Curriculum Vitae - Megan Barker, Ph.D. · teach and design courses that support the learning of...

Curriculum Vitae - Megan Barker, Ph.D. (604) 379 9684 15-4157 Sophia St. Vancouver BC, V5V 3V4 [email protected]

Education Science Teaching & Learning Fellow, Carl Wieman Science Education Initiative 2013-present University of British Columbia, Department of Zoology Focus: Implementation and assessment of active-learning strategies; pedagogical research; instructor support.

Doctor of Philosophy, Collaborative Program in Biomolecular Structure 2012 University of Toronto, Department of Medical Biophysics; Ontario Cancer Institute. Focus: Molecular structure and modeling, protein biochemistry, X-ray crystallography, enzymology, cell biology. Thesis title: Structural Investigation of Processing α-Glucosidase I from Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Recipient of the “Walker Marshall Award” of Excellence – Department’s highest honour, for the doctoral student who best exemplifies the academic and community ideals Thesis can be accessed online via University of Toronto T-Space at http://hdl.handle.net/1807/32660

Bachelor of Sciences, Biochemistry Co-op, minor in Mathematical Sciences 2005 University of Guelph, College of Physical and Engineering Science Degree included four research terms in academic, government & industry labs within Canada & USA.

Course Instructor !University of British Columbia 2014 Introductory Cell & Molecular Biology – Formal evaluation: 4.6 out of 5 Formal recognition from the Dean of Science for excellent teaching evaluations Ryerson University, Chang School for Continuing Education 2012 Chemistry I - Formal evaluation: achieved “accomplished extremely well” in 18 of 19 items. University of Ontario Institute of Technology Introductory Biochemistry: Evaluation of overall teaching ability: 1.55 on a scale of -2 to +2 2011 (2 terms)

Course Support and Consultation – University of British Columbia 2013-present

Contribution to course

Instructor feedback

& class observation

Development of course

materials & assessments

Evaluation of student outcomes

TA training & feedback

Guest lecture

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Introductory Cell & Molecular Biology ! ! ! ! !

Fundamentals of Physiology ! ! Introduction to Biochemistry ! ! ! !

Fundamentals of Cell Biology ! ! ! ! !

Fundamentals of Biochemistry; General Biochemistry ! !

Physiology of Sensory, Nervous, & Muscular Systems ! !

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Reproductive Endocrinology

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At least ten other

science courses at UBC !

! ! !

Laboratory/Tutorial TA Simon Fraser University, Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry 2013 (2 terms) Biochemistry Laboratory, Writing-Intensive (MBB309W) Intermediary Metabolism (MBB321; including preparation & delivery of selected lectures) Introductory Molecular Biology & Biochemistry (MBB222) University of Toronto, Depts. of Biological Sciences, Medical Biophysics, and Biochemistry 2007-2012 Cell Surface Biochemistry; Fundamentals of Medical Biophysics; Bioenergetics & Metabolism. University of Ontario Institute of Technology: 2011-2012

Introductory Biology; Introductory Biochemistry; Introductory Chemistry; Organic Chemistry Ryerson University 2006-2012

Life Sciences for Midwifery Studies; Introductory and Advanced Biochemistry; General Chemistry; Chemistry for Biomedical Program students.

Workshop facilitation Simon Fraser University, TA/TM Training Day Fall 2013 - Spring 2015

Session co-facilitator. Featured topics include Effective Feedback on Student Writing; Leading the Lab; Supporting Learning in Tutorials and Seminars.

University of British Columbia, Biological Sciences Program 2013-present Department-wide workshops for instructors and graduate students. Selected topics include Using Cases in Undergraduate Biology; Facilitating Groupwork in Large Classes; Impactful Clicker Choreography.

University of British Columbia, Teaching & Learning Fellow Development Series. 2013-present Facilitator for pedagogical training sessions including Mastery & Transfer; Student Motivation and Learning; How To Run a Workshop!; and Basic Statistics for Education Research. Barker CV - 2 of 4

Peer-Reviewed Publications Concepts first, jargon second improves student articulation of understanding.

Lisa M. McDonnell, Megan K. Barker (co-first-authors), & Carl E. Wieman. (Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Education; in review.)

Teaching students to read, interpret, and write about primary research literature: A course assignment in a large 2nd year class.

Megan K. Barker, Eric W. Jandciu, Robin E. Young (CourseSource Journal; in submission.)

