A ‘species identification’ approach to concept mapping in the classroom

ABSTRACT

The detailed analysis and scoring of concept maps may not be necessary in order for students to gain from their use in the classroom. A simplified recognition of different types (‘species’) of map may increase the likelihood of teachers employing maps in their classrooms so that more teachers and students might benefit from concept mapping on a regular basis. A greater familiarity and level of engagement with concept maps is likely to support an increase in the level of mapping expertise developed by both teachers and students, enabling maps to be used to support higher order thinking skills – as intended. The counter-intuitive conclusion to this prospect is that the adoption of a non-analytical consideration of maps may actually make them a more valuable classroom asset. However, this requires a greater level of expertise in the application of concept maps on the part of the teacher. A simplified typology of ‘map species’ is presented to support the development of this perspective.     

Stomata: Versatile Sensory Devices but Difficult Experimental Subjects

This study examined what worldviews are present among Dutch students and teachers and how the students cope with scientific knowledge acquired in the biology classroom. Furthermore, we investigated what learning and teaching strategies teachers adopt when they teach about evolution and worldviews. For this survey, 10 schools for higher general secondary education or pre-university level were selected. The data showed that most teachers did not have an articulated learning and teaching strategy. Controversial topics and discussions with students about their own worldviews were ignored in the classroom. Furthermore, the data revealed that students and teachers have a large variety of different worldviews. Some students acknowledged having difficulties coping with the knowledge gained from the classroom, because it contradicted their own worldviews. These results support our hypothesis that there is need for an explicit learning and teaching strategy that supports both teachers and students to teach and learn about evolution in multiple contexts.     

翻转课堂在高职微生物检验教学中的应用探讨

翻转课堂是一种颠覆传统的充满活力的全新教学模式,它包含了课前知识获取和课堂知识内化两部分。借力翻转课堂,充分利用信息技术,能真正实现授课时间的重新分配。本文旨在探讨如何有效的将翻转课堂理念引入高职医学微生物检验课程的教学中,发挥其优势,建立翻转课堂教学模型,探究其实施策略,以微生物检验中的重点内容——革兰染色法的教学为实例,融合多种教学方法,以期在信息化环境下,充分实现以学生为主体,教师为主导,强调问题中心、任务驱动、以学为主的教学模式深化改革,真正提高教学成效。     

Pendulums: A Hands-on Way to Experience Resonance

In this integrated inquiry, students in an elementary teaching methods class investigate a real-world problem outside the classroom. The students use the Cognitive Research Trust (CoRT) thinking strategy to find the causes of, impact of, and possible solutions to the problem. They present their findings and then discuss implementation of this activity in elementary classrooms. The activity is followed by a whole-class discussion about the activity and its application to the elementary classroom. This is an open-ended inquiry that future teachers will be able to do with their elementary school students.     

Difficulties learning about the cell. Expectations vs. reality

The cell is a key concept, and accurate knowledge of it is essential for understanding many phenomena and biological processes, as well as the overall functioning of living beings. However, learning about this concept is not simple. Regarding this concept, we examined the views concerning problems that could be encountered by Master’s students training to become future teachers of natural science, compared to the difficulties suffered by a group of students in their last two years of high school. The results show the students’ learning about the cell appeared to be negatively influenced by the methodology used in classroom, being this type of difficulties the most reported by the high-school students, followed by difficulties with matters associated with the functional role of the cell. However, the methodology limitations have been the least considered by future teachers. By contrast, they consider the structural aspects of the cell as more likely to be problematic for students, followed by the functional ones. Problems concerning sizes and scales arose similarly in both cases, implying a widespread problem.     

Use of concept mapping in an undergraduate introductory exercise physiology course

Physiology is often considered a challenging course for students. It is up to teachers to structure courses and create learning opportunities that will increase the chance of student success. In an undergraduate exercise physiology course, concept maps are assigned to help students actively process and organize information into manageable and meaningful chunks and to teach them to recognize the patterns and regularities of physiology. Students are first introduced to concept mapping with a commonly relatable nonphysiology concept and are then assigned a series of maps that become more and more complex. Students map the acute response to a drop in blood pressure, the causes of the acute increase in stroke volume during cardiorespiratory exercise, and the factors contributing to an increase in maximal O(2) consumption with cardiorespiratory endurance training. In the process, students draw the integrative nature of physiology, identify causal relationships, and learn about general models and core principles of physiology.     

The Earth's Magnetic Field: A Simple Measurement of its Strength

Although most teachers agree that a field trip is an important educational experience for their students, many struggle with finding a way to make it connect with their classroom curriculum. Creating an effective field trip involves creating an effective lesson plan and using the resources of the museum, zoo, or aquarium to foster inquiry and learning. By incorporating the learning cycle into their field trip, students are able to use their explorations with animal-based exhibits to develop basic life science concepts.     

