Gretchen Bernard: Inspired to Teach
Gretchen went on to share her love of science with her
students.Former Student Inspired to Teach Others
Gretchen, a student of Kathy Williams' Biology 508 Coevolution course, took the course as part of her preparation for her master's degree in biology. Upon graduation, and inspired by the active learning experience this course provided, Gretchen moved to Toledo, Ohio to work as an educational specialist for the Lucas Soil and Water Conservation District (LSWCD).
Her job at LSWCD was to teach k-12 students about ecology through hands-on activities, both in the field and in the classroom. She continued her education at Moraine Valley Community College in Palos Hills, Illinois, where she now works as an adjunct biology professor.
Examples of Student Learning Outcomes for Biology 508
- Identify conceptual differences among inter-specific interactions.
- Define how coevolution differs from evolution.
- Explain how commonly coevolutionary interactions may occur.
- Identify characteristics of environment, organization and interactions of coevolving species and predict situations in which we may find coevolving species.
- Communicate effectively orally and in writing, using correct spellings and grammar.
- Read analytically and think critically at a high level by involving in active reading and posting definitions of 3 unknown words each week.
- Design and develop a PowerPoint presentation after locating, analyzing, evaluating, and synthesizing information of a primary source they researched.
- Integrate knowledge across discipline boundaries by using basic principles of chemistry and behavioral science.
- Work effectively in group settings, evaluating peers based on the rubric.
In Her Own Words:
Gretchen attributes her love of active learning to her experience in the Biology 508 Coevolution course. Gretchen describes how this course sparked a passion for active learning, and inspired her to become a teacher herself:
"During my second year in the master's program in biology at San Diego State University, I enrolled in Kathy Williams' Coevolution course. This was the first course I had taken that utilized active, cooperative based learning exclusively. We, the students, never sat through a lecture, instead we learned through engaging and fun activities. Each student was a member of a small group and we worked with our group every period. Sometimes our group would become 'experts' on an assigned topic. We then split up into new groups and teach what we had learned. Since everyone had become an 'expert' on something different, we learned an incredible amount of knowledge in a short time. Another of my favorite activities was the carousel. Thought provoking questions, related to our readings, were written on large pieces of paper posted at stations around the room. Groups rotated through the stations, writing an answer to each question. After visiting each station, we discussed, as a class, the answers to the questions.
These techniques inspired me not only to learn, but also to teach. I strive to utilize active learning in all of my classes and rely on many of the techniques I learned in the Coevolution course. I have found that active learning not only makes learning more fun, but it makes teaching more enjoyable as well."
Group Work Examples of Biology 508
The students work in collaborative groups and frequently discuss various coevolution topics. The following images show examples of student posters created in class discussion prompts.
Evaluating student achievement
- At the very start of the course, students take a pretest to show what they already know coming into this subject area. At the end of the course, students take the same test again to see how much they have learned.
- Students complete both peer evaluations as well as self evaluations. The course encompasses both individual success as well as success in contributing to a group effort.
- Students take a midterm exam and optional final exam. The purpose of these exams is not to encourage "cramming," but to show students what they have learned.
- Students are graded on a group project, as well as research literature that they have provided to the class.
- Students are evaluated on their ability to write on demand.
The course instructor evaluates students through instructor, peer, and self-evaluation methods. The following rubrics are used to evaluate student performance.
Evaluating the Biology 508 course
The course instructor uses student feedback, collaboration with department members, and student success in achieving course learning outcomes to evaluate the course itself.
The course instructor greatly values the feedback of her students, and actually provides a course evaluation form that "asks for more feedback on my personal goals for the course and for me as a teacher than the standard 4-question course evaluation that we have to hand out at the end of the course. (It's actually a model for a revised university form that was under consideration.) I also would like to get this info sooner than the 4-5 months it takes to get the other evaluation feedback." To view the documents used for evaluation, click on the links below.
Making Biology 508 Better
- Kathy uses all student feedback to continually shape her course around student learning.
- Kathy also uses Blackboard to implement:
* threaded discussion
* surveys (to get anonymous feedback)
* online homework assignments
* students' posting "active reading" assignments automatically to BB
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