The Teaching & Learning Professor

Today’s guest is my greatest inspiration and mentor. He is an Emeritus Professor of Education at Bowling Green State University. He served as the Coordinator for the Guidance and Counseling Program and as the Coordinator of Graduate Programs in the School of Teaching and Learning. He retired from the University in 1999 but continues to educate the public by serving as a volunteer docent at the Carl Sandberg home in Hendersonville, North Carolina. He is the author of several books including The Classroom Teacher’s Survival Guide, The Social Studies Teachers Book of Lists, Social Studies Teachers Survival Kit, and Online Social Studies Resources. In this interview, he discusses perfectionism, BGSU in the 1960s, and his teaching philosophy. Please welcome my father, Dr. Ronald L. Partin…

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Guest Introduction

Today’s guest is a professor in the School of Teaching and Learning at Bowling Green State University. He teaches Science Methods for the Inclusive Early Childhood Classroom, Advanced Methods in Elementary School Science, Advanced Pedagogy and Best Practices, Qualitative Approaches to Classroom Inquiry, as well as Issues and Trends in Curriculum and Instruction. His research focuses on “Play” in human and nonhuman primates, lesson study with preservice and inservice teachers, and the acquisition of pedagogical content knowledge. He is a good friend and collogue. Please welcome Dr. Rick Worch.

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Table of Contents:

00:00 - Introduction - Learning Theory & Constructivism

07:25 - Interview with Dr. Rich Worch

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Learning Theory & Constructivism

Learning Theory explains how students understand, process, integrate, and retain knowledge throughout learning. Prior experience, environmental factors, cognitive ability, and emotions play a large part in a student’s world view or understanding of the world they live in. The world view influences the way knowledge and skills are acquired, changed, and retained. There are generally 3 contemporary theories of learning teachers use to guide their teaching practices: Cognitivism, Transformative Theory, and Constructivism.

Cognitivism

Cognitivism stems from Gestalt Psychology and focuses on the learner and memory. In Gestalt theory, psychologists believe that humans learn by making sense of the relationships between new and old information. The human mind views entities as part of a bigger picture and as components of more complex systems (Cherry 2019). Cognitive theories of learning focus on the learner instead of the environment and have two underlying assumptions: 1) the memory system of the brain is structured and an operational processor of information; 2) prior knowledge plays a key role in learning (Smith 2018). Because each individual has a unique view of the world, humans create their own learning experiences and uniquely decipher information in ways that may differ from others.

Transformative Theory

Transformative learning theory explains how people adjust and reinterpret meaning (Taylor 2008).

It is related to the mental process of creating change in a frame of reference (Mezirow 1997). A frame of reference defines the way humans view the world and emotions play a large part in creating that view (Illeris 2001). Adults typically reject information that conflicts with their views and understanding of the world. Frame of reference is made up of habits of mind and points of view. Habits of mind (such as mindset or persistence) are very difficult to change but possible, however points of view may change over time as a result of reflection, criticism, or feedback (Mezirow 1997). Transformative Learning occurs when a student critically ponders evidence in support of competing understandings and points of view (Mezirow 1997).

Constructivism

Constructivism is a concept often mentioned when discussing science classroom-learning environments. In fact, much of the current science education research and literature has focused on constructivism. Constructivism is a philosophy about how people learn, and specifically addresses how knowledge is acquired and constructed. More specifically, “according to the constructivist view, meaningful learning is a cognitive process in which individuals make sense of the world in relation to the knowledge which they already have constructed, and this sense-making process involves active negotiation and consensus building” (Fraser 1998, p. 13). Science educators may agree that constructivism is ideally more desirable over more traditional methods of instruction, such as direct instruction; however, many debate exactly how knowledge is built. The two primary descriptions of constructivism derive from Jean Piaget’s (1954) theory of cognitive development and Lev Vygotsky’s (1978) social constructivism. Cognitive constructivism focuses on internal cognitive processes (Piaget 1954) and an individual’s attempts to make sense of the world (Von Glasersfeld 1995), whereas social constructivism stresses the significance of society, culture, and language (Lemke 2001), where knowledge is socially constructed and acquired in specific social and cultural contexts. Despite their differences, both branches of constructivist thought stress the importance of experiential learning and acknowledge that motivation is crucial for the construction of knowledge and the progression of conceptual change. The literature contains many testimonials and experimental research studies that support the idea that meaningful learning is tied to experience (e.g. Angelo 1990; Bodner 1986; Bybee 1993; Caprio 1994; Lawson 1992; Lawson et al. 1990, 1993; Leonard 1989a, 1989b; Lord 1994; Lorsch & Tobin 1995; Roth 1994; Seymour 1995). The National Research Council’s 1999 Report, How People Learn (Brandsford, Brown, & Cocking 2000), is also in concert with the constructivist view and suggests inquiry-based learning as a way to have students doing real scientific investigations similar to the way in which practicing scientists define problems, formulate and test hypotheses, and draw conclusions. Inquiry-based learning has many nonscience classroom applications as well.

Currently there are many models of constructivist learning (e.g., Glasson & Lalik 1993; Hewson & Tabachnick 1999; Nussbaum & Novick 1982). However, David Palmer (2005) examined the extent to which motivational strategies have been considered in the design of existing constructivist informed teaching models and found that existing models were inadequate in explicitly integrating motivation. Palmer also found that some models, in fact, conflict with the currently accepted views of motivation. Thus, new models integrating motivation and constructivism are needed. In a 2012 article by BGSU faculty Partin and Haney such a model is proposed and they discuss implications for further research in this area.

