Adrienne E. Williams

Learn before Lecture: A Strategy that Improves Learning Outcomes in a Large Introductory Biology Class

Actively engaging students in lecture has been shown to increase learning gains. To create time for active learning without displacing content we used two strategies for introducing material before class in a large introductory biology course. Four to five slides from 2007/8 were removed from each of three lectures in 2009 and the information introduced in preclass worksheets or narrated PowerPoint videos. In class, time created by shifting lecture material to learn before lecture (LBL) assignments was used to engage students in application of their new knowledge. Learning was evaluated by comparing student performance in 2009 versus 2007/8 on LBL-related question pairs, matched by level and format. The percentage of students who correctly answered five of six LBL-related exam questions was significantly higher (p < 0.001) in 2009 versus 2007/8. The mean increase in performance was 21% across the six LBL-related questions compared with <3% on all non-LBL exam questions. The worksheet and video LBL formats were equally effective based on a cross-over experimental design. These results demonstrate that LBLs combined with interactive exercises can be implemented incrementally and result in significant increases in learning gains in large introductory biology classes.

The impact of laptop-free zones on student performance and attitudes in large lectures

The goal of this study was to determine if laptop use in lecture negatively impacts learning outcomes of surrounding students taking notes on paper. Two sections of a large introductory biology course (>400 students/section) were zoned into a laptop-permitted and a laptop-free area. Two sections in which laptop users could sit anywhere served as the Control. There was no difference in the attendance (~85%) or percentage of students using laptops (~29%) between Zoned and Control sections. Academic performance, based on exam points earned, was not significantly different for paper users in Zoned and Control sections indicating laptop use did not impair the overall achievement of surrounding students. However, there was a correlation between exam performance and note taking preference: paper note takers scored significantly higher and laptop users scored significantly lower than predicted by pre-class academic indicators (p < 0.01, paired t-test). The majority of both laptop (64%) and paper users (82%) in the Zoned sections supported a policy restricting laptop use to specific areas. Thus, while we further investigate whether the relationship between laptop use and performance is correlative or causative, zoning is an effective method for accommodating both laptop users and paper note takers in the same lecture hall.

The respiratory pattern in Drosophila melanogaster selected for desiccation resistance is not associated with the observed evolution of decreased locomotory activity.

We examined spontaneous locomotory behavior and respiratory pattern in replicate outbred populations of Drosophila melanogaster selected for desiccation resistance or starvation resistance, as well as their control and ancestral populations. Use of these populations allows us to compare evolved behavioral changes in response to different stress selections. We also reasoned that previously observed changes in respiratory patterns following selection for increased desiccation resistance might be associated with or even caused by changes in locomotory behavior. We measured spontaneous locomotory behavior using video recordings and a computer‐based tracking system while simultaneously measuring patterns of CO2 release from single fruit flies. Statistically significant differences in behavior were observed to be correlated with selection regime. Reduced levels of spontaneous locomotory activity were observed in moist air in both desiccation‐ and starvation‐selected populations compared with their controls. Interestingly, in dry air, only the desiccation‐selected flies continue to show reduced spontaneous locomotory activity. No correlation was found between the level of locomotory activity of individual flies and the respiratory patterns of those flies, indicating that the reduced activity levels that have evolved in these flies did not directly cause the documented changes in their respiratory pattern.

Assessment of Learning Gains Associated with Independent Exam Analysis in Introductory Biology

This study evaluates the impact of an independent postmidterm question analysis exercise on the ability of students to answer subsequent exam questions on the same topics. It was conducted in three sections (∼400 students/section) of introductory biology. Graded midterms were returned electronically, and each student was assigned a subset of questions answered incorrectly by more than 40% of the class to analyze as homework. The majority of questions were at Blooms application/analysis level; this exercise therefore emphasized learning at these higher levels of cognition. Students in each section answered final exam questions matched by topic to all homework questions, providing a within-class control group for each question. The percentage of students who correctly answered the matched final exam question was significantly higher (p < 0.05) in the Topic Analysis versus Control Analysis group for seven of 19 questions. We identified two factors that influenced activity effectiveness: 1) similarity in topic emphasis of the midterm–final exam question pair and 2) quality of the completed analysis homework. Our data suggest that this easy-to-implement exercise will be useful in large-enrollment classes to help students develop self-regulated learning skills. Additional strategies to help introductory students gain a broader understanding of topic areas are discussed.