Intervening to create conceptual change

It is well established in higher education that students arrive at university with existing schema (misconceptions) which can exist alongside new conceptions and are characterised by being personal in nature, counter intuitive, highly resistant to change and/or contradictory (Osborne and Freyberg 1985; Driver and Bell 1986; Fensham 1994; Wandersee, Mintzes and Novak 1994). Current ideas about ‘threshold concepts’ mirror this early work on science misconceptions in that some core scientific concepts are conceptually difficult, counter intuitive, and linguistically challenging (Meyer and Land 2003). As a result, there is a wealth of information indicating that the learner’s developing, imperfect cognition becomes ‘troublesome knowledge’ (e.g. Perkins 1999; Wandersee, Mintzes and Novak 1994). The resolution of the conflict between a long-held misconception and the ‘counter-intuitive’, but reasoned scientific idea can be equated with crossing a cognitive threshold and leading to a different way of thinking. Sometimes this occurs quickly, more often torturously slowly, and sometimes never. The challenge for instructors is how to create an ‘ah-ha’ moment for students and academics, likened in comic strips to a light being turned on (Liljegahl 2005) or by Meyer and Land (2003) as a transformation. One useful strategy is deliberately intervening when it is suspected the new topic could involve a threshold concept, by creating conceptual conflict that students need to resolve using reasoned scientific argument. (Gilbert, De Jong, Justi, Treagust and Van Driel 2002). In this paper, we describe a planned strategy of creative and innovative interventions to create transformations in student thinking and learning in Biology at the University of Western Sydney. This teaching methodology has evolved following the stages set out by Biggs (2003); (i) where the student is at (ii) what the teacher does and finally (iii) what the student does. (Ross and Tronson 2004; Ross, Tronson and Ritchi, 2006 and Ross, Tronson and Ritchie. in press). We present results of student evaluations and focus groups to demonstrate the success and limitations of these interventions in creating change in student’s conceptual understanding. We also propose a modified model of interconnecting lenses Brookfield (1995) that may help increase the frequency of transformations for learners

Assessment for learning and motivation

Assessment is a fundamental driver of what and how students learn. Originally assessment tasks were seen as a straightforward measurement tool; in recent times, however, educators have realised the potential to use this tool in more powerful ways and issues of quality assessment and student motivation have been discussed within current pedagogical theories. When assessment tasks are embedded in the teaching and learning framework, there is a greater chance that students will achieve the intended learning outcomes and be enriched by the experience. A diversity of assessment strategies is used in the teaching of Biology at the University of Western Sydney. These strategies include self reflective and self-evaluative exercises, pre and post quizzes for lectures, writing of dialogue, creating cartoons to explain concepts as well as the more traditional strategies of mid term assessments and summative theory and practical assessments. The aims are to encourage deep understanding and knowledge and develop metacognitive skills. A key feature of these assessment tasks has been their design. The setting of explicit quality criteria, and guidelines for marking and feedback, has involved students and teaching assistants. To evaluate the success of these teaching, learning and assessment strategies, focus groups and surveys of students and teaching assistants were done in 2005 and 2006. Students identified that an important feature of the teaching, learning and assessment strategies was the personal investment by lecturers and teaching assistants

Volatile compounds in some eastern Australian Banksia flowers

This project was the very beginning of research into the chemistry of eastern Australian banksia flowers. Using dynamic headspace sampling (DHS) analysis, differences in volatile components, consistent with detection of differences in odour, were detected among three different species and one commercial cultivar. Infraspecific variation was also observed between two known subspecies of Banksia ericifolia and between differently coloured forms of Banksia spinulosa var. collina. The cultivar, Banksia 'Giant Candles', was shown to have some of the chemical components of each of its supposed ancestors. The absence of known wound-response chemicals indicated that this DHS method was successful in leaving the inflorescences undamaged throughout the sampling procedure. The Likens-Nickerson modification of classical hydrodistillation methods was useful. The static headspace method (SHS) was easily automated and was shown to be chemically robust and sufficiently sensitive to detect volatile compounds from only a few flowers. The milder DHS method, which minimised mechanical and heat damage to the plant tissue, produced a different set of results. From the results of this project, a suite of volatile compounds has been proposed that may be useful in future behavioural studies to help determine whether animals are attracted to components of banksia odours. These candidates include some compounds that have been reported in animal secretions, wound-response chemicals that may be produced by the plant to aid its communication with other organisms, and a compound (suggested to be sulfanylmethyl acetate) not previously reported from natural sources. The mildest of the three analytical methods used, dynamic headspace sampling, was shown to be suitable for the potential chemotaxonomic evaluation of some members of the Banksia genus

