Active Learning Materials Research Articles

Structuring Materials to Support Student Learning: Analysis of Instructional Materials from a Professional Development Workshop.

Faculty development programs play a crucial role in enhancing learning by equipping educators with the necessary skills, knowledge, and pedagogical strategies to teach more effectively. One such program is the Promoting Active Learning in Analytical Chemistry (PALAC) workshop, which aimed to educate faculty on methods to create and use active learning course materials to support students during the process of learning. This research aimed to assess the design of classroom instructional materials generated by faculty that attended the PALAC workshops. The theories of Vygotsky's zone of proximal development and scaffolding were used as lenses to characterize the materials because they describe the benefits of providing support through the process of developing knowledge. The active learning materials were analyzed by assigning the cognitive levels of processing, as described by Marzano's taxonomy, to all questions asked across 134 in-class activities. The use of the cognitive levels of processing allowed the researchers to gauge the presence of scaffolding by tracking how the cognitive levels of processing changed from question to question across each in-class activity. The results from this study indicate that the majority of materials provide opportunities for students to engage with higher-order questions, but there is less evidence for the effective and consistent structuring of the materials. These results have implications for future faculty development programs, suggesting the need to allot more time for faculty to practice developing effective classroom materials. In conjunction, this work demonstrates the effective use of Marzano's taxonomy in assessing the cognitive structure of in-class activities.

Role of multifidelity data in sequential active learning materials discovery campaigns: case study of electronic bandgap

Materials discovery and design typically proceeds through iterative evaluation (both experimental and computational) to obtain data, generally targeting improvement of one or more properties under one or more constraints (e.g. time or budget). However, there can be great variation in the quality and cost of different data, and when they are mixed together in what we here call multifidelity data, the optimal approaches to their utilization are not established. It is therefore important to develop strategies to acquire and use multifidelity data to realize the most efficient iterative materials exploration. In this work, we assess the impact of using multifidelity data through mock demonstration of designing solar cell materials, using the electronic bandgap as the target property. We propose a new approach of using multifidelity data through leveraging machine learning models of both low- and high-fidelity data, where using predicted low-fidelity data as an input feature in the high-fidelity model can improve the impact of a multifidelity data approach. We show how tradeoffs of low- versus high-fidelity measurement cost and acquisition can impact the materials discovery process. We find that the use of multifidelity data has maximal impact on the materials discovery campaign when approximately five low-fidelity measurements per high-fidelity measurement are performed, and when the cost of low-fidelity measurements is approximately 5% or less than that of high-fidelity measurements. This work provides practical guidance and useful qualitative measures for improving materials discovery campaigns that involve multifidelity data.

Designing Active Learning Enriched Biotechnology Instruction Module (BIM) for Middle School Science Course

This study aimed at designing instructional material named Biotechnology Instruction Module (BIM) which is enriched with active learning methods to enhance the 8th grade students’ learning of the topic. The development of the teaching materials proceeded within the stages of the ADDIE instructional design model. The final form of the instructional module comprised active learning materials of DNA Isolation Experiment, Bulletin Boards, 4x2 Biotechnology Learning Station, Case Studies Text, and “What Would You Do If You Were…?” activities. Instructional module covers the topics such as genetically modified organisms (GMO), gene therapy, cloning and bioremediation. The “Biotechnology Instruction Module” is expected to help students to learn in a meaningful way the rapidly changing and renewed biotechnology issues, to foster knowledge and understanding of key issues, to promote socioscientific discourse in class, and to encourage higher order thinking skills. All the data show that the instructional module applied in the real classroom environment is successful in realizing the learning objectives of the subject of biotechnology.

