Article Title & Authors: Native Perspectives from a Focus Group Study. Smythe et al.
What is the purpose/goal of this study? (at least 2 sentences) The purpose of this study is to get the perspectives of Native Americans on mixing Western science and traditional knowledge. The focus groups featured in this study consist of teachers and students from a STEM conference.
Why is this issue significant/why do we care? (at least 2 sentences) This issue is significant because Western science mainly prioritizes facts and evidence, while Traditional Knowledge focuses on connecting with nature. Combining these two methods could further a lot of efforts around climate change and sustainability.
What words/vocab do you need to know to make this make sense? Define them here. (at least 3 terms). Traditional Knowledge comes from Indigenous cultures and centers around a connection with the land and nature itself. Western science is a system of knowledge that focuses on experimentation and observations. Epistemology is the study of knowledge and how we know what we know.
What approach are they taking in this study? (Describe the specific qualitative or quantitative methods used, at least 3 sentences). The authors used a qualitative approach in this study. Two focus groups were conducted with participants from STEM conferences. These focus group sessions were then transcribed and analyzed.
What are the results of the study? Explain what they found when they compared or measured different variables. If there are figures – write a sentence summarizing each figure/table. (at least 3 sentences). The focus groups explained how they saw both Western science and Traditional Knowledge as community-oriented tools for reform. They also believed that the implementation of these two complementary methods could be good for cultural identity and even classroom engagement. Unfortunately, there is the issue of Traditional Knowledge being misappropriated during this process.
Does the data make sense based on your experiences? Explain why or why not. (at least 2 sentences) I have done research on the implementation of hybrid teaching methods, and the results do seem to line up with what I have found. Many people advocating for active learning strategies suggests creating a hybrid of passive and active strategies, which matches the results of this article.
How is this pushing the field forward and helping society? (at least 2 sentences) With the integration of these two methods, the process of conducting research could be reformed as a whole, changing the way many people look at science. On top of that, this pushes a strong community-centric ideology, allowing for more equality in issues such as climate change.
What does it mean to you to be “indigenous to the land?” Is it possible for the descendants of European white settlers to be indigenous to the land of people occupied by displacement of native people? Why or why not?
To be “indigenous to the land” is to have a history of living on and tending to a piece of land that spans generations. I believe that it is possible for the descendants of white settlers to be indigenous to America. Even though this land was taken away from the Native Americans, that does not take away from the fact that most modern Americans have had many generations of their family born on this land. White Americans who descend from early colonizers and settlers in the 1600s have over 4 generations in their family before them that were born on this land. While 400 years may seem like nothing compared to the thousands of years that the Native Americans spent in the Americas, it is still important to recognize the time and effort that was put into the land by those who came after them.
In what ways do you feel yourself connected to the divine through relationship with the land?
I feel like whenever you recognize the fact that the world was given to us by God, you grow an appreciation for the land that you have. Many people take for granted the land that they live on every day of their lives. We like to complain about the country that we live in or the type of landscape we live in, yet we make no effort to change our environment. Most people just choose to settle for a space that they despise and never learn to appreciate what they have. But noticing how the land you have is a gift from God can allow you to recognize the importance of what you have.
An implicit part of all the stories Kimmerer shares is that she has somehow developed intimate familiarity with each of the natural settings with which she interacts. What are the features that invite lots of the kind of interaction Kimmerer seems to think is valuable?
I believe that features that represent common experiences between a group of people, or ones that show the history of a people, can allow for more intimate familiarity. Humans are very social creatures, because of that, we like to identify with people who we have things in common with, like similar physical features, similar interests, or even similar life experiences. Even if we do not have the same experiences in life, as long as we identify with that group of people, it is as if those experiences are shared for us as well. These features could be trees with intricate designs, hills from hometown areas, or even parks that we used to visit as children. While these features could be ties to a greater shared history, they could also be connected to events that we experienced by ourselves or with friends and family. Anything natural that connects us with our old selves, or people we used to know, has the potential to also connect us to the natural world itself.
What was most interesting to you in reviewing these resources? Dr. Johnson’s TED Talk dived into the idea of performing climate actions in ways that you enjoy. It was interesting to me how there are so many pathways to go through in order to help avoid climate change. Many people assume that helping with climate change involves working with nature or fossil fuel emissions, which may not interest everyone. Fortunately, there are several other works that factor into climate action, such as energy storage and transportation, which people could get involved in to help make a change.