Teachers’ civic socialization practices and children’s civic engagement

We examined the degree to which civic learning activities and civic discussion in the classroom were associated with children’s civic engagement in the upper elementary grades. We also explored the types of civic activities used by teachers during middle childhood. Survey data were collected from 359 ethnically and economically diverse 4th–6th grade students (M age?=?10.56, 56% female), their parents, and teachers (n?=?20) from six public schools in Southern California. The results of path analyses showed that teachers’ greater use of civic learning activities was associated with higher levels of social responsibility to people and civic values in students. However, general civic discussion was not associated with any indicators of children’s civic engagement. Additionally, teachers reported using numerous types of civic activities, thus showing the diversity in “civic learning” across classrooms. Practical implications for elementary civic education are discussed.     

情景模拟在“医学微生物学”翻转课堂教学中的应用

翻转课堂是实现以学生为中心、提升学生自主学习能力的重要教学方法。随着线上课程的开展和学习平台技术的成熟,学生已能在课前获得足够的资源。然而,习惯于灌输式教育的学生仍缺乏自主学习的动力和方法。为此,我们教研团队尝试采用情景模拟的课堂活动设计来突破翻转环节实施的难点。研究发现,参考临床案例撰写剧本的过程能有效提升学生的自学兴趣和能力。学生课前在线预习时长和章节访问次数,以及参考资料阅读率和小组讨论时长均显著增加。课堂上,学生将课前所学知识在模拟实践中进行练习,促进了师生互动,帮助学生加深对知识的理解,提升学习成绩和满意度,同时也培养了学生的团队合作精神,建立临床思维,提升职业兴趣和能力。因此,情景模拟的融入实现了翻转课堂教学中“课前学”和“课上习”的教学闭环,为进一步推进翻转课堂的开展提供参考。     

互动式课堂教学现状的调查（Ⅲ）

为加强课堂教学改革,提高人才培养质量,采取问卷调查的形式对互动式课堂教学现状进行了研究。结果表明：多数教师认为学生的兴趣和智力是影响师生互动的重要因素,其次学习态度和个人情绪也会影响互动式课堂教学效果;在调查互动式课堂教学对教师要求方面,27%的学生认为教师应该教学严谨且条理清晰,24%的学生认为教师应该幽默风趣且引人入胜,13%的学生认为教师应该知识渊博,36%的学生认为教师讲课不仅要教学严谨、幽默风趣、知识渊博,而且要综合能力较强;而在调查师生互动角色时,68%的教师认为需要师生双方面的共同努力,16%的教师认为重在教师,15%的教师认为重在学生,个别的选择了其他;另外,在调查师生互动的方式时,35%的学生认为采用“设置场景”进行课堂互动效果最好,28%的学生认为“辩论赛式”互动效果好,21%的学生选择“点名式”互动,只有少数学生选择了采取“留言薄”互动。本次调查获得的结果为高校进行互动式课堂教学改革提供了参考。     

Gas Law for the Classroom

The author provides information on how science teachers can write science literacy objectives that help English language learners (ELLs) develop the scientific literacy needed for academic success in the science classroom. The article offers suggestions on how teachers can determine the vocabulary, language functions, and sentence structures that their students need to engage in critical thinking in science. An approach for collaboration with students' English as a second language (ESL) teacher is discussed.     

“活动导学、自主互助”教学模式在中学生物教学中的初探

推进课程改革的关键是实现课堂教学的高效,而高效课堂来自于课堂教学过程中师生双方主观能动性的充分发挥,通过教师课前设计学生学习活动方案(活动单),学生在课堂上开展"自主学习、活动探究"式学习,可以实现教师的主导性和突出学生的主体地位。通过实施"活动导学、自主互助"课堂教学模式,取得了一点认识,希望能为当前普通高中生物课堂教学改革提供一点借鉴。     

Teacher–child interaction quality as a function of classroom age diversity and teachers’ beliefs and qualifications

Data from 332 teachers who participated in the National Center for Research on Early Childhood Education study were used to examine the implications of classroom age diversity in preschool programs for teacher interactions with students in areas of instructional and emotional support, and classroom organization. Teachers in early childhood classrooms with greater age diversity within a school year and who experienced an increase in age diversity across years exhibited less optimal teacher–child interactions. The negative effects of age diversity for teacher–child interactions were only noticeable among teachers with fewer years of education and experience, and among teachers whose views of children were less child-centered. When taken together, results indicate that closer attention should be paid to the consequences of classroom age diversity in preschool and that a multi-year perspective on teachers’ classroom experiences would allow for a more nuanced understanding of the quality of teacher–child interactions.     

