Using Self Assessments to Increase Student Accountability

Weekly Self-Assessments were used in a Basic Math class to increase student accountability. Each week students rated themselves as to how well they completed assignments. The hope was that students would come to their weekly student-teacher conferences prepared to discuss their self-assessments, progress in math, and prepared to set goals for the following week. Data was taken quarterly on passing rates and on participation in student scheduled student-teacher conferences. Passing rates improved from 86% in quarter 1 to 100% in quarters 2 and 3. Participation in self-scheduled student-teacher conferences increased from 76% in quarter 1, to 82% in quarter 2, to 92% in quarter 3. Teachers may use the Google Survey example to create your own: one that is customized to your class. You may make a copy of the Basic Math Weekly Self-Evaluation, change the name, and alter it to meet your needs. Making your own copy will give you access to your survey answers. 

Material Type: Lesson Plan

Author: OER Librarian

Using Self Assessments and a Student Created Rubric to Increase Student Accountability

Weekly Self-Assessments were used in a Basic Math class to increase student accountability. Each week students rated themselves as to how well they completed assignments. The hope was that students would come to their weekly student-teacher conferences prepared to discuss their self-assessments, progress in math, and prepared to set goals for the following week. Data was taken quarterly on passing rates and on participation in student scheduled student-teacher conferences. Passing rates improved from 86% in quarter 1 to 100% in quarters 2 and 3. Participation in self-scheduled student-teacher conferences increased from 76% in quarter 1, to 82% in quarter 2, to 92% in quarter 3. During one of our group lessons those students who were present created a rubric that they could use alongside the Weekly Self Assessment. The rubric gave them another talking point at their student/teacher conferences and I hoped that the visual would encourage them to want to rise to the top of the chart. Teachers may use the Google Survey example to create your own: one that is customized to your class. You may make a copy of the Basic Math Weekly Self-Evaluation, change the name, and alter it to meet your needs. Making your own copy will give you access to your survey answers. 

Material Type: Lesson Plan

Author: OER Librarian

WL Self-Assessment Circles Novice Mid

Research shows that engaging students in self-assessment positively impacts language learning, motivation, and learner autonomy. To help World Language Educators accomplish this, the Nebraska Department of Education invited experienced world language teachers across the state to create student-friendly assessments in the form of can-do statements in the summer of 2022.  This document is a student-friendly self-assessment activity for Novice Mid world language learners created based on the 2019 Nebraska World Language Standards. The language use described in all can-do statements is meant for the target language, except for the second for standard 3.1 and the first for standard 4.2. It is recommended that word language teachers engage students with this document three times in an academic year: pre-course, mid-course, and post-course. Engaging students with this self-assessment activity will help students see growth over time and hopefully attribute growth to effective learning practices. Please feel free to contact chrystal.liu@nebraska.gov for any questions and concerns.

Material Type: Assessment

Author: OER Librarian

WL Self-Assessment Checklist - Intermediate High

Research shows that engaging students in self-assessment positively impacts language learning, motivation, and learner autonomy. To help World Language Educators accomplish this, the Nebraska Department of Education invited experienced world language teachers across the state to create student-friendly assessments in the form of can-do statements in the summer of 2022. This document is a student-friendly self-assessment activity for Intermediate High world language learners created based on the 2019 Nebraska World Language Standards. The language use described in all can-do statements is meant for the target language, except for the second for standard 3.1 and the first for standard 4.2. It is recommended that word language teachers engage students with this document three times in an academic year: pre-course, mid-course, and post-course. Engaging students with this self-assessment activity will help students see growth over time and hopefully attribute growth to effective learning practices. Please feel free to contact chrystal.liu@nebraska.gov for any questions and concerns. 