Specificity of processing α-glucosidase is guided by the substrate conformation: crystallographic and in silico studies.

Megan K. Barker and David R. Rose. (Journal of Biological Chemistry, May 2013, v.288(19), p. 13563-74)

Production and crystallization of processing α-Glucosidase I: Pichia pastoris expression and a two-step purification toward structural determination.

Megan K. Barker, B.L. Wilkinson, A. Faridmoayer, C.H. Scaman, A.J. Fairbanks, David R. Rose. (Protein Expression and Purification, September 2011, v.79, p.96-101)

!

Selected Conference Presentations Northwest Biology Instructors Organization, Bellevue College, Washington 2014

Teaching students to read, interpret, and write about primary research literature (with R Young) Creating good questions for peer instruction in biology (with L Weir)

Society for the Advancement of Biology Education Research 2014 Content first, jargon second: an assessment of the influence of technical vocabulary on conceptual learning. Megan K. Barker, L McDonnell, and CE Wieman.

Big classes, big teaching teams, big challenges… some successes! Implementing and evaluating course transformations in first-year biology. Megan K. Barker, M Mullally, S Chowrira, P Kalas, G Birol, S Ellis.

University of British Columbia Centre for Teaching & Learning Technology Open House 2014 The Flexible Learning Project in first-year biology: evaluation of the pilot phase. Megan K. Barker and M Mullally (poster)

Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education 2014 Identifying the outliers: A tool for assessing grader consistency within large classes. Liane Chen, Megan Barker, L Weir. (poster)

Geneva Park Medical Biophysics Departmental Retreat 2012 Greater than Glu-1: adventures in Medical Biophysics and protein structure exploration.

Megan K. Barker and DR Rose; “People’s Choice Award” for Best Student Talk

American Crystallographic Association - Several talks and posters related to graduate work 2008-2011 Notable: Investigating substrate binding at an inaccessible active site: forays into docking & dynamics. Megan K. Barker, G Li, R Pomès, & DR Rose. ACA Pauling Poster Prize, 2011 Conference

Barker CV - 3 of 4

Pedagogical & Professional Training

University of British Columbia, Centre for Teaching, Learning, & Technology 2013-present Ongoing seminar/workshop participation, various topics in pedagogy and learning, including Peer Review of Teaching; Two-Stage Exams; and Flexible Learning Initiative Development Series.

NSF National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science Conference 2014 Annual Conference in Buffalo, New York

Mitacs Step Program 2013-2014 Foundations of Project Management I and II (4-day intensive); Time Management workshop.

University of Toronto, Centre for Teaching Support & Innovation 2006-2012 Course Design Institute (3-day intensive) Teaching Assistant Training Sessions and “Teaching Fundamentals” Certificate. Session subjects from the CTSI included Creating & Administering Meaningful Evaluations, Developing Frameworks for Teaching in Large Groups, Facilitating Discussion, Engaging Students in Critical Thinking.

University of Toronto, Woodsworth College Teaching in Higher Education (THE500) – semester-long course on pedagogy and practice 2011

Outreach Educator Shad Valley, science enrichment program for high school students. 2005-present Faculty member (University of British Columbia); former Program Asst. (Univs. of Calgary & McMaster)

Development and facilitation of over ten innovative and interdisciplinary science workshops for small & large groups; post-program evaluation and analysis to shape subsequent years’ programming.

Greater Vancouver Regional Science Fair Judging committee member & former Treasurer 2012-present University of Toronto National Biology Competition for high school students 2014 and 2015 Contributed ~20% of the questions each year on metabolism, cell biology, and ‘hot topics’ in biology. Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto: Science Rendezvous 2009-2012 University of Toronto: Let’s Talk Science Outreach Program and All Science Challenge

Scientific & Educational Consulting Education consultant 2013-2014 Callisto Integration (manufacturing/systems engineers), Oakville Ontario

Development of training program for newly-hired engineers, and assessment of effectiveness. Surrey Memorial Hospital, Fraser Valley Health Authority, Social work training

Consultation for professional development for social workers reporting on patient interviews. Grant & manuscript editor, Beristain lab, Child & Family Research Institute 2014-present

NSERC Discovery 2014 and SickKids New Investigator 2014 grant applications (Successful; total $475,000)

Aghababaei M, Hogg K, Perdu S, Robinson WP, Beristain AG. ADAM12 directed ectodomain shedding of E-cadherin potentiates trophoblast fusion. (Cell Death & Differentiation, accepted 2015)

