Event Title
Making Connections: Teaching Innovations
Location
Hart 114
Start Time
14-5-2015 10:10 AM
End Time
14-5-2015 10:55 AM
Description
Non-Visual Laboratory Activities for Biology
Ms. Deborah Fiore
The discipline of biology is extremely visual; it relies on a person’s ability to observe and study the world around them. It is a challenge to teach the concepts of biology to individuals in a laboratory setting who are unable to use their sense of sight. General Principles of Biology is a very popular laboratory-based science course for many non-science majors at BSU. Each year this course enrolls approximately 1000 students. During the last 3 years there has been a consistent enrollment of visually impaired students in this course. There have been concerns that the sight-required laboratory activities were not optimal for the visually impaired and may be diminishing their overall lab experience. To address these concerns, non-sight required lab activities were pursued and piloted during the Fall 2015 semester. This session will introduce and demonstrate some of the nonvisual biology laboratory activities that were piloted.
Rewarding Small Acts of Kindness and Commitment in the Classroom: What Students Say
Dr. Polina Sabinin
Do you give extra credit opportunities in your courses? Why? Why not? Inspired by a conversation at a conference (travel supported by CARS), I have introduced an extra-credit raffle into my courses. Students receive raffle tickets for going above and beyond the call of duty as a student. Twice each semester, they get an opportunity to "win" a choice of extra credit points. Every raffle ticket is a winner—in a small way. In this presentation I will share the philosophy and logistics of the raffle system. I will also report on the students' reflections on the raffle and how it affected their attitude and learning in the course.
Making Connections: Teaching Innovations
Hart 114
Non-Visual Laboratory Activities for Biology
Ms. Deborah Fiore
The discipline of biology is extremely visual; it relies on a person’s ability to observe and study the world around them. It is a challenge to teach the concepts of biology to individuals in a laboratory setting who are unable to use their sense of sight. General Principles of Biology is a very popular laboratory-based science course for many non-science majors at BSU. Each year this course enrolls approximately 1000 students. During the last 3 years there has been a consistent enrollment of visually impaired students in this course. There have been concerns that the sight-required laboratory activities were not optimal for the visually impaired and may be diminishing their overall lab experience. To address these concerns, non-sight required lab activities were pursued and piloted during the Fall 2015 semester. This session will introduce and demonstrate some of the nonvisual biology laboratory activities that were piloted.
Rewarding Small Acts of Kindness and Commitment in the Classroom: What Students Say
Dr. Polina Sabinin
Do you give extra credit opportunities in your courses? Why? Why not? Inspired by a conversation at a conference (travel supported by CARS), I have introduced an extra-credit raffle into my courses. Students receive raffle tickets for going above and beyond the call of duty as a student. Twice each semester, they get an opportunity to "win" a choice of extra credit points. Every raffle ticket is a winner—in a small way. In this presentation I will share the philosophy and logistics of the raffle system. I will also report on the students' reflections on the raffle and how it affected their attitude and learning in the course.
Comments
Moderator: Boriana Marintcheva