What did you learn from these resources about ocean conservation? I learned that ocean conservation is not as simple as just regulating where the trash is sent. There are a lot of policies already set in place by world governments that would have to be changed by everyone to have a lasting positive effect on the planet. On top of that, there are industries that would have to change what they do to contribute to this, such as the trash or recycling industries. Trying to implement these rules could change politics and economies across the world forever.
What new questions do you have after reviewing these resources? One question I have is how can people start working on climate change right now? If someone was truly dedicated to making a change in the world and trying to restore our planet, where could they go to start? Which organizations work directly against climate change and how could you get into these organizations? These are all questions that people who are serious about climate change would want to know so they do not waste any of their time in the process.
What do these resources tell you about the types of people that do science? These resources show me that the types of people that do science are those who have an interest in the inner workings of our universe and a skill that could help discover more about our universe as well. Dr. Johnson shows that not everyone who works on climate change has to have ecology or environmentalist skills. Not everyone who contributes to science needs to have every set of scientific knowledge on their topic, they could contribute with math skills, or even communication skills.
Article Title & Authors: Amazonian vegetation types and indigenous lands threatened by upcoming climate change: Forecast impact for Brazilian biomes. Arruda et al.
What is the purpose/goal of this study? (at least 2 sentences) The purpose of this study is to estimate how much natural biomes in Brazil will change in response to future changes in climate. The majority of the biomes in the study are located in the Amazon, where the climate is consistently changing.
Why is this issue significant/why do we care? (at least 2 sentences) Climate extremes that are unprepared for could cause biodiverse biomes, like the Amazon, to lose several species and vegetation. These effects can also apply to places far outside of South America if strategies are not put in place to prepare for these issues.
What words/vocab do you need to know to make this make sense? Define them here. (at least 3 terms). Biomes are ecological areas on Earth’s surface with a certain climate, vegetation, and animals. Anthropogenic pressure is stress on the environment caused by issues like deforestation, agriculture, and pollution. Ecological niche modeling is a method used to predict the distribution of species based on the conditions in their environment.
What approach are they taking in this study? (Describe the specific qualitative or quantitative methods used, at least 3 sentences). The authors of this article mostly used models to predict changes in plants. A few of these models involved mapping out biomes alongside indigenous territories. These models were all set to continue until the year 2070.
What are the results of the study? Explain what they found when they compared or measured different variables. If there are figures – write a sentence summarizing each figure/table. (at least 3 sentences). The authors found that future climate changes in the Amazon will cause a decrease in biodiversity overtime. A major cause is the lack of a habitat to support these animals. Along with that, these climate changes cause an environment to become more vulnerable to further stressors.
Does the data make sense based on your experiences? Explain why or why not. (at least 2 sentences) Yes, the results of this study make sense to me, simply because of how fragile natural ecosystems already are. The survival of multiple species often relies on one or two organisms, which explains why these ecosystems are so sensitive when it comes to climate change.
How is this pushing the field forward and helping society? (at least 2 sentences) The information from this study lets us know that we need to prepare for the effects of climate change before we start to lose hundreds or thousands of organisms. If we do not prepare now, then the problem will not be the loss of organisms, but the loss of entire ecosystems.
Research Question: How do passive vs active learning strategies affect student engagement on water conservation education?
Review Paper 1
Team member evaluation: Sonia Sheryr
Citation for the article: Siripoulos, Costas and Pomonis, Gerasimos. “Alternatives to ‘Chalk and Talk’: Active Vs. Passive Learning – A Literature Review of the Debate”. SSRN, 3 April 2007. Alternatives to ‘Chalk and Talk’: Active Vs. Passive Learning – A Literature Review of the Debate by Costas Siriopoulos, Gerasimos A. Pomonis :: SSRN
1-paragraph summary: Using over 20 different sources to collect data, Siripoulos and Pomonis develop four different hypotheses on the advantages of learning strategies in college courses. Each hypothesis they come up with pits “lecture learning” against a different teaching method. At the end of their research, they discovered that the majority of the authors they had looked into supported either hybrid or active learning. For the first hypothesis, all of their sources argued that lecture methods were outdated and needed to be replaced by hybrid methods. The same results panned out for the second hypothesis, with all of the sources agreeing that active learning was better for student understanding than lecture learning. For the use of case study methods, only 25 out of 40 sources supported their adoption, due to the fact that it could lead to students adopting passive learning styles if taught wrong. Long distance learning over lecture learning was only supported by 13 out of 40 sources since it does not have any major effects on student learning.