Aghababaei M, Perdu S, Irvine K, Beristain AG. A disintegrin and metalloproteinase 12 (ADAM12) localizes to invasive trophoblast, promotes cell invasion and directs column outgrowth in early placental development. (Molecular Human Reproduction, March 2014)

Beristain AG, Molyneux SD, Joshi PA, Pomroy NC, Di Grappa MA, Chang MC, Kirschner LS, Prive GG, Pujana MA, Khokha R. PKA signaling drives mammary tumorigenesis through Src. (Oncogene, February 2014)

Barker CV - 4 of 4

Statement of Teaching Approach & Accomplishments

People learn by doing, and they learn most effectively by doing within the context of focused interaction and feedback. More than a philosophy, this statement is backed up by overwhelming pedagogical evidence, and so it guides my instructional approach.

As a result, my role as an instructor is twofold: to provide thoughtful design of integrated, goal-directed course components that actively engage students; and to facilitate the classroom such that they receive meaningful, timely feedback. I establish my class structure using a blended flipped model, setting up first exposure to the material outside of class so that lecture time takes advantage of collaborative opportunities for feedback and practice. As you can see (at right) in data collected from my teaching, my classroom is active – students are working, listening, articulating their reasoning, and receiving feedback from their peers and myself. My teaching is effective: on a standardized conceptual diagnostic to assess student learning, students in my section achieved 13% higher normalized scores relative to the previous semester. Activities I developed in that semester have since been shared back with the other instructors and incorporated into the class. Students also recognize the value in my approach: based on their positive end-of-term evaluation, I was formally recognized by the Dean’s office for exceptional teaching (letter included on page 18 of this dossier).

These central ideas - learning by doing, seeking out feedback, and using evidence as a metric of success towards a goal - also apply to my approach as a department member. In my current position as a Science Teaching & Learning Fellow with the Carl Wieman Science Education Initiative, I have the unique opportunity to interact with a large breadth of courses and colleagues in several science departments. From working with instructors to think creatively about solving problems in their classes, and using data

and reflection to help focus development efforts, I have built a robust toolkit of teaching techniques, strategies, and ideas. The class activities and approaches that come out of these collaborations are stronger as a result. From these ongoing consultations with individual instructors, it is incredibly rewarding to observe their classes and see the impact of our shared hard work – often quantitatively measured in the student metrics, but also experienced in the energy of the classroom and the instructors’ positive reactions themselves. In addition, working with multi-instructor teams and curriculum integration projects has allowed me to develop materials

in a broader context, benefitting the teams, departments, and students alike. Thus, I am well equipped to teach and design courses that support the learning of students at any level, under curriculum and practical constraints – finding the right tool for the right job, implementing with team buy-in, and evaluating effectiveness for continual improvement.

“With your help, I discovered that while I teach in a variety of modes, the students themselves would benefit from being kept active in more ways than they do currently. It has been a great way to learn how to enhance the education of my students.”

- Dr. Ninan Abraham,

Research faculty, Biology instructor.

Support & Training of Teaching Assistants

A sizeable proportion of my current work involves instructional support for teaching team members, including teaching assistants. Working with TAs is very rewarding: they tend to be very open to ideas, and supporting their professional development has positive benefits for the TAs and for the many students they will work with over their careers. Two selected aspects of my support are described.

TA workshops & training

To help TAs develop targeted skills, I have co-facilitated several training workshops. Notably, several of these workshops have been selected to run at the Simon Fraser University TA/TM Training Day from September 2013 to January 2015. My workshops are quite active, with the goal being to develop a toolbox of techniques that the attendees can take away and implement. Created and implemented in fruitful collaborations with SFU graduate students and UBC post-doctoral fellows, these workshops include: • Confidence in the Classroom: Working with Your Strengths (with J. Inskip) • Lab TA Essentials: Leading the Lab and Supporting Self-Directed Learning (with J. Inskip & J. Nelson) • Improving Student Writing: Best Practices for Effective & Efficient Feedback (with B. Clarkston & N. Schimpf) • Embracing Your Role as a TA: Strategies to Support Learning in Tutorials & Seminars (with J. Inskip)

In addition, as part of the Flexible Learning Project in First-Year Biology at UBC, I co-led the TA training on facilitating groupwork in large classes. We also introduced these TAs to education research by training them in formal classroom observations using the COPUS tool. (Classroom Observation Protocol for Undergraduate STEM, Smith et al, 2013).