Teaching and Learning with Mobile Technology: A Qualitative Explorative Study about the Introduction of Tablet Devices in Secondary Education

This paper investigates teachers’ and students’ perceptions concerning the impact of using tablet devices for teaching and learning purposes. An explorative focus group study was conducted with teachers (n = 18) and students (n = 39) in a secondary school that has implemented tablet devices since 2012. The general finding of this study shows that the use of tablet devices in the classroom setting has an impact on both teaching and learning practices. The results suggest that teachers can be divided into two categories: the innovative teachers and the instrumental teachers. Innovative teachers attempt to shift from a teacher-centered to a learning-centered approach. They have changed their teaching style by transforming lessons in accordance with the advantages tablet computers can offer. Instrumental teachers seem to use the device as a ‘book behind glass’. The distinction between the two groups has consequences for both the way courses are given and how students experience them. In general, the introduction of tablet devices entails a shift in the way students learn, as the devices provide interactive, media-rich, and exciting new environments. The results of this study indicate that policy makers should consider introducing technical and pedagogical support in order to facilitate both teachers’ and students’ understanding of the full potential of this kind of technology in education.     

“趣味教学法”在微生物学课堂中的应用及探讨

微生物学属于生命科学的重要分支,是生物、食品科学、临床医学等大学专业一门重要的基础课。该课程综合性强、知识涉及面广,所以如何有效调动学生的学习兴趣将直接影响课堂效果。为达到良好的教学效果,教师可在微生物学教学过程中综合运用多种方式提高学生学习兴趣与学习质量。因此,我们采用“趣味教学法”进行教学设计,并针对连续3个不同年级的相同专业班级做出教学改革,通过学生期末闭卷成绩、过程考核（签到率、课堂参与度、注意力集中程度等）成绩与学生反馈评语对教学成果进行验证。结果表明,采用“趣味教学法”进行教学改革的班级学生期末闭卷成绩中不及格率低于未改革的班级,“良好”与“优秀”学生比例均高于未改革的班级,过程考核成绩远高于未改革的班级,说明“趣味教学法”教学改革有效调动了学生的学习兴趣。我们认为,在大学微生物学课堂上,教师可在教学设计中适当引入趣味教学内容并适时展开,有助于改善教学气氛,调动学生学习积极性与主动性,提高教学质量。     

Genome science: a video tour of the Washington University Genome Sequencing Center for high school and undergraduate students

Sequencing of the human genome has ushered in a new era of biology. The technologies developed to facilitate the sequencing of the human genome are now being applied to the sequencing of other genomes. In 2004, a partnership was formed between Washington University School of Medicine Genome Sequencing Center's Outreach Program and Washington University Department of Biology Science Outreach to create a video tour depicting the processes involved in large-scale sequencing. "Sequencing a Genome: Inside the Washington University Genome Sequencing Center" is a tour of the laboratory that follows the steps in the sequencing pipeline, interspersed with animated explanations of the scientific procedures used at the facility. Accompanying interviews with the staff illustrate different entry levels for a career in genome science. This video project serves as an example of how research and academic institutions can provide teachers and students with access and exposure to innovative technologies at the forefront of biomedical research. Initial feedback on the video from undergraduate students, high school teachers, and high school students provides suggestions for use of this video in a classroom setting to supplement present curricula.     

Proselytization and popular music: A policy framework for religious musical expression in public schools

What legal and ethical issues arise when students choose to perform popular music with explicitly religious content? The purpose of this article is to construct a policy framework for discussing the use of popular religious music within the classroom, with a specific focus on the concept of proselytization as legal criteria for setting appropriate curricular boundaries. Three recent American federal court cases are examined: O.T. et al v. Frenchtown Elementary School District (465 F.Supp.2d 329, 2006); Golden v. Rossford Unified School District (445 F.Supp.2d 820, 2006); and DeNooyer v. Livonia Public Schools (799 F.Supp. 744, 1994). Conclusions suggest that when music teachers encourage student expression via the composition and performance of popular music, schools must balance students' rights to free expression with maintaining a viewpoint-neutral school environment. Criteria of particular importance in determining whether particular musical expressions are appropriate include the age of the students and the possible presence of a captive audience.     

生物化学教学实用技巧和策略

生物化学是生命科学中最重要的基础专业课程之一。欲使教师讲好它,学生学好并非易事。在学生中经常流传着一句“生理生化,必有一挂”的口头禅,足见学生学习生物化学的难度。本文结合笔者在南京大学讲授生物化学25年多的实践及成功经验,与同行们分享生物化学的教学技巧和策略,如何上好第一次课,如何激发学生学习生物化学的兴趣,如何在教学中培养学生的科学思维,如何把传统课堂教学的手段与其他新型的教学方式结合,如何开展和组织“第二课堂”活动等,希望它们对同行们的生物化学教学有所启发和帮助。