AT&T Fellows Final Report: Mary Blakefield

AT&T Fellows Final Reports

May 2005

Name	Mary Blakefield
Title	Associate Professor of Biology
Department	Division of Natural Science and Mathematics
Campus	IUE
Project Title	Interactive Microbiology Laboratory: Using Technology to Meet Students Needs
Project Goal	To create a microbiology laboratory in a hybrid format
Type of Technology Used in the Project	videos, animations, simulations and photographs

Executive Summary of Results

Microbiology is required for students in most health science programs, and generally includes lecture and laboratory components. Laboratory courses have been slow to convert to distance delivery because of the recognized importance of the in-class experience. This proposal describes the development of a hybrid model for the distance delivery of a microbiology lab. This model retains in-class experimentation in a compressed form, paired with a set of interactive exercises that will be delivered through Oncourse. This hybrid format will fill the need for both hands-on laboratory experience and self-paced learning currently unmet by the existing delivery format.

Need for the Project

Briefly explain why you believed there was a need for your project and what teaching approach was used to address this need.

Many courses can easily be adapted to a completely on-line format. However, laboratory courses in the sciences are problematic. Hands-on laboratory experiences are essential for students and although they can be simulated, it is important for students to attain real world experiences.

Given these constraints, I sought a way in which students gain the lab experience they need while presenting a portion of the material in an on-line format. This hybrid course compresses the in-class time required of the student. In this microbiology lab, the performance of laboratory techniques is stressed. Other material, which is more pedagogical in nature, is available on-line and students can progress through much of the course at their own pace.

Use of Technology

Briefly explain how your project used instructional technology in a new or different way.

Traditionally, the undergraduate experience in microbiology laboratory courses has relied upon microscopes, Bunsen burners and test tubes. While familiarization with these items and related techniques will always remain extremely important, there is a redundancy within the course that can be eliminated.

My project has attempted to increase the student efficiency in learning techniques by providing short video clips which demonstrate correct laboratory procedures. Students will review these before class, so that they will know the expectations for safe and proper procedures. This will shorten the class time needed by the instructor to describe and demonstrate the techniques.

Another set of important procedures that students learn in this course is how to stain bacteria on microscope slides for identification. I am using animations and simulations of these procedures for students to view on-line before they are required to perform the procedures in class. Again, the goal is to familiarize the students with the techniques they will be learning before they arrive in class.

A significant core of tests in the course involve the using proper techniques and procedures that the students have seen on-line and practiced in the laboratory, to inoculate various microbial media. The tests rely upon color changes that take place in the agar or broth. The students gain little by re-practicing the techniques. In this hybrid course, the tests are described in detail, supplemented by video clips and photographs showing how the test is performed and the appearance of positive and negative results.
Students perform these tests in-class only when working to identify an unknown bacteria.

The final section of the course involves studying a survey of medically important microbes. Traditionally, students spent hours reviewing a range of prepared microscope slides during the class period. In this hybrid format, these microscope slides have been photographed at several magnifications so that students can study and learn this material completely on-line. Each organism is linked to information that describes the associated disease and associated medical information.

Instructional Design Plan

Describe how the use of technology used supported your teaching approach:

What student learning outcomes were expected?
How did your teaching plan encourage active learning, provide feedback, address respective learning styles, and build collaboration?
What resources were used? (campus technology support services, etc.)
Would your project be easily understood and executed by other faculty?

This hybrid microbiology lab course has not yet been tested in an actual class. My expectactions are that students will learn to perform the required procedures at a faster rate, and that their adherence to proper technique will be higher than students completing the traditional course. I expect that the students attainment of information will be equal or better than students in the traditional course, due to the self-paced nature of much of the material, and the ability to review techniques, results, organisms as needed.

Active learning will occur primarily during the in-class portion of the laboratory, when the techniques that the students view on-line will be put into practice. During these class periods, I will provide feedback to the students on how they are doing and make suggestions for improvement as needed. The on-line portion of the class includes both video and audio components which are designed for both types of learners. Collaboration will come about through students working together in the laboratory, as well as threaded discussions on Oncourse.

