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Monash Peer Assisted Learning Projects. Using peer-assisted learning (PAL) to enhance student understanding of the threshold concept of ‘evolution’. Gerry Rayner School of Biological Sciences. Background. Monash University Teaching and Learning Fellowships First awarded 2010 - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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www.monash.edu.au
Monash Peer Assisted Learning Projects
Using peer-assisted learning (PAL) to enhance student understanding of the
threshold concept of ‘evolution’.
Gerry RaynerSchool of Biological Sciences
www.monash.edu.au
2
Background
• Monash University Teaching and Learning Fellowships
• First awarded 2010• In the area of Peer Assisted Teaching and Learning• Open to any Monash staff member• Up to $30K budget• Implement a PAL activity and research its effects• PVC Prof. Marnie Hughes-Warrington
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Rhetorical question…
• Is science education letting our students down?
• e.g. While scientific consensus supporting modern evolutionary synthesis is nearly absolute…..
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Acceptance of evolution
• scientific consensus supporting modern evolutionary synthesis nearly absolute
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Australia?
2009 Nielsen poll
• 25% of Australians believe "the biblical account of human origins" over Darwinian evolution.
• Only 42% believe in a wholly scientific explanation for the origins of life
• 32% believe in an evolutionary process guided by ‘God’ – bet hedging?
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PAL – foundations and context
PAL consistently shown to promote generic skills (e.g. McMaster et al. 2006) and enhance deeper learning…
…across a range of disciplines (Springer et al. 1999; Kieran and O’Neill 2009).
Aligns with Vygotsky’s ‘Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)’ - more capable peers collaborate on concepts, knowledge, skills enhance understanding of broader group and refine their own!
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Project rationale
• Understanding evolution transforms the way students ‘observe’ biology requires sophisticated integration of knowledge
Project aims1. Student perspectives and understanding of
evolution (large cohort & broad diversity)2. Integrate ‘evolution’ readings with lectures &
practicals scaffold PAL to refine, enhance student understanding
3. Evaluate student perceptions of effectiveness and value of PAL in this context
“Provides a conceptual framework that unifies every disparate aspect of the life sciences into a single coherent discipline”(NatAcadSci 2008)
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PAL context
Focus on lectures and practicals (6 weeks) associated with aspects of evolution:
1. Plant diversity and evolution
2. Animal diversity and evolution
3. Ecology and evolutionary biology
4. Evolution – history and mechanisms
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PAL timeline of activities
Lectures
Practicals
Plant diversity & evolution. Endosymbiosis, protists, evolution and radiation of land plants
Plant diversity / evolution
1. Paired PAL
Animal diversity & evolution. Principles and patterns of animal evolution
Week 7 Week 8 Week 9 Week 10 Week 11 Week 12
Ecology and evolutionary biology
Evolution, evolutionary research, mechanisms
PAL activities
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1. Paired PAL - plant evolution (Wk 9)
With your lab partner, discuss the following questions about plant evolution and diversity1. Briefly summarize your present understanding of evolution.2. Present four major steps in the evolution of land plants, from ‘bryophytes’ through to ‘angiosperms’. 3. What aspects of plant evolution do you find puzzling or problematic?4. What questions about plant evolution remain unanswered?5. What are the three most important things about plant evolution that you would tell someone?
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PAL timeline of activities
Lectures
Practicals
Plant diversity & evolution. Endosymbiosis, protists, evolution and radiation of land plants
Plant diversity / evolution
1. Paired PAL
Animal diversity & evolution. Principles and patterns of animal evolution
Week 7 Week 8 Week 9 Week 10 Week 11 Week 12
Ecology and evolutionary biology
Evolution, evolutionary research, mechanisms
Animal diversity / evolution
2. Quad PAL3. Survey – value of PAL, comparative value of paired vs. quad PAL.
PAL activities
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2. Quad PAL task - animal evolution (Wk 10)
Form a quad group and discuss the following questions about animal evolution and diversity
1. How would you describe evolution?
2. Provide a brief explanation of animal evolution.
3. Are there aspects of animal evolution that you find puzzling or problematic?
4. What are the three most important things about plant evolution that you would tell someone?
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Post Quad PAL survey (Week 10)
To what extent do you agree with the following statements?