アクティブ・ラーニング教材開発へのVR技術の導入

アクティブ・ラーニング教材開発へのVR技術の導入

New Curriculum Development Model for Improving Undergraduate Students’ Data Literacy and Self-Efficacy in Online Astronomy Classrooms

There is a critical need for research-based active learning instructional materials for the teaching and learning of STEM in online courses. Every year, hundreds of thousands of undergraduate non-science majors enroll in general education astronomy courses to fulfill their institution’s liberal arts requirements. When designing instructional materials for this population of learners, a central focus must be to help learners become more scientifically and data literate. As such, we developed a new, three-part, curricular model that was used to inform the creation of active-learning instructional materials designed for use in online courses to help introductory astronomy students improve their ability to make evidence-based conclusions when presented with a variety of data representations, while increasing their self-efficacy with respect to engaging meaningfully in science. We conducted a pilot study of these instructional materials at nine different colleges and universities to better understand whether students’ engagement with these materials lead to increases in self-efficacy, and whether faculty who implemented the materials were able to easily incorporate our active learning materials into their existing online astronomy courses. Overall, we found a statistically significant improvement in students' self-efficacy after engaging with our instructional materials in their online courses. The results of the item-by-item analysis indicated that students’ beliefs improved most on the questions that assessed their ability to make meaningful contributions to scientific research, and their confidence using data representations to interpret an array of scientific questions. The instructor feedback emphasized that our curriculum development model could successfully inform the creation of instructional materials that were easy to implement in existing online astronomy classes, and supported course learning objectives, creating the potential for widespread dissemination and use at the undergraduate level.

Active Learning Materials for English Online Classes Based on Genre-Based Approach

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted all aspects, including education. This phenomenon has drastically changed the teaching and learning interactions in schools. This change shocked teachers and students unprepared for competence, subject matter, and technology, including psychology. For that constraint, the authors are interested in contributing their ideas/thoughts in the form of developing active learning materials for English online classes based on a genre-based approach for VIII grade junior high school students. The researchers developed the product through development research (RD) involving a sample of 114 VIII grade junior high school students and 3 English teachers. Through needs analysis of respondents, researchers can map the objectives and learning materials needed by respondents. Researchers use this need analysis to develop online-based learning materials. The final product is a supplementary online book consisting of 6 units with different themes. From the results of field trials, it is known that this book is very well received by the user, in this case, the VIII grade students and English teachers of SMP/MTs.

Musical play in the early years: the impact of a professional development programme on teacher efficacy of early years generalist teachers

ABSTRACT Teacher Efficacy (TE) refers to teachers’ confidence in their ability to promote student’s learning. Research shows that generalist teachers’ TE for music education is generally low, with many teachers associating music education with innate musical talents – a problem exacerbated by music education programmes that focus on singing or playing instruments. Musical play is a form of music education in which young children more or less freely explore and create with sound with limited guidance from a teacher, requiring fewer musical skills. This paper reports on an in-situ professional development program (PD) that focused on musical play as a means of enhancing early years teachers’ TE for musical play and for music education in general. For this study, a mixed method exploratory multiple-case study was used. Three early years teams (N = 14) took part in a PD that focused on knowledge and skills related to facilitating musical play. Data were collected through surveys and interviews. Findings demonstrate that taking part in the PD enhanced teachers’ TE for musical play and for 50% of the respondents for music education in general. The PD’s design features longer duration, collective participation, active learning and qualitative curriculum materials had contributed to teachers’ learning.

The Influence of Academic Emotions on Learning Effects: A Systematic Review.

Academic emotions can have different influences on learning effects, but these have not been systematically studied. In this paper, we objectively evaluate the influence of various academic emotions on learning effects and studied the relationship between positive and negative academic emotions and learning effects by using five electronic databases, including WOS, EMBASE, PubMed, PsycINFO, and Google Scholar. According to established standards, a total of 14 articles from 506 articles were included in the analysis. We divided the 14 studies into nine intervention studies and five observational studies; five of the nine intervention studies found that students who used active learning materials performed better and had higher mental loads than those who used neutral learning materials. Positive academic emotions promoted the learning effect. Four of the five observational studies with high school, college, and postgraduate participants reported that regulating academic emotions can improve learning effects. In conclusion, this paper holds that positive academic emotions are better than negative academic emotions at improving academic performance. In future research, a new method combining multichannel video observation, physiological data, and facial expression data is proposed to capture learners’ learning behavior in various learning environments.

