Integrating WWWeb-based Technology into a Cell Biology Course

There are many potential barriers to effective teaching and learning. First, there are often differences between traditional teaching methods and students' learning styles. Add to these differences the fact that traditional lectures can actually encourage students to review reading material after class, rather than before, and the result can be class that is 'mis-focused' due to lack of communication between instructor and student and students acting as passive learners. For example, the instructor may thoroughly cover concepts that student's already found clear while glossing over material with which student's had difficulties and students rely on 'cram sessions' before exams rather than developing good study habits. Finally, even with the most conscientious instructor there is at least a class period of 'delay' between handing in assignments and feedback so that problems/misconceptions may take root or grow. Effective teaching requires the development of methods that seek to overcome these barriers. Optimally, such methods should stress the students' responsibility in the learning process and increase communication between faculty and students. The goal of this project is to incorporate web-based technology into my upper level Cell Biology course to enhance my teaching effectiveness and the students' comprehension of material.

During the summer of 2000, I propose to develop WWWeb-based assignment modules for my upper level Cell Biology course and laboratory based on the Just-In-Time Teaching (JiTT) approach and WebAssign program. Use of this web based technology will allow increased communication between myself and my students, will promote good study habits and active learning, and will allow me to adjust class time so that it can be used more effectively.

What are JiTT and WebAssign?

Just in Time Teaching (JiTT)¹ is an approach developed by Dr. W. Christian (Physics Dept., Davidson College) and colleagues (http://webphysics.iupui.edu/jitt.html ). The underlying themes of JiTT are that students show increased comprehension of information 1) if they are continually and actively engaged in the learning process and 2) if the instructor can monitor progress and adjust course time to further develop student potential rather than merely relaying a certain set of facts. While the initial courses using JiTT were Introductory Physics the pedagogy and technology components are readily adaptable to any course. Before class students complete web-based assignments on that day's reading. Since these assignments are due hours before class the instructor can adjust class-time to focus on topics that students found difficult and/or to elaborate on possible applications or further areas of research. The result is students come to class prepared and class time is more interactive and is used more effectively.

The JiTT approach combines classroom elements and WWWeb-based technology. Davidson College is well equipped for both. As in many science courses class and laboratory sessions are requirements of the course. On the technology side, all student dormitories are wired for Internet access, the college maintains computer clusters and the 32 students/year taking my course have extended access to the 8 computers in the Cell Biology lab. Finally, not only does the Biology Department have the WebAssign program, but one of its developers (Dr. W. Christian) is a member of the College's faculty. WebAssign is a web-based program that allows the distribution and collection of questions and responses. The question format can include multiple choice questions in which students click a choice (and are immediately told how they fared), short essays and comment boxes where text is forwarded to me for evaluation. WebAssign also allows students to practice and perfect certain quantitative skills. Using relatively simple modifications of cgi and Perl scripts a problem can include randomized parameters so that each time a student opens the file a 'different' problem appears that is based on the same principles. They can therefore practice particular skills by completing that problem more than once before submitting their final answer. Once answers are electronically submitted, all results are tabulated and available to me.

The power of WebAssign can be harnessed in multiple ways. I will develop assignments, due before class, that will allow me to monitor students understanding of the current material. Laboratory assignments will be taken before and after a laboratory unit to gauge the effectiveness of the laboratory exercise. Finally I will use the technology for student feedback and will encourage students to help me assess its effectiveness via both signed and anonymous electronic comment forms.

How will this approach enhance teaching and/or student learning?

Quizzes and homework assignments are not a new concept. The strengths of this approach are student involvement and timely feedback. By requiring pre-class assignments students must consistantly prepare before class and are less likely to rely on 'cramming' at exam time. Also, WebAssign has login security, is accessible from any computer with web access and corrects problems as students complete them; therefore students can work at their own pace in their own space and have instant feedback. It also archives question and responses so students can refer back to previous assignments when reviewing for an exam.

On the instructional side, I have attended a workshop on using WebAssign and its ease of use will allow assignments to be readily modified during the semester as class needs require. For example modules that were perfect for this year's students can be easily modified for next year's class when they show a clear aptitude for molecular genetics). Also the program corrects, organizes, and tabulates the answers of the entire class. Therefore an assignment can be due by midnight before class. I can access the tabulated information at 8am and adjust my plans for that morning's class to include responses to students concerns, to cover points of difficulty and to develop areas of strength. In the laboratory the use of assignments as 'pre' and 'post' lab unit quizzes will allow evaluation for grading purposes, but will also assess the laboratory's effectiveness. In this manner good study habits are re-enforced (prepare before class), I can use scheduled class time more effectively, and the overall structure of the course and laboratory can be evaluated and adjusted throughout the semester to better meet student's needs and learning styles.

Technical Requirements of the Project and Institutional Support

I have begun assembling questions that will be appropriate for class and laboratory problem sets. I have access to my own and other departmental computers (Macintosh, G3s), server space (the department maintains its own server) and technical support. My technical limitations include only my lack of experience in using WebAssign and in making necessary modification of cgi or Perl scripts. Fortunately one of the authors of WebAssign is a member of the Davidson faculty and both the Math and Physics Departments have many faculty who can assist me. Dr. Malcolm Campbell (Biology) has included WebAssign laboratory quizzes in his Introductory Biology course and has indicated I may consult with him as necessary. The Biology Department supports my continuing development of an interactive Cell Biology course and other faculty members have expressed an interest in including similar modules in other courses. I believe this initial interest will grow significantly once a working course-wide template is in place within our department.

What Technical Expertise Will Be Sought from ASC Institutions?

As mentioned above, I am fortunate to have technical expertise on hand at Davidson College. Since WebAssign has been used by Davidson College's Physics Department for several semesters their help in technical matters and trouble shooting will be invaluable.

How/When Will the Project be Integrated into the Curriculum and How Will Its Effectiveness be Assessed.

I am planning on including the WebAssign modules in Bio308: Cell Biology beginning in the fall of 2000.

In the Davidson Physics Department integration of the JiTT approach and WebAssign problem sets has resulted in a significant increase in standardized test scores. No such standardized test exists for Cell Biology. Fortunately my class and laboratory sessions are intertwined. In class we cover background on communication between cells or between subcellular compartments. In lab we characterize the inter- and intra-cellular signaling pathway required for yeast mating. Initially I will rely on pre- and post- laboratory unit quizzes that cover theoretical and experimental topics to assess whether students are learning key concepts. WebAssign also allows submission of comment forms (anonymous or signed). During the semester students will be asked to evaluate specific modules or sections of the course and these student evaluations will be taken into consideration as the course continues to evolve. In the future I will also survey ACS faculty who begin using the approach.

How Will the Results of this Project be Shared with Colleagues at Other ACS Institutions.

The results of this project will be disseminated in 3 ways. Information will be included as a separate page on my website (http://www.bio.davidson.edu/biology/kabernd/berndcv/berndcv.html) and within the online course materials for Cell Biology. I will post information and URLs to the appropriate ACS listserve subscribers (both interdisciplinary and biology-specific). Finally, I will include the information in the ACS Index of Online Biology Laboratories which I helped to develop at an ACS workshop during the summer of 1999 (WWWeb for Biologists).

1 Novak,G.M., Patterson, E.T., Gavrin, A.D, and W. Christian. (1999) Just-in-Time Teaching: Blending Active Learning with Web Technology. Prentice-Hall, Upper Saddle River NJ.