Flipping STEM
This chapter contains case studies from STEM content areas. Case studies in this chapter focus on the concept of discovery learning, incorporate constructivist principles, but also constructionist theories. Several cases reference the tradition of apprent
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Abstract This chapter contains case studies from STEM content areas. Case studies in this chapter focus on the concept of discovery learning, incorporate constructivist principles, but also constructionist theories. Several cases reference the tradition of apprenticeship and research that shows the value of project work as a means to highlight the iterative nature of design, while maximizing in-class time with active learning through collaborative activities and personalized instruction. Each case study opens with the instructional context and a rationale for flipping the classroom. The case-study authors also describe the structure of the course, as well as descriptions about how they prepared their students for flipping, and an evaluation of the flipping experience from both the instructor and student perspectives.
A Case Study on Biology Adrienne Williams University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA e-mail: [email protected]
Instructional Context Course Name and Description BIO 93: DNA to Organisms is a first-quarter introductory biology course for majors at a large, public research university. Lecture size is about 350 students per section. Students also attend a discussion in groups of 30, facilitated by a graduate teaching assistant TA). About 1500 students enroll in the sections each fall.
© Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2017 L. Santos Green et al. (eds.), The Flipped College Classroom, Educational Communications and Technology: Issues and Innovations, DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-41855-1_8
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Place of Course in Larger Program of Study This course covers basic biological molecules, cell biology, energetics and genetics. The second course of their first year covers evolution, biodiversity and ecology. It is a required course for students who are pursuing a biology or prehealth degree.
Learning Goals of the Course After completing this course, students should be able to: • • • •
Explain basic concepts in cellular and molecular biology using correct terminology Correctly apply concepts to advanced questions Demonstrate scientific skills Practice self-regulated learning
Description of the Learners The majority of our students are first-quarter freshmen. Most are high-performing, though many only had biology as a high school freshman. The average Math SAT = 537, Reading SAT = 489, 23 % have a passing AP Biology score. The class is 67 % female, 24 % minority.
Rationale for Flipping As is common in very large introductory biology courses, many students do poorly in this course. Some struggle to learn basic material, others are excellent at basic memorization but cannot apply the basics to new situations. My primary work is biology education research, so I asked to teach a flipped version of Bio 93 for Fall 2012 to see if a flipped course would help less prepared students. I train graduate students to teach discussion sections, so I had a large selection of group activities that could work in a flipped lecture.
Model (s) and Theory (ies) Used to Guide the Flipping Students created basic
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