ejection fraction of 31% and a large anterior area of akinesis.

Of the following, what treatment would improve his overall survival and improve his symptoms?

a.       An implantable cardioverter-defibrillator

b.      A right ventricular pacemaker

c.       Amiodarone therapy

d.      An implantable cardioverter-defibrillator and a biventricular pacemaker

Feedback for Dr. Boyer

Thank you very much for your talk today. The information will be valuable for me. I am especially interested in Delicious and Presi and will try these out. You may find me in STEM 709.

Question for Dr. Boyer:

I teach a very short course (4 classroom sessions) called Research and Design. I don't have the time or resources to do an actual experiment in class. Are there electronic technologies available that I could use to simulate an experiment? 

Thank you!

ACTIVE LEARNING STRATEGY:

"How do we apply active learning strategies in our own classes?"  Tell us what activity you would try, how you would set it up, and what learning objective you would be targeting through this activity. 

I would like to try many of the strategies that we discussed on March 8.  The strategy that I chose for this task is "bookending." 

My definition of active learning is a way to engage students by providing valuable learning experiences (doing and observing) and reflective dialog (with self and others).

When teaching a challenging concept, “bookends” can be useful.  This allows for student participation before and after the lecture piece.  At the beginning of class, I would assign groups that will be composed of 4 or 5 students.  Each group will get a short list of questions relating to the previous homework assignment.  During 2 or 3 minutes of collaborating in their small groups, students can organize in advance what they know about the topic and set expectations as to what the lecture will cover. Then, there would be a whole class discussion about their responses, that will help students review and organize what they observed and learned. Next, I would complete a short lecture.  After the lecture, I would then assign each student to a new group where they would be asked to write a summary of the lecture or other group exercise designed to enhance recall and application of the lecture topic. Sharing will help students to work together and build a sense of positive interdependency upon one another. Studies on the brain and learning show that learners remember most about the first few minutes and last few minutes of a learning experience (Willis, 2006).

By breaking up the lecture into pre and post learning activities and having learners process the material in cooperative learning groups, I think you would decrease the amount of lecture time, but research supports that this will enhance what is learned and build relationships among the learners.

Reflection: Perspective of the student

Students are comfortable with summative assessment (SA) because that has been the traditional method, and they have learned to study with this method in mind. If they are successful, they continue to develop skills to perform on these kinds of assessments. They are comfortable with SA. They have practiced and have learned how to be successful on SAs. They have learned to manage their time based on the syllabi; when is the test, when is the assignment due.

With formative assessment (FA), we are asking them to make a change. Changes are difficult for everyone. It can create frustration.

Assessment for the student is feedback. The feedback must be constructive in a way that helps the student gain understanding of their knowledge and how to adjust their learning to meet the required goals. Of importance, is explaining to the student WHY you are assessing them in the way you are (your rationale), and what you want them to get out of the assessment.

College students are adults and intelligent. They want to know that the teacher respects them, and that they are a team. Then, when the teacher explains their rationale for FA and how students can benefit from this method of assessment, students will be amenable to change and engage in a new learning method. 

REFLECTIONS: formative assessment

This was a difficult exercise for me.  I think what went well was that we knew that we needed to get a sense of what the students already had knowledge of, and how they would assess their own students. We created a strategy to accomplish this which was the easiest part of this exercise.

We discussed goals and outcomes, and decided that these were the same without looking back or thinking about what we had previously read in Backward Design. I spent a lot of time on the readings for Tuesday, but did not make connections between those and Thursday’s readings.

When I first looked over the template, it made sense. I found that trying to use it is a lot more challenging than I thought. It was also a bit awkward trying to use the tool in a group before trying it on my own first, but the exercise has provided me with a way to approach the task. I think it is difficult to identify strategies to truly measure the students’ understanding and will take time and creativity. Using formative assessment allows you to create a structure for your unit but also allows the instructor to measure student learning based on evidence and adapt to the needs and misconceptions of the students.