Material Type: Assessment

Author: OER Librarian

WL Self Assessment Checklist - Intermediate Mid

Research shows that engaging students in self-assessment positively impacts language learning, motivation, and learner autonomy. To help World Language Educators accomplish this, the Nebraska Department of Education invited experienced world language teachers across the state to create student-friendly assessments in the form of can-do statements in the summer of 2022. This document is a student-friendly self-assessment activity for Intermediate Mid world language learners created based on the 2019 Nebraska World Language Standards. The language use described in all can-do statements is meant for the target language, except for the second for standard 3.1 and the first for standard 4.2. It is recommended that word language teachers engage students with this document three times in an academic year: pre-course, mid-course, and post-course. Engaging students with this self-assessment activity will help students see growth over time and hopefully attribute growth to effective learning practices. Please feel free to contact chrystal.liu@nebraska.gov for any questions and concerns.  

Material Type: Assessment

Author: OER Librarian

WL Self Assessment Circles Intermediate Low

Research shows that engaging students in self-assessment positively impacts language learning, motivation, and learner autonomy. To help World Language Educators accomplish this, the Nebraska Department of Education invited experienced world language teachers across the state to create student-friendly assessments in the form of can-do statements in the summer of 2022.  This document is a student-friendly self-assessment activity for Intermediate Low world language learners created based on the 2019 Nebraska World Language Standards. The language use described in all can-do statements is meant for the target language, except for the second for standard 3.1 and the first for standard 4.2.  It is recommended that word language teachers engage students with this document three times in an academic year: pre-course, mid-course, and post-course. Engaging students with this self-assessment activity will help students see growth over time and hopefully attribute growth to effective learning practices. Please feel free to contact chrystal.liu@nebraska.gov for any questions and concerns.

Material Type: Assessment

Author: OER Librarian

WL Self-Assessment Circles - Intermediate Mid

Research shows that engaging students in self-assessment positively impacts language learning, motivation, and learner autonomy. To help World Language Educators accomplish this, the Nebraska Department of Education invited experienced world language teachers across the state to create student-friendly assessments in the form of can-do statements in the summer of 2022. This document is a student-friendly self-assessment activity for intermediate-mid world language learners created based on the 2019 Nebraska World Language Standards. The language use described in all can-do statements is meant for the target language, except for the second for standard 3.1 and the first for standard 4.2. It is recommended that word language teachers engage students with this document three times in an academic year: pre-course, mid-course, and post-course. Engaging students with this self-assessment activity will help students see growth over time and hopefully attribute growth to effective learning practices. Please feel free to contact chrystal.liu@nebraska.gov for any questions and concerns. 

Material Type: Assessment

Author: OER Librarian

Which Comes First Assessment or Instruction?

Which comes first assessment or instruction? Have you ever wondered about the relationship between assessment and instruction?At the end of this module, participants will be able to decompose or deconstruct content standards, apply high-quality assessment designs to appreciate the differences of each learner,  and create sound reasoning to employ a wide range of information and communication technology to meet the needs of K-6 grade learners. 

Material Type: Assessment

Author: OER Librarian

Learning Assessment #8 - Concept Map (2011)

At the end of the semester, students are asked to create a concept map of the four main concepts covered over the duration of the course. They are provided with a grading rubric and 4 the main nodes that are required on the map (plate tectonics, the rock cycle, geologic time and scientific research). The four concepts can be arranged in any manner, and the connecting lines must be labelled with appropriate terms and examples. Students have the option of creating a paper map (11'' x 17'' or larger) or a digital map using a free software program, VUE. (Note: this resource was added to OER Commons as part of a batch upload of over 2,200 records. If you notice an issue with the quality of the metadata, please let us know by using the 'report' button and we will flag it for consideration.)

Material Type: Activity/Lab

Microbiology

Microbiology covers the scope and sequence requirements for a single-semester microbiology course for non-majors. The book presents the core concepts of microbiology with a focus on applications for careers in allied health. The pedagogical features of the text make the material interesting and accessible while maintaining the career-application focus and scientific rigor inherent in the subject matter. Microbiology’s art program enhances students’ understanding of concepts through clear and effective illustrations, diagrams, and photographs.