Effectiveness: Evaluations from workshop attendees, collected by the SFU Teaching & Learning Centre.

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Having attended this workshop, I feel

Student Confidence

As confident as I did before attending More confident as a TA Far more confident as a TA

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

I would give this workshop a grade of

B+ A- A A+

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

The leaders of this workshop were well prepared

The material presented was easy to follow

I would recommend this workshop to other TAs/TMs

I was given an opportunity to voice my opinions and concerns

Participant feedback from SFU TA/TM Day workshops (n=61 feedback forms, showing all responses)

Don't know Agree Strongly agree Specific comments:

TA confidence:

Overall opinion:

Representative comments:

“Fantastic workshop - so engaging and constructive.”

“Presenters were very knowledgeable and well prepared. Glad there wasn't a powerpoint.”

“Provided good concrete tips. Just what I was looking for.”

“The group interaction was very helpful in bringing multiple perspectives to the subject.”

!

Tutorial observations and formative feedback

In my work with large, multi-section courses that involve a large teaching team (including a range of 3-21 TAs), I have developed a process to set goals with TAs, observe tutorials, and give formative feedback. Notably, I try to include quantitative data alongside the qualitative feedback, to give TAs a snapshot of their current teaching practices.

Based on the quantitative data I collect and share, I see TAs setting new goals and making positive changes to their practice towards a more active tutorial. The example data shown is from one TA, but is representative of the ten TAs I gave observations and feedback to this term; in a follow-up survey, all indicated that they had made changes to their practice as a result of our feedback cycle. Generally these changes are small, but relatively easily achieved over a short period of time, underscoring the TAs self-efficacy in being able to have a positive impact on their teaching. This experience of collecting data on their own practice is new for most TAs, and provides an opportunity to discuss teaching as a research-based skill that can be observed and developed.

TAs, as well as their course coordinators, also value information about their teaching in the context of the other sections. For these reasons, I have contributed to the development of a tool to illustrate grading practices of TAs across a course, whether lab- or tutorial-based. This tool visually displays lab/tutorial grades (marked by one TA) relative to exam grades (marked by the team of TAs); an example is shown. We share this data with the whole group of TAs, opening up a data-framed conversation about grading goals and effective strategies. Additionally, this is a highly helpful tool in TA management: it allows coordinators to quickly identify any grade outliers and support interventions early rather than late.

(Tool was presented at the STLHE conference in 2014: L. Chen, M.Barker, L. Weir: Identifying the outliers: A tool for assessing grader consistency within large classes)

Working(in(small(groups(

Lecturing( Guiding(whole(group(through(questions(

Working(with(small(groups(or(19on91(

TA(is…(

80%$ 90%$ 100%$

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Jan. 28/15

Feb. 11/15

As a percentage of tutorial time, TA was...

Lecturing Guiding whole group through questions

Working with small groups or 1-on-1

Pedagogical Research

In my post-doctoral work, my research has focussed on evidence-based instructional strategies. Two selected projects, and their findings, are discussed below.

Relationships between classroom practices & student performance

Research questions: Is more activity always better? What classroom practices predict student learning?

Approach: Department-wide correlative study (n=35 sections at all course levels); collect quantitative data on amount of time spent in class on various practices; correlate with student performance on targeted diagnostics pre- and post-course.

Major findings: Preliminary analysis of the fall term data (n=14 sections) indicates that the amount of time spent on some classroom practices (groupwork, clicker questions) appears to have a direct positive relationship with student performance. For other practices (amount of time spent on feedback and students asking/answering questions) the relationship is unclear and will need further investigation.

Analysis and manuscript in preparation (M. Barker, L. McDonnell, L. Weir, N. Schimpf, P. Schulte).

A concepts-first approach to improve student learning of jargon & content

Research question: If we introduce topics in plain language before introducing technical vocabulary, can we improve how students learn both the jargon and the concepts?

Approach: Control/treatment experimental design in one multi-section first-year biology course; the topic was genomes and DNA structure. In one section, we replaced technical vocabulary with plain language in the pre-class textbook reading and quiz. The alternate section was a control, with the same pre-reading/quiz except without any vocabulary replacements. Both sections were given equivalent lecture, including the technical vocabulary. We measured student understanding of concepts and jargon on a post-test including multiple choice and short-response questions.