A New Lecture-Tutorial for Teaching Interferometry to Astro 101 Students

The ground-breaking image of a black hole’s event horizon, which captured the public’s attention and imagination in April 2019, was captured using the power of interferometry: many separate telescopes working together to observe the cosmos in incredible detail. Many recent astrophysical discoveries that have revolutionized the scientific community’s understanding of the cosmos were made by interferometers such as LIGO, ALMA, and the Event Horizon Telescope. Astro 101 instructors who want their students to learn the science behind these discoveries must teach about interferometry. Decades of research show that using active learning strategies can significantly increase students’ learning and reduce achievement gaps between different demographic groups over what is achieved from traditional lecture-based instruction. As part of an effort to create active learning materials on interferometry, we developed and tested a new Lecture-Tutorial to help Astro 101 students learn about key properties of astronomical interferometers. This paper describes this new Lecture-Tutorial and presents evidence for its effectiveness from a study conducted with 266 Astro 101 students at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Development of active learning materials and use of those materials to educate nursing students primarily in respiratory nursing and to train new nurses

Development of active learning materials and use of those materials to educate nursing students primarily in respiratory nursing and to train new nurses

Flipped teaching eased the transition from face-to-face teaching to online instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Rice University canceled classes for the week of March 9–13, 2020 and shifted all instruction to online only following spring break. For the second half of the semester, animal physiology was taught exclusively over Zoom. Here we describe how a flipped teaching format that was used before the pandemic eased the transition from face-to-face teaching to online instruction. The preclass preparation resources and the active learning materials that were already in place for flipped teaching were helpful in the transition to solely online teaching. Therefore, the focus during the transition was to reconfigure active learning and examinations from the face-to-face format to the online platform. Instead of small group discussions in the classroom, teams interacted in Zoom Breakout Rooms. Rather than taking exams in-person during scheduled class time, students submitted exams online. Additionally, students prerecorded their project presentations instead of presenting them “live” during the last week of classes. Overall, students felt that the class smoothly transitioned to a remote only format. These and other changes to the instructional methods will be implemented during the Spring 2021 semester when the course is taught fully online.

Active Learning in Economic Subject: A Case Study at Secondary School

This study aims to investigate the impact of active learning in the economics subject in Perak secondary school on students’ achievement, motivation, interest, and social interaction. This study applies a quasi-experimental research design, which involves the control and the treatment groups with thirty and thirty-four participants, respectively. The active learning materials for the treatment group were based on active learning methods provided by the Ministry of Education with support from structured lesson plans namely: simulations, discussions, brainstorming, case studies, and visits in the school’s compound. A questionnaire is also used to measure students’ motivation, interest and social interaction before and after the intervention. The results showed that students who had experienced active learning activities score higher than their counterparts significantly for topic 1 and 2. Besides, findings show that they were motivated and interested in learning economics through active learning compared to the traditional approach. However, the researchers find that the social interaction element is not as significant as the others. It has been concluded that the active learning method attracts student’s interest and motivation in the economic subject and subsequently improves their achievement. Students also will get benefit from the varieties of teaching method with a focus of learning outcomes to enrich student-learning activities.

Collaborative Group Learning in Remotely Taught Analytical Chemistry Courses

The use of synchronous remote teaching methods in two undergraduate analytical chemistry courses during the COVID-19 pandemic is described. Classes were convened using cloud-based video conferencing software, and the majority of class time involved students working in small groups on worksheets. All group activities were followed by a whole-class session in which students reported out and discussed the answers. Discussions allowed us to resolve differences in answers among the different groups, discuss interesting questions that arose in some of the groups during their discussion, and summarize the expected answers for questions on the worksheets. The incorporation of a group component into the final exam in one of the courses is described. Students indicated that they preferred the use of synchronous instruction to the asynchronous instruction that occurred in other courses. They also preferred having the opportunity to work in small groups. The active learning materials used in the two courses are available to instructors and students for free through the Analytical Sciences Digital Library. While class sizes in this report were small, the potential for using collaborative groups in larger classes is described.