What information does this source contribute to your research question? This source supports the idea that lecture methods are not good enough to teach advanced courses to students. Some implementation of active learning strategies are essential to teach many college level courses.
How does the source relate to other sources in your bibliography? Ultimately, hybrid strategies are praised the most, just like in most of the other sources.
What are the strengths and weaknesses of the source? While the authors’ use of 40 sources does make the results more significant, these results only apply to college level courses, leaving out any information on the effects of active learning on students of younger ages.
How does the source fit into your research topic? Why is it useful? This source provides an argument for active learning being more helpful for a student’s education than passive learning.
Review Paper 2
Team member evaluation: Jaiden DeBoe
Citation for the article Gamo, Joel. “Anatomy Education-Paradigm Shift from Passive to Active Learning-Effects on Student Engagement, Comprehension and Retention A Review of Literature from 2012 to 2022”. The FASEB Journal, 13 May 2022, vol. 36, issue S1. Anatomy Education‐Paradigm Shift from Passive to Active Learning‐Effects on Student Engagement, Comprehension and Retention A Review of Literature from 2012 to 2022 – Gamo – 2022 – The FASEB Journal – Wiley Online Library
1-paragraph summary: In order to determine the true advantages of active learning over passive learning, Gamo analyzes studies conducted on the subject from 2012 to 2022. Most of the studies come back to the same conclusion, that active learning allows for better student engagement, comprehension, and retention. In fact, the National Training Laboratories in Maine provided a statistic which states that passive learning, on average, leads to a 30% retention rate, while active learning leads to retention rates of 50%-90%. This is because active learning strategies force the students to seek out information on their own, while passive learning strategies simply force feed a lot of knowledge to the students, leaving many of them disinterested.
What information does this source contribute to your research question? This source not only shows how active teaching is more effective in a student’s education, but also offers reasons why this is the case, such as comprehension and retention.
How does the source relate to other sources in your bibliography? Similar to the first source, the studies used in this article also come from college level classes.
What are the strengths and weaknesses of the source? This article does a great job at explaining why people believe active learning is better than passive learning. However, Gamo does not mention what specific sources had to say about the topic, instead opting to summarize what the majority of his sources agreed upon.
How does the source fit into your research topic? Why is it useful? Gamo is able to show real results for the switch from passive learning to active learning instead of just claiming that one is better than the other.
Research Paper 1
Team member evaluation: Sonia Sheryr
Citation for the article Munna, A. S., and Kalam, M. A. “Impact of Active Learning Strategy on the Student Engagement”. GNOSI: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Human Theory and Praxis, vol. 4, no. 2, Apr. 2021, pp. 96-114. ED614302.pdf
1-paragraph summary: Munna and Kalam were curious as to why student participation was as low as it is today. To best answer this question, 50 college level students, who are taught by the authors, were taught using four different learning strategies. The first strategy was called Explore First, where the teachers gave them certain tasks and allowed them to complete these tasks on their own. The second strategy, Peer Learning, allowed the students to learn from their teacher while also working in groups to help each other understand the material better. The Networking strategy was similar to the first strategy, but involved working in groups instead of individually. The Game Based strategy had students utilizing interactive games in order to learn classroom material. In the end, the students were given a questionnaire regarding the use of the learning strategies used. Game Based and Peer Learning were seen as the most effective by the students because it made them more willing to show up to class and engage themselves in the topic.
What information does this source contribute to your research question? This source proves that students are most engaged in school when they are allowed to learn their own way and at their own pace, which are both aspects of active learning.
How does the source relate to other sources in your bibliography? Just like in the previous source, active learning strategies are shown to be a major motivator in student engagement
What are the strengths and weaknesses of the source? The use of multiple different strategies in this study allows the authors to truly understand what it is about active learning strategies that engage students. Unfortunately, the sample size is too small to be able to give significant results.
How does the source fit into your research topic? Why is it useful? This source simplifies the question of why active learning strategies are important by highlighting which ones are favored among students.