References

Angelo, T. A. (1990). Classroom assessment: Improving learning quality where it matters most. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, (42), 71-82.

Bodner, G. M. (1986). Constructivism: A theory of knowledge. Journal of Chemical Education, 63(10), 873-878.

Bransford, J. D., Brown, A. L., Cocking, R. R. Commission on Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education. (2000). How people learn: Brain, mind, experience, and school. expanded edition. National Academy of Sciences - National Research Council, Washington, DC.

Bybee, R. W. (1993). Leadership, responsibility, and reform in science education. Science Educator, 2(1), 1-9.

Caprio, M. W. (1994). Easing into constructivism. Journal of College Science Teaching, 23(4), 210.

Cherry, K. (2019, November 18). What Impact Did Gestalt Psychology Have? Retrieved from https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-gestalt-psychology-2795808.

Glasson, G. E., & Lalik, R. V. (1993). Reinterpreting the learning cycle from a social constructivist perspective: A qualitative study of teachers' beliefs and practices. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 30(2; 2), 187-207.

Hewson, P. W., & Tabachnick, B. R. (1999). Educating prospective teachers of biology: Introduction and research methods. Science Education, 83(3), 247.

Illeris, K (April 2001). "Transformative Learning in the Perspective of a Comprehensive Learning Theory". Journal of Transformative Education. 2 (2): 79–89. doi:10.1177/1541344603262315

Lawson, A. E. (1992). Using reasoning ability as the basis for assigning laboratory partners in nonmajors biology. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 29(7), 729-741.

Lawson, A. E., Baker, W. P., Didonato, L., Verdi, M. P. and Johnson, M. A. (1993), The role of hypothetico-deductive reasoning and physical analogues of molecular interactions in conceptual change. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 30: 1073–1085.

Lawson, A. E., Rissing, S. W., & Faeth, S. H. (1990). An inquiry approach to non-majors’ biology. Journal of College Science Teaching, (May), 340-346.

Lemke, J. L. (2001). Articulating communities: Sociocultural perspectives on science education. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 38(3), 296-316.

Leonard, W. H. (1989). Research and teaching: Ten years of research on investigative laboratory instruction strategies. Journal of College Science Teaching, 18(5), 304-306.

Leonard, W. H. (1989). A review of research on science laboratory instruction at the college level. U.S.; South Carolina:

Lord, T. R. (1994). Using constructivism to enhance student learning in college biology. Journal of College Science Teaching, 23(6), 346.

Lorsbach, A., & Tobin, K. (1995). Toward a critical approach to the study of learning environments in science classrooms. Research in Science Education, 25(1), 19-32.

Mezirow, J (1997

Today’s guest has built a lab that attracts both thriving graduate and undergraduate students. He currently oversees a doctoral student, 3 master’s students, and a few advanced undergraduates. The lab studies how human alteration of environmental factors influences the dynamics of animals in terrestrial and aquatic food webs and ecosystems using integrative approaches. Their work investigates basic ecological questions that have importance for achieving sustainable environmental management in a changing world. Their four key research areas include Terrestrial Water Webs, Water Quantity and Quality Effects on Aquatic-Terrestrial Linkages, Urbanization and Climate Change, and Riverine Macrosystems.

Today’s guest has been working very long hours to get his lab up and running over the past five years and he has recently been tenured in the Biological Sciences at BGSU. He is a friend and colleague. Please welcome Dr. Kevin McCluney.

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Table of Contents:

00:00 - Introduction - Academic Tenure, Undergraduate Research, & Sense of Community

10:19 - Interview with Dr. Kevin McCluney

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Introduction

In the United States, a tenured faculty position is an academic appointment that can only be dismissed for misconduct, or in rare cases, lack of funding or program discontinuation. The purpose of tenure is to allow academic freedom without the threat of losing one’s employment for promoting controversial ideas, such as evolutionary biology or contentious literature. The view is that academic freedom is crucial in teaching and research; and society will benefit if scholars are free to explore a variety of topics, questions, and opinions. It also prevents schools from replacing more expensive seasoned teachers with less expensive novice teachers to save money. However, some believe that the tenure system doesn’t provide an incentive for faculty to remain productive after they are tenured.

Tenure Track vs Non-Tenure Track

The tenure process is rigorous and it can be brutal. New “tenure-track” faculty members typically have a limited amount of time to produce an adequate record in teaching, research (grants & publications), and service (committees, advising, program administration, etc.). At BGSU Assistant-Professors (1^st rank) have 5 years. At that time, they must either be tenured and promoted to Associate-Professor (2^nd rank) or dismissed from the university. In other words, they must “publish or perish”. The 3^rd and final rank for tenure-track faculty is Professor or Full-Professor.

At BGSU we also have full-time “non-tenure track” faculty, who are ineligible for tenure. We call these faculty members Qualified Rank Faculty (QRF). Their ranks parallel the tenure-track ranks progressing from Assistant Teaching-Professor, to Associate Teaching-Professor, and finally Teaching-Professor. Typically, non-tenure track faculty do not have a research commitment, but they have higher teaching loads along with a service commitment. Colleges and universities also hire part-time teachers called Adjunct-Faculty. Adjuncts are typically paid on a “per-course” basis and they do not work enough hours to be eligible for health insurance, retirement plans, or other employee benefits.

