On line lab practical effective option for station based lab exam Ann C Smith Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics The Course General Microbiology BSCI 223 Survey course 250 students per lecture section 1 2 lecture sections per semester Lab component Lab Curriculum American Society for Microbiology guidelines Preparation for advance Microbiology labs The Laboratory Fundamental minimal requirements Attain competency in techniques Learn vocabulary Understand the nature of working with organisms that are potential pathogens Challenges Survey course with are large enrollment of students and 10 15 teaching assistants Some lab techniques are repeated to allow students options for review but some are only experience one time in one lab During lab students see the results to their own work or their groups work but are not exposed to a wider variety of alternate scenarios Students do not have an option to repeat work or come back to lab to review Goals 1 Design a mechanism for students to review lab results and extend learning of lab material 2 Design a comprehensive lab exam that provides a challenge and re enforcement of learning for the students and an assessment tool for the instructor Initial Approach 1 Review Set up stations in Demo lab open at set times Use of bulletin board displays Short in lab quizzes with Practical style questions 2 Exam Traditional lab practical Stations timed Problems Lab Prep takes significant time with three labs taking the exam simultaneously there is a requirement for three set ups During the time that all 300 440 students pass through the lab exam displays are altered or destroyed Lab practical set up timed stations stressful for students Lab practical set up is stressful for instructors Lab practical set up does not allow for variation in exam questions from section to section Solutions technology Course Learning Center in WebCT Organization Communication New learning opportunities that complement lab and lecture Use of quiz tool On line Lab review quizzes On line Lab exams On line Lab Review quizzes Design Data base of questions Use of images captured from lab Lab Review Quiz Set up Lab Review Quizzes Impressions Goal 1 option for students to review extend lab learning is realized Positive Options for students to review lab data concepts Options to extend learning through the automated feedback option Students receive immediate feed back Easy access for students through the online course environment increases student competency with technology Negative Time to set up but once the data base is established it is easy to modify and use Goal 2 the comprehensive lab exam On line lab practical Offered for the first time in Fall 2001 Two online exams per semester Midterm Comprehensive Final Lab meets in computer lab for the exam days TA s proctor exam Grading is automated in the same manner as the quizzes Grading A breeze The system grades the exams automatically Grades are held until all students have completed the exam Once grades are released students can see questions their answers and the automated feedback In WebCT grades are automatically listed in a spreadsheet which can be downloaded to a spreadsheet program Impressions Learning goals Comprehensive exam in same style as review Allow good assessment of learning Versatility Easy to maintain and update Cataloging feature No grading Scores on Exams have increased Initial set up investment is significant Students love the system Very helpful Keep them online Great way to study Very useful and easy to access I like the quizzes and the lab exams because of the pictures and different types of questions Acknowledgements Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics College of Life Sciences Undergraduate Technology Apprentice Program Office of Information Technology On line exams Set up See the set up in WebCT www courses umd edu See me for guest password
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