Research Paper 2
Team member evaluation: Jaiden DeBoe
Citation for the article: Diepreye, Fapohunda and Odukoya, Jonathan. “The Impact of Passive and Active Teaching Methods on Students’ Learning Among Secondary School Students in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State”. Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 2019, vol. 1378, issue 2. The Impact of Passive and Active Teaching Methods on Students’ Learning Among Secondary School Students in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State – IOPscience
1-paragraph summary: The authors of the study gathered 196 high-school-level students in Yenagoa, Nigeria, 72 boys and 124 girls, and had them taught biology topics using four different methods. These methods consisted of practical teaching, class discussions, traditional lectures, and video watching. Afterwards, the students were tested on these topics using the same test. On average, the students who were taught using practical teaching or class discussions scored between 84% and 85% on the test, while students who were taught using traditional lectures or videos scored between 61% and 70%.
What information does this source contribute to your research question? Passive teaching methods that involve teachers simply “reading words” to students negatively impact their school performance, while active methods that allow students to learn for themselves allow them to perform better on tests.
How does the source relate to other sources in your bibliography? This source connects to our second review paper because they both demonstrate how active learning strategies can be better for comprehension and retention of knowledge.
What are the strengths and weaknesses of the source? The large sample size of this source does allow for accurate data. However, the difference in numbers between boys and girls could cause the results to be less accurate for the average student.
How does the source fit into your research topic? Why is it useful? Once again, active learning methods are shown to be more effective in increasing school performance. This specific source highlights this idea in a high-school-level course.
Research Paper 3
Team member evaluation: Sonia Sheryr
Citation for the article: Singh Minhas, Paras et al. “The effects of passive and active learning on student preference and performance in an undergraduate basic science course”. American Association for Anatomy, 20 March 2012, vol. 5, issue 4. The effects of passive and active learning on student preference and performance in an undergraduate basic science course – Minhas – 2012 – Anatomical Sciences Education – Wiley Online Library
1-paragraph summary: 72 students in a college animal physiology course had their class split into two sessions, a normal lecture from a professor and a peer-led seminar. After each class, the students were asked to rate the efficiency of the teaching method. This study lasted for 2 years, where in the end, the students’ interest in peer-led seminars and their exam scores both increased. 68% of the students in the study argued that implementing active learning strategies along with passive learning strategies would be most effective for them.
What information does this source contribute to your research question? Active learning strategies, such as peer-led seminars, are an important part of a student’s education. However, they are most effective when coupled with traditional passive learning strategies
How does the source relate to other sources in your bibliography? Similar to our first review article, this source shows that the use of hybrid learning strategies is most favored among college students.
What are the strengths and weaknesses of the source? The length of time used in this study allows for multiple assessments on the efficiency of the learning strategies used, which gives the students enough time to consider whether or not these methods are effective long term. The only main downfall of this study is the small sample size.
How does the source fit into your research topic? Why is it useful? The authors of this source show how important active learning strategies are for student engagement and performance.
Research Paper 4
Team member evaluation: Jaiden DeBoe
Citation for the article: Mikolaj, Christy. “Effective Instructional Strategies in Sixth Grade Inclusion Mathematics Classrooms: The Effect of Active and Passive Engagement on Concept Learning and Opportunity to Learn”. ProQuest, December 2019. Effective Instructional Strategies in Sixth Grade Inclusion Mathematics Classrooms: The Effect of Active and Passive Engagement on Concept Learning and Opportunity to Learn – ProQuest
1-paragraph summary: Taking place in a classroom setting designed to teach 6th-grade students with special needs, six students were taught using a normal lecture method while four students were taught using a project-based method. 23 students who did not require special needs education were also placed in the lecture group, and 17 other students who did not require special needs education were placed in the project-based group as well. After four days of tests and surveys, the researchers found unexpected results. While students who did not have special needs performed better when learning using project-based methods, students who did have special needs performed slightly worse when using project-based methods.
What information does this source contribute to your research question? On average, active learning strategies can positively impact student performance. However, not every student is able to learn the same. Many students require a mix of active and passive learning strategies, while some students may require primarily passive learning strategies.
How does the source relate to other sources in your bibliography? This source relates to my second review article, because it shows that many students are not able to perform well in school because the education system is unable to match their individual needs.
What are the strengths and weaknesses of the source? The split of students between active learning methods and passive learning methods makes the results more distinct. The bad part about this source is that the small length of time and unproportional representation of special needs students make the results less accurate.
How does the source fit into your research topic? Why is it useful? This source supports the idea that hybrid methods could be the best way to teach every student in a way that benefits them individually.
