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Back to Table of Contents for On Course Across the Curriculum

1. Strategy: Responsibility Model & Wise Choice Process
Application: Microbiology

Educator: Karen Anderson, Faculty, Science, Madison Area Technical College , WI

Implementation: After returning the first quiz or test, I ask students if they are on course to success in the course. Typically in Microbiology, I find that many will not be. I introduce students to the Responsibility Model and elicit how they think a Victim and a Creator would respond to a poor quiz or test grade. Next I introduce students to the Wise Choice Process. When they understand the process, I ask them to pair up and go through the Wise Choice Process, using their quiz or test result as the “Situation” (Step 1) that they explore. Afterwards, I ask volunteers to share their experience of the WCP and any commitments they have made. I end by asking students to write a paragraph assessing the value of this activity. In a recent class, 28 of 31 thought the activity was worthwhile. One student wrote, “It allowed time to talk about and think through what I need to do to become a better student!  My partner and I also exchanged ideas on study techniques and stress-reduction techniques to make school and life a little easier.  I am glad we did this and I actually became a lot more motivated by some of the things that were said in class. Thank you!” This activity motivated many students with low confidence and also allowed students to connect with one another.  I plan to use this process again in microbiology and begin using it in my chemistry course.

2. Strategy: Class Contract & 32-Day Commitment

Application: Biology

Educator: Diana Willeman, Faculty, Science, Jefferson College of Health Science, VA
Implementation: I had my BIO 102 course (5 week course that meets M-F) do both a class contract and also a 32-Day Commitment to study biology every day anywhere between 5-30 minutes (their choice). On my first exam, no one scored less than a “B” and the class average was 98. WOW!!! This has never happened in the 12+ years that I have taught this course and I do NOT give easy exams. When I commented on the exceptional grades for this exam, I asked the students what their “secret of success” was. They responded by saying that they felt committed to study biology every day. I was a believer before, but now I REALLY believe in the power of using On Course concepts in the classroom. (You know scientists….we have to see the facts to back up things!)

3. Strategy: Jigsaw
Application: Anatomy and Physiology
Implementation: Have students get into groups of four. Each student chooses to become the group’s expert in one of four parts of the urinary system: 1) Urethra, 2) Kidney, 3) Ureter or 4) Urinary bladder. To complete Step A of the Jigsaw, tell students about the resources and time they have available to become their group’s expert. For example, available resources could be readings in their course text plus assigned sources on the Internet; available time could be one week. In Step B of the Jigsaw, have the four expert groups meet to plan how to teach their method to their home group members. Additionally, each expert group creates a practice test to evaluate the effectiveness of their teaching. The instructor previews these practice tests for appropriateness (revising where necessary). In Step C, experts return to their home groups, teach their method, then administer and review the practice tests. The instructor answers questions about the four practice tests and later gives an instructor-created test that counts toward the students’ grades.

4. Strategy: Graduation Game (Ring Toss), Monthly Calendar, & Next Action List
Application: Chemistry

Educator: Gladys Aviles, First Year Programs Coordinator, Lawrence Technical University , MI

Implementation: I do the Graduation Game on the first day of class. In a follow-up discussion, I guide students to connect their experience in the game with the importance of taking 3-foot tosses in the course: keeping up with reading assignments, attending class regularly, completing all lab work, etc. Then I introduce the monthly calendar and encourage them to write what is due that month and keep it in a visible place. Additionally, I encourage them to combine their use of a calendar with a Next Actions List.

5. Strategy: Jigsaw
Application: Introduction to Astronomy

Educator: George Kraus, Faculty, Science, College of Southern Maryland , MD

Implementation: I place students in home groups of four and ask them to become the group’s expert in one of the four categories of questions in the Study Guide that I provide them for the next exam. In Step A, I give them one week to become the group’s expert on the category of questions they choose. In Step B, the expert groups meet in class to begin writing answers to the questions on the study guide. They need not complete the task in the first meeting, but they must be finished by the day of the in-class review session. I give the expert groups about 10 minutes on review day to meet and compare their answers. In Step C, experts return to their home groups, explain how to answer each question and field questions from other members of the group (about 10-15 minutes for each expert). In the next class, students independently take the exam.