News Notes

With archaeologists continually finding new pieces of the past, students will undoubtedly see and hear of new discoveries in the media. By using archaeology as a context for investigating past cultures and using science methods, teachers can capitalize on students' interests while still addressing concepts recommended (or required) for their curriculum. The following activities use everyday items as artifacts and will take you and your students through an authentic excavation experience.     

如何上好“绪论”第一课：以“普通植物病理学”课程为例

“绪论”是高校所有课程的第一课,上好“绪论”第一课可第一时间在学生心中播下对该门学科的使命感、进取心和责任心的“种子”。作者通过多年的教学研究与实践,认为“绪论”教学的首要目的是激发学生的好奇心和求知欲,点燃学生的进取心和紧迫感,进而喜欢和会学这门课程。为达到上述教学目的,我们构建了“绪论”第一课授课内容、方法与目的三者相吻合的教学模式：首先,采用生动有趣和灵活多样的手段导入情景和实物,并设问;随后通过循循善诱和启迪独立思考,师生共同探究和感悟该学科属性、形成发展历史、目前研究现状及未来发展前景,以及教与学的目的、任务和方法等,从而让学生树立上进心和责任心,增强学好该课程的决心和信心。本文以普通植物病理学课程为例,展示了采用“绪论”第一课的教学模式开展的教学过程。多年的教学实践证明,“绪论”第一课教学模式导入的“绪论”内容规范、系统、全面、与教学目标相契合。并且,其内涵丰富、可操作性强、实施效果好,对提高教学质量十分奏效,适合推广应用。     

Gardening for Homonyms: Integrating Science and Language Arts to Support Children's Creative Use of Multiple Meaning Words

Curriculum integration can increase the presence of science at the elementary level. The purpose of this article is to share how two second-grade teachers have integrated language arts content as a part of science-language arts instruction in a garden-based learning context. One application was a teacher-designed Gardening for Homonyms lesson, which supported new ways of thinking about words and wordplay while developing science vocabulary related to structure and function, diversity of life, and interdependent relationships in ecosystems. This article provides the lesson and discusses its implementation in two second-grade classrooms. Examples of student work illustrate children's creative thought around and application of multiple meaning words. Pre-, post-, and extended posttest measures of students' ability to generate and to use homonyms demonstrate that this science-language arts integrated lesson can result in both short- and long-term learning. Applications and follow-up from the lesson over two subsequent years have engaged second and third grade students in study/inquiry about plant growth and life cycles while utilizing many facets of language arts, which have ranged from labeling an experimental design and writing predictions and results to conversing about digital “GigaPan” images on growing strawberries.     

Students use of the PSOE model to understand weather and climate

One tried-and-true way to hook students' attention and promote long-lasting understanding is to sequence science instruction in an explore-before-explain instructional sequence. In these lessons for the second through sixth grade band, elementary students investigate the interaction between “cold” and “hot” substances and density to understand how fluids interact in air (some weather phenomenon) and water (ocean currents). The student-based activities are suited to a research-based strategy called the PSOE (predict, share, observe, and explain) sequence of instruction.     

“新工科”背景下“生物分离工程”课程创新改革

“生物分离工程”是生物工程专业本科生的一门重要的专业必修课,是生物工程专业建立“新工科”课程体系的重要组成部分。本教学团队坚持“以学生发展为中心,以创新思维为核心”的教育理念,以“学习成果”为导向的创新理念,针对课程长期存在的“理论教学与实验课脱节,学生不能及时地将理论知识内化为实践能力”、“课程内容陈旧,与行业需求脱节”、“授课和考核方式相对单一,学生的专业能力和素质未能有效培养”等痛点问题开展教学改革,重构课程内容。打通理论课和实验课的界限,开展“线上+线下”混合教学,通过科研反哺教学,使课程内容紧跟行业发展前沿,充分利用现代信息技术手段开展更丰富的课堂教学活动,并对学生进行全程化、动态化和多样化的考核,全面提升学生的能力。     

The Heat Is On! Using Particle Models to Change Students' Conceptions of Heat and Temperature

Elementary, middle-level, and high school science teachers commonly find their students have misconceptions about heat and temperature. Unfortunately, student misconceptions are difficult to modify or change and can prevent students from learning the accurate scientific explanation. In order to improve our students' understanding of heat and temperature, we created a three-part instructional activity designed to engage them in the development of kinetic particle models. First, the students use household materials—food coloring and water—to investigate and create particle models depicting motion at the molecular level. Second, the students complete a similar activity designed to help them visualize the connections between heat and particle motion. Third, the students build a thermometer, observe it in action, and create particle models explaining how the thermometer works. By the end of the series of activities, the students are able develop their own definitions for heat and temperature. Through this hands-on and minds-on series of activities, students learn to define and differentiate the concepts of heat and temperature.     

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.     