Research Paper 5
Team member evaluation: Sonia Sheryr
Citation for the article: Haidet, Paul et al. “A Controlled Trial of Active Versus Passive Learning Strategies in a Large Group Setting”. Springer Nature, March 2004, vol. 9, pages 15-27. A Controlled Trial of Active Versus Passive Learning Strategies in a Large Group Setting | Advances in Health Sciences Education
1-paragraph summary: Residents at a medical institution were given an after-hours teaching session. During this time, the first group were taught in a teacher-student manner, while the second group was taught in a student-student manner. After surveying the residents before and after the sessions, the researchers determined that both teaching methods led to increased test scores. The only differences were that the first group appeared more engaged and that the second group valued the sessions more.
What information does this source contribute to your research question? This source supports the idea that active learning strategies can increase student engagement while also arguing that both active and passive methods are equally important in student education.
How does the source relate to other sources in your bibliography? This source best relates to the idea that hybrid learning strategies are more effective than just active learning strategies, similar to my first review article.
What are the strengths and weaknesses of the source? Surveying the students right before the session, right after the session, and weeks after the session allows the researchers to measure student perception and student retention. Unfortunately, since this study is only conducted during after-hour sessions, it is difficult to determine whether or not their increase in knowledge is primarily due to these sessions.
How does the source fit into your research topic? Why is it useful? This source also demonstrates the importance of using both active and passive learning strategies, instead of just one or the other.
Research Paper 6
Team member evaluation: Jaiden DeBoe
Citation for the article: Mahmood, Muhammad et al. “STRATEGIES FOR ACTIVE LEARNING: AN ALTERNATIVE TO PASSIVE LEARNING”. SAVAP International, November 2011, vol. 1, issue 3. Microsoft Word – 2011_1.3-20_
1-paragraph summary: This relates to the issue of learning and offers strategies for active learning as an alternative to passive learning. Passive learning does not always give a real understanding. While active learning lets students engage by participating and can improve motivation and interest. Active learning is more enjoyable by being hands on and where the student can retain more knowledge.
What information does this source contribute to your research question? It directly compares active and passive learning correlates to student engagement.
How does the source relate to other sources in your bibliography? This source best relates to the idea that active learning strategies are more effective than passive learning strategies, similar to the first review article.
What are the strengths and weaknesses of the source? Strengths are that it clarifies what they measure regarding student engagement such as interest, motivation, autonomy, and anxiety making it useful to relate it to our variables. Also, they provided qualitative data and multiple strategies that show how active learning can be implemented. Unfortunately only 20 students participated, and the study only lasted a week, so it doesn’t relate to long term.
How does the source fit into your research topic? Why is it useful? This source relates to active and passive learning strategies and measures how each affects student engagement. It provides us with evidence that active learning strategies is more effective than passive learning such as lecturing.
Science Communication Paper 1
Team member evaluation: Sonia Sheryr
Citation for the article: Murgel, M., et al. “Science Communication Project: Articulating Teaching.” Journal of Chemical Education, vol. 102, no. 1, 2025, pp. 88–96. American Chemical Society, https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.4c01569
1-paragraph summary: This was focused to improve students’ understanding of concepts, communication skills, and engagement. Results showed students had a deeper grasp of the material, gained more motivation, and confidence in explaining concepts in clear and detailed ways. These findings highlight how active learning strategies left students with a deeper understanding of concepts by connecting them to real-life situations.
What information does this source contribute to your research question? This source focuses on how active learning influences the students’ understanding on a deeper level.
How does the source relate to other sources in your bibliography? This relates to paper 6, regarding active vs learning strategies in a classroom; and relates to several other sources along the same lines as well.
What are the strengths and weaknesses of the source? This source emphasizes student engagement with active learning which relates to our topic. This relates to one student topic, but not for long term engagement.
How does the source fit into your research topic? Why is it useful? This describes how active vs passive methods affect engagement, this paper provides an example of students actively communicating science.
Science Communication Paper 2
Team member evaluation: Jaiden DeBoe
Citation for the article: Shivni, R., Martinez, A., & Green, A. (2021). Establishing a baseline of science communication skills in an undergraduate environmental science course. International Journal of STEM Education, 8(1), 45. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-021-00304-0
1-paragraph summary: This source showed that while many students could explain the topics, they often struggled to adapt themes or clear concepts. The authors suggest that structured, active communication tasks in science classrooms can help students develop stronger engagement and public communication abilities.