Modelling effective teaching and learning strategies with our teaching teams in first-year university

This paper describes some ways in which the authors have attempted to encourage all members of their teaching teams develop skills to help improve the learning environment for the students at first-year university level. The motivation has been the view that the teaching teams deserve more support and respect than merely being expected to 'pick it up along the way', 'read about it in the library' or 'teach the way they were taught'. The authors have modelled for their teaching teams the attitudes and strategies they have developed; listened to each other during discussions of complex concepts, thus encouraging collegiate sharing of information; and empowered members of their teaching team to use their own imagination, and to be comfortable trying out novel and innovative teaching strategies. The authors describe team meetings used as a model situation in which members share experiences, observations, ideas and opinions so that, with opportunities for reflection, pedagogical practices and knowledge that have been developed are used to create a 'learning community' in the teaching laboratory. These outcomes have been supported by observations of behavioural changes in laboratory sessions and tutorials and reflection on a range of evaluations over several years

Intervening to create conceptual change

It is well established in higher education that students arrive at university with existing schema (misconceptions) which can exist alongside new conceptions and are characterised by being personal in nature, counter intuitive, highly resistant to change and/or contradictory (Osborne and Freyberg 1985; Driver and Bell 1986; Fensham 1994; Wandersee, Mintzes and Novak 1994). Current ideas about 'threshold concepts' mirror this early work on science misconceptions in that some core scientific concepts are conceptually difficult, counter intuitive, and linguistically challenging (Meyer and Land 2003). As a result, there is a wealth of information indicating that the learner's developing, imperfect cognition becomes 'troublesome knowledge' (e.g. Perkins 1999; Wandersee, Mintzes and Novak 1994). The resolution of the conflict between a long-held misconception and the 'counter-intuitive', but reasoned scientific idea can be equated with crossing a cognitive threshold and leading to a different way of thinking. Sometimes this occurs quickly, more often tortuously slowly, and sometimes never. The challenge for instructors is how to create an 'ah-ha' moment for students and academics, likened in comic strips to a light being turned on (Liljegahl 2005) or by Meyer and Land (2003) as a transformation. One useful strategy is deliberately intervening when it is suspected the new topic could involve a threshold concept, by creating conceptual conflict that students need to resolve using reasoned scientific argument. (Gilbert, De Jong, Justi, Treagust and Van Driel 2002). In this paper, we describe a planned strategy of creative and innovative interventions to create transformations in student thinking and learning in Biology at the University of Western Sydney. This teaching methodology has evolved following the stages set out by Biggs (2003); (i) where the student is at (ii) what the teacher does and finally (iii) what the student does. (Ross and Tronson 2004; Ross, Tronson and Ritchi, 2006 and Ross, Tronson and Ritchie). We present results of student evaluations and focus groups to demonstrate the success and limitations of these interventions in creating change in student's conceptual understanding. We also propose a modified model of interconnecting lenses Brookfield (1995) that may help increase the frequency of transformations for learners

Providing quality feedback : where to from here?

For students to progress, feedback is essential. Without feedback it is difficult for students to progress because they have little measure of their cognitive and skill development; in partnership with a facilitator or tutor it is easier. Within this partnership, however, some types of feedback are potentially more powerful than others. We argue that assessment tasks which provide a structure to encourage a feedback loop may provide the students and tutors with more opportunity for progression and performance at a higher level. For students to achieve the necessary cognitive and skill outcomes; they need to understand each of the steps they are taking along the way. If we can give students feedback that helps them reflect on their behaviour, they may progress more rapidly along this pathway and if we take our tutors with us on this journey then the learning outcomes we desire might be achieved