Material Type: Textbook

Authors: Anh-Hue Thi Tu, Ann Auman, Ann Paterson, Ben Rowley, Brian M. Forster, Clifton Franklund, George Pinchuk, Graciela Brelles-Mariño, Mark Schneegurt, Mark Sutherland, Myriam Alhadeff Feldman, Nina Parker, Paul Flowers, Philip Lister, Summer Allen

Cell Biology, Genetics, and Biochemistry for Pre-Clinical Students

Cell Biology, Genetics, and Biochemistry for Pre-Clinical Students (2021) is an undergraduate medical-level resource for foundational knowledge across the disciplines of genetics, cell biology and biochemistry. This USMLE-aligned text is designed for a first-year undergraduate medical course that is delivered typically before students start to explore systems physiology and pathophysiology. The text is meant to provide the essential information from these content areas in a concise format that would allow learner preparation to engage in an active classroom. Clinical correlates and additional application of content is intended to be provided in the classroom experience. The text assumes that the students will have completed medical school prerequisites (including the MCAT) in which they will have been introduced to the most fundamental concepts of biology and chemistry that are essential to understand the content presented here. This resource should be assistive to the learner later in medical school and for exam preparation given the material is presented in a succinct manner, with a focus on high-yield concepts. The 276-page text was created specifically for use by pre-clinical students at Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine and was based on faculty experience and peer review to guide development and hone important topics. Available Formats 978-1-949373-42-4 (PDF) 978-1-949373-43-1 (ePub) https://doi.org/10.21061/cellbio 978-1-949373-41-7 (Pressbooks) https://pressbooks.lib.vt.edu/cellbio Also available via LibreTexts: https://med.libretexts.org/@go/page/37584 Print now available https://www.amazon.com/dp/194937341X How to Adopt this Book Instructors reviewing, adopting, or adapting parts or the whole of the text are requested to register their interest at: https://bit.ly/interest-preclinical. Instructors and subject matter experts interested in and sharing their original course materials relevant to pre-clinical education are requested to join the instructor portal at https://www.oercommons.org/groups/pre-clinical-resources/10133. Features of this Book 1. Detailed learning objectives are provided at the beginning of each subsection 2. High resolution, color contrasting figures illustrate concepts, relationships, and processes throughout 3. Summary tables display detailed information 4. End of chapter lists provide additional sources of information 5. Accessibility features including structured heads and alternative-text provide access for readers accessing the work via a screen-reader Table of Contents 1. Biochemistry basics 2. Basic laboratory measurements 3. Fed and fasted state 4. Fuel for now 5. Fuel for later 6. Lipoprotein metabolism and cholesterol synthesis 7. Pentose phosphate pathway (PPP), purine and pyrimidine metabolism 8. Amino acid metabolism and heritable disorders of degradation 9. Disorders of monosaccharide metabolism and other metabolic conditions 10. Genes, genomes, and DNA 11. Transcription and translation 12. Gene regulation and the cell cycle 13. Human genetics 14. Linkage studies, pedigrees, and population genetics 15. Cellular signaling 16. Plasma membrane 17. Cytoplasmic membranes 18. Cytoskeleton 19. Extracellular matrix Suggested Citation LeClair, Renée J., (2021). Cell Biology, Genetics, and Biochemistry for Pre-Clinical Students, Blacksburg, VA: Virginia Tech Publishing. https://doi.org/10.21061/cellbio. Licensed with CC BY NC-SA 4.0. About the Author Renée J. LeClair is an Associate Professor in the Department of Basic Science Education at the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, where her role is to engage activities that support the departmental mission of developing an integrated medical experience using evidence-based delivery grounded in the science of learning. She received a Ph.D. at Rice University and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Maine Medical Center Research Institute in vascular biology. She became involved in medical education, curricular renovation, and implementation of innovative teaching methods during her first faculty appointment, at the University of New England, College of Osteopathic Medicine. In 2013, she moved to a new medical school, University of South Carolina, School of Medicine, Greenville. The opportunities afforded by joining a new program and serving as the Chair of the Curriculum committee provided a blank slate for creative curricular development and close involvement with the accreditation process. During her tenure she developed and directed a team-taught student-centered undergraduate medical course that integrated the scientific and clinical sciences to assess all six-core competencies of medical education. Accessibility Note The University Libraries at Virginia Tech and Virginia Tech Publishing are committed to making its publications accessible in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. The HTML (Pressbooks) and ePub versions of this book utilize header structures and include alternative text which allow for machine-readability. Please report any errors at https://bit.ly/feedback-preclinical