What information does this source contribute to your research question? This source contributes directly to our research question because it establishes that active learning helps students develop stronger engagement and retention.
How does the source relate to other sources in your bibliography? This relates to research paper 6 where the authors suggest active learning over passive.
What are the strengths and weaknesses of the source? This focused on a real environment, but it was conducted with a small group. Also, this relies on qualitative data over quantitative.
How does the source fit into your research topic? Why is it useful? This talks about active engagement in environmental education which relates to my focus on active vs passive learning. It is useful to show that hands on learning experiences promote a sharper understanding on students and their overall retention.
Research Question: (stated as a testable question)
How does passive vs. active learning strategies effect student engagement on water? conservation education?
Hypotheses: (stated as mutually exclusive answers to your research question)
Active learning strategies engage students in classroom activities better than passive learning strategies.
Prediction: (stated as a range of expected results will lead you to reject or accept the stated or null hypotheses)
If passive learning strategies are replaced by active learning strategies in a school environment, then student participation will increase.
Evidence: (Rationale of your hypotheses based on peer-reviewed scientific literature and science news on your topic)
Review Articles: (list the citation and what it says about your topic)
Siripoulos, Costas and Pomonis, Gerasimos. “Alternatives to ‘Chalk and Talk’: Active Vs. Passive Learning – A Literature Review of the Debate”. SSRN, 3 April 2007. https://ssrn.com/abstract=977283
Articles written by instructors stress the need for active learning strategies.
Gamo, Joel. “Anatomy Education-Paradigm Shift from Passive to Active Learning-Effects on Student Engagement, Comprehension and Retention. A Review of Literature from 2012 to 2022”. The FASEB Journal, 13 May 2022, vol. 36, Anatomy Education‐Paradigm Shift from Passive to Active Learning‐Effects on Student Engagement, Comprehension and Retention A Review of Literature from 2012 to 2022 – Gamo – 2022 – The FASEB Journal – Wiley Online Libraryissue S1.
Interactive methods such as peer teaching, blended classrooms, and augmented reality led to over 50% retention, while passive learning strategies only led to 30% retention.
Pitterson, Nicole et al. “Measuring cognitive engagement through interactive, constructive, active and passive learning activities”. IEEE Xplore, 1 December 2016. Measuring cognitive engagement through interactive, constructive, active and passive learning activities | IEEE Conference Publication | IEEE Xplore
The ICAP framework found that students are actively learning when they discuss school topics with their classmates or their teacher.
Willett, Laura Rees. “Comparing Active and Passive Learning: What Does the Evidence Really Say?”. Academic Medicine, May 2017, page 573. Academic Medicine
The author in this article is reviewing a research article which concluded that active learning was the superior method in student education.
Research Articles: (list the citation and what it says about your topic)
Munna, A. S., and M. A. Kalam. “Impact of Active Learning Strategy on the Student Engagement”. GNOSI: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Human Theory and Praxis, vol. 4, no. 2, Apr. 2021, pp. 96-114, ED614302.pdf
The main problem in student engagement is teaching students based on their current knowledge level.
Diepreye, Fapohunda and Odukoya, Jonathan. “The Impact of Passive and Active Teaching Methods on Students’ Learning Among Secondary School Students in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State”. Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 2019, vol. 1378, issue 2. The Impact of Passive and Active Teaching Methods on Students’ Learning Among Secondary School Students in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State – IOPscience
The results of the study show that active learning strategies have more of an impact on student education than passive learning strategies do.
Singh Minhas, Paras et al. “The effects of passive and active learning on student preference and performance in an undergraduate basic science course”. American Association for Anatomy, 20 March 2012, vol. 5, issue 4. The effects of passive and active learning on student preference and performance in an undergraduate basic science course – Minhas – 2012 – Anatomical Sciences Education – Wiley Online Library
A study performed on students in an animal physiology course shows that most students would prefer a class with a mix of instructor-led and peer-led teaching.
Mikolaj, Christy. “Effective Instructional Strategies in Sixth Grade Inclusion Mathematics Classrooms: The Effect of Active and Passive Engagement on Concept Learning and Opportunity to Learn”. ProQuest, December 2019. Effective Instructional Strategies in Sixth Grade Inclusion Mathematics Classrooms: The Effect of Active and Passive Engagement on Concept Learning and Opportunity to Learn – ProQuest
This study shows that the average student would require a mix of learning strategies in order to better understand school topics.
