Instructor: Christine E. Cutucache, Ph.D. Office: 413, Allwine Hall

BER Methods

BIOL 8450; 3 cr hrs

100% Online

Instructor: Christine E. Cutucache, Ph.D. Office: 413, Allwine Hall

Email: Phone: (402) 554-2917

Skype: DrCutucache

Office Hours: Mondays 10-11am. Call, skype, or email during this time for the quickest response. Email for any other time.

Required Text:

Theoretical Foundations of Learning Environments by Jonassen and Land

and

The Cambridge Handbook of the Learning Sciences by Sawyer

Grading for Graduate Students:
2 exams (100 points each*) = 200 points possible

1 research proposal/grant = 200 points possible

Participation in small group exercises = 50 points possible

5 Quizzes (10 points each) = 50 points possible

500 total points possible

Grading Scale:

97-100% A+ 77-79% C+ 59% and below F

93-96% A 73-76% C

90-92% A- 70-72% C-

87-89% B+ 67-69% D+

83-86% B 63-66% D

80-82% B- 60-62% D-

Learning Objectives: Following the completion of this course, students will be able to:

·  Define discipline-based education research (DBER)

·  Distinguish between the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) and DBER

·  Simulate and model different pedagogical interventions for implementation in science courses

·  Interpret the methods used for DBER-based investigations

·  Compare and contrast different theories of the Foundations of Learning Environments

·  Compare and contrast formative and summative assessment

·  Distinguish the appropriate statistics for evaluation of differing types of DBER research questions

·  Construct a DBER proposal/grant with justification and rationale as well as effective methods

Exams:

There will be 2 timed, completely online exams given during the semester. The exams will consist of multiple-choice questions, True/False, short answer, and essay or data analyses and interpretation. The final exam is not comprehensive; rather, the first exam covers all material from the beginning of the course to exam 1 and exam 2 covers all from mid-term to the end of the course. Importantly, for any questions that you wish to contest, please provide a 1-paragraph explanation of your rationale in addition to 2 peer-reviewed sources in support.

There will be no makeup exams. Should an emergency arise, please contact Dr. Cutucache prior to the exam start date/time. Make-up exams are not fair to the rest of the students in the class. Exams are online, therefore reasons like illness, vacation or other travel plans, a late night on the town, your alarm clock not working, car troubles due to the cold weather, etc. do not apply! No make up exams are allowed. In the event that a student misses an exam and has a reasonable excuse (i.e. a doctor’s note indicating illness during the exam), a makeup exam will be given. Please note that the format of the makeup exam will be different from the original exam and will likely be an oral exam in front of a panel of faculty.

Paper: Students are required to complete and submit one research grant proposal paper (no more than 15 pages in length) for 200 total possible points. In the course, we will discuss different types of DBER methods as well as investigate the basis for these types of questions. Students must design their own research study and provide the full proposal with IRB request, research aims, and budget. Submit a 2-paged outline 2 weeks before the paper is due. This paper will be a large portion of the overall grade (40%) and students are highly encouraged to use the UNO Writing Center, request feedback from faculty, conduct peer-editing, and consult the IRB office in advance. Students are encouraged to begin preparation for this large assignment in week 3 of the course.

Attendance Policy: It’s important to be present-that is not only in person, but also prepared & read to discuss), for this course. This is a graduate course and will include many class discussions.

Academic Integrity Policy: Students are expected to be familiar with and abide by the University of Nebraska at Omaha’s Academic Integrity Policy. All exams, while online, are 100% randomized. The policy can be found at: http://www.unomaha.edu/aandsaffairs/tabs/student/aiundergrad.php

Reporting Sexual Misconduct and Resources at UNO: The University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) seeks to provide an environment that is free of bias, discrimination, and harassment. If you have been the victim of harassment, misconduct, or assault, we encourage you to report this. If you report sexual assault, sexual misconduct or sexual harassment to a UNO faculty or staff member, by law she or he must notify UNO's Title IX Coordinator, Charlotte Russell (402-554-3490) about the basic facts of the incident. Students wishing to have a confidential conversation with a designated campus representative may contact UNO Counseling Services (402-554-2409) or UNO Ombudsperson, Dr. Shereen Bingham (402-554-4857). For more information about campus resources at UNO, please go to the UNO Student Safety Website at:http://www.unomaha.edu/student-life/student-safety/index.php

Plagiarism: Using someone else’s work as your own without citing the source is plagiarism. In some cases, cited material can also be considered plagiarism-YOU MUST CITE THE PRIMARY LITERATURE ADEQUATELY. Because there are many different types of plagiarism, you should be sure to go to this website (http://www.plagiarism.org/plag_article_what_is_plagiarism.html) for a full understanding of plagiarism. This link can also be found on the lab Blackboard page in the external links tab. For your 1st offense, you will receive 0 points on that assignment. For your 2nd offense, you will be expelled from the course and receive an “F”.

Accommodations for Students with Disabilities: Reasonable accommodations are provided for students who are registered with Disability Services and make their requests sufficiently in advance. For more information, contact Disability Services (EAB 117, Phone: 554-2872, TTY: 554-3799) or go to the website: www.unomaha.edu/disability.

Cancellation of Classes: In the event of weather-related cancellation of classes, the schedule for class will pick up where it left off during the first day back. Therefore, if an exam is scheduled for a time period in which the University cancels class, then the exam will be cancelled that day and will be rescheduled. It will be your responsibility to check the announcement on Blackboard and follow the directions listed there.

No translators are allowed on exams.

Lecture Schedule

(*subject to change*)

*As a general structure, we will have lecture-based or group-based instruction Mondays & Wednesdays of the course with Journal Clubs & paper reviews on Fridays.

Week of Monday, March 2