Graduate Faculty

There are varying levels of Graduate Faculty Statuses along with increasing amounts of privileges. At BGSU the highest level (Level 1) may allow a faculty member to chair a doctoral dissertation or master’s thesis committee, participate as a member of a thesis or dissertation committee and all other graduate responsibilities associated with both the master’s and doctoral level of graduate study and teach graduate courses of any level. They may also participate as a Graduate Faculty Representative (GFR) on dissertation committees and represent a graduate program at The Graduate Council. In the Department of Biological Sciences at BGSU, maintaining graduate faculty status is extremely important to many tenure-track faculty since we have masters and doctoral programs, and tenure-track faculty run their own lab full of graduate students. The professors train the graduate students, help them define their projects, and ideally help them publish their research. The professors also write grants to fund their labs and often times to pay graduate student stipends. Grants may also pay for Post-Doctoral researchers to work in their labs.

Undergraduate Research

Undergraduate students are encouraged to work along-side graduate students, post-doctoral scholars, and professors in the various biology labs at BGSU. Undergraduates must volunteer their time and sometimes the work is tedious, however, the rewards are invaluable. Ideally, the undergraduate will find a mentor in the lab who will teach them how to become a productive scientist, illuminate the cultural nuances of academia, and explain theory, philosophy, and concepts. Participating in a graduate lab as an undergraduate will also allow for socialization to occur where the undergraduate has opportunities to meet other students, scientists, and researchers working in the field. If the undergraduate feels accepted into the lab, they may gain a very powerful sense of community.

Sense of Community

McMillan & Chavis (1986) define sense of community as "a feeling that members have of belonging, a feeling that members matter to one another and to the group, and a shared faith that members' needs will be met through their commitment to be together." According to Distinguished Syracuse University Sociology Professor Vincent Tinto (1975) for students to persist in college, they must become socially and academically integrated into the university and the associated communities found within.

In fact, according to professor and chair of the doctoral programs in higher education at Azusa Pacific University, Laurie Schreiner (2013) developing a sense of community among college students has been shown to be a strong predictor of a student’s success and it is the absolute best way to help all students thrive on campus. She defines thriving as being “fully engaged intellectually, socially, and emotionally in the college experience” (Schreiner, 2010, p. 4). Success is typically measured as academic performance or graduation. However, Schreiner looks far beyond that and states that students who are thriving “are engaged in the learning process, invest effort to reach important educational goals, manage their time and commitments effectively, connect in healthy ways to other people, are optimistic about their future and positive about their present choices, and are committed to making a meaningful difference in the world around them” (Schreiner, 2010, p. 41).

Guest Introduction

McCluney Lab's four key research areas include:

1. Terrestrial Water Webs: Studying the direct effects of animal water balance (sources and losses) on trophic interactions and food webs (which they have named "water webs"). For instance, previous work has shown that spiders and crickets will "drink" their food under dry conditions, consuming large amounts in order to meet water requirements rather than energy or nutrients.
2. Water Quantity and Quality Effects on Aquatic-Terrestrial Linkages: Studying how changes in water quantity and quality influence the reciprocal feedbacks between adjacent aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. For instance, they have shown strong effects of river drying on streamside animals. They are also investigating the influence of variation in macronutrients, like phosphate, or trace chemicals, like caffeine, on rates of emergence of aquatic insects and how changes to fluxes influence streamside spiders and birds.
3. Urbanization and Climate Change: People are increasingly moving to cities and altering those environments. Cities in mesic regions are becoming warmer and drier in ways that can mimic the projected effects of climate change. Cities in xeric areas become wetter and may become cooler, at least at some times, in some areas. They are studying how alteration of environmental factors in cities influences animal ecology in ways that may indicate the potential effects of climate change. Moreover, their research will inform management decisions in cities that could maximize ecosystem services and minimize disservices in the key places where most people live.
4. Riverine Macrosystems: Rivers are dynamic, connected systems, both in space and in time. Because of this, examining the ecology of a single stream reach, at a single time point, may provide little information about plant and animal population fluctuations. Taking a broader view, it becomes apparent that animal populations in unaltered river systems demonstrate great resistance and resilience to year-to-year environmental fluctuations, due to the summed effects of asynchronous population dynamics in variable habitats. But human alterations to th

Intended for students working in the BGSU Marine Lab. This guide covers basic marine lab husbandry.

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Table of Contents:

00:18 - Marine Lab Handbook

00:26 - BGSU Marine Laboratory

04:24 - History

05:32 - Table of Contents

05:33 - Safety Precautions

09:24 - General Rules

13:32 - Marine Lab Position Hierarchy

16:51 - Marine Lab Positions

20:28 - Assistant Coordinator Positions

23:22 - How to mix Saltwater

29:08 -

33:41 - Tank Checks

34:56 - Freshwater Tank Procedures

38:53 - Saltwater Tank Procedures

44:06 -

47:56 - Coral Systems

52:18 -

54:05 - Coral Husbandry

59:47 -

01:04:05 -

01:09:37 -

01:14:59 - Feeding

01:18:01 -

01:20:43 - Tank Maintenance

01:24:26 - Filtration

01:28:54 - General Aquarium Maintance

01:31:00 -

01:34:58 - Tours

01:36:11 -

01:39:05 -

01:40:42 -

01:40:45 - Salinity Chart

01:41:43 - Nitrogen Cycle

01:42:30 -

01:42:34 -

01:42:59 -

01:43:03 -

01:43:15 -

01:43:18 -

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or

https://blogs.bgsu.edu/teachingandlearningprofessor

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Today’s guest is a Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at BGSU. He was formerly the Director of the BGSU Marine Biology Program from 1994-1999, the Director of the Center for Neuroscience, Mind & Behavior from 2000-2002, and the Director of the University Honors Program from 2002-2012.