Equipment Review

The findings of this research indicate that it is important for teachers to be aware of students' concepts in genetics before they start teaching them. It also showed that once students had resolved any difficulty with the relationship between gene and allele, their performances in genetics showed a significant improvement. This research found that the use of a chromosome model as a conceptual challenge tool was a most effective way of resolving these difficulties, especially if teachers were aware of students' concepts, and had undergone some staff development in the model's use.     

Spinal and sacroiliac assessment and treatment techniques used by osteopathic physicians in the United States

Background

Without systematic exposure to biomedical research concepts or applications, osteopathic medical students may be generally under-prepared to efficiently consume and effectively apply research and evidence-based medicine information in patient care. The academic literature suggests that although medical residents are increasingly expected to conduct research in their post graduate training specialties, they generally have limited understanding of research concepts. With grant support from the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, and a grant from the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation, the University of North Texas Health Science Center (UNTHSC) is incorporating research education in the osteopathic medical school curriculum. The first phase of this research education project involved a baseline assessment of students' understanding of targeted research concepts. This paper reports the results of that assessment and discusses implications for research education during medical school.

Methods

Using a novel set of research competencies supported by the literature as needed for understanding research information, we created a questionnaire to measure students' confidence and understanding of selected research concepts. Three matriculating medical school classes completed the on-line questionnaire. Data were analyzed for differences between groups using analysis of variance and t-tests. Correlation coefficients were computed for the confidence and applied understanding measures. We performed a principle component factor analysis of the confidence items, and used multiple regression analyses to explore how confidence might be related to the applied understanding.

Results

Of 496 total incoming, first, and second year medical students, 354 (71.4%) completed the questionnaire. Incoming students expressed significantly more confidence than first or second year students (F = 7.198, df = 2, 351, P = 0.001) in their ability to understand the research concepts. Factor analyses of the confidence items yielded conceptually coherent groupings. Regression analysis confirmed a relationship between confidence and applied understanding referred to as knowledge. Confidence scores were important in explaining variability in knowledge scores of the respondents.

Conclusion

Medical students with limited understanding of research concepts may struggle to understand the medical literature. Assessing medical students' confidence to understand and objectively measured ability to interpret basic research concepts can be used to incorporate competency based research material into the existing curriculum.     

Understanding molecular genetics through a drawing-based activity

The activity uses drawings typically found in textbooks, engaging students in physical and mental activities such as drawing, painting and figure completion — as well as finding missing words and answering guiding questions. The activity deals with three topics: the structure of DNA, DNA replication and protein synthesis. In this study we investigated students' understanding of genetics in two different groups: one used the drawingbased activity integrated in the traditional learning (experimental group) and the other, the control group, received only traditional learning. Achievements of the experimental group were compared to the achievements of the control group, using a written questionnaire. Analysis of the post-test showed that the mean score of the experimental group was significantly higher than the mean score of the control group, suggesting that engaging students in physical and mental activities promote students' learning. This positive trend was also reflected in students' responses in personal interviews. Most of the students reported they felt that the activity helped them to organise and better understand the subject matter, especially the translation process.     

“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。     

Isolation of γ-globulin (IgG) from serum: a task that encourages students to consolidate concepts on protein structure and properties

The isolation of γ-globulin from bovine serum by salt precipitation and fractionation through ion-exchange chromatography and gel filtration is proposed as a method to teach protein structure and properties. Students are instructed to evaluate the efficiency of the isolation procedure through SDS-PAGE analysis of protein fractions. Simple techniques to measure antigen-antibody reaction may be used to check preservation of IgG function. Questions are given to get the students to relate protein structure and physical properties and their use in protein purification and quantification. This teaching approach is efficient in identifying misunderstanding of concepts, to follow up students' development and to reinforce ‘learned concepts’.     

基于前沿热点案例的合成生物学教学模式的探索与实践北大核心CSCD

作为一门理论性与应用性都很强的课程,“合成生物学”对生物工程领域创新性人才培养发挥着至关重要的作用。为此,华中农业大学开设了“合成生物学”课程。首先,以“重基础知识、抓创新实践、追前沿进展”为理念,通过组建高水平的“合成生物学”教学团队,并不断调整优化课程内容,形成了新颖合理的课程体系。其次,在教学过程中,及时将高水平学术期刊及时事热点新闻报道中有关合成生物学的案例引入课堂教学中,丰富了教学内容,提高了学生的学习兴趣。再次,以前沿热点案例为切入点,通过以“学”为中心的授课模式,引导学生深入探讨,提高了学生的思辨思维与创新能力。本课程取得了很好的教学效果,并有效促进了创新型人才培养,在此与同行交流,以期能为“合成生物学”及相关课程的教学改革提供一些新的启发与思考。     

Windmills by design: Purposeful curriculum design to meet next generation science standards in a 9–12 physics classroom

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) challenges science teachers to think beyond specific content standards when considering how to design and implement curriculum. This lesson, “Windmills by Design,” is an insightful lesson in how science teachers can create and implement a cross-cutting lesson to teach the concepts of force, motion, and Bernoulli's principle. This 9–12 lesson requires students to consider the science behind windmill design by engineering windmill blades that can produce the most power in a class competition. The lesson is designed as a 5E lesson incorporating essential features of inquiry-based instruction.     

