Welcome to the
2017 InTeGrate Professional Development
Webinar Series
Free and open to the public, this series aims to help faculty teach
about the earth in the context of societal issues. The series
incorporates InTeGrate principles into teaching practices,
provides materials available for adoption, and creates a forum
for participants to learn and share teaching strategies.
http://serc.carleton.edu/integrate/workshops/webinars/2016_2017/adapt_course/index.ht
ml
This work is supported by a National Science Foundation (NSF) collaboration between the
Directorates for Education and Human Resources (EHR) and Geosciences (GEO) under grant DUE - 1125331
Adapting InTeGrate Modules for Biology
Courses and Online Courses
Amber Burgett
Sabrina Walthall
Wittenberg
University
Penfield College of
Mercer University
Rory McFadden
SERC
(moderator)
This work is supported by a National Science Foundation (NSF) collaboration between the
Directorates for Education and Human Resources (EHR) and Geosciences (GEO) under grant DUE - 1125331
http://serc.carleton.edu/91212
Wittenberg’s
Implementation Effort
• Embed sustainability modules across
disciplines (find out what works)
• Broaden participation (expand what works,
make visible, explore connections)
• Deepen approach (make connections through
shared questions, community projects,
collaborative action)
Key Results
Supporting Faculty= Anticipating Barriers &
Responding to New Challenges
Issue
Fit Issues within Course
Response
Planning Worksheet,
Follow-up based on
responses
Finding connection with Identifying themes for
partners for course
collaboration, asking
community project
partners to identify
data/resources
InTegrate modules in biology courses
• General Education courses
– FYS
– Non-majors biology courses
• Hot topics course: Biology on the Big Screen
• Majors courses
– Freshwater Ecology
– Developmental Biology
Non-majors biology course
• Used in Biol 146: Biology on the Big Screen
– General biology content focused on hot topics
• Food production (photosynthesis, DNA modification,
GMOs)
• Climate change (impact on biodiversity)
Biology on the Big Screen:
Food Security
• Incorporated The Wicked
Problem of Global Food Security
– Discussed global population
growth, exponential growth
equations
Biology on the Big Screen:
Food Security
• Incorporated The Wicked
Problem of Global Food Security
– Discussed global population
growth, exponential growth
equations
– Used Unit 1 and 2
– Tied into GMO discussion and role
for GMOs in global food security
Biology on the Big Screen:
Climate of change
Incorporated components of Climate of Change module
• Unit 4: Slow and Steady examined concept of albedo
– Albedo and elevation
– Discussed concepts of biomes
Image from
Ceballos et al.
2015 Science
Advances
Calculate the rate of change for various taxa over the last
60 years and compare to that from before 1700
Biology on the Big Screen:
Climate of change
• Incorporated components of
Climate of Change module
– Unit 4: Slow and Steady, conducted
mini experiment
– How might albedo contribute to the
distribution of organisms?
• Used free app Hukseflux (iphone) to
measure albedo
Biology on the Big Screen:
Climate of change
• Incorporated components of
Climate of Change module
–
–
–
–
Unit 6: Adapting to a changing world
How are species adapting?
What if species can’t adapt?
Discussed concepts of range shifts
and impacts of land use/habitat loss
Added questions to gallery walk focused on impact
of heat waves and flooding on biodiversity (ie:
temperature dependent sex determination in turtles)
Using InTeGrate in upper level
biology courses
• Developmental Biology
• Freshwater Ecology (or general Ecology
course)
Developmental Biology
• Taught by Dr. Michelle
McWhorter
• Environmental justice and
freshwater resources
module
Developmental Biology
• Short lecture to introduce
the topic of teratogens
• Discussed primary research
article
Slide from introductory lecture
Developmental Biology
• Completed Unit 5,
love canal in lab
• Michelle reported
that students
responded strongly
to the unit
Freshwater Ecology
• Incorporated components of Environmental Justice and
Freshwater Resources
• Case based learning course, uses a case every week to frame
concepts/topics
• Community based project
Syllabus: Unit 2 &3 for
hydrologic cycle
Unit 4 and 5 during pollutants
Freshwater Ecology
• Incorporated during class
• Adapted units 1 and 2 to upper level course
• Used unit 5 on love canal
General strategies for
incorporating in biology courses
• Look for connections
– Ecology units connect nicely with climate change,
ecosystem services modules
• Provides students with context and
application of biological concepts
• Active learning into class, but can also fit well
into labs
Adapting InTeGrate Modules for
Biology Courses and Online Courses
Sabrina L. Walthall, Ph.D.
