An active-learning lesson that targets student understanding of population growth in ecology
Published: 2017
Publication Name: CourseSource
Publication URL: https://doi.org/10.24918/cs.2017.11
Abstract:
Effective teaching and learning of population ecology requires integration of quantitative literacy skills. To facilitate student learning in population ecology and provide students with the opportunity to develop and apply quantitative skills, we designed a clicker-based lesson in which students investigate how ecologists measure and model population size. This lesson asks students to “engage like scientists” as they make predictions, plot data, perform calculations, and evaluate evidence. The lesson was taught in three sections of a large enrollment undergraduate class and assessed using a pre/post-test, in-class clicker-based questions, and multiple-choice exam questions. Student performance increased following peer discussion of clicker questions and on post-test questions. Students also performed well on the end-of-unit exam questions.
Trenckmann, E., Smith, M. K., Pelletreau, K. N., & Summers, M. M. (2017). An active-learning lesson that targets student understanding of population growth in ecology. CourseSource. https://doi.org/10.24918/cs.2017.11