Today’s guest has also been the Director of the Laboratory for Sensory Ecology since 1994. The Laboratory for Sensory Ecology is a multi-disciplinary lab that is interested in any questions concerning sensory behavior, evolution, physiology, and ecology. Most of their current projects are centered on understanding the role that chemical signals play in an organism's ecological role. They have projects that range from understanding the physics behind antennae design, predator avoidance, selection of habitats and mates, dominance hierarchies and other social behaviors to analyzing the chemical composition of these signals.

He is a former professor of mine, a colleague, friend, and mentor. Please Welcome Dr. Paul Moore.

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Table of Contents:

00:00 - Introduction - Undergraduate Research & Mentoring

05:40 - Interview with Dr. Paul Moore

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URE vs CURE

Undergraduate Research Experiences (UREs) and Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs) have recently become very popular among STEM disciplines in colleges and universities in the United States. UREs are usually limited to few students and competitive. Students who apply for UREs are typically highly interested in research, high achieving, and motivated. Students work closely with faculty, post-doctoral researchers, or graduate students during a summer, semester, year, or longer. CUREs are embedded in a course as part of the curriculum and typically only last for one semester, but they may span 2 or more courses. However, CUREs may put a strain on the professor teaching the course because they need to oversee many student’s simultaneously.

Benefits

Undergraduate research offers opportunities for independent research, experience in the field of study, and professional mentoring. There is evidence suggesting that undergraduate research benefits students by preparing them to become scientists and the experience may retain students in the sciences (Graham, et al., 2013). Furthermore, the results of an undergraduate research project may be published in a peer-reviewed journal with the student as a coauthor. Today’s guest will talk about the process and benefits of publishing.

Mentors

However, Linn et al. (2015) believe the benefits of undergraduate research have been poorly studied and that positive outcomes may be due primarily to mentoring. They state that mentoring is essential for undergraduates considering careers in the sciences and one of the main benefits of undergraduate research may be undergraduates close proximity to faculty, postdoctoral researchers, and other members of the lab who help mentor the students. Mentors may serve as guides who orient the undergraduates and help them make connections among their experiences. They may also serve as role models, provide professional socialization, and facilitate the undergraduate’s professional identity as a scientist.

Mentor Benefits

Linn et al. (2015) back up their claims by citing a several studies including one indicating that students who feel they are supported by faculty are more likely to attend graduate school (Eagan et al., 2013) and a study indicating higher rates of attrition among students with inadequate interactions with mentors (Thiry, et al., 2011). They also cite a study indicating that student’s confidence in science proficiency and their likelihood to pursue a research career correlates with the number of mentor meetings (Taraban & Logue, 2012).

How Long?

In self-report surveys, students typically rate their UREs and CUREs highly. However, in a 2011 paper by Thiry, et al., the authors explain that continuous participation in a URE of three or more semesters is required for a student to build identity as a scientist. They also explain that short-term or patchy URE involvement could have negative outcomes (Thiry, et al., 2011).

At Least a Year

It seems that many students need at least a year to gain an adequate appreciation of concepts and techniques used in a particular lab. Linn et al. (2015) explain that during the first year of a URE, students spend most of their time setting up and conducting an experiment. That leaves little or no time devoted to understanding theory, philosophy, or concepts. Furthermore, students may not be adequately trained to interpret their results.

CUREs may be the Cure

The level of student understanding of underlying theories and concepts may be higher in CUREs than in UREs (Thiry, et al.,2012). CUREs typically incorporate lectures and readings with the study of a particular research question. The added formal instruction may allow students to make connections with prior knowledge, spend more time studying the topic, and more opportunities to ask questions. However, without adequate contact time between the student and professor, the student may not view the professor as a mentor.

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REFERENCES

Eagan, M. K., Hurtado, S., Chang, M. J., Garcia, G. A., Herrera, F. A., & Garibay, J. C. (2013). Making a Difference in Science Education. American Educational Research Journal, 50(4), 683–713. doi: 10.3102/0002831213482038

Fechheimer, M., Webber, K., & Kleiber, P. B. (2011). How Well Do Undergraduate Research Programs Promote Engagement and Success of Students? CBE—Life Sciences Education, 10(2), 156–163. doi: 10.1187/cbe.10-10-0130

Graham, M. J., Frederick, J., Byars-Winston, A., Hunter, A.-B., & Handelsman, J. (2013). Increasing Persistence of College Students in STEM. Science, 341(6153), 1455–1456. doi: 10.1126/science.1240487

Linn, M. C., Palmer, E., Baranger, A., Gerard, E., & Stone, E. (2015). Undergraduate research experiences: Impacts and opportunities. Science, 347(6222), 1261757. doi: 10.1126/science.1261757

Taraban, R., & Logue, E. (2012). Academic factors that affect undergraduate research experiences. Journal of Educational Psychology, 104(2), 499–514. doi: 10.1037/a0026851

Thiry, H., Laursen, S. L., & Hunter, A.-B. (2011). What Experiences Help Students Become Scientists?: A Comparative Study of Research and Other Sources of Personal and Professional Gains for STEM Undergraduates. The Journal of Higher Education, 82(4), 357–388. doi: 10.1353/jhe.2011.0023

Thiry, H., Weston, T. J., Laursen, S. L., & Hunter, A.-B. (2012). The Benefits of Multi-Year Research Experiences: Differences in Novice and Experienced Students’ Reported Gains from Undergraduate Research. CBE—Life Sciences Education, 11(3), 260–272. doi: 10.1187/cbe.11-11-0098

Thompson, S. K., Neill, C. J., Wiederhoeft, E., & Cotner, S. (2016). A Model for a Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) in a Field Setting †. Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education, 17(3), 469–471. doi: 10.1128/jmbe.v17i3.1142

This is a description of the Marine and Aquatic Biology Program at Bowling Green State University in Ohio.

