November 2014

Gene expression is a complex multi-step process that students struggle to learn. There are many terms to memorize and then students need to remember the functions and roles of all the molecular players and the order in which each molecule participates in the overall process. I currently use lecture, diagrams, animations, a worksheet and websites to teach this topic and I have also incorporated a hands-on lab using manipulatives where the students create their own working model of gene expression using yarn, foam pieces, pasta, playdoh, post-its and other random junk (see attached pics).

The process for selecting  All-USA Scholarship recipients is:  Step 1-Faculty committee scoring of essays; top 5 essays move forward to application process. 2013 scorers indicated they'd have preferred a more specific, helpful rubric to improve rater reliability.  In 2014 it was replaced by the EMCC Writing Rubric which produced distinction between essays, however, scorers were dissatisfied with criteria that didn't account satisfactorily for content and voice.  Thus, 6-Trait Writing Rubric will be used in 2015.

This semester I have developed a common lab final for the BIO 160 sections offered here at EMCC. This common final will incorporate laboratory activities performed during the semester and is a cumulative final. The common lab final should serve to support similar curriculum across across all sections offered here at EMCC. 

Results from this final will help me identify lab activies that need refinement as well as commonly misunderstood concepts from the class.

In spring 2014 EMCC/SAAC conducted its semester assessment in Information Literacy, one of seven general education abilities at EMCC. Data was collected from 20 courses with 488 students in 2014, representing a 41% increase. Library Faculty Terry Meyer graded the assessments both years, providing a high level of inter-rater reliability. The areas assessed were Framing the Research Question, Accessing Resources, Evaluation of Information Resources, and Creating an Original Work. Five instructors assessed in both 2011 and 2014, which provided a higher level of comparable reliability.

Discussions are a prime way to enrich online and hybrid classes as well as engage students. In my spring 2014 classes, many of my students waited until the last 24 hours to post their initial answer to the Discussion prompt. This procrastination averaged 75% of the students. Since I require of my students a three response minimum to other students’ posts, there was often not enough time for meaningful exchanges. Despite my urgings, this procrastination continued.