Lord 1998
Lord 1998
Lord 1998
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Perhaps the reason students aren't retaining or understanding information they are taught is due to the
580 THE AMERICAN BIOLOGY TEACHER, VOLUME 60, NO. 8, OCTOBER 1998
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successfully utilized constructivist methods for biology is the "5 E" model developed several years ago by
tively interacts with what the learner already knows.allows them to describe to other members in the
Through this interaction, the biology student attempts class what their team has discovered; the Elaborate
to fit the new information with mental notions thatpermits the students to expand on the topic; and the
Instruction
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582 THE AMERICAN BIOLOGY TEACHER, VOLUME 60, NO. 8, OCTOBER 1998
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Productive Unproductive
Group work that requires students to simply memorize information is another type of exercise commonly used as a cooperative learning activity in
biology which will eventually lead to failure. Teachers, for example, ask students to review diagram
labels or vocabulary terms in their cooperative groups
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with their classes was the perceived hassle of incorporating it into the daily instruction. Often, there is
so much time lost establishing student groups and
handing out the cooperative group materials that
half the class period is lost. Instruction time is, indeed,
a precious factor in biology teaching. This is why
preclass planning is so important in structuring successful constructivist-based, cooperative learning ses-
sions in biology.
The management of the cooperative learning experience need not be a hassle. Many teachers find that
if they develop their groups at the onset of each
map of direct and indirect factors that would influ- teammates they will work with for the term (Lord
ence habitat conditions in an environment.
Questions that require interpretation are also good
cooperative learning exercises. Asking student teams
1994a).
to interpret information from a chart or graph is an management even more efficient. Earlier in the day
excellent constructivist-based, group activity. Another the instructor places a large envelope with all the
is to have teams solve a question that may be interpre- easily managed material the group will need for the
class. Then, at the beginning of the class period, a
ted different ways. Asking groups to come up with
member
of each cooperative team retrieves the conat least seven examples of movements in plants, for
example, leads to an array of various answers. These tent package from the front of the room. Such items
might include transport of materials within the plant'sas short readings, information outlines, term sheets,
vascular tissues, mitotic growth of meristem tissue, challenge question answer sheets, team quiz results,
surprisingly quick nastic reactions, sunlight-directedand even the challenge questions and team quizzes
diurnal and nocturnal activities, and endocrinedirected tropic and developmental movements. The
smorgasbord of answers provides for rich group and
class discussion and enlightenment.
Opinion questions are also excellent for simulating
constructivist interaction within a group. For instance,
asking student groups to come up with five defend-
584 THE AMERICAN BIOLOGY TEACHER, VOLUME 60, NO. 8, OCTOBER 1998
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Multianswer Questions
fatigue. In fact, the muscles seem "energized." See if you
and your partners can trace what happened to the glucose
We have learned that, to acquire the materials they need
(a) upon entering the cytoplasm (b) when it passed
to survive, animals eat different types of food. Some are
through
the membrane of its treated organelle, and (c)
solely plant eaters (herbivores), some are solely meat eatafter
parts
of it moved to the center of the treatment
ers (carnivores), and some eat both plants and meat (omniorganelle.
vores). As a team, make a list of 10 animals that fit under
each category. After you have done this, arrange the animals in a multi-tiered pattern of who might eat whom if
the different animals were all placed in a 25-acre, plantrich field enclosed by a high chain-linked fence.
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.J~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ JO~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Figure
2.
The
bookshelf
ap
are
interspersed
with
stud
and review for the test. In this way all of the team
teams when needed. Following this event, the instructor moves the class toward further elaboration of the
the class, they pick up new information to 10- to 12minute spurts broken by short periods of student-to-
586 THE AMERICAN BIOLOGY TEACHER, VOLUME 60, NO. 8, OCTOBER 1998
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explaining it to others, the bright student tests his/* Give students an activity to do early in first
? k'>FREE Video
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tions can be scored both as one unit and/or individually, especially if the assignment includes a specific
component for each team member to complete. This
type of exercise provides the instructor with a measure of each person's contribution to the group effort
References
Astin, A. (1985). Achieving Educational Excellence. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Perkins, D. (1993). Teaching for understanding. The American Educator, 17(3), 28-35.
Conclusion
588 THE AMERICAN BIOLOGY TEACHER, VOLUME 60, NO. 8, OCTOBER 1998
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