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From the Voice of a Playwright

Screen Shot 2016-05-20 at 2.24.49 PMNathaniel Nesmith, C3 Post-Doctoral Fellow in Theatre, wants his students to listen. To him, yes; but also to the playwrights whose works he teaches: African-American playwrights like Charles Gordone and Lorraine Hansberry, and white playwrights who wrote for black actors, like George Sklar and Eugene O’Neill.  “Sometimes I feel like I’m lecturing too much. I can see students sort of wandering around. But then if you put on a two-minute video clip, it brings them right back into the fold.”

Here is an example of an interview with Lorraine Hansberry that can be found and streamed via the Internet Archive.


Finding their voices

Nesmith specializes in 20th- and 21st-century drama, and focuses particularly on African-American theatre of the civil rights era.  He faces some significant challenges in bringing the voices of these playwrights to his students: a marginalized population with limited access to the media has made for a small pool of audiovisual artifacts. Even when a recording was known to have been made, finding an extant copy of it now can be an enormous challenge. Many radio and television networks failed to preserve large portions of their output during this era, and of what was preserved, even less has been digitized and made readily available through the Internet. This has sometimes necessitated substantial direct research at archives and libraries around the country, trying to determine where a lone copy of an important radio interview or TV appearance might still be found. Dr. Nesmith worked with Middlebury librarians to search archives and collections around the country for media artifacts related to the playwrights he teaches.

“I think sometimes students now are so accustomed to getting things so quickly, it’s always just there for them.

Research means you have to spend some time and look for something. Sometimes you might know something exists, but it just hasn’t become available… particularly in terms of some of the African-American playwrights.”

But the hunt, when it’s successful, pays off in the form of student interest and engagement.  “It stimulates the students… it engages them to go back and look for more in the text. Because if a playwright is talking specifically about something, then they want to go back and read that… it’s coming from the playwright’s mouth. Then the text seems

Davis Family Library

Davis Family Library

to have much more meaning.” Dr. Nesmith says that he’s often brought in short clips to show students, and found them asking for more once it was over. After listening to part of an interview with Lorraine Hansberry, he says his students wanted to keep going: “they go, ‘no no!  Can we hear the rest of it? Can you keep playing it?’ And they were sitting there listening – because there was no visual, they were sitting there, listening – and I was really pleased that they wanted to hear it.”  He can’t always indulge them, but he shows them where they can find the recording to listen on their own. “This is something I’m always trying to talk to students about: taking ownership of their time and the stuff that they make a commitment to. They’re investing their time in something they want to hear.”

The power of connection

American Libraries page of the Internet Archive

American Libraries page of the Internet Archive

For Dr. Nesmith, audiovisual materials are a bridge between the artist and the student, allowing the playwright to speak for themselves while also making the material more accessible to students who have a more visual understanding of the world.

“You realize that you’re dealing with history… it activates the mind a little differently; you certainly become more curious. When you have a playwright from the 50s talking about a play that was produced on Broadway in the 50s… that personalizes that text and it personalizes the historical perspective. So that personal interaction plays a major role, and I’ve discovered that it helps the students understand the play. And it helps not just the students — it helps me understand the play.”

An interview with Professor Nathaniel Nesmith, C3 Post-Doctoral Fellow in Theatre as shared by Amy Frazier, Film and Media Librarian

Using Animation to Explain

By: Vickie Backus, Senior Associate in Science Instruction in Biology

The Challenge: Teaching How Natural Selection Leads to Evolution

I teach introductory biology to a diverse population of students. One of the key concepts that I teach is how natural selection can lead to evolution (defined as a change in allele frequency in a population). We model this using the real life problem of how bacteria can become antibiotic resistant due to chronic low dose exposure.  The experimental technique that we use is a modification of the Kirby Bauer agar diffusion test where we load an antibiotic onto a filter paper disc and then place that loaded disc onto a bacterial lawn. Over 24 hours of incubation the antibiotic diffuses into the agar and sets up a concentration gradient. Bacteria with the alleles that have made them resistant to the antibiotic can live at higher concentrations than those that have alleles that make them sensitive to the drug and thus they can live closer to the filter paper disc (where the drug is more concentrated). This is seen as a clear ring (an area with no bacteria) around the disc that is called the zone of inhibition (ZOI). We found subsequent populations based on the bacteria’s ability to live at high concentrations of the antibiotic. You know that selection has increased the frequency of resistance alleles in the bacterial population when the radius of the ZOI decreases (which means that bacteria can live at higher concentrations than they have in the past.

Visualization leads to understanding

The method is simple to do but hard to understand because you can’t see the antibiotic in the agar (and can’t see the bacteria on the plate until you culture them). Thus some students have hard time visualizing what is happening and how the variable we measure (a decrease in the radius ZOI over time) is related to an increase in the resistance alleles in the bacteria population. The animation of the this process showing bacteria with the sensitive genotype, bacteria with the resistant genotype and toxin levels on the plate helps them to visualize this process and show how the relative proportions of the two types of bacteria (resistant and sensitive) change over time.

The Initial Animation

My first animation was a crude one made using Microsoft Powerpoint. While it worked it was clunky and the program was very limited in the tools that it had to make an animation. It was especially difficult to show how a concentration gradient of the antibiotic was set up; instead the tools showed the concentration as either high or zero, which is not correct and would not result in a selective response.

 

And the 2nd Draft

I was lucky that digital media tutor Katrina Moore ‘17 was interested in learning computer animation and was able to take on the job. We worked together to use Adobe Premiere to make an animation that was biologically realistic. We are finishing that process in January of 2016 and I will be able to use the final animation in Spring 2016. The way I will use it is to make it available on the class’s Moodle site by embedding it from MiddMedia and having the students watch it prior to class. I will evaluate their understanding of the technique by either having it be one of the topics covered in a prelab quiz or using it as a prompt for a think, pair, share exercise in class. I could have the students write their own narration for the video based on their understanding of the method that we are using. Small groups (lab partnerships for example) could view the completed video twice while given the opportunity to take notes. They then could use Quicktime to record their own version of the narration and submit the sound files via Moodle for assessment and comment.

[middmedia cd6868ebca83648aedf8ca834ba