Reflections about the interviews:

This was an excellent exercise which will really help me with the “real” interview. It was fun and constructive and opened my eyes to my lack of understanding about how an interview might go. Having the feedback about my initial questions, allowing me to adjust my questions, and then practice using those was valuable in developing a better final product. Developing these questions is a lot harder than I initially thought.

I learned that it is important to know the basic background of the interviewee. I must target the interview questions to the individual interviewee. I need to start out with more basic concepts and expand on those, and then make connections with the “big question.” What I learned from my partner was that when my answer was “I don’t know,” he didn’t just give me the answer but built on more basic concepts and terminology that I did know which allowed me to demonstrate the limited knowledge that I did have. At first I was wondering if I really needed an audio recorder. But what I learned is that I need to be observing the interviewee as they think through the questions and their answers. If I’m looking down and writing notes, I will miss an important part of the interview. I’m going to have to listen, observe, think, and possibly formulate the next question all at the same time. My partner also started out with an introductory explanation about the interview and its purpose, which I will add to my interview.

What was difficult was that when I asked the first question I learned that, although my partner had a basic understanding of the topic, he did not have a conceptual understanding about the PCR methodology. I wasn’t prepared for that response and didn’t have a plan to alter my questioning. I also had a hard time listening without trying to teach him. I will need to develop strategies to find out what they know, not tell them what I know.

I think what went well was my scenario questions which led to more insight into my partner’s knowledge. It was interesting to see his thought processes. By simply observing, you can gain a lot of insight.

My protocol will change in that I will definitely make sure that my questions are appropriate for the interviewee’s background. I will begin with determining their understanding of DNA structure, base pairing rules and replication. Then I will assess the connection between these and PCR. I will also prepare back-up questions if I don’t get the responses I am expecting. I will develop some questions that will allow me to better assess their thought processes. I plan to add an activity question, such as a diagram or drawing and build on that. If the interviewee does not know the answer, I plan to have alternatives ways of asking the same question to ensure that they can’t answer because they don’t quite understand the question. I will have a sequence of questions but will feel free to go off on a tangent, or change the sequence. I also need to remember not to try to teach them during the interview, but rather give them cues to elicit their understanding.

What tricks did I learn? Do not make assumptions about the interviewee’s understanding, rather, get at their true knowledge. I think scenarios are a great way to get a handle on their understanding and something that I can build on. Also having them draw a picture of a concept and also build on that.

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS first draft

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

Concept that I will be teaching:

Polymerase Chain Reaction Methodology (PCR)

Interview Setting:

·         The interview setting will be comfortable, quiet and without distractions. 

·         I will ask the interviewee if I may record our interview. 

·         I will explain the purpose of the interview.

·         I will explain that he can decide not to answer any of the questions and we can stop the interview at any time. 

·         I will explain that if he is unsure whether his/her answer will be correct, to attempt to do his/her best.

·         His/her name will not be used in my class.

1.       Was there a course in high school or college where you covered polymerase chain reaction (PCR)?

2.       Which course was this?

3.       What did you think about this method?

4.       What does the term polymerase chain reaction mean to you?

5.       What is a chain reaction?

6.       What is deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)?

7.       What are the repeating units that make up DNA?

8.       Where can we find DNA?

9.       What part of learning this method was difficult for you and why?

10.   Polymerase is an enzyme. How can this enzyme survive the high temperatures required for the PCR reaction to occur?

11.   What does the term target sequence mean?

12.   Why would we want to amplify DNA sequences?

13.   What are the “ingredients” required for PCR to occur?

14.   What is a thermocycler?

15.   What are the small single stranded pieces of DNA that are needed to get DNA synthesis started?

16.   At the end of the first PCR cycle, you end up with very long flanking pieces of DNA. By the end of 30 cycles, you end up with only short double stranded pieces. Why is this?

