Report for the NISL-EI Clinic held at CSIR Pretoria from 9-20 October 2006.
Richard Knight, Nicklaus Kruger and Sam Hopkins
Department of Biodiversity and Conservation Biology, University of the Western Cape
Email:
23rdOctober 2006
Summary
The learners had a lack of basic biological understanding and some had accumulated ideas that were wrong, and were in no mind to change them. Their basic comprehension was poor and their vocabulary, of even the simplest biological terms, was severely lacking. These short comings can be fixed, but there is little evidence of any desire for them to do this. Instead they wanted the answers, and for us to reveal some mythical secret of how they can pass with little or no effort. There were exceptions, but these were few. It was obvious that the learners had not been going through the Power Point presentations and other course content we have been providing, and if they were it was a futile exercise as they may have simply looked at the slides or notes but not actually taken in any of the information.
Finally, it is pointless to have a mentor on site working with the group who himself has no scientific background. Many students suggested that the work we deemed to be sub-standard had been checked by their mentor and passed. In fact often this work was not just factually inaccurate, but also written and presented badly.
In essence, we feel sorry for the learners as they seem to be labouring under the misapprehension that they just have to turn up to this course every day from eight until four and they will get a qualification that will get them a job. It is disheartening for those of us who have put so much time and effort into this course, to see the materials not being utilised.
Background
After assessing the Rietvlei report, it became clearer for us to identify some of the problems the learners are having with the NISL-EI courses. This assignment identified simple issues like the nature of data, preparation of methods, forms of analysis, and preparation of tables, figures, and even captions for the latter. Misconceptions needed to be cleared-up and an increased ability to work accurately obtained. I think it would be fair to state that 99% of the learners’ sentences in Rietvlei reports were either factual incorrect or had spelling and grammar or referencing mistakes.
Other issues are that the learners are not going through the Power Point and web material we are putting up. Essentially they are bypassing the study material and are concentrating exclusively on the assignments. They clearly have not undertaken the self-test to help gauge their understanding of material. There has been failure to realize that assignments are build upon content (equivalent of lectures). A further misconception is that an understanding of previously dealt with content and concepts is often required in current and future assignments.
Aimsof the NISL-EI clinic
1)Assess learners’language skills. Punctuation was highlighted as especially difficult.
2)Assess learners’ reading comprehension. A variety of tasks were undertaken from preparing drawings that reflected a description through to understanding popular and scientific papers.
3)Introduce learners’ to scientific writing using a style manual. The BCB department has accepted the Council for Science Editors CSE as the official standard.
4)Ensure the learners’ understand that different journals have different “house styles”, however, most journals dealing with biodiversity, conservation biology and ecology have based their journal house style on the CSE.
5)Introduce to learners’ research methodology through a project on assessing insect biodiversity.
6)Make a start with collecting and processing biodiversity data.
7)Introduce to the learners’ the design of questionnaires and how to develop an online questionnaire.
8)Introduce to the learners Weblogs and discussion forums.
9)Introduce to the learners, how to do literature searches (using SFX from Google Scholar)
10)Introduce learners to techniques to evaluate a Web site/page.
11)Introduce learners to important features in Microsoft Excel, Power Point and Word.
12)Review with the learners the expectations of the Biodiversity BCB705 course. An emphasis was placed on classification of organisms.
13)Review with the learners the expectations of the Conservation Biology BCB706 course. An emphasis was placed on ecological principles and the concept of the ecological footprint.
14)Review with the learners the expectations of the Invasion Biology BCB722 course. An emphasis was placed on the expert system.
15)Review with the learners the expectations of the Resource Mapping BCB722 course. An emphasis was placed on map reading skills using the Maptrix exercise.
16)Review with the learners the expectations of the Climate Change BCB724 course. An emphasis was placed on reviewing video material, using the HBO documentary “Too Hot not to Handle”
Overarching theme is to get the learners to understand the need to work accurately. This is a mindset that needs to be changed since their current work is sloppy and indicates any attention to detail. Accuracy is fundamental for any job and relates to attitude and taking personal responsibility.
Final Programme
DAY / TOPIC / ACTIVITY / PRESENTERDay 1 - Morning / Plagiarism, ethics and referencing / Presentation / Rich Knight
Day 1 - Lunch / Working Lunch – two learners / Discussion / Rich Knight
Sam Hopkins
Day 1 - Afternoon / What is data? What is Information? What is a literature search?
Make a start with data collection. Insect Sampling / Presentation
Activity / Rich Knight
Sam Hopkins
Day 2 - Morning / CSE Style
Reading a Science Paper / Presentation
Presentation followed by an activity / Rich Knight
Sam Hopkins
Day 2 - Lunch / Working Lunch – two learners / Discussion / Rich Knight
Sam Hopkins
Day 2 - Afternoon / Reading a Scientific Paper
Continue collecting data / Assignment / Rich Knight
Day 3 - Morning / CSE Style
Questionnaires - Review and design / Test
Activity
Day 3 - Lunch / Working Lunch – two learners / Discussion / Rich Knight
Sam Hopkins
Day 3 - Afternoon / Completion of the Reseach Paper on Questionaires.