Towards conceptual understanding : bringing research findings into the lecture theatre in tertiary science teaching

Science education has long cherished teaching and learning strategies which actively engage students and create meaningful understanding of abstract concepts. Due to the diverse ways in which science is practised, professional scientists and educators have the natural advantage of being able to use a range of teaching techniques which they assume will help motivate students. However, students’ prior expectations, existing schema and conceptions about the topics being taught and their understanding of learning can help or hinder their conceptual development in all science disciplines. Everyone relies primarily on his/her senses of sight, sound and touch to perceive the world and therefore to learn. Although each person has differing abilities in each mode, the predominant learning style of individuals (e.g., whether visual, auditory or kinesthetic) and its impact on conceptual understanding is often overlooked in tertiary Science teaching. Incorporating the variability in individual learners may help educators determine which strategies assist and which limit an individual’s understanding. Concomitantly, some changes in traditional lecturing practices may be beneficial in large first year university classes in order to improve the learning experience of many of our first-year science students. This is a preliminary study which reports on an investigation into the effectiveness of teaching and learning strategies, based on recent literature, which were developed to cater for individual differences in learning modalities in first-year classes at the University of Western Sydney. The aim of these strategies was to increase the conceptual understanding of abstract concepts such as photosynthesis. Student responses to an open-ended question regarding their overall learning experience indicated that a variety of teaching and learning strategies, which mix auditory, visual and kinesthetic learning modalities with class experience, have been effective in the development of conceptual understanding

Modelling photosynthesis to increase conceptual understanding

Biology students in their first year at university have difficulty understanding the abstract concepts of photosynthesis. The traditional didactic lecture followed by practical exercises that show various macroscopic aspects of photosynthesis often do not help the students visualise or understand the submicroscopic (molecular-level) reactions that are occurring within the chloroplast membranes. If students can construct their own complex concepts in small steps, with guidance from lecturers and demonstrators (teaching assistants) to ensure they are not building-in 'new' misconceptions, they are more likely to form positive attitudes towards further study and raise their self-esteem about learning strategies. This paper describes a teaching/re-teaching sequence of the light-dependent reactions of photosynthesis that presents the students with a range of learning and teaching approaches. Following a traditional didactic lecture, students have a practical exercise where they make their own models of chloroplasts, reinforced by small-group discussion sessions where they make their own diagrammatic summary. Online resources and textbooks are available for private study. The re-teaching step is an interactive lecture appealing to a range of learning modalities. Using this teaching and learning strategy, students increasingly use metacognitive skills to aid their further understanding of the submicroscopic world of atoms and molecules

Assessment for learning and motivation

Assessment is a fundamental driver of what and how students learn. Originally assessment tasks were seen as a straightforward measurement tool; in recent times, however, educators have realised the potential to use this tool in more powerful ways and issues of quality assessment and student motivation have been discussed within current pedagogical theories. When assessment tasks are embedded in the teaching and learning framework, there is a greater chance that students will achieve the intended learning outcomes and be enriched by the experience. A diversity of assessment strategies is used in the teaching of Biology at the University of Western Sydney. These strategies include self reflective and self-evaluative exercises, pre and post quizzes for lectures, writing of dialogue, creating cartoons to explain concepts as well as the more traditional strategies of mid term assessments and summative theory and practical assessments. The aims are to encourage deep understanding and knowledge and develop metacognitive skills. A key feature of these assessment tasks has been their design. The setting of explicit quality criteria, and guidelines for marking and feedback, has involved students and teaching assistants. To evaluate the success of these teaching, learning and assessment strategies, focus groups and surveys of students and teaching assistants were done in 2005 and 2006. Students identified that an important feature of the teaching, learning and assessment strategies was the personal investment by lecturers and teaching assistants

Increasing conceptual understanding of glycolysis & the Krebs cycle using role-play

Role-play is one way to give students a visual overview of glycolysis and the Krebs cycle, with the aim of helping them construct their own mental images. Students have reported that this technique has made it easier for them to understand the detailed biochemical reactions in their subsequent private study. The strategy of a choreographed dance as described in this article could also be considered a blueprint for teachers if they wish to construct a similar activity in a different topic which may be more relevant to their own students