The Evaluation of Teacher Training Programs in the United States of America in Terms of Student-Centered Practices Used in Class

The purpose of this research was to evaluate the teacher training programs in the United States of America in terms of student-centered practices used in class. Learning and teaching processes were evaluated based on classroom observations (the methods, techniques, materials and student-centered practices used in class). Qualitative research method was used in the research. The researcher collected the data through direct participatory and unstructured observation. In participatory observation approach, the observer makes observations without any external influence. The researcher made observations in three different classes during the spring semester of 2017-2018 academic year. The observations were made at the 4th grade level. The study group of the observations was composed of three teachers. The first of the classes in which the observations were made was social studies teaching, while the second was psychological counseling and guidance teaching, and the third was primary school teaching. The researcher kept the duration of the observations long. The reason for this was to try to ensure that teacher candidates and the teacher considered the researcher as if she were a member of the class. This precaution is necessary so as to be able to capture the natural atmosphere of the class and minimize artificial behaviors, which, in turn, positively affects the validity and reliability of the research. According to the findings obtained from the research, it was found that a total of 19 active learning methods, techniques and practices were used in the three classes. In class, question-answer was used most. It was observed that there were 17 different types of active methods, techniques and instructional practices. It was determined that a total of 19 different kinds of active learning materials were used in the three classes. Projector was the material which used the most in class. Based on the findings of the research, it was determined that there were also active learning practices that were not used in class. Depending on the fact that learning by doing is the most permanent traced learning, practices that can make the student active can be included more.

The Development of an Active Learning Program for the Medical Responders in a Nuclear Disaster

In Japan, with the revision of the Nuclear Emergency Response Guidelines in 2015, nuclear emergency medical assistance teams responsible for the medical treatment in the acute phase of nuclear disaster have been developed nationwide. The purpose of this research is to develop active learning materials for the education of medical staff, to confirm the educational effect of the materials, and to identify the gaps in nuclear disaster risk reduction in Japan. We established a working group and created active learning materials. We trained members of the nuclear emergency medical assistance team using the developed active learning materials and then conducted a questionnaire survey for trainees who participated in the training. Regarding the developed teaching materials, out of 33 trainees, 33 (100%) answered "easy to understand" or "a little understandable" to the item dealing with how to use the radiation detectors and attaching/detaching personal protective equipment. Regarding the simulation about practicing hospital support and medical provision, 3 (8%) answered "a little confusing." The study demonstrated that the developed materials have an educational effect. Additionally, the results of the trainee questionnaire showed the necessity for improvement in the triage system and new protocols to help both the patients and responders.

Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Boot Camp: A Preparatory Curriculum for Pediatric Residents.

Resident training has changed significantly in recent years, resulting in reduced experiences and practice. Because pediatric residents have fewer required intensive care unit (ICU) rotations, we introduced a neonatal ICU (NICU) boot camp (2014-2015) that continues today to prepare residents immediately prior to beginning an NICU rotation. The NICU boot camp consists of three 1-hour sessions: two interactive lectures with case-based application and one hands-on, integrative learning using simulation. The sessions are designed to cover basic information to assist in daily rounding and decision making while in the NICU. After their NICU rotation, residents complete a 12-item questionnaire. Program evaluation includes direct observation during sessions, faculty debriefing, and a postprogram resident survey. Fifty-seven residents participated; questionnaire responses were available from 46 (80.70%). Combined percentages of very useful and extremely useful responses for the three sessions were 82.61%, 78.26%, and 82.60%, with 86.95% for the overall program; 80.40% agreed that repeating boot camp prior to each NICU rotation would be useful. Analysis of narrative responses revealed that participation in boot camp enhanced residents' readiness and confidence for patient care in the NICU and as stated for each educational objective. Program evaluation results support highly effective and sustainable implementation and achievement of educational objectives. Minor refinements continue for enhancing active learning and content materials and for increasing rigor of program evaluation. Results also suggest that our boot camp may benefit other pediatric programs and serve as a model for use in other resident specialty programs.

Active learning materials for molecular and atomic spectroscopy.

Active learning materials for molecular and atomic spectroscopy.