1. Discussions with my lab partner(s) improved my understanding of plant (animal) evolution
2. Quad group discussions were more beneficial to my understanding of evolution than with my lab partner.
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Perspectives on PAL (week 10)
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Strongly agree Agree Neutral Disagree Stronglydisagree
Response
% F
req
uen
cy
plant evolution: mean = 3.95
animal evolution: mean = 4.00
"Discussions with my lab partner improved my understanding of:.."Discussions in a pair / quad improved my understanding of:
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Increased diversity and sophistication of ‘evolution’ language and terminology
Week 9 Week 10
‘Adaptation’
‘Complexity’
‘Transition’
‘Descent with modification’
‘Natural selection’
‘Mutation’
‘Increasing complexity’
‘Common ancestor’
‘Random processes’
‘Population biology’
‘Convergence’
‘Divergence’
‘Bottlenecks’
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Comparative value of paired vs. quad PAL
"Larger group discussions were more beneficial to my understanding of evolution than with just my lab partner(s) (2-3)"
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Strongly agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree
Response
% F
req
uen
cy
Mean = 4.05
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PAL timeline of activities
Lectures
Practicals
Plant diversity & evolution. Endosymbiosis, protists, evolution and radiation of land plants
Plant diversity / evolution
1. Paired PAL
Animal diversity & evolution. Principles and patterns of animal evolution
Week 7 Week 8 Week 9 Week 10 Week 11 Week 12
Ecology and evolutionary biology
Evolution, evolutionary research, mechanisms
Animal diversity / evolution
2. Quad PAL3. Survey – value of PAL, comparative value of paired vs. quad PAL.
PAL activities
4. Quad PAL on a specific ‘evolution’ question. 5. Development and submission of digital response. 6. Assessment - tutors & peers.7. Comprehensive survey
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5. Quad PAL project (Week 12)
Group discussion, concept-mapping etc. of an ‘evolution-related’ question.
• Evolution / radiation of terrestrial plants
• Adaptations / evolution of terrestrial insects
• Evolutionary significance of mesoderm in multicellular animals
• Evolutionary implications of endoskeletons vs exoskeletons
• Allopatric speciation - processes and mechanisms
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5. Quad PAL project (Wk 12)
Quad used prior knowledge, discussion and online resources (+ rubric), to develop a digital response (i.e. a 1 slide ppt).
Quad uploaded their digital response as an attachment to a Blackboard Discussion posting
- marked by tutor (grading form)
- ‘rated’ by other students
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6. Assessment rubric for digital response
Criterion Performance Indicators
Needs Improvement Meets Expectations Good Exceptional
Required elements
(1 point)Several required elements were missing.
(2 points)All but 1 of the required elements are included on the poster.
(3 points)All required elements are included on the poster.
(4 points)The poster includes all required elements as well as additional information.
Labels
(1 point)Labels are too small to view OR no important items were labelled.
(2 points)Many items of importance on the poster are clearly labelled with labels that are a suitable size
(3 points)Almost all items of importance on the poster are clearly labelled with labels that are a suitable size.
(4 points)All items of importance on the poster are clearly labelled with labels that are a suitable size
Graphics - relevance
(1 point)Graphics do not relate to the topic OR several borrowed graphics do not have a source note.
(2 points)All graphics relate to the topic. One or two borrowed graphics have a sources noted.
(3 points)All graphics are related to the topic and most make it easier to understand. Some graphics have a note about their source.
(4 points)All graphics are related to the topic and make it easier to understand. All borrowed graphics have a note about their source.
Aesthetics / attractiveness
(1 point)The poster is distractingly messy or very poorly designed. It is not attractive.
(2 points)The poster is acceptably attractive though it may be a bit messy.
(3 points)The poster is reasonably attractive in at least 2 of design, layout, or neatness.
(4 points)The poster is exceptionally attractive in terms of design, layout, and neatness
Grammar
(1 point)There are more than 4 grammatical or spelling mistakes on the poster.
(2 points)There are 3-4 grammatical/spelling mistakes on the poster.
(3 points)There are 1-2 grammatical/spelling mistakes on the poster.