Table of Contents:

00:00 - Intro

00:32 - Marine Biology at BGSU

00:53 - History

02:58 - Marine Lab Hierarchy

05:04 - Dr. Sylvia Earle

06:23 - Marine & Aquatic Biology Specialization

08:49 - Field Experience

10:18 - Study Abroad

11:40 - Other Opportunities at BGSU

16:17 - T-Shirts & Sweat Shirts

16:21 - Marine & Aquatic Biology Checksheet

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Today’s guest is an associate professor of biological sciences at BGSU. She's been faculty at BGSU since 1985 and the director of the BGSU Herpetarium since 1997. Her research interests include developmental genetics, reptile and amphibian husbandry, egg incubation, as well as student engagement and attitudes. She is a good friend and mentor. Please welcome Dr. Eileen Underwood.

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Table of Contents:

00:00 - Introduction

05:41 - Interview with Dr. Eileen Underwood

24:34 - Video Outage

26:25 - Video Back

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I'm using your donation to buy a new microphone and studio equipment to improve my sound. I need coffee too :-)

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       MATT

              Testing… Testing… 123 Testing…

         INNER DIALOGUE MATT

              Hi Matt! Did you remember to push the record button? Last time

              you forgot and you had to rerecord the entire introduction.

         MATT

              Who said that?

         INNER DIALOGUE MATT

              Me. I'm your inner dialogue. You can call me at IDM.

              Short for INNER DIALOGUE MATT.

         MATT

              OK. Hi IDM. If you’ll excuse me I’m recording an

              introduction to a podcast.

         INNER DIALOGUE MATT

              I know. Do you realize that you are terrible at podcasting?

              You're obviously reading a script and you look like a

              deer caught in headlights. Maybe you should try mixing

              it up a little bit.

         MATT

              OK. Like how?

         INNER DIALOGUE MATT

              You'll think of something. Before you record, why don't

              you tell me about your topic.

         MATT

              I am talking about Learning Communities. I'm also

              talking about the Marine Lab and the Herpetarium.

         INNER DIALOGUE MATT

              Sounds kind of interesting. What is a Learning

              Community?

         MATT

              Nobody can say for sure.

         INNER DIALOGUE MATT

              What?! So, you don’t actually know what a Learning Community

              is?

         MATT

              There really isn't a good clean definition that everyone

              can agree on, but basically, it’s a group of people who

              have common academic goals and attitudes. They have

              become very popular in colleges and universities in the

              United States. There are residential learning

              communities and non-residential learning communities.

       INNER DIALOGUE MATT

              Don’t tell me. Tell the camera.

(MATT NOW TALKS TO THE CAMERA)

       MATT

              In residential learning communities, students live together

              and share common extra-curricular activities. Today we’ll

              be talking about the non-residential learning

              communities. According to a 1999 paper by George Washington

              University professor Karen Kellogg, there are five types of

              non-residential learning communities commonly found throughout

              the literature. The first type, are linked courses, where

              groups of students take the same two courses together. Usually

              one is content-based and the other is application based. We do

              this at BGSU.

              For example, many of our freshman biology majors will

              take a biology course and a psychology or philosophy

              course together, so they see the same people in both

              classes and hopefully get to know each other better. The

              second type is called learning clusters, where groups of

              students take three or four courses linked together. The

              third type is called freshman interest groups, which are

              similar to linked courses but also includes a peer

              advising component. An upperclassman serves as a peer

              advisor and meets with the freshman weekly. The fourth

              type it's called federated learning communities, where

              students take linked courses and a professor from a

              different discipline called a master learner takes the

              courses with the students. The master learner meets with

              the students regularly to discuss the courses. The fifth

              type is called coordinated studies, where a group of

              students and faculty work together on a full-time block

              of courses which may last an entire year.

         INNER DIALOGUE MATT

              There are just 5 types of non-residential

              learning-communities?

         MATT

              No. There’s actually many more types of non-residential

              learning communities. We have two live animal labs here

              in the biology department at BGSU and that I would like to

              talk about today. They don’t fit into any of the 5 common

              categories I just listed, but they are definitely learning

              communities, bringing faculty and students together on a

              regular basis to peruse the same academic goals.

              In the Marine Lab students take care of aquariums

              and work on aquatic research projects. In the

              herpetarium or reptile lab students take care of

              reptiles and do reptile research projects. There are

              also Professional Learning Communities, Where

              like-minded professionals get together and talk about

              topics related to their profession. I’ve facilitated a

              bunch of professional learning communities for faculty

              where we got together and talked about all aspects of

              Teaching and Learning.

         INNER DIALOGUE MATT

              Sounds interesting, but are there any benefits to

              learning communities? It sounds like a complicated

              scheduling nightmare.

