Improvement Plan and Professional Goals
Record of changes that have resulted from reflection:
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Addition of a service-learning component in the Senior Seminar (BIOL 491/CHEM 491) course.
The addition of more interactive classroom activities in Microbiology (BIOL 150). These include more interactive discussions, Think-Pair-Share activities, case studies (individual and group), and Friday “Microbiology-in-the-News” sessions.
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Modification of the Microbiology laboratory to include inquiry-based small-group research projects.
Addition of case studies to Immunology (BIOL 494); case studies modified from "Problem-based Immunology" (Gorczynski and Stanley, 2006).
Specific teaching goals for 2007-2008:
Addition of case studies to all courses.
Addition of a service-learning component to spring semester offerings, specifically Microbiology (BIOL 150), and Cell and Molecular Biology (BIOL 405).
Restructuring of courses to include more active learning activities, specifically more group activities. This will also require a restructuring of my grading/assessment techniques to emphasize the increased focus on critical thinking skills.
Response to teaching goals for 2007-2008:
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Addition of case studies to all courses: Although various active learning strategies have been added to all courses, the most successful case studies have been used in Immunology and Microbiology, due to specific textbooks which contain published case studies (“Problem-based Immunology”, and “The Microbe Files”). An on-going challenge, however, has been to smoothly integrate both lecture and active learning strategies in my courses. (For a sample, please see the Cell and Molecular Biology case study.)
Reflection: a concern regarding the use of case studies. Case studies have enormous potential, since they require application – not simply memorization – of course material. However, it has been observed that students may go to the Internet to find a quick solution to the case study, without spending time working out their own solution. Careful planning and preparation of each case study is required to avoid this problem; however, this requires extensive time – which is not always available – on the part of the professor. Possible solutions include having the instructor model the processes required to resolve case studies in order to demonstrate “good work practices”, increased use of group work in order to encourage peer-monitoring, and enhanced instructor monitoring of individual and group work.
Although a service-learning component has not been added to Microbiology or Cell and Molecular Biology, the addition of small-group research projects to Microbiology has revitalized the laboratory portion of the course. For further details, please see the description of the small-group research projects.
Specific teaching goals for 2008-2009:
- Continue implementation, and refinement, of case studies in all courses.
- Addition of a service-learning components to Biology courses:
- One possibility includes the implementation of a water-quality monitoring project. This project could begin in the fall semester with the Ecology (BIOL 420) course, and then continue into the spring with the Microbiology (BIOL 150) course. Additionally, this project could be implemented in combination with various chemistry courses (College Chemistry, Biochemistry, Analytical Chemistry, etc.) to increase interdisciplinary applications of courses.
- Additional possibilities include
- analysis of energy-usage at Columbia Union College*, with subsequent recommendations and implementation of these recommendations (e.g. installation of motion-sensor light switches);
- investigation of the feasibility of replacing the roof of the science building with a roof able to support plant growth, with subsequent establishment and maintenance of a roof garden;
- interviews with assisted-living residents to obtain first-hand knowledge of infectious diseases that are currently controlled in the U.S. (i.e. polio, measles, mumps, smallpox, influenza – 1918 epidemic, etc). Interviews would be followed by a “microbiology” meal for the residents.
- Restructuring of courses to include more active learning activities, specifically more group activities. As previously mentioned, an on-going challenge has been to smoothly integrate both lecture and active learning strategies in my courses. This will necessitate an analysis of existing content to streamline content, allowing additional time to be spent in group, or individual, active learning activities. This will also require a restructuring of my grading/assessment techniques to emphasize the increased focus on critical thinking skills.
- Pilot project using “clickers” (classroom response systems) to increase student engagement in science courses, specifically Microbiology, Immunology, and Cell and Molecular Biology.