Bjørn H. K. Wolter

Gender differences in student performance in large lecture classrooms using personal response systems (‘clickers’) with narrative case studies

This study investigated gender differences in science learning between two pedagogical approaches: traditional lecture and narrative case studies using personal response systems (‘clickers’). Thirteen instructors of introductory biology classes at 12 different institutions across the USA and Canada used two types of pedagogy (Clicker Cases and traditional lecture) to teach eight topic areas. Three different sets of multiple regression analysis were conducted for three separate dependent variables: posttest score, change in score from posttest to final, and transfer score. Interactions between gender and pedagogical approach were found across the three analyses. Women either performed better with Clicker Cases, or about the same with either instructional method, but men performed markedly better with lectures in most topic areas. Our results suggest that men and women experience two pedagogical approaches—Clicker Cases and lectures—differently, and that Clicker Cases are more favorable for women than for men.

The Changing Face of Natural Resources Students, Education, and the Profession

Abstract There are many challenges facing natural resources programs in North American higher education today. Pressures exerted by a new generation of students, changing workplace requirements (including undergraduate core-knowledge requirements), and an increasingly specialized professoriate are great but not insurmountable. We discuss each of these issues and pose potential solutions to address each including adopting new pedagogical techniques for content delivery (e.g., adapting courses to be inclusive of new technologies), revising curriculum to meet the needs of a new suite of learners (e.g., developing curricula that allow structured flexibility of choices, designing a core curriculum that is a mix of single-discipline courses and courses that integrate across disciplines), and new strategies for faculty engagement in discipline-specific survey courses. By remaining deliberate and effective in our pursuit of quality higher education we have the opportunity to ensure we are delivering the best possible education to the future professionals of our disciplines.

Education in the Era of the Millennials and Implications for Future Fisheries Professionals and Conservation

Abstract Fisheries and other natural resource professionals face growing challenges in their fields and the resources that they manage. Many are well aware of the pending impacts of retirement of the Baby Boomers and the loss of collective knowledge held by those individuals. We are also acutely aware of the damaging impacts of reduced budget allocations for natural resources–based programs. Concomitant to the decrease in funding is the ever-increasing complexity of the fisheries discipline that brings with it new and more complicated ecological and governance challenges. These, and the evolving preferences, morals, and values of todays college students, pose a unique and difficult dynamic for engaging the next generation in the stewardship of fish and wildlife resources. Critical to the success of future conservation efforts will be the modification of educational and workplace systems, including the American Fisheries Society, to prepare and support future professionals so that they may handle this sui...

Engaging Students in Molecular Biology via Case-Based Learning

Case It!, an IBI prize–winning module, provides computer simulations that enable student analysis of biological materials not usually available in laboratories. Case It! (www.caseitproject.org) originated at the 1995 BioQUEST Summer Workshop (1) and has developed over the years into an effective system for case-based learning useful for both high school and university educators (2, 3). National Science Foundation support has enabled us to distribute all project materials at no cost.