         MATT

              Scheduling can be difficult, but there is a huge body of

              literature around this

              indicating a huge number of benefits. According to Karen

              Kellog (1999), benefits for students include “increases

              in academic achievement, retention, motivation,

              intellectual development, learning, and involvement in

              community.” Faculty can be re-energized, empowered, feel

              valued, become more creative, and more committed to the

              college or university. Distinguished Syracuse University

              sociology professor Vincent Tinto (1994) studied student

              retention and learning communities. In a 1994 paper, he

              explains that

              learning communities provide a strong sense of belonging

              for students and a strong sense of belonging is key to

              student retention in a college or university.

         INNER DIALOGUE MATT

              Nice job! It looks like you found a fairly interesting

              topic and you have done your homework. Now quit wasting

              everybody's time and introduce your guest.

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References

Golde, C. M., & Pribbenow, D. A. (n.d.). Understanding Faculty Involvement in Residential Learning Communities, Journal of College Student Development. Retrieved November 12, 2019, from http://chris.golde.org/filecabinet/facultyinvolvement.html.

Kellog, K. (1999) Learning Communities. ERIC Digest. Washington, D.C.: ERIC Clearinghouse on Higher Education.

Tinto, V. (2003). Learning Better Together: The Impact of Learning Communities on Student Success. In Promoting Student Success in College, Higher Education Monograph Series (pp. 1-8). Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University.

To help us explore these topics further, I have invited Dr. Bob Midden to talk with us today. Dr. Midden is an Associate Professor of Chemistry and the Associate Vice Provost for Experiential and Innovative Learning here at BGSU. He came to BGSU in 1987 to join a team of scientists to build a new Ph.D. program in photochemical sciences and established BGSU as a national leader in photochemical sciences research. Since then his research interests have shifted from bioorganic photochemistry to finding ways to reform education at all levels. The recipient of more than $18 million in grants from federal and state agencies and private foundations, he has led multiple intercollegiate teams in efforts to improve K-12 as well as undergraduate and graduate instruction in the sciences, technology, engineering, and mathematics (or STEM) fields.

Dr. Midden was the director of the Chapman Learning Community, which was the first comprehensive residential learning community at BGSU. He developed alternative learning experiences and actively engaged students with projects serving the surrounding communities. He also spearheaded an initiative to integrate service-learning into the undergraduate curriculum and to document the many ways in which faculty create such opportunities for their students.

Dr. Midden was also the Director of the Northwest Ohio Center for Excellence in STEM Education (or NWO) with the mission of advancing STEM education for people of all ages. NWO serves the 29 counties of the northwest quadrant of Ohio and involves partnerships with most of the higher education institutions, many K-12 school districts, as well as numerous businesses and non-profit organizations throughout the region. NWO provides a variety of services to the region including K-12 and college faculty professional development, hosting annual symposia and student STEM competitions, administering multiple STEM college student scholarship programs, fostering the development of a new Learning Sciences doctoral program, and sponsoring other events aimed at promoting interest and success in STEM disciplines.

In addition to his work as NWO Director, Dr. Midden lead a scientific research project investigating major issues threatening the environmental integrity and economic vitality of Lake Erie and other Ohio lakes, rivers, and streams. This project has involved more than 40 undergraduate and graduate students over the last five years and involves collaboration with several government agencies and scientists from throughout the region in addressing one of the most pressing environmental issues in Ohio.

Bob is a colleague and good friend of mine. He helped me facilitate several learning communities and lead many teaching and learning workshops. He is someone who teaches me something new or presents a complicated concept with a fresh perspective every single time I talk to him. Please welcome Dr. Bob Midden.

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Table of Contents:

00:00 - Introduction - Locus of Control, Growth Mindset, and Control of Learning Beliefs

07:15 - Interview with Dr. Bob Midden

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Interact with Dr. Partin and the Teaching and Learning Professor community at:

https://www.facebook.com/theteachingandlearningprofessor/

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Today’s theme centers around 3 closely related concepts: 1) Locus of Control, 2) Growth Mindset, and 3) Control of Learning Beliefs. This episode will address several questions about these topics including What are they? What is the difference between them? Why are they important? and How do these concepts affect teaching and learning?

The First Concept- Locus of Control was developed in 1954 by Julian B. Rotter who was a psychology professor at The Ohio State University and later the University of Connecticut. Locus of Control refers to a person’s belief in how much control they have over the outcomes in their life. Locus of control can be internal or external. Someone with a strong internal locus of control tends to believe that incidents in their life stem predominantly from their own actions. For example, the results of a high scoring exam, stem from their own effort or ability… In other words, they did well on an exam because they studied a lot or they are just highly intelligent. On the other hand, the student may believe they did poorly on an exam because they didn’t study enough.

Someone with a strong external locus of control may be inclined to praise or blame external factors for their exam grade, such as the teacher was terrible or the exam itself was too hard or too confusing.

The Second Concept- Growth Mindset was described in a 2006 book by Carol Dweck called “Mindset: The New Psychology of Success”. She was a psychology professor at Columbia University, Harvard University, the University of Illinois, and most recently Stanford University.

Deweck explains that mindsets can be described as a continuum between fixed mindsets and growth mindsets. Students with a fixed mindset believe that physical or mental abilities are predominantly constant (or fixed) and view the cause of their failures as the lack of essential proficiencies. They may give up on a difficult task quickly, because they believe they don’t have the required skills for success. They believe that they have a certain amount of intelligence and it cannot change. Their goal may become to “appear smart at all costs and to not look dumb”. They tend to avoid difficult problems and view a “wrong answer” as a failure.