Major findings: In the concepts-first approach, students’ abilities to articulate concepts and jargon improved 1.5-2.5 fold relative to control. No difference was seen on multiple-choice scores, supporting the literature in that these types of tests may not adequately probe student learning beyond recall/recognition of correct answers.

Manuscript in review (L. McDonnell, M. Barker, C. Wieman; Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Education)

Selected Course Materials

Included below are some examples of course materials that I have designed and implemented.

1) Course structure and class feedback in first-year biology

This slide illustrates the structure of the week, making the most use of in-class and out-of-class time. As it was a condensed course, it was critical for the students to stay on top of the material, and so I wanted to provide as clear of a picture as possible of the workflow, so that students could succeed.

A"Week"in"the"Life"of"Biol112…"

This"slide"is"currently"a"mess,"I"need"to"fix"it."

You$need$to$be$ready$for$class$–"bring"the"inCclass"slides"with"you"to"take"notes"and"follow"along."

We"will"build"on"your"preCclass"exposure"to"the"material"with"application"of"concepts,"group"discussion,"and"clicker"questions."

"We$are$here$for$you$–"office"hours"and"discussion"boards"are"

great"opportunities"for"questions"and"practice.""Use"the"support"of"your"teaching"team"and"your"peers"to"help"you"succeed!"""

We"will"post"complete"inCclass"slides"after"

each"class."On"Fridays,"the"next"week’s"prep"material"

will"be"posted."

Tuesday"class"

Short"homework"

Thursday"class"

PreCreading"&"quiz"

Practice"problems"

PreCreading"&"quiz"

The slide shown below illustrates the results of a midpoint survey, which I reflected back to the class in discussing any changes that we made. I find using a small amount of class time on this type of feedback is useful for them to see that I listen, and for generally promoting an atmosphere of mutual respect.

Start:&More%practice/

activities!%%

Slides%earlier%%

Please%cover%the%pre4reading%

%Giving%better%class%notes%

%Clearer%wording%on%questions%

Stop:&Too%many%activities!%

%Review%of%last%

class%%

Don’t%just%re4discuss%reading%

%%%%%

Keep:%Keep%the%activities!%

%Review%of%last%

class%%

Posting%practice%questions%

%Giving%good%class%notes%

%Enthusiasm!%

From%your%opinions%last%class…%

2) Semester-long writing assignment in second-year cell biology

Developed in collaboration with Robin Young, this course-long writing assignment was designed to tackle our course learning objectives about student writing and interpretation of the primary literature. As seen below in the overall assignment schedule, there were several components to give students practice at analyzing, interpreting, and writing. The project culminated in students writing a scientific press release about a primary research publication. Each tutorial section had a different paper, selected by the TAs, which brought current research that the individual TAs were knowledgeable and excited about.

Writing assignment scaffolded throughout course - schedule

Week$$ Student$schedule$for$this$

assignment$

Assignment$details$ Deadline$/$grades$

Relevant$TA$responsibilities$

Relevant$topic$at$weekly$instructor/TA$meeting$(slotted(in(with(general(tutorial(discussions)$

Week(1( $ ( ( Choose(2(possible(articles($

Discuss(overall(plans(of(the(writing(assignment(throughout(the(term;(TAs(asked(to(choose(articles(that(their(sections(will(write(press(releases(about.((

Week(2( $$ (( (( Submit(articles(for(instructor(approval$$

Discussion(about(article(appropriateness;(some(TAs(had(to(find(a(better(article.(

Week(3( Full(assignment(posted,(and(an(example(of(a(press(release.((Online(quiz.(

Students(familiarize(themselves(with(press(release(structure(and(with(the(assignment(scope;(lowJlevel.((Students(are(told(what(their(assigned(article(is((due(week(10)(

Due(at(end(of(week;(1%(for(completion(

Brief(check(of(online(completion.(TAs(tell(students(what(the(assigned(article(is.(

((

Week(6( PreJtutorial(reading(assignment(

Required(to(read(a(short(primary(article((common(across(all(sections)(and(fill(out(a(worksheet((comprehension(of(paper)(

Due(at(their(next(tutorial;(part(of(tutorial(mark(

Prep(for(next(week(tutorial(

Prep(for(next(week's(tutorial:(discuss(scientific(communication,(goals(of(lay(writing,(assignment(itself.((Have(the(students(do(the(worksheet(they'll(be(using(with(students(next(week.(