Haidet, Paul et al. “A Controlled Trial of Active Versus Passive Learning Strategies in a Large Group Setting”. Springer Nature, March 2004, vol. 9, pages 15-27. A Controlled Trial of Active Versus Passive Learning Strategies in a Large Group Setting | Advances in Health Sciences Education
Although peer-led seminars allow for the most active engagement among students, many of them will not care for the sessions as much compared to classes taught my instructors.
Mahmood, Muhammad et al. “STRATEGIES FOR ACTIVE LEARNING: AN ALTERNATIVE TO PASSIVE LEARNING”. SAVAP International, November 2011, vol. 1, issue 3. Microsoft Word – 2011_1.3-20_
Active learning strategies make students more determined to seek out information instead of blindly taking in facts.
Proposed Experiment: (Experimental Design of your research project)
Independent Variables: (What treatment or comparison groups or what factors will you modify)
The type of learning strategy (Active vs passive)
Dependent Variable: (What will you measure)
Student engagement and participation
Control Variables: (What will hold constant between treatments)
Age range, course, and classroom material
Procedures: (What you will do, how, how much, how often, how long, when)
We will develop lesson plans that utilize different learning strategies on the same material. These lessons will be implemented for a fixed period of time and rotated between various groups in between that fixed time.
Constructed Figure(s): (graphic representation of the proposed results of data that supports your proposed hypothesis/research question. hint: it’s based on your Prediction Statement)
Project Idea #1: How does the type of classroom activity influence student engagement regarding water conservation. Proposed Research Question: How does passive vs. active learning strategies effect student engagement on water conservation education? Proposed Hypothesis: When active learning strategies are used for water conservation education, students are more likely to pay attention and participate. Keywords: Education, Student engagement, Active learning, Water conservation Found Review Articles: “Alternatives to ‘Chalk and Talk’: Active Vs. Passive Learning – A Literature Review of the Debate” Found Research Articles: “Where’s the evidence that active learning works?” Found SciComm Articles: “Millions of Views, But Does It Promote Learning?”
Project Idea #2: How do real world challenges, such as access to clean water, affect children’s mental health and school performance. Proposed Research Question: Do water equity challenges, such as poor access to clean water or flooding, cause a student’s grades and mental health to decrease? Proposed Hypothesis: Being exposed to challenges related to water equity will cause a student’s grades and mental health to decline. Keywords: Mental health, Flooding, Clean water, Academic performance Found Review Articles: “The effects of household water insecurity on child health and well‐being” Found Research Articles: “Water, food, and mental well-being: Associations between drinking water source, household water and food insecurity, and mental well-being of low-income pregnant women in urban Mozambique” Found SciComm Articles: “Making waves: Mental health impacts of inadequate drinking water services”
Exam. How did the first exam go? What study strategies did you use? Do you think these were useful? The first exam did not go as well as I thought it would. Before the exam, I mainly reviewed the Jigsaw Preps and Reading Reflections in order to prepare. These methods turned out not to be extremely effective, as I did not perform as well as I expected.
Grading Contract. Review your grading contract and assess yourself (See the ePortfolio Midterm checklist). Are you on track to earn your contracted grade? Include 5 sources (e.g., participation, project) of evidence to support your assessment. Are there any revisions you want to make? I believe I am on track to earn an A. I have performed all make-up work whenever I was unable to attend class, I have completed every group assignment successfully, such as Jigsaws and Research Project Outlines, I have contributed to group conversations, and all my work shows care and effort.
Engagement. We have 2 jigsaws, 2 lectures, and 2 chapters of Braiding Sweetgrass left in the semester. What are 3 things I can do to keep you engaged in the second half of the semester? Group activities, more engaging lectures, and class discussions of Braiding Sweetgrass would help make the rest of the semester more engaging.
Research Project. To what extent do you feel that you and your research partner(s) have been successful on your research project for CODE220 thus far? What are 3 changes you wish to implement moving forward? I believe we have done a good job at describing our research process and finding credible sources. In order to be more successful in the future, we must complete the assignments ahead of time, keep in touch throughout the week, and ensure we all have the same plans in mind.
