Pursuing an Academic Career Virtual Event Series

Energizing your class with ConcepTests: A simple technique to engage students and improve learning: April 10, 2013

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Leaders: David Steer, University of Akron; Jeff Knott, California State University, Fullerton; and Karen Kortz, Community College of Rhode Island

This event has already taken place

In this webinar, we will discuss best practices related to developing and using ConcepTests with peer-instruction in geoscience classes. ConcepTests are multiple choice questions used in class to engage students while providing immediate formative feedback to both the student and the instructor. We will first discuss why one might want to use this method and how to best begin. We will then cover characteristics of good ConcepTest questions as we examine ConcepTests from the Cutting Edge collection. Lastly, we discuss various technologies used to support data collection in the classroom. We hope you will join us!

Goals for participants are to:

• Be able to communicate why the peer-instruction method employing ConcepTests enhances student engagement and learning
• Know the characteristics of well written ConcepTests
• Be aware of technologies used to support this method in the classroom.

Duration - 1 hour
Format - Online web presentation via Adobe Connect web conference software with questions and discussion. Participants will receive an email with instructions detailing how to log into the event approximately one week prior to the event.
Registration - This event has already taken place. The cost of the webinar is $30 (or $20 for NAGT members; learn more about becoming a member of NAGT). Once you register for the webinar, you can pay the registration fee. Both the webinar registration and registration fee are due by April 3, 2013.
Cost - The cost of the webinar is $30 (or $20 for NAGT members; learn more about becoming a member of NAGT).

Please email Heather Macdonald (rhmacd AT wm.edu) if you have any questions about this event or Molly Kent (mkent AT carleton.edu) if you have technical questions.

Presenters

David Steer is a professor of Geology and Environmental Science at the University of Akron. He has spoken widely and published on geoscience education issues and has played a leadership role in the national geoscience education community for over a decade. He is a Past President of the National Association of Geosciences Teachers. His research is related to teaching and learning in large geoscience courses for non-majors and the possible application of 3-D visualization systems as a learning tool in physical geology.

Jeff Knott is a professor of Geology at University of California, Fullerton. Dr. Knott has been involved for many years with projects that assess student learning and teaching in introductory geology classes. For these projects, he and his colleagues have experimented with using ConcepTests as a teaching method. Another recent project involves collaboration with researchers at a number of other institutions on determining if personal response system questions are valid and reliable.

Karen Kortz is a professor of geology and oceanography at the Community College of Rhode Island. She is currently involved in several NSF grants to try to learn more about researching students' misconceptions and improving their learning in geology. She is also developing worksheets for use in the classroom to improve the student experience in introductory geoscience courses. In 2008, she received the Biggs Award for Excellence in Earth Science Teaching from the Geoscience Education Division of the Geological Society of America and the National Association of Geology Teachers.

References and Resources

Screencast of Energizing your class with ConcepTests: A simple technique to engage students and improve learning.

Slides from Energizing your class with ConcepTests: A simple technique to engage students and improve learning (PowerPoint 2007 (.pptx) 4.4MB Apr10 13).

Recommended on-line resources

• ConcepTests - learn more about this teaching method and how to use it in class; this module also provides examples of ConcepTests that can be used in your classroom.
• View the entire collection of ConcepTest examples, from a variety of disciplines.
• Classroom Response Systems - learn more about using classroom response systems (e.g. clickers) in your course; this module also provides examples of teaching activities that utilize classroom response systems.