Week(7( InJtutorial(worksheet(

Worksheet(comparing(the(primary(article(which(they'd(read(as(prep,(to(its(press(release(which(they(read(in(tutorial.(((((

Takes(whole(tutorial((1(hour)(

(( ((

Week(9( PreJtutorial(worksheet(

Same(as(inJtutorial(worksheet(for(week(7,(but(for(the(paper(they'll(be(writing(press(release(on((different(paper(for(each(tutorial(section)(

Checked(by(TA(for(completion;(~5(minutes(of(tutorial(time(spent.(

Check(for(completion;(remind(students(of(nextJweek(deadline.(

Discussion(of(rubric(and(marking(goals.(

Week(10(

Press(release(due((along(with(preJtutorial(worksheet)(

Week(9(worksheet(also(handed(in(

8%(of(final(grade;(Also,(small(deduction(if(week(9(worksheet(not(included.(

Start(marking;(Brief(discussion(with(students(in(tutorial(about(how(they(felt(about(the(assignment.(

(TAs(reported(on(student(impressions(of(the(assignment(

Week(12(

Get(press(releases(back(

(( (( Finish(marking( TA(reported(their(own(feedback(about(the(writing(assignment(throughout(the(course,(from(their(and(students’(perspectives.(

!Robin and I worked together to develop the individual components, and to train the TAs for the tutorial and grading processes. We presented our work in 2014 at the NWBio conference.!!

3) Pre-reading guide for second-year cell biology.

This is an example of a pre-reading guide; one was created for each of the eight units in the course. I have built these eight, as well as a set for first-year biology (Biol112). The guides are intended to target students toward what is, and what is not, important for them to know. They provide a first exposure to the material which will then be built on in class. To ensure accountability, the pre-reading is accompanied by a low-stakes online quiz.

Unit%7%pre*reading%assignment%–%page%1%

Biol%200:%Unit%7%-%pre-reading%assignment% Required reading: Online Notes for Topics 7.1 to 7.3. Use the Pre-reading guide below to direct how your focus your reading of these sections, and give yourself a first introduction to the material that we will practice, solidify, and apply in class. While reading, focus on the particular aspects discussed here, and try to answer the given questions. Then do the quiz on Connect.

Pre-reading%guide:%%

In this unit, focus on understanding the structures and the functions of the different types of cytoskeletal elements. What are the structural and functional similarities and differences in the molecules involved? Online notes 7.1 – Cytoskeleton Overview and Intermediate Filaments

! The%cytoskeleton%is%involved%in%giving%the%cell%its%shape%and%resisting%mechanical%forces.%%Give%some%examples%of%what%kinds%of%forces%these%might%be,%acting%on%different%types%of%cells%in%the%body.%

! What%are%the%three%types%of%elements%in%the%cytoskeleton?%%What%are%the%roles%of%each?%! What%are%the%three%types%of%fibers%in%the%cytoskeleton?%%What%are%the%roles%of%each?%! Consider%Figure%17*3.%%Describe%in%words%the%structure%of%intermediate%filaments.%%How%are%intermediate%

filaments%assembled?%%What%types%of%interactions%hold%together%these%assemblies? ! What%are%two%major%roles%of%intermediate%filaments?%%

%Online notes 7.2 – Microtubules Introductory paragraphs

! Consider%Figure%17*9.%%Describe%in%words%the%structure%of%microtubules.%%How%are%microtubules%assembled?%%What%types%of%interactions%hold%together%these%assemblies?

! What%is%meant%by%“polarity”%of%a%microtubule?%%%! What%is%the%structure%and%role%of%an%MTOC?%

%Subtopics: Microtubules and Dynamic Instability; Drugs that modify…; Stabilizing microtubules

! Consider%Figure%17*12.%%Describe%in%words%the%molecular%difference%between%the%process%of%growing%microtubules,%and%the%process%of%shrinking%microtubules.%%Which%end%of%the%microtubule%do%these%images%represent?%

! What%does%the%term%“dynamic%equilibrium”%mean?%%%! What%does%the%term%“critical%concentration”%mean?%! Note%that%you%do%NOT%need%to%memorize%the%drugs%in%Table%17*1.%%Returning%to%this%table%after%we%finish%Unit%7,%

and%considering%the%thought%questions%below%it,%would%be%a%good%study%option%to%help%bring%together%your%understanding%of%cytoskeletal%functions.%