设计性实验课中卡氏肺孢子菌的动物模型建立与教学改革之探讨

目的探索设计性实验课在病原生物学实验教学改革中的模式。方法通过卡氏肺孢子菌的动物模型建立,设计免疫功能低下的小鼠感染卡氏肺孢子菌及相关免疫低下指标的检测,使学生通过课堂指导,课后自己查找资料设计相关实验。结果拓展学生知识面,提高分析问题、解决问题的能力,激发学生创新意识。结论该设计性实验为病原生物学实验的教学改革做出了初步探索。     

Levers and mixtures: An integrated science and mathematics activity to solve problems

In recent years, the integration of science and mathematics has become popular among educators because of its potential benefits for student learning. The purpose of this study is to introduce a two-day interdisciplinary lesson that brings science and mathematics concepts together, actively engaging students in working with percentages of the ingredients in mixtures with the concept of torque. Participation in this Grade 7-9 lesson provides opportunities for students to learn from both content areas as they progress through a variety of science process skills.     

The Mathematical Basis of Mendelian Genetics

In a climate where increasing numbers of students are encouraged to pursue post-secondary education, the level of preparedness students have for college-level coursework is not far from the minds of all educators, especially high school teachers. Specifically within the biological sciences, introductory biology classes often serve as the gatekeeper or a pre-requisite for subsequent coursework in those fields and pre-professional programmes (eg pre-medicine or pre-veterinarian). Thus, how helpful high school science and mathematics experiences are in preparing students for their introductory biology classes is important and relevant for teachers, science educators and policy makers alike. This quantitative study looked at the association between students' high school science and mathematics experiences with introductory college biology performance. Using a nationally representative sample of US students (n?=?2667) enrolled in 33 introductory college biology courses, a multi-level statistical model was developed to analyse the association between high school educational experiences and the final course grade in introductory biology courses. Advanced high school science and mathematics coursework, an emphasis on a deep conceptual understanding of biology concepts and a prior knowledge of concepts addressed in well-structured laboratory investigations are all positively associated with students' achievement in introductory college biology.     

STEAM教育理念下“线上+线下”混合教学模式初探：以微生物学实验为例

随着信息化手段的不断丰富,新型教育理念结合线上学习平台的新信息化教学模式成为高校课堂的改革新趋势。本次教学改革利用科学(Science)、技术(Technology)、工程(Engineering)、艺术(Art)和数学(Mathematics)多学科融合的超学科教育理念(简称STEAM教育)对教师教学过程进行了整体设计,同时借助“线上+线下”教学平台对学生学习过程进行了全面优化。将原本分散的验证型、操作型实验重新整合串联成以多角度“项目式”任务为主线、以Blackboard线上平台为辅线的自主研究型实验项目。新型教学模式以学生为主体,给学生提供更多自我展示和讨论互动的平台。从学生的课堂表现、知识测验、课后反馈、实验操作及实验报告4个方面对新型模式下的教学效果进行了分析和评价。结果表明,此模式不仅提高了学生在微生物学实验中的学习质量,增强了其学习主观能动性,而且有利于培养和提升学生的问题探究及实践创新能力。这一新型教学模式对其他生物学科实验课程的教学具有一定的借鉴意义。     

Students' cellular and molecular explanations of genetic phenomena

Genetic concepts are assigned to three principal levels of organisation: macroscopic level, microscopic level, and submicroscopic level. In order to probe Israeli students' understanding at each level, and to gain a sense of their ability to connect ideas and concepts across different levels, we asked three different types of question. Two of the question types ask students to make a bridge between levels by asking them to explain a phenomenon at one level using concepts and processes from a different level. For example, to explain the appearance of phenotypic traits (macroscopic level) using concepts like genes or chromosomes (microscopic level). One question dealt with the molecular level only. We investigated three populations: 9^th graders, 12^th graders, and pre-service teachers. Based on our findings we suggest improvements both in terms of teaching methods and curriculum content.     

The Lego® analogy model for teaching gene sequencing and biotechnology

Research in biotechnology is rapidly advancing; everyday, new and exciting discoveries are made. With this new technology there are also many safety and ethical questions, though, as well as the need for education. Alternative teaching methods may help to increase students' understanding of difficult concepts in all aspects of schooling, including mathematics, science, genetics, and biotechnology. The Genomic Analogy Model for Educators (GAME) is a teaching tool currently under development, made up of three different pieces: (i) a CD-Rom, (ii) a website and (iii) laboratory exercises. The GAME model uses simple analogies of easily understandable concepts to explain the technical and scientific aspects of modern genomics; the first module is the Lego® Analogy Model (LAM) which focuses on DNA sequencing using the Sanger method and electrophoresis. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the GAME model on high school students. In addition, the short term effect of the GAME model on high school students' attitudes about biotechnology was also measured. Results showed a positive change in students' post-test scores after participating in GAME which indicates the effectiveness of this new tool for biotechnology education.