A faculty learning community as a vehicle for change: the effect of iterative course change on student learning and attitudes in introductory biology (530.4)

Students learn concepts and skills more efficiently when they actively engage with content, and introductory biology courses nationwide are shifting towards student‐centered classes. However, incorporating student‐centered learning into a large‐enrollment course presents unique challenges. Here we describe a Faculty Learning Community (FLC) where faculty instructors collaborate to transform a large enrollment introductory biology course from a traditional lecture format into a student‐centered course. Activities and strategies are incorporated and improved over time as faculty discuss successes and new approaches, allowing the FLC to optimize activities and build up a resource pool. We evaluate the effect of this iterative change on the classroom environment, student learning, and student attitudes utilizing a pre‐ and ‐post survey design. Preliminary results suggest that student content learning is increasing over time. Further, certain types of activities may be particularly effective at improving learning. Longitudinal data from three semesters of the course will be used to explore 1) how iterative change affects student learning, 2) which approaches are most effective, 3) how to target difficult concepts and 4) how different student populations are impacted by the changes. Results will provide a template for other institutions seeking to incorporate similar course improvements. Grant Funding Source : Supported by HHMI “Engage to Excel” grant at Iowa State University