! What%is%meant%by%“selective%stabilization”%of%microtubules?%%How%is%this%stabilization%achieved?%%Subtopic: Motor Proteins and Cilia

! This%section%includes%two%major%examples%of%microtubule%functions.%%%! Consider%Figure%17*14.%%What%might%be%some%examples%of%“particles”%in%the%cell%that%are%being%moved%along%the%

microtubule?%! What%two%motor%proteins%are%involved%in%transport%along%microtubules?%%What%are%their%similarities%and%

differences,%in%terms%of%structures%and%functions?%! From%a%molecular%perspective,%how%does%the%polarity%of%the%microtubule%determine%the%direction%of%transport?%! What%is/are%the%role(s)%of%cilia%and%flagella%in%cell%biology?%%%! Consider%Figure%17*27.%%How%does%dynein%achieve%two%different%effects%(sliding%versus%bending)?%! From%a%molecular%perspective,%describe%the%process%of%how%flagellar%movement%takes%place.%

4) Third-year physiology worksheet on skeletal muscles

To help students organize their knowledge and make connections between topics, I often use organizing tables in my worksheets. Students fill out the worksheets in groups and then we take them up together as a class. For this worksheet, we then followed up with application questions about the similarities and differences between skeletal, cardiac, and smooth muscles.

Biol 361 Muscle Type worksheet

Property MII Type I MII Type IIa MII Type IIx

Function Speed and energy use Slow,

require lots of energy Fast,

require lots of energy Fast,

fatigue quickly

Force generated Small amounts of force for a long period of time

Larger amounts of force for an intermediate period

Very large amount of force for a brief period

Types of muscle

movements Used for...

Sustained, rapid and repetitive movments

Morphology

Relative number of muscle fibres innervated per axon Many

Relative number of surrounding capillaries Many Relative number of mitochondria

Few

Colour Red

Metabolism

Glycolysis? Yes (particularly high

levels of enzyme) Oxidative phosphorylation? Yes

Resistance to fatigue? Yes

Cross-bridge cycling

Rate of ATPase Slow Rate of contraction (to reach peak tension) Intermediate

Duration of twitches Short

5) Example clicker questions from third year physiology

During the same class as the skeletal muscle worksheet, I included some clicker questions to promote peer discussion. Here are two that I developed and enjoyed. The first I included to apply what we had learned to real data from a study on muscle types in Xhosa and Caucasian high-performing athletes. The second led to a lively discussion between students, as there were reasonable predictions to be made about multiple options.

An application question: !We examine two populations of people, both of whom are well-trained athletes. One population is from an ancestry of running, and the other population is not. We examined the

proportions of muscle types and got the following data. !Which population is which?!

A.  Running ancestry, ""Non-running ancestry""B.  Running ancestry,""Non-running ancestry""

Kohn et al., 2007"

Type I " Type IIa" Type IIx"

Rel

ativ

e am

ount

of

mus

cle

fibre

Typ

es"

!

In terms of metabolism, what is the most reasonable prediction?!

!In the movie Whiplash, the drummer practiced like

crazy to play the drums with lots of force. His training caused his arm muscles, at rest, to have more…"

A.  Mitochondria"

B.  Oxygen"

C.  Glycolytic enzymes"

D.  Myoglobin"

E.  Lactate"

"

6) Clicker responses ‘on the fly’

This example is taken from introductory biology, but is broadly applicable. I asked students to make a prediction based on an experiment, and draw the resulting graph. After walking around and seeing student work, based on their drawings I drew four possible options in orange, and used this as our clicker question.

From this type of on the fly question, I often find misconceptions that I was unaware of before, which is extremely useful in developing further materials. This approach also works well for writing- intensive courses, where student written work can be discussed by the class based on the strengths and weaknesses of each student example in the clicker.

Shown&is&a&growth&curve&of&bacteria&growing&in&a&flask&(Flask&1).&&&

Imagine&that&the&experiment&is&repeated&with&in&Flask&2,&which&has&TWICE&as&much&nutrients&(all&other&conditions&being&the&same).&&

Think&about&how&this&would&affect&the&population&growth,&and&then&draw&on&this&graph&the&growth&curve&for&the&Flask&2&bacteria.&

Environmental&effects&on&microbial&growth&

log&ce

ll&nu

mbe

r&

Time&

Flask&1&

7) Pencast videos to walk through practice problems

Below is a screen-capture of a pencast I created for the topic of membrane transport. This pencast is a worked example of their homework complete with audio – myself talking through the problem and modeling how I would solve. As I draw and talk, the green lines appear where I am drawing. These pencasts are extremely useful for taking up practice questions. By posting these on the course website, students can pause and re-watch at their own pace.