(4 points)There are no grammatical/spelling mistakes on the poster.
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Species wide - shows divide
“In Allopatric speciation, gene flow is interrupted when a population is divided into geographically isolated sub populations.”
Post ice-age recolonisation of Chorthippus parallelus
Case study: Meadow grasshopper
Name: Chorthipippus Parallelus
• Species isolated in ‘pockets’ during Ice Age • Repopulated after the Ice Age across Europe• Field studies indicate hybridisation between remanent populations• Divergence established via DNA tests and measuring the follicle length
Allopatry in 3 steps:
1. Daughter population must form i.e. must be separated in some degree2. Daughter population must exist in this separated state in order to become a discrete new species3. Daughter population must become differentiated from the parent population i.e. they do not mate with them
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ALLOPATRIC SPECIATION Allopatric speciation occurs when the gene flow of a population is interrupted due to
geographic isolation, resulting in the formation of a new species.
Allopatric speciation is known to have occurred in Cercopithecinae Monkeys (subfamily of Old World Monkeys) in Africa.
• Contraction and expansion of African rainforest was the main driving force for the Allopatric speciation• The Congo and Sanaga Rivers also played a role in the geographical isolation and speciation of these monkeys.
Guenons Monkey
Allen’s Swamp Monkey
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6. Peer ratings
Student
names
here
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7. Post-PAL Survey (Week 12 )
To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements?
Content- & skills- development questions• This group poster project enhanced my
understanding of the processes and mechanisms of “relevant evolution question”
• This poster project helped me develop skills that I would not have learned from lectures and practicals only
• I developed more interest in the poster project than I expected
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7. Post-PAL Survey (Week 12 )
Team dynamics & assessment-related questions
• Working in a group was an effective learning experience • This poster project helped me to interact more effectively
with group members • I am happy for our group presentation to be rated by other
students• The workload was appropriate for this group project. • The assessment requirements for the group project were
clear. • We had access to the sufficient resources to complete the
project.• What improvements would you suggest?
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The value of the ‘group’ (week 12)
Working in a group was an effective learning experience
0
10
20
30
40
50
strongly agree agree neutral disagree strongly disagree
Response
Res
po
nse
fre
qu
ency
(%
)
Median = 4.0
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More equivocal about “other skills”
This poster project helped me develop skills that I would not have learned from lectures and practicals only
0
10
20
30
40
50
strongly agree agree neutral disagree strongly disagree
Response
Res
po
nse
fre
qu
ency
(%
)
Take-home message – ‘KISS’
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Effect of question on perceived value of PAL
This group poster project enhanced my understanding of the:
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
strongly agree agree neutral disagree strongly disagree
Response
Re
sp
on
se
fre
qu
en
cy
(%
)
evolution of terrestrial plants
adaptation of insects to terrestrial environments
evolution of mesoderm in multicellular animals
comparative advantages and disadvantages of exoskeletons and endoskeletons
processes and mechanisms of allopatric speciation
Choose the question carefully!
Take-home message – ‘CTQC’
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Student comments
“It was very interactive and a good change from the sometimes stressful normal practicals, so I don’t think there needs to be any improvement”
“Being able to present the poster to the class”
“It was good, I enjoyed the lab and it was a good end to the semester :)”
“I thought the exercise was great. Evolution isn’t exactly tough to get your head around. At this busy time of year with so many other things to do, it was lovely to just do some light hearted, easy work with the social aspect of a group activity to close off a long semester. Thanks”
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Student comments - suggestions
“Smaller groups sizes please”
“Smaller groups to allow each member to participate and learn”
“Maybe giving the question for research prior to the tutorial for further development and research”
“Discussion of posters, or presentation of posters at the end of lab”
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In Summary
1. Value of PAL group size, but….2. Care required in question choice and wording3. Don’t be too ambitious – e.g. ‘other skills’…4. Digital response - opportunities for creativity
and visual expression of knowledge and understanding
5. Further info required on value of online ratings6. Enormous potential for PAL- have recently
implemented PAL in BIO1022 around ‘feeding and nutrition’.
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Acknowledgements
• Office of the PVC• Drs Juliey Beckman and Tricia Wevill• The first year students
Questions?