17.   What is an amplification plot? Can you draw one?

18.   What does the term “crossing threshold” mean?

19.   How will you assess for the products of PCR?

20.   Who invented PCR?

TEACHING PHILOSOPHY REFLECTIONS

I reviewed the teaching philosophies of Morgan, Paula and Delci.

What I liked about Paulas’ statement was that she addressed mutual respect. As a teacher, you must let your student know that you are not there because you have to be there, but you want to be there. It is important to let them know that you truly care about teaching and their learning.

Delci addressed humility. What do you do when your student asks you a question and you don’t know the answer? I think this is a great opportunity to teach your students that learning is forever. My answer would be “I don’t know, but tomorrow I will have your answer and I will be learning in the process.” This is a challenge of teaching, but for me, a challenge and an opportunity to learn. I don’t think of it as a failure but rather an opportunity. The student gains confidence at the same time.

Morgan talked about enthusiasm, and conveying that to students. If they see that the teacher is excited about what they are teaching, the student is more likely to be excited about what they are learning. I liked her strategies for obtaining feedback about her teaching. “One minute papers” is a great idea. Personally, I don’t like using evaluations at the end of the course. I like the idea of having evaluations throughout the course so that you can modify approaches to meet the needs of the current students and learn about the effectiveness of your teaching at the same time.

More about WHAT IS LEARNING?

One of the things I found interesting in our discussion is that it is difficult to separate learning and transfer. I do believe that initial learning must be mastered before transfer can occur. But, whatever we are learning, we are automatically transferring that to something we already know…sounds kind of philosophical.

The other thing I want to add to my “What is learning?” is that we also learn by questioning. Kimi had a statement in her paper that I liked. In Science, learning through research leads us to new questions and their answers will lead us to new questions.

In How Students Learn, I liked the Frog study (Box 9-3). There was an experiment, an interpretation, and a conclusion. But, then we must ask questions about the conclusion, the study design, and the validity of the conclusions. I think I can use this in my classroom. Everything is not black and white. We must always ask questions after our conclusions are determined.

WHAT IS LEARNING?

Learning means acquiring new knowledge, understanding, changes in thinking, skills, methods, attitudes, interests, values and connections.

I think we are constantly learning, starting at birth, through our observations and thought. I think learning is a progression. Learning occurs when we reflect on an idea or concept and attach it to our current knowledge. We first must make sense of what we observe, and then based on past understanding, associate it with some meaning. We take external facts and incorporate them into our own personal pattern of understanding.

In a given subject, learning begins with memorization and a quantitative increase in knowledge. These need to be retained and applied to future learning. We will need to make sense of these facts and relate them to other subject matter, to fully interpret, comprehend, and possibly reinterpret as we gain more knowledge.

Markwell and Courtney

What stuck out for me in this reading is:

…Consider the difference between the student who asks “Will this be on the test?” and the student who challenges your presentation on how functional domains within proteins tend to be conserved during evolution because they don’t believe in evolution….

In my limited teaching experience, it was the students that challenged me that were the most fun to teach. I think it is easy to “give up” on the students who just learn to pass the test. Now, I will challenge myself to try to get the latter students excited about learning for the sake of learning. I hope this course will help me do that.

Chapter 8: Key points that interested me:

·         

•       We must be aware of our students’ backgrounds because this will have an impact on the effectiveness of our teaching.
•       We, as teachers, need to accept the responsibility for the learning of our students.
•        All science courses should be seen as an opportunity to influence thinking and scientific knowledge, even though some students that take science courses because of a requirement may not be pursuing a science degree.
•       Learning students’ names helps enhance their self-esteem.
•       Resources (e.g., tutoring) should be offered and encouraged. Seeking these resources should not be viewed as signs of weakness or inability. We should create that environment for our students.
•       Students differ in how they learn and study, and we need to try to see those differing characteristics in our students.