Students with a growth mindset believe that they can acquire about any new skill or ability if they invest enough time or effort into learning how to do it. They tend to choose more difficult problems to work on if given the choice and see “wrong answers” as an opportunity to learn. They tend to persist much longer at a difficult task than students with a fixed mindset and tend to be more successful.

The Third Concept- Control of Learning Beliefs comes from a theory called Self-Regulated Learning (SLR). This theory states that learning is guided by 3 things 1) metacognition (thinking about one’s thinking), 2) strategic action (planning, monitoring, and assessing advancement in skill level), and 3) motivation (intrinsic, extrinsic, self-efficacy). It is believed that self-regulated learners are aware of their academic strengths and weaknesses. They have a selection of strategies they use to overcome typical academic tasks. They most likely believe intelligence can be gained and it is not fixed. They also tend to attribute their success or failures to things within their control.

To make a long story short, self-regulated learners believe that academic achievement will result from opportunities to take on difficult assignments, practicing new skills, acquiring a profound understanding of a topic, and putting effort into learning. They are successful because they control their learning environment. They apply this control by aligning their actions toward their learning goals and regulating their progress.

_________________

Support this podcast at RedCircle— DONATE TODAY!!

I’m using your donations to buy a new microphone and studio equipment to improve my sound. I need coffee too 🙂

 ________________

Alotaibi, K. (2017). The Relationship Between Self-Regulated Learning and Academic Achievement for a Sample of Community College Students at King Saud University. Education Journal, 6(1), 28. doi: 10.11648/j.edu.20170601.14

Growth Mindset vs. Fixed Key Takeaways From Dweck's Book. (2019, July 4). Retrieved from https://positivepsychology.com/growth-mindset-vs-fixed-mindset/.

James Clear. (2018, October 24). Fixed Mindset vs Growth Mindset: How Your Beliefs Change Your Behavior. Retrieved from https://jamesclear.com/fixed-mindset-vs-growth-mindset.

Joelson, R. B. (2017, August 2). Locus of Control. Retrieved November 6, 2019, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/moments-matter/201708/locus-control.

Lee, Y.-H., Heeter, C., Magerko, B., & Medler, B. (2012). Gaming Mindsets: Implicit Theories in Serious Game Learning. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 15(4), 190–194. doi: 10.1089/cyber.2011.0328

Perry, N.E., Phillips, L., & Hutchinson, L.R. (2006). Preparing student teachers to support for self-regulated learning. Elementary School Journal, 106, 237-254.

Self-regulated learning. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://en.academic.ru/dic.nsf/enwiki/1280924.

To help us understand why exercise may make us smarter, I have invited my friend and colleague Amy Wager to talk to us today. She is an Associate Teaching Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences and Bowling Green State University and one of our Pre-Health Advisors. She teaches courses in Anatomy and Physiology and coordinates our anatomy labs.

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Table of Contents:

00:00 - Introduction - Locus of Control, Growth Mindset, and Control of Learning Beliefs

03:10 - Interview with Amy Wagner

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Interact with Dr. Partin and the Teaching and Learning Professor community at:

https://www.facebook.com/theteachingandlearningprofessor/

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Today’s main topic centers around the question “Can exercise make you smarter?” I think most of you know that physical exercise can make you healthier. You can build muscle, improve organ function, including your heart, circulatory system, and your cardiovascular system. Physical exercise may help you avoid lots of aches, pains, and disease later in life. But can physical exercise actually make you smarter? 

Mental exercise, such as learning, can make you smarter. In what-ever way you use your brain, you will build new neural connections that will strengthen each time you use those new pathways. Learning WILL make you smarter. 

But can physical exercise make you smarter? Researchers believe it can.

To begin with, exercise stimulates the body's nervous system, causing it to release chemicals such as serotonin, dopamine, and endorphins that make us feel happy and calm. Endorphins have also been shown to improve memory. After exercise, memory improves and your ability to prioritize what is most import and what is less important improves, allowing you to block out distractions and better concentrate on an assignment.

The release of these chemicals helps to explain why many people feel more focused and aware after they exercise. If you feel better, you can think more clearly and concentrate better. Your body will simply function at a higher level after exercising. 

With regular exercise and an improved cardiovascular system, you can bring blood and oxygen more efficiently to your brain. You may also improve the amount of time you can stay focused on studying and recover faster. 

In fact, it is believed that the growth of new brain cells and new neural connections can be stimulated by exercise. As your brain grows new cells and connections, the areas associated with memory and learning grow and overall brain function improves.

So how much exercise do you need to keep your brain functioning at its best?

A minimum is probably 15-20 minutes, three times per week. However, 30-60 minutes 4-5 days per week is probably better. Running may be better than lifting weights, but any exercise is better than none.

_______________________

Support this podcast at RedCircle— DONATE TODAY!!

I'm using your donation to buy a new microphone and studio equipment to improve my sound. I need coffee too :-)

_______________________

REFERENCES

Bergland, C. (2013, October 11). Scientists Discover Why Exercise Makes You Smarter. Retrieved November 6, 2019, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-athletes-way/201310/scientists-discover-why-exercise-makes-you-smarter.

Cohen, J. (2012, August 13). 6 Ways Exercise Makes You Smarter. Retrieved November 6, 2019, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/jennifercohen/2012/05/08/6-ways-exercise-makes-you-smarter/#2f7e0562305d.

Jubbal, K. (2018, March 26). How Exercise Makes you Smarter (and a Better Student!). Retrieved from https://medschoolinsiders.com/lifestyle/how-exercise-makes-you-smarter-and-a-better-student/.