Penfield College of
Mercer University
This work is supported by a National Science Foundation (NSF) collaboration between the
Directorates for Education and Human Resources (EHR) and Geosciences (GEO) under grant DUE - 1125331
Program Motivation
What kind of problem was the program trying to solve and why is this work important?
• Mercer University serves nontraditional adult students.
• Students in general education
courses are not wholly convinced
that these courses are valuable to
them.
• To increase the Earth literacy of
students and their ability to
include geosciences in addressing
societal issues.
• We used InTeGrate materials in a
variety of general education
courses which are in an 8 week
format online and face to face.
Program Goals
• Increase number of faculty who
include Integrate materials and
pedagogies in courses
• Increase the number and diversity of
learners who study/participate in
Integrate materials
• Include virtual field trips from local
and regional sites (Georgia and
southeastern USA) in Integrate
materials to increase student interest
in issues of sustainability
• Increase the number of K-8 teachers
in Georgia who incorporate Earth
literacy in their classrooms
Seeing the Big Picture
We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.
- Einstein
• Systems thinking is a way of
approaching problems that asks
how various elements within a
system — which could be an
ecosystem, an organization, or
something more dispersed such
as a supply chain — influence one
another
• Rather than reacting to individual
problems that arise, a systems
thinker will ask about
relationships to other activities
within the system, look for
patterns over time, and seek root
causes.
Program Implementation
Goal 1: Increase number of faculty who include InTeGrate materials and pedagogies in courses.
•
•
•
•
•
One team leaders included assignments
from module, Climate of Change, in an
earth systems science course
Conducted workshop to introduce
InTeGrate materials. Two adjunct faculty
were recruited to use the revised syllabus.
In Spring 2015, two more team members
offered courses that included InTeGrate
materials
The opportunity to use InTeGrate was
introduces in formal faculty meetings
followed up with a webinar and informal
discussions.
This yielded two additional faculty
offering courses that included InTeGrate
materials in the 2015-16 academic year.
Faculty Participation
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
Fall 2014
Spring 2015
Fall 2016
Program Implementation
Goal 1: Increase number of faculty who include InTeGrate materials and pedagogies in courses.
•
•
•
Course syllabus for our
introductory scientific
reasoning course (SCIE100
Methods of Scientific
Investigation) was revised
to include units 5 and 6
of Climate of Change
Conducted workshop to
introduce InTeGrate
materials. Two adjunct
faculty were
recruited to use
the revised
syllabus.
Using Integrate In Online Gen. Ed. Course
Climate change is more like obesity; we know what to do and we promise ourselves we’ll start eating better
and working out—tomorrow. Our choice is not whether we should change to prevent climate catastrophe, it’s
when. Leidy Klotz- Engineer Professor,
.Learning outcomes
–
–
Identify to which climate change opinion group they
belong (alarmed, concerned, cautious, disengaged,
doubtful, or dismissive) using a climate change
survey instrument
Summarize several methods of 21st-century
adaptations to climate change, including floodplain
reclamation, insurance policy changes, and response
to extreme heat waves.
• Using the systems thinking
approach we decided to use
module, Climate Change, Unit
6
• In unit 6, students assess
individual and national opinions
on climate change and explore
strategies that communities are
employing to adapt to aspects
of climate change that are
already affecting them and may
affect them in the future.
