Effective teaching requires the use of techniques and strategies to counter student passivity and enhance engagement. Research demonstrates that drawing improves memory retention, increases motivation to learn, provides an opportunity to learn what makes an image an effective communication tool, allows demonstration of conceptual understanding,…

The discovery of a Victorian-era microscope slide titled "Grouped Flower Seeds" began an investigation into the scientific and historical background of the antique slide to develop its usefulness as a multidisciplinary tool for PowerPoint presentations usable in contemporary biology classrooms, particularly large-enrollment sections. The resultant…

Audience Response Systems (ARS) represent a powerful new tool for increasing student engagement. ARS technology (known variously as electronic voting systems, personal response systems, interactive student response systems, and classroom performance systems) includes one hand-held remote per student, a receiver (infrared or radio frequency,…

Seven chronological steps for transforming previously taught lecture courses into an active learning format are provided to help the biology educators who want to replace lectures with active learning while covering the same content they would teach in a lecture. These lecture-free courses do not sacrifice content and get little or no additional…

A lesson was designed for lower division general education, non-major biology lecture-only course that included the historical and scientific context, some of the skills used to study the human genome, results, conclusions and ethical consideration. Students learn to examine and compare the published Human Genome maps, and employ the strategies…

In delivering a core science course to pre-health-related majors, the authors sought ways to engage students, make material relevant to life-long learning, and present it in a memorable way. Their goals were to present scientific content fused with history, ethics, public policy, and art in such a way that the students would be provided a unique…

The significance of improving conservation education in the classroom with international guest lectures is presented and a survey on 14 Swedish students and 23 American students is conducted. Such survey evaluates teaching skills and activities like lab exercises, field trips, and promoting personal experiences incorporated therein.

Describes a college microbiology course in which traditional lectures were abandoned in favor of guided learning objectives and student initiative. A statistical analysis of the data indicates that student achievement on the nonlecture-plus-lab system was not so great as on the traditional lecture-plus-lab course. (JR)

Reports the results of a study which investigated the effects of small-group instruction (as opposed to large-group lecture-discussion) on the achievement and attitude toward life-science of seventh-grade junior high school students. (JR)

Describes the results of a controlled experiment that tested the effectiveness of Lord's teaching model in: (a) helping students achieve better grades on standard midterm exams; (b) developing higher level thinking skills; and (c) modifying attitudes towards biology at a large urban university. (Author/SOE)

Students benefit in several important ways when a substantive writing assignment is included in a general biology course. Properly designed and implemented, written assignments can enhance mastery of basic information, as well as prompt students to exercise and develop the fundamental skills of planning, research, synthesis, composition, and…

Authors describe how to use videodisks and computer software in biology instruction. HyperCard Videodisc Toolkit for the Macintosh computer and the BioSci videodisc are used to explain basic principles in the preparation of multimedia presentations. Authors assert that the use of this technology enhances student learning by inserting excellent…