Raypole, R. (2019, September 30). How to Hack Your Hormones for a Better Mood. Retrieved November 6, 2019, from https://www.healthline.com/health/happy-hormone.

Seana. (2019, January 1). Happiness hormones: how training makes you happy. Retrieved from https://www.freeletics.com/en/blog/posts/happiness-hormones-training-makes-happy/.

Interact with Dr. Partin and the Teaching and Learning Professor community at:

https://www.facebook.com/theteachingandlearningprofessor/

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The purpose of this podcast is to explore best practices in teaching and learning in higher education. Keeping students focused and engaged can be challenging and often times frustrating. Sitting through long boring lectures can be difficult to follow and unlikely to leave you enthusiastic about the class or the discipline. With more engaging pedagogy from our professors and improved study habits from our students, far more knowledge will be transferred and everyone will be happier.

Hi and welcome to The Teaching & Learning professor. My name is Dr. Matthew L. Partin. I am a Teaching Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio. I have been faculty and the Director of the BGSU Marine Lab since 1999. I teach large lectures of marine biology for non-majors, a small upper-level aquarium husbandry course that incorporates undergraduate research, 2 service-learning courses, a marine biology freshman orientation course, and a study abroad field experience in Curacao (Southern Caribbean).

The BGSU Marine Lab is a 1,500 sq. ft. facility which contains over 4,000 gallons of seawater in over 60 aquaria. Some of the larger systems include a 500-gallon touch tank, a 1,000-gallon shark system, and two coral research systems totaling 1,000 gallons. In the lab, eight major phyla are represented in over 66 genera of marine life including sea anemones, corals, starfish, sea urchins, snails, crabs, octopus, and algae as well as a wide variety of freshwater and marine fish.

Outreach is a large part of the marine biology program at BGSU. The animals in the Marine Lab are maintained by students for class study and research projects but are also present for the appreciation of 2,000 visitors each year. The Marine Lab is free to visit, open to the public, and hosts local school groups every Thursday morning during the academic year.

Undergraduate research is another focus of the marine biology program at BGSU. The BGSU Aquatic Research Laboratory (ARL) is a 1,450 sq. ft. facility dedicated to fresh and saltwater aquatic research for undergraduates. The ARL was recently built in response to BGSU’s strong support of undergraduate research and the prodigious growth of the Marine Biology program. The ARL is strictly for undergraduates not open to the public.

The BGSU Marine Lab has been in existence since 1963 and as an undergraduate student in the early 1990s, I took courses in the marine lab and maintained the lab's first corals. After graduating with my bachelor’s degree, I became a professional aquarist in Manteo, North Carolina for a couple years. I eventually returned to BGSU for graduate school and I’ve been here ever since. When I took over the Marine lab, there were about 20 students each year who considered themselves “Marine Biology” students. Today, we have about 200 in the program. Throughout this series, I’ll talk about how I grew the program through action research and data-driven decision making. What I did can be easily duplicated at about any college or university and with about any program.

Although I am a non-tenure track faculty member, I have several publications on teaching and learning. My research interests include attitudes, motivation, metacognition, and learning environments. My interests span both formal and informal education and I typically look for relationships between psychosocial and motivational variables. These variables are usually tested with multiple regression or path-analysis and I have created a model that I have been testing. It works informal learning environments (such as large and small lecture halls), informal learning environments (like the marine lab), and entire programs (like our marine biology program). For this series, I have invited faculty, staff, and students to talk about the variables I feel are most important to teaching and learning.

So why start a podcast? Well... After about 10 years of giving the same marine biology lectures over and over, I started coming back to my office and realizing that I couldn’t remember what I just told my lecture hall. I was completely on auto-pilot and I knew something had to change. My teaching evaluations were good, but I was bored and my students had to be bored too. I started updating my lectures every semester and I began incorporating more “constructivist active learning” into my large lectures and undergraduate research into my small upper-level classes. Constructivism is a teaching philosophy I’ll describe throughout this series and active learning refers to any learning activity in which the student participates or interacts with the learning process. Undergraduate research will be a reoccurring theme throughout this series.

Over the years, I have tried many teaching styles and techniques. Some have worked and many have not worked so well. Teaching and learning has always been a passion of mine and I believe the best way to truly learn something is to teach it. To help myself learn, I began to facilitate Faculty Learning Communities focused on Teaching and Learning. I also conducted workshops for our Center for Teaching, Learning, and Technology, and I began to formally mentor new faculty. Those efforts rekindled my love of teaching and learning. This podcast is my newest effort to teach myself how to teach by interviewing highly skilled professors, by hearing what students want, and how various pedagogy (or teaching techniques) are received.

The target audience for this series is my Marine Biology Freshman orientation class (called BIOL 2000), but any student, faculty, staff, or college administrator will benefit from listening to the series. I am interviewing students on topics such as attitudes, motivation, metacognition, active learning, how to study, and math literacy. I am interviewing staff on topics such as undergraduate research, internships, scholarships, career services, and the learning commons. Faculty are being interviewed on topics such as preparing for tenure, managing graduate students, non-tenure-track faculty, writing grants, publishing, and faculty service. Ultimately, I want my students to understand the best ways to study, services available to them, and the demands of faculty outside of teaching. Hopefully, some faculty, staff, and administrators will listen to the series as well and gain a better understanding of our students.

I hope you enjoy the series... and remember ... Teaching is a challenge, Learning is forever!!