1. The Earth & Ocean Sciences Science
Education Initiative at the University
of British Columbia
Sara Harris with contributions from Francis
Jones & Brett Gilley. Acknowledgement to
Carl Wieman, Sarah Gilbert, and the many
UBC faculty and student participants.
Teaching Introductory Geoscience Courses in the 21st Century Virtual Workshop
18 March 2014

2. Overview: The Carl Wieman Science
Education Initiative, 2007-2014
Course
Design
Principles:
Learning Goals
aligned with
Activities
aligned with
Assessments
Using
Evidence
to Improve
Teaching &
Learning

3. Using Evidence-Based Pedagogy in
Introductory Classes
• Articulated Learning Goals (student-focused)
• Pre-class preparation with accountability
• In Class (active learning w/timely feedback):
– Peer Instruction
– Clickers
– In-class Worksheets with Clicker Check-ins
• Assessment:
– Pre-Post assessments (as validated as possible)
– 2-Stage Exams (an example)
For CWSEI research papers: http://www.cwsei.ubc.ca/SEI_research/index.html

4. Categories of Evidence
(Evidence of “change” or “improvement” or “good stuff” in
teaching and learning)
• Student work/performance
• Instructor-reported teaching practices and
attitudes
• Student perceptions
• 3rd party observations

5. Pre-Post Assessments for
Feedback and Iteration
Evidence supporting worksheets + clickers as more
effective for student learning than lecture + clickers
6 offerings, 2 different courses, 3 different instructors, nstudents= 76-150

6. Assessment to Support Learning:
2-Stage Exams
Students take the exam individually, then immediately
repeat the exam in a group of 4.
• Instant feedback
• Students leave exam
knowing the answers
• Measurably greater
improvement in
subsequent testing of
concepts discussed
during exam, than for
concepts tested
individually only
Gilley, B. and Clarkston, B., 2014. Collaborative testing: evidence of learning in a controlled in-class
study of undergraduate students, Journal of College Science Teaching, Vol. 43, No. 3, 83-91.
Video at: http://blogs.ubc.ca/wpvc/two-stage-exams/

7. Culture Change:
Teaching Practices Inventory
“Effective Teaching Practices
Fractional Score”
Wieman, C. and Gilbert, S., submitted. The Teaching Practices Inventory: A new tool for the
evaluation and improvement of college and university teaching in mathematics and science.
http://www.cwsei.ubc.ca/resources/TeachingPracticesInventory.htm

8. Culture Change:
Teaching Practices Inventory
More talking
to colleagues!
Some more
reading!
Not much
change in
observation
http://www.cwsei.ubc.ca/resources/TeachingPracticesInventory.htm

9. Culture Change:
Teaching Practices Inventory
2013: Barriers are about
INSTRUCTORS
2007: Barriers were
about STUDENTS &
INFRASTRUCTURE
http://www.cwsei.ubc.ca/resources/TeachingPracticesInventory.htm

10. Student Learning Experiences Survey
4. Classroom practices - helpfulness
d. Clicker questions posed in class
i. Demonstrations, animations or simulations shown by the instructor
a. Lecture presentations in class
e. Discussions you had with other students about those clicker questions
c. Discussions about why material is useful, important or interesting
b. "Socratic dialogues"; i.e. instructors teaching by constantly asking…
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
j. Discussions before, during, and/or after those demonstrations
f. In-class activities in groups using worksheets or other resources
h. Whole class discussions moderated by the instructor
m. Help from the instructor during class
g. Questions asked of students in class NOT involving clickers of worksheets
k. Opportunities you had to assess or comment on work of your peers
l. Help from teaching assistants during class
Survey available at: http://eos.ubc.ca/research/cwsei/resources/studentsurvey-v3.pdf
extremely
very
moderately
little
not
N/A

11. Student Learning Experiences Survey
4. Classroom practices - helpfulness
d. Clicker questions posed in class
e. Discussions you had with other students about those clicker questions
a. Lecture presentations in class
b. "Socratic dialogues"; i.e. instructors teaching by constantly asking…
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
c. Discussions about why material is useful, important or interesting
i. Demonstrations, animations or simulations shown by the instructor
j. Discussions before, during, and/or after those demonstrations
m. Help from the instructor during class
g. Questions asked of students in class NOT involving clickers of worksheets
h. Whole class discussions moderated by the instructor
f. In-class activities in groups using worksheets or other resources
l. Help from teaching assistants during class
k. Opportunities you had to assess or comment on work of your peers
extremely
very
moderately
little
not
N/A
Survey available at: http://eos.ubc.ca/research/cwsei/resources/studentsurvey-v3.pdf

12. Classroom Observations (COPUS):
Smith, M.K.,F.H.M Jones, S.L. Gilbert and C.E. Wieman, 2013. The Classroom Observation Protocol for
Undergraduate STEM (COPUS): A New Instrument to Characterize University STEM Classroom
Practices, CBE-Life Sciences Education, Vol. 12, 618-627.

13. Long-term sustainability & Challenges
• Importance of involving new faculty
• Importance of involving graduate students
• Changing the norm
• Collaborative co-teaching
• Encouraging reflection and deliberate practice
• Importance of administrative support
(evaluation, tenure, promotion, hiring
decisions)

14. Resources
• http://www.cwsei.ubc.ca (lots of resources on
evidence-based pedagogy for instructors!)
• http://eos.ubc.ca/research/cwsei/ (approaches &
outcomes from EOS-SEI)
– http://eos.ubc.ca/research/cwsei/eossei-times.html
(our “monthly” 2-page newsletter)
• http://blogs.ubc.ca/wpvc/ (short video clips of
techniques in action, e.g. 2-stage exam; jigsaw
activity; active learning in a large class; “tutoring”
in a large class)