Making an on-line Questionnaire or test using Articulate Quizmaker 2
Continue collecting data / Activity / Rich Knight
Day 4 - Morning / CSE Style
Using a Weblog / Test
Presentation / Rich Knight
Sam Hopkins
Rich Knight
Day 4 - Lunch / Working Lunch – two learners / Discussion / Rich Knight
Sam Hopkins
Day 4 - Afternoon / Library Searches
Can it be organized to meet the librarian staff at CSIR?
Continue collecting data / Presentation followed by an activity / Rich Knight
Sam Hopkins
Day 5 - Morning / Using Word / Presentation / Rich Knight
Day 5 - Lunch
Day 5 - Afternoon / Using Power Point and Excel
Continue collecting data / Presentation and Assessment / Richard Knight
Day 6 - Morning / CSE Style
Discussion of Biodiversity: BCB703
Classification of Organisms / Test / Rich
T.B.A.
Day 6 - Lunch / Working Lunch with co-ordinators / Discussion / Rich Knight
Day 6 - Afternoon / Working up insect data collected from campus
Day 7 - Morning / Conservation Biology - BCB706. Basic Ecology Lectures / Nick Kruger
Day 7 - Lunch / Working Lunch with co-ordinators / Discussion / Rich Knight
Day 7 - Afternoon / Conservation Biology - BCB706. Objectives and Assignments. Understanding the Ecological Footprint Concept.
Structuring an answer using Freemind / Rich Knight
Day 8 - Morning / Invasion Biology- BCB723. Objectives and Assignments / Rich Knight
Day 8 - Lunch / Working Lunch with co-ordinators / Discussion / Rich Knight
Day 8 - Afternoon / Preparing a Power Point presentation – using the NISL Template – re-doing original Power Points. / Activity / Rich Knight
Day 9 - Morning / Resource Mapping - BCB722. Introduction to GIS and Remote Sensing / Presentations / Rich Knight
Day 9 - Lunch / Working Lunch with co-ordinators / Discussion / Rich Knight
Day 9 - Afternoon / Introduction to Idrisi / Activity / Rich Knight
Day 10 - Morning / Climate Change – BCB 725. Reviewing video material. How do you do it?
Too Hot not to Handle produced by HBO. / Video Review followed by discussion
Day 10 - Lunch / Working Lunch with co-ordinators / Discussion / Rich Knight
Day 10 - Afternoon / Using the above film’s script you will need to prepare 30 quiz questions using Articulate quizmaker. / Assignment / Rich Knight
Assessment of the programme
In hindsight, the programme was attempting to cover too much ground. Nevertheless more than 80% of the intended syllabus was covered in the clinic. In developing the programme there had been an expectation that an Internet link would be available at the venue. Unfortunately only in the last two days was a different venue identified and available that was suitable. With the exception of the Weblog, discussion forum all of the aims 1-10 were met with varying degrees of success. Time limits prevented a review of the Microsoft Office suite (Word, Excel and PowerPoint). All of the aims addressing each of the specific courses were addressed except for the Climate Change (BCB724).
1)Language skills. All ten Learners appeared to have no problem at the end of the exercise
2)Reading comprehension. All ten Learners appeared to have no problem at the end of the exercise
3)Using the CSE style manual is still presenting problems. Although all ten Learners felt confident about using it, this confidence is based on each being given a hard copy of the Student’s Guide to Biostyle. None of the learners have installed the online version which is effectively a Windows help file. This will be followed up with some formal testing of their understanding and application.
4)Journal in-house styleAll Learners still appeared to have no problem at the end of the exercise. This will be followed up with some formal testing of their understanding and application.
5)Research Methods: insect biodiversity.Seven out of the ten learners expressed that they still have problems at the end of the exercise
6)Biodiversity data collection/processing.Alllearners appeared to have no problem at the end of the exercise
7)Questionnaire design.Alllearners appeared to have no problem at the end of the exercise
8)Weblogs and discussion forums.This area has been problematic since the beginning of the year. The biggest obstacle remain technical problems with seven reporting that they have major problems. One of the main problems is losing user names and passwords and not being able to understand how to re-apply. Each NISL-EI course has its own blog and in order to post you need to accept an invitation to be part of the Blog team. In accepting you need to use you user-name and password and many of learners have put different details and have subsequently got confused. Most learners indicated that they were not inhibited by using the Blog. This has vindicated the decision not to use the Kewl Nextgen, which is definitely more difficult to use. This issue is being followed up with a second training sessions at Pretoria.