Material Type: Textbook

Author: Renee LeClair

Introduction to Biological Sciences II

This textbook has been modified from OpenStax Biology by faculty at Virginia Commonwealth University. The goal was to provide students with a complete textbook with interactive features (reading quizzes, videos, links) that was highly engaging and, of course, at no cost to the students. 1. 1.1 Processes and Patterns of Evolution 2. 1.2 Evidence of Evolution 3. 1.3 Mutations 4. 2.1 Population Genetics 5. 2.2 Population Evolution 6. 2.3 Adaptive Evolution 7. 3.1 Speciation: Allopatric and Sympatric 8. 3.2 Speciation Isolation and Adaptation 9. 3.3 Reconnection and Speciation Rates 10. 4.1 Evolution and Classification 11. 4.2 Determining Phylogenetic Connections 12. 5.1 Prokaryotic Cell Structures 13. 5.2 Prokaryotic Growth & Metabolism 14. 5.3 Prokaryotic Diversity 15. 6.1 Evolution of Eukaryotic Cells 16. 6.2 Evolution of Simple Multicellularity 17. 6.3 Challenges to Complex Multicellularity 18. 7.1 Characteristics of Fungi 19. 7.2 Ecology of Fungi 20. 7.3 Classifications of Fungi 21. 7.4 Fungal Parasites and Pathogens 22. 7.5 Importance of Fungi in Human Life 23. 8.1 Land Plant Ancestors 24. 8.2 Adaptations of Plants to Land 25. 8.3 Seedless Non-Vascular Plants 26. 8.4 Seedless Vascular Plants 27. 8.4 Seedless Vascular Plants 28. 8.5 Seed Plants: Gymnosperms 29. 8.6 Seed Plants: Angiosperms 30. 9.1 Shoot Growth and Development 31. 9.2 Water Transport in Plants 32. 9.3 Sugar Transport in Plants 33. 10.1 Features of the Animal Kingdom 34. 10.2 Features Used to Classify Animals 35. 10.3 Early Animals 36. 10.4 Neurons and Glial Cells 37. 11.1 Types of Skeletons 38. 11.2 Muscles and Movement 39. 11.3 Protostomes 40. 11.4 Deuterostomes 41. 12.1 Evolution of Fishes 42. 12.2 Systems of Gas Exchange 43. 12.3 Evolution of Tetrapods 44. 12.4 Overview of the Circulatory System 45. 12.5 Fertilization in Animals 46. 12.6 Homeostasis in Animals 47. 13.1 Population Dynamics 48. 13.2 Population Growth 49. 13.3 Population Dynamics 50. 13.4 Interspecific Interactions

Material Type: Activity/Lab, Assessment, Homework/Assignment, Textbook

Authors: Dianne Jennings, Jonathan Moore

Basic Cell and Molecular Biology 3e: What We Know & How We Found Out

A grasp of the logic and practice of science is essential to understand the rest of the world around us. To that end, the CMB3e iText (like earlier editions) remains focused on experimental support for what we know about cell and molecular biology, and on showing students the relationship of cell structure and function. Rather than trying to be a comprehensive reference book, CMB3e selectively details investigative questions, methods and experiments that lead to our understanding of cell biology. This focus is nowhere more obvious than in the chapter learning objectives and in external links to supplementary material. The Basic CMB3e version of the iText includes links to external web-sources as well as the author’s short, just-in-time YouTube VOPs (with edited, optional closed captions), all embedded in or near relevant text. Each video is identified with a descriptive title and video play and QR bar codes.

