Sunday, August 3, 2008: 9:00 AM-5:00 PM
Wright C, Hilton
Organizer:
Charlene D'Avanzo, Hampshire College
Co-organizers:
Alan B. Griffith, University of Mary Washington;
Charles W. Anderson, Michigan State University;
Kathy Williams, San Diego State University;
Nancy Stamp, Binghamton University - SUNY; and
Brook Wilke, Michigan State University
This workshop is supported by NSF and is for invited participants who will be working with sets of Diagnostic Question Clusters (DQCs) designed to improve the reasoning and learning of students in general biology courses. The DQCs were developed by education researchers at Michigan State University, who analyzed students' responses to questions about core biological concepts and ideas; problematic patterns in students' thinking were used to develop systematic approaches to biology content. The purpose of the workshop is to introduce faculty to the framework underlying DQCs focusing on matter (C) and energy from the subcellular to ecosystem level. Faculty will use workshop resources, including DQCs and active learning strategies, to modify their biology instruction and monitor students responses to the modified instruction.