9)Internet Searches for “Peer Review” material.Seven learners appeared to have no problem at the end of the exercise. Since this was done by the CSIR staff, it is suggested that this is followed up with a third session.
10)Website evaluation. Two Learners appeared to have no problem at the end of the exercise. Since this was done by the CSIR staff, it is suggested that this is followed up with a third session.
11)Excel, Power Point and Word.This was not done in the first session is sufficient detail, due to both facilities and eventually a shortage of time.
12)Biodiversity: classification.All Learners appeared to still have problem at the end of the exercise. In order to help hard copy notes have been provided and more testing will be undertaken.
13)Conservation Biology: ecology primer.Most Learners appeared to have no problem at the end of the exercise.
14)Invasion Biology: The Expert Systems remains a problem that will need tobe revised again.
15)Resource Mapping: In the map reading exercises reasonable compliance was achieved.Seven learners achieved 100% completion with the remainder achieving 75% completion.
16)Climate Change: Reviewing video material.None of the learners appeared to understand the concept of a review as opposed to simply summarizing material. Part of the problem was a shortage of time and that it has been extremely difficult to get access to a computer with Internet connection and a data projector in a suitable room.
Learners’concerns
Learners feel there is too much information to learn. The biodiversity course, species concepts and examples to illustrate these were highlighted as especially problematic.
Learners feel dejected at failing virtually all assignments since starting the course.
Learners do not see the point of maintaining weblogs if they are not marked.
Learners identified language as a barrier; they sometimes do not understand the material or instructions.
They feel neglected and that their instructors do not care about their problems and are unsympathetic.
Learners feel that the syllabus should concentrate on techniques likereviewing articles and writing essays.
Learners would like more exercises similar to the GIS assignments (Maptrix for map reading and using the BGIS Web Map Service).
They see courses as being too theory-laden and not directly useful for their intended workplace.
In face-to-face instruction they sometime feel that they are being treated like children. Instructor(s) were questioning them too much. They felt instructors shouldrather beproviding content and answer memoranda for the assignments. The instructor(s) have a lack of faith in their abilities.
Learners have specific questions and concerns with course material, but usually they feel too shy to express these concerns.
The learners feel that the first group were less strictly marked with regard to standards of referencing.
The learners are of the opinion that as long as the answer is correct that plagiarism should not be any real issue.
Instructors’Concerns
Learners are failing to read and study course material.
Learners are attempting to undertake assignments without the necessary background.
Learners had major problems with coping with the concept of scientific method. The idea ofa hypothesis is simply not understood. Learners are not able to judge what represents reputable sources of information.
The learners need considerable guidance on each task or assignment. Without face-to-face instruction it is difficult to ensure that they understand what is expected of the task or assignment.
The learners appear to be afraid to start assignments in case they get them wrong.
Learners do not want to volunteer information or answers to questions. They are afraid of being wrong in front of the class. They also think, that to say they understandlecture material is what the instructors want to hear.
Learners lack enthusiasm and even reject material like evolution, which to them contradicts their religious beliefs.
Language problems are a huge issue. To illustrate this point none of the learners were able to comprehend the following question raised in some video material presented to them.
Why does mineral water that has trickled through mountains for centuries have a use-by date?
Learners immediately turn to tools (Internet or a calculator) to solve a problem rather than trying to work out an answer for themselves.
Learners appear not to want to understand concepts; rather they only want answers provided without the need for thinking.
Recommendations (assuming the Programme continues)
Implement more interaction, possibly one dedicated person to provide the supportfrom UWC side.
Course development needs to use more quizzes.
Develop glossaries for each and every course. Use compliance tests to ensure learners have the necessary vocabulary.
Revise assessment structure, so that assignments are shorter with a quicker turn around of response. Assignments probably need to be read out to them or presented as Articulate material.
Learners responded most positively where there was an immediate feedback such as the Maptrix assignments. The exercise requires supervision. The resource for this assignment has been in Pretoria for some time. One of the GIS assignments used Maptrix, but the Learners had not asked for it and the supervisor had not supplied it. The current supervisors do not have Science or IT backgrounds. Consequently it is difficult for them to render assistance to the learners.
It is evident that learners lack disciplinefor self-study. To illustrate, the biodiversity review chapter was presented as an extensively hyperlinked html content. Some 360 self-test questions were prepared to help the learners build their knowledge. These self-test questions provide immediate feedback and could be re-done. It was clear that the learners did NOT review this material when asked to prepare 12 short answers (1-2 pages) from a selection of topics.
Rather than review what has been prepared for them, the learners only focused on undertaking the assignments and used the Internet to provide answers without the need to review material or plan a considered answer.
Periodic face-to-face interaction is essential. We recommend one week in every six weeks.