Statement of Teaching Philosophy – Jody R Thompson (first draft)

My first experience with teaching was coaching gymnastics.  This type of teaching involves both verbal instruction as well as demonstration of techniques.  I taught very young children, and felt very rewarded when these children learned new "tricks." At a new session, I had two new students, who were both deaf.  Suddenly, I had to develop a new way to teach them.  These children had sign language skills, but I did not. So, I taught only by demonstration and visual cues.  These young children turned out to be two of my very best gymnasts. This was an incredibly enlightening and rewarding experience.

When I got to college, I was no longer able to coach.  This is when I really began to learn. High school was very easy, and I did not have to develop learning skills.  College was a different story.  My techniques included attending every lecture and taking notes vigorously without learning within the classroom.  I took my notes and my text books home, and that’s where I learned.  I learned by reading and taking notes from the textbook, rewriting the lecture notes, drawing pictures and diagrams, and preparing note cards. I never took advantage of tutoring or study groups, because I didn’t know they existed. My techniques were very successful for me.  I thought all students learned this way. When students were not doing well, I assumed this was because they were lazy and did not study.

My eyes were opened when I began teaching medical laboratory science students. I was recruited to teach, and thought it might be fun. I learned that not everyone learns the way I do, and I had a lot to learn about teaching.

Goals for Student learning:

I believe that to truly learn science, students must understand fully, the principle concepts of science; observing, thinking, creating a hypothesis, experimenting, interpreting data and, finally, validating. These are skills that are not only required in the sciences, but also throughout life in the real world, whether or not the student chooses a career in science.

Methods to reach my goals:

I believe my goals can only partially be accomplished through traditional lecture-based teaching methods.  Initially, expectations should be stated clearly. Students must first learn the facts. Here, the didactic format can be utilized. Lectures must be structured and well-organized. Once they learn the facts, they must be able to apply those facts to observing, creating hypotheses, experimenting, interpretation and coming to a conclusion. As a science teacher, I must understand my students’ names, backgrounds, interests, learning methods, and study methods. I will use a variety of teaching strategies because students learn differently. These might include visual aids, diagrams, drawings, small group work, interactive discussions, experiments, and presentations. I think that using examples to help illustrate concepts is very helpful.

One example that I have used is the discovery of penicillin. Returning from a vacation in 1928, Alexander Fleming, Professor of Bacteriology at St. Mary's Hospital in London, began to sort through petri dishes containing colonies of Staphylococcus aureus, the bacteria that causes boils, abscesses, and impetigo. He observed that one of the dishes was dotted with bacterial colonies, except for one area where there was a blob of mold growing.  The mold was later identified as a Penicillium species. He hypothesized that the mold was a secreting a substance that inhibited the bacterial growth. He experimented with the “mold juice” and concluded that it was capable of killing several harmful bacterial species. He published his findings in the British Journal of Experimental Pathology in June 1929, with a comment about penicillin’s potential therapeutic benefits. You know the rest of the story.

The complexity of assignments should increase gradually throughout the course. I want to assign projects that could be worked on in small groups. Discussions will be held to allow students to express their own ideas, and allow them to see other’s perspectives.

I must be available for extra help. This means scheduling “open hours” where students can come in for help. This is another way to assess whether I am teaching effectively. Study groups will be encouraged. Tutorial services and other resources will be offered.

Assessment of student learning:

Not all students perform well on all types of testing methods. I would like to use different styles of testing throughout the course. Students must be made aware of the planned testing format. There should be no surprises. Initially, I will create tests composed of multiple choice, short answer, and short essays. There will be assignments that resemble testing formats. As we progress through the course, the tests will require the student to apply knowledge in solving problems. 

Creating a learning environment:

I would like to provide a supportive, non-threatening, fun and open atmosphere in my classroom. There should be structure, but also, an environment that promotes discussion and conversation. There will be no sleeping in my class. I am not interested in standing up front lecturing, but rather moving around, or being in a central location. I want learning to be fun. There can be humor in the classroom without chaos.

I want to be able to inspire my students to enjoy learning.