Use of student interviews to identify and refine threshold concepts for biochemistry (618.23)

Threshold concepts are fundamental concepts that require mastering in order to progress towards a deeper understanding of a discipline. Despite their importance in teaching and curriculum reform efforts, threshold concepts have not yet been identified for biochemistry. Using an iterative approach involving over 75 faculty members and over 40 students from diverse institutions nationwide, we have developed a list of candidate threshold concepts, which will inform the design of new active learning materials and assessment tools. Student interviews, conducted with biochemistry and organic chemistry students from five different institutions, were essential in refining the pilot list developed by faculty. Each focus group interview probed student understanding of two of the three candidate threshold concepts: dynamic equilibrium, intra‐ and intermolecular interactions, and individual versus populations of molecules. Analysis of interview transcripts revealed wide variability in student understanding of these concepts that could be due to differences in major, prerequisite coursework and/or amount of biochemistry coursework completed. Despite the variability, trends were observed including an inability to articulate the meaning of steady state in a biological context, difficulty articulating the basis of intermolecular interactions in any context, and recognition that moving between thinking about individual versus populations of molecules is an important and challenging part of learning biochemistry.Grant Funding Source: National Science Foundation NSF‐DUE 1224868

Happy New Year—renewal, welcome, and farewell

A new year brings with it a new outlook, a promise of change, and the opportunity to look back on the previous year with some nostalgia. This is certainly true for ABC’s two educational columns “ABCs of Teaching Analytical Science” and “Building a Professional Career.” Regular readers will soon notice a new title: “ABCs of Education and Professional Development in Analytical Science.” This change in title recognizes the merger of the previous teaching column with the career column edited by John Fetzer. It also reflects the necessity to develop in our students the professional skills they will need for success in their careers as we endeavor to help them build their analytical chemistry content knowledge and problem-solving skills. The new focus of this column on education, rather than teaching, also reflects the need for scientists at all stages of our careers to continue our education and professional development. For example, the launch of the new column in 2013 with an article by Prof. Apryll Stalcup on “Surviving toxic work environments” effectively bridges the topics of education and professional development. I am also pleased to announce that along with a new column, Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry welcomes Prof. Thomas Wenzel, Bates College, as a new column editor. Thomas Wenzel is active in research with undergraduate students in the area of chiral NMR shift reagents, and his research accomplishments were recognized with the 2010 American Chemical Society Award for Research at an Undergraduate Institution. He is also a leader in analytical chemistry education reform and has championed teaching using problem-based and active learning approaches. His 2011 contribution “Active learning materials for equilibrium chemistry and separation science” published in the ABCs of Teaching Analytical Science column nicely describes his collaborative inquiry-based approach to teaching along with the materials he has developed to support this approach, which are available for free download through the Analytical Sciences Digital Library (www.asdlib.org). His educational activities were recognized through receipt of the 1999 J.C. Giddings Award for Excellence in Education sponsored by the Analytical Division of the American Chemical Society. He joins column coeditors Reiner Salzer and John Fetzer in guiding the selection of topics for future columns and ensuring high-quality informative contributions.

Sustaining the development and implementation of student‐centered teaching nationally: The importance of a community of practice

Although the idea of using a workshop to educate potential users about a set of materials or techniques is not new, the workshops described here go beyond simple dissemination and create ongoing communities of practice that support widespread and sustained improvement in the biochemistry classroom. The degree to which pedagogical innovations improve student learning on a national level depends on how broadly they are disseminated and how they are implemented and sustained. Workshops can be effective in disseminating ideas and techniques, but they often fail to sustain implementation. This paper describes Core Collaborators Workshops (CCWs) that were specifically designed for biochemistry faculty to improve the quality of active learning materials, support faculty in transforming their classrooms, and disseminate these efforts nationally. This CCW model proved very effective to date as shown by the fact that, 8 months after the last CCW, all workshop participants reported using at least some of the instructional materials discussed during the workshop. In addition, participants remarked that the superior community building and direct mentoring available through the CCWs greatly increased their confidence in implementing this new curricular approach and has made them more likely to act as leaders themselves.