• This activity is suitable for use
in a lecture or lab setting but
can also be done outside of
class as a homework
assignment
Using Integrate In Online Gen. Ed. Course
• Assignment
•
Learning activities
for the module
• Pre/Post
survey
– Get feedback both during
and after the module
• Online Assessment
– Determines what the
student mastered during
the module
Generic Online Course Template
• Module (or Unit) Outcomes
– The student will be able to: Demonstrate…
• Homework to help study and prepare for assignments and
discussion questions.
– Read…Do…Find... etc.
• Assignments to submit to the online drop box/assignment
folder
– Learning activities and learning strategies are included here.
• Online surveys
– allow instructors to get feedback both during and after a course
• Online Assessment (quizzes/exams, etc.)
– Determine which outcomes are the most critical and which ones you want students to
have mastered
MERLOT Journal of Online Learning and Teaching / Vol. 2 / No. 1 / March 2006
Make Emotionally Satisfying Content
• As teachers, the key lesson we can learn is to ask the following
question: Is this activity or presentation emotionally satisfying
for my students?
• This exploration led to me to change a student activity in my
online courses due to the amount of frustration it caused.
• This one change dramatically changed the tone of the module
for students and myself and led to a more pleasurable
learning experience.
Integrate Leadership Team
Colleen P. Stapleton, Penfield College - Mercer University
Jeffrey S. Hall, Tift College of Education - Mercer University
Sabrina L. Walthall, Penfield College - Mercer University
Timothy D. Craker, Penfield College - Mercer University
Jane M. Metty, formerly Tift College of Education - Mercer
University, co-leader 2014-2015
Using Integrate In Online Gen.Ed. Course
A Philosophy of Online Teaching & Learning
– 1. Teaching and learning online are not better or worse than on campus, face to
face(f2f) —they are just different.
– 2. Good course planning and good teaching are universal.
– 3. Course planning begins with course objectives and clear specific student
outcomes.
Assumptions about Online Course Planning
– 1. A decision has been made to teach online (whether by choice or by requirement).
– 2. The designated course is deemed appropriate for online delivery.
– 3. Your department supports (or requires) this move to an online course
environment.
– 4. There are students who want to take the course online.
MERLOT Journal of Online Learning and Teaching / Vol. 2 / No. 1 / March
2006
After reflecting on this prompt for a moment, please
use the ‘chat’ feature to write a few sentences.
How do you introduce active learning
strategies into courses and adapt materials
to new courses?
You are also welcome to ask other questions for
discussion at this time.
InTeGrate Professional Development Webinar Series
http://serc.carleton.edu/integrate/workshops
Addressing Food Security Issues Systems Thinking and Earth
in Your Course
Modeling
February 9, 2017
March 22, 2017
Water and Food Sustainability
EDDIE: Environmental Data-Driven
Inquiry and Exploration
February 15, 2017
March 30, 2017
Sustainability Across the
Curriculum
Map Your Hazards
March 2, 2017
April 7, 2017
Adapting InTeGrate Materials to
Biology Courses and Online
Courses
GETSI: Active Tectonics and
Earthquakes
March 8, 2017
April 13, 2017
Upcoming opportunities
• Next InTeGrate webinar:
Systems Thinking and Earth Modeling
Wednesday, March 22nd
9:00 am Pacific | 10:00 am Mountain | 11:00 am Central | 12:00 pm Eastern
Registration deadline: Tuesday, March 21st
• Consider your department or course for NAGT’s Traveling Workshops Program
• Earth Educators’ Rendezvous 2017 in Albuquerque, New Mexico
•
Registration is now open!
• Join the InTeGrate Webinar Series Community Discussion
Help us…help you…
Webinar evaluation
This work is supported by a National Science Foundation (NSF) collaboration between the
Directorates for Education and Human Resources (EHR) and Geosciences (GEO) under grant DUE - 1125331