Does X Associate with Y?
At a Glance
Discipline
- STEM
- Biology
Instructional Level
- College & CEGEP
- University
Course
- General Biology
Tasks in Workflow
Social Plane(s)
- Individual
- Group
Type of Tasks
- Collecting & seeking information
- Discussing
- Solving problems
- Reviewing & assessing peers
- Creating & designing
- Revising & improving
- Writing
- Taking a quiz & test
Technical Details
Useful Technologies
- Online learning platform with Wiki LTI
Time
- Semester long
Instructional Purpose
- Application & knowledge building
- Assessment & knowledge refinement
Overview
In this peer assessment-based activity, students work on a semester-long project researching a topic of interest in which they demonstrate how a quantifiable X variable (e.g., calcium) affects a quantifiable Y variable (e.g., hip fracture rates in women). The activity is performed in Moodle with wiki pages, though any other learning platform can be used.
Breakdown of project
- Students get into groups of 6-8 (depending on the size of the class).
- Students choose a topic they are interested in that meets the criteria outlined in the Group Project Instructions.
- Students come up with an outline for their project, and the instructor reviews the quality of the outline and provides feedback.
- Students work in their groups on the project.
- Groups are put into supergroups (~5 groups per supergroup). These supergroups separate teams for evaluation (feedback and evaluation)
- 1st draft: groups provide feedback on Moodle for the other teams in their supergroup. TAs also provide feedback.
- 2nd draft: repeat feedback steps performed for first draft.
Groups hand in their project and evaluate (grade-based) their peers’ projects in their supergroup. Students also evaluate the contribution of their other group members. The instructor and TA evaluate individual student contribution to the project.
Instructional Objectives
Students will be able to:
- Critically assess research presented in peer-reviewed, primary research articles.
- Cite and read peer-reviewed articles
- Define the components of a good research article (statistics, controls, methods, key questions addressed in the paper, etc.)
- Demonstrate autonomous critical thinking skills as well as collaborative skills working both as a team and individually
- Provide constructive criticism to their peers
- Evaluate their peers
Workflow & Materials
Activity Workflow
Contributor's Notes
Benefits
Challenges
Tips
Benefits
Student engagement and material retention have improved since using this activity. Students are more engaged during class, and their understanding of the course material is better overall.
Challenges
Group dynamics can be difficult to predict; some groups might not work well.
Tips
Continual feedback throughout the semester helps keep groups on track and also to make sure that everyone in the group is pulling their weight, which can prevent or solve negative group dynamics.
Giving students some time during lecture periods to meet up with their groups for in-person discussion helps prevent bad group dynamics too.
Applied Strategies
Published: 18/09/2018
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