Material Type: Textbook

Author: Gerald Bergtrom

Biochemistry: Free For All

We are happy to welcome you to our second Open Educational Resource (OER) textbook, Biochemistry Free For All. Biochemistry is a relatively young science, but its rate of growth has been truly impressive. The rapid pace of discoveries, which shows no sign of slowing, is reflected in the steady increase in the size of biochemistry textbooks. Growing faster than the size of biochemistry books have been the skyrocketing costs of higher education and the even faster rising costs of college textbooks. These unfortunate realities have created a situation where the costs of going to college are beyond the means of increasing numbers of students.

Material Type: Textbook

Authors: Indira Rajagopal, Kevin Ahern, Taralyn Tan

Biofundamentals 2.0

Our goal is to present the key observations and unifying concepts upon which modern biology is based; it is not a survey of all biology! Once understood, these foundational observations and concepts should enable you to approach any biological process, from disease to kindness, from a scientific perspective. To understand biological systems we need to consider them from two complementary perspectives; how they came to be (the historic, that is, evolutionary) and how their structures, traits, and behaviors are produced (the mechanistic, that is, the physicochemical)

Material Type: Textbook

Authors: Melanie M. Cooper, Michael W. Klymkowski

Biology 2e

Biology 2e is designed to cover the scope and sequence requirements of a typical two-semester biology course for science majors. The text provides comprehensive coverage of foundational research and core biology concepts through an evolutionary lens. Biology includes rich features that engage students in scientific inquiry, highlight careers in the biological sciences, and offer everyday applications. The book also includes various types of practice and homework questions that help students understand—and apply—key concepts.

Material Type: Textbook

Authors: Jung Choi, Mary Ann Clark, Matthew Douglas

Biotechnology Foundations - 2nd Edition

Given the broad definition of biotechnology applications and products, it is easy to see how there is enormous overlap within the fields of cellular biology, microbiology, chemistry, and biomedical engineering. It is the goal of this textbook to provide foundational knowledge to begin building your biotechnology toolkit and enter an exciting career of making a difference through biotechnology. This textbook first explores the fundamentals of laboratory science and biotechnology. Unit 1 begins with a dive into the foundation of biology and chemistry by asking what is life and what are the molecules of life? The end of the unit offers a primer into laboratory science; preparing solutions and operating basic lab equipment. Unit 2 brings readers through a vital tool of biomanufacturing, understanding the growth and control of microbes. Many biotechnology products are made by harnessing the work of microbes, and this unit explores this invisible and intriguing world of microorganisms. The final unit, molecular biotechnology, offers a more in-depth look at how biological molecules such as DNA and protein are manipulated into creating useful products.

Material Type: Textbook

Author: Jack O'Grady

Cells: Molecules and Mechanisms

Cells: Molecules and Mechanisms is a CC-licensed, open access textbook that can be effectively used as a resource in both introductory (underclassmen) and more advanced (upperclassmen) college cell and molecular biology courses. This book was written and designed for the student learning process, and is not designed to be an encyclopedic text. Rather, it is designed and written to communicate major themes as clearly as possible while providing enough advanced detail to serve as a springboard for higher-level students to delve into primary literature. This text is available in its entirety or in individual chapters as PDF files.

Material Type: Textbook

Chemical Biology & Biochemistry Laboratory Using Genetic Code Expansion Manual

Chemical Biology & Biochemistry Laboratory Using Genetic Code Expansion Manual

Material Type: Textbook

Authors: Kari van Zee, Kelsey Kean, Ryan Mehl

Concepts of Biology

Concepts of Biology is designed for the introductory biology course for nonmajors taught at most two- and four-year colleges. The scope, sequence, and level of the program are designed to match typical course syllabi in the market. Concepts of Biology includes interesting applications, features a rich art program, and conveys the major themes of biology.

Material Type: Textbook

Authors: James Wise, Rebecca Roush, Samantha Fowler