In “Picking Sweetgrass”, Kimmerer encourages us to consider the degree of reciprocity in our transactions. a. How adequately do you think our money-based economy provides for reciprocity? (Kimmerer asks herself on page 177, “How do we consume in a way that does justice to the lives we take?”) I believe that our modern economy has a lot of shortcuts in order to ensure that the rich and powerful spend less money on goods or services that take a lot of effort from the lower class. For example, Elon Musk, the multi-billionaire founder of companies such as Tesla and the Boring Company, avoids paying taxes by changing his income status. Musk receives salaries from his multiple different companies in the form of stocks and cryptocurrency, which are not taxable. So, technically, his income is $0 a year. Along with that, multiple US companies, hoping to maximize their profits and enrich their owners, often outsource their product manufacturing to countries in Asia and Africa, where the people working on the products can be paid less than a dollar an hour. b. In what ways might the convenience of all of our “taking” — what Kimmerer sees as the rampant consumerism of modern life — complicate our participation in this reciprocity? The sad truth about being having a lot of money is that it is never enough. As people start to earn more money, suddenly their income goals start to rise. A million dollars a year is not enough, they want 10 million. After a couple years, they want 100 million, and all that money has to come from somewhere. Many of the millionaires in our modern society get rich at the expense of the poor. This unfair distribution is a result of the upper class paying less for a good or service than what it is actually worth. c. What do you think about Kimmerer’s conclusion that “[n]ot everything should be convenient” (179)? Rewards that are easy to earn are generally not as well appreciated if they were easy to attain. For example, designer clothes are not just valuable because they look better than generic store brand clothes, they are valuable because they are difficult to attain. This is why you often notice that people who just recently became rich wear a lot of designer outfits, while people who have been rich for years are less picky about the clothes that they put on. Once you no longer have to put in much effort to earn money, money means less to you, but when you’re working towards a project to get you rich, the money means everything to you. d. How might the rules of Honorable Harvest find adoption in our modern economy? What choices would consumers have to make in order for that to happen? In order for Honorable Harvest to be adapted in our society, our entire food industry would have to go through a drastic change. The food we currently get from crops is done so in a mass harvest that does not take time to acknowledge the life force of the plants. If we wanted to start performing practices, such as asking for permission from the plant, that means fruit and vegetables would be a lot harder to put onto shelves in supermarkets. This change would force consumers to either switch their diets or grow their own produce. e. How might cultural values stand in the way of such adoption? (Recall Kimmerer’s description of early European who regarded the rules of Honorable Harvest as laziness.) Many people may not understand or care about the cultural significance of such practices. Having access to an abundance of food is something that we take for granted nowadays. We do not truly comprehend the idea that the food we eat comes from multiple different forms of life that all play an important role in nature. f. Now focus on how this applies to the question of energy. Kimmerer says, “By no stretch of the imagination is coal given to us” (p. 187). Might the rules of Honorable Harvest be applicable to energy consumption? While the Honorable Harvest only focuses on caring for life energy, its rules can be applied to other forms of energy as well. Practices such as not overusing electricity or fossil fuels in order to save some for others could be done to stop the misuse of energy as a whole. g. What are some of the choices that Kimmerer is asking us to think about in this chapter? One of the ideas that Kimmerer questions is why we buy food and produce in supermarkets that come from animals and plants that are slaughtered at mass. There is no celebration of life or gratitude for resources involved in the process of bringing food to our grocery stores, simply killing in order to get the products that we want and need
I think that many people view their interpersonal relationships as “one of a kind” or “unique to humanity”. Even I was a firm believer in the idea that many aspects of human interactions were not shared by other animals besides primates. However, Dr. Lee’s research has shown that these patterns, such as having more than one partner, are common among bird species as well. These resources also make me think about other human interactions that may be shared among different animals. For example, I once read a research article about other species of animals displaying homosexual tendencies, which shows that they may not be as different than us as we would like to think. My only questions now are “How do other species of animals compare to humans and birds?” and “What other tendencies do we actually share with other animals?”.
Dr. Danielle Lee also explores the idea of hip hop being a good way to educate students on natural occurrences. As a young scientist, she was able to draw connections between her research and the music that she enjoyed listening to. This concept makes me think differently about what it means to be a scientist. While a scientist usually derives their passion for research from a curiosity about the world, these curiosities do not have to revolve around academic topics. As seen in the TED Talk, many scientists are able to connect their personal life with scientific discoveries in order to make sense of them. Not only does this allow scientists to draw true inspiration from their home lives, but it also allows them to share their findings in a way that can connect with people who have a similar personal life to them.