8) Two-stage review

Rather than a traditional review session prior to a test, I have recently started using two-stage reviews, which are based on a similar theory as two-stage exams. In this in-class exercise, students individually complete a problem set, and then complete the same problem set again in groups. They are then primed to give and receive timely, meaningful feedback. For two-stage exams, the scores are weighted heavily towards the individual, but there is a small percentage of the grade from the group score to provide incentive to discuss and debate. As an in-class review, however, the goal of the second stage is for the students to receive feedback and thus help them target their test preparation. On this group portion, I use IF-AT scratch cards (shown below) to give them instant feedback.

2"stage(practice:((Please(complete(these(questions(individually,(and(mark(the(answers(on(your(scantron..((

1. Which(statement(is(true,(regarding(this(reaction?(A"+"B"!""C"""""""""Delta"G">"0"

a. The"reaction"rate"can"be"sped"up"by"an"enzyme"only"in"the"forward"direction"b. The"reaction"rate"can"be"sped"up"by"an"enzyme"only"in"the"backward"direction."c. The"reaction"rate"can"be"sped"up"by"an"enzyme"in"either"direction."

"2. Consider"the"structures"of"the"amino"acids"shown"on"the"screen.""Comparing"the"side"chains"of"

aspartic"acid"(aspartate)"and"asparagine,"which"of"these"two"will"have"the"strongest"interaction"with"the"side"chain"of"histidine?""

a. Aspartic"acid"(also"called"aspartate)"b. Asparagine"c. Both"the"same"strength"interaction"with"histidine"

"3. A(protein(folds(in(the(cell(as(shown(at(right:(((

What"is"true"for"this"process?"a. ΔG"<0,"ΔH"<"0,""TΔS"<0"b. ΔG"<0,"ΔH">"0,""TΔS"<0"c. ΔG"<0,"ΔH">"0,""TΔS">0"d. ΔG"<0,"ΔH"<"0,""TΔS">0"

"4. The(growth(curve(represents(the(growth(of(some(bacteria.""Imagine"that"the"experiment"is"repeated"

with"the"flask"closed"so"that"gases"cannot"escape"or"enter."(all"other"conditions"are"the"same).""What"changes"in"regions"1,"2,"or"3"of"the"growth"curve"would"you"expect"to"observe?"(a. Region"1"would"disappear;"2"would"be"shorter"and"steeper;"3"

would"be"at"a"lower"level."b. Region"2"would"be"steeper;"regions"1"and"3"wouldn't"change."c. Region"1"would"not"last"so"long"and"region"2"would"be"shorter;"

region"3"wouldn't"change."d. Region"1"would"not"last"so"long;"regions"2"and"3"wouldn't"

change."e. Region"2"would"not"last"so"long,"but"have"the"same"slope;"

region"3"would"be"at"a"lower"level;"region"1"would"be"the"same.""

5. Why(are(phospholipids(well(suited(to(be(the(main(structural(components(of(membranes?(

1. They"are"completely"insoluble"in"water."2. They"can"self"assemble"into"a"bilayer"3. They"form"a"structure"in"which"the"hydrophobic"portion"faces"outward."4. They"are"made"from"atoms"that"are"commonly"available"in"foods.""5. They"form"a"single"sheet"in"water."6. They"form"a"selectively"permeable"structure."

a. 1,"4"and"6""b. 2,"3"and"5""c. 3"and"5""d. 1"and"6""e. 2"and"6""

!

Two-stage reviews and exams are well supported in the research literature. This is also an effective technique for review at the start of a unit; it avoids the problem in traditional review of student overconfidence from merely recognizing a topic, and instead refreshes their ability to perform the needed tasks and solve the problems.

9) Diagnostic tests to identify where to next target our next developments of teaching practices

In consultation with instructors for four courses, I have developed multiple-choice diagnostic tests to assess student conceptual learning at the start and end of a course. Example results, from one term of a third-year cell physiology course, are shown below.

Curriculum Vitae - Megan Barker, Ph.D. · teach and design courses that support the learning of...

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