This on-line course will be easily executed by other faculty. During the initial roll-out, care will need to be taken to adjust the amount of time that students will need to spend in-class. Assessments will need to be performed to determine areas which may need additional on-line supplemental materials.

Potential to Impact Student Learning

Clearly define how your project improved student learning - include specific examples of how your project:

Fostered depth of learning
Supported efforts to improve retention
Fostered the learning of large numbers of students
Has broader applications that will affect learning K-12 or community environments?

Since this hybrid class has not yet made its debut, this is a difficult question to answer. It is my expectation that this hybrid format will give students a more concentrated and in-depth experience in Microbiology. However, this is an introductory course, so the material is broad and the primary focus relies on proper techniques and simple procedures.

With regard to retention, some students occasionally feel nervous when first coming to a microbiology lab. There are new tools with which to become acquainted, new terminology, and new techniques to learn. It is my hope that students will use the on-line material to become familiar with these items before class, and that this will greatly increase their comfort level at the beginning of the course. The on-line material will also be a great resource for students as they are studying for examinations, as this is reviewable at their convenience.

Laboratories have an inherent class size limitation, as it is necessary to provide a high level of faculty-student interaction. This is even more important with this hybrid course, where the lab time is reduced. However, with this new format, and shortened in-class requirements more students should be able to complete this course during a normal semester. If all of the laboratory sections of this course were to adopt the hybrid format, many students could be accommodated in a fairly short period of time. This would take creative scheduling on the part of faculty, but it is an interesting alternative to consider.

I think hybrid courses can have limited applications in the K-12 environment. Students in elementary and secondary schools need as many hands-on activities as possible, in order to really connect with the sciences. However, on-line information can certainly supplement the in-class experiences, and can also be used for the students to preview the exercise before the class period begins, or for students to study independently after an absence.

Assessment Plan

Briefly explain the effectiveness of your assessment plan:

What measure of assessment was used?
How did your approach obtain measures of performance?
Did you feel your measurement was accurate and effective?

The development of this course has recently concluded, so the course has not yet been offered for students. The assessment will occur primarily during the semester in which the course is offered, and will focus on both the proficiency of techniques and the depth of knowledge in the subject. The results will be compare with students who complete the traditional in-class laboratory course.

Plan for Colleague Development

Describe your role and activities as a mentor:

What mentoring activities were implemented to assist colleagues?
How did you help to develop colleague's instructional technology skills?
How do you think your contributions to the Knowledge Base will help colleagues planning similar projects?
Is your project approach potentially applicable to other contexts or disciplines?
What tips would you offer?

This course is newly completed and has not yet had a trial run with the student population. However, I learned valuable lessons about the challenges associated with creating on-line laboratory experiences. I hope to be a resource in the future for colleagues who are considering this type of scholarship. The approach that I used in this hybrid microbiology lab could potentially be used in other types of science labs.

Final Comments on Project Results

Do you think you met the goals of your project?
What, if anything,would you do differently?
Did you have any unexpected outcomes? (positive or negative)
Would you recommend this teaching approach to colleagues?
What other comments or suggestions would you offer to complete this report?

I met the goals of this project. I produced the materials necessary for students to complete a significant portion of a laboratory course in an on-line environment. I was somewhat naïve about the amount of time that needed to be invested in order to complete this project. With the funding from the SBC grant I hired a computer technologist who was also skilled in video production and editing. The final product is not exactly what I envisioned when I began this project—it is better. This hybrid format class has not been tested as yet in the classroom, so it’s difficult to determine whether or not I would recommend this teaching approach. However, the creation of the on-line materials will be a valuable supplement to any microbiology lab course. Additionally, my work on this project caused me to question every ‘typical’ laboratory experience in this course. As I looked at each exercise I was led to question what value each of them added for the student—what material was essential to complete in class, what could be delivered in a different format, and what could be omitted. That aspect in itself led me to be more aware of the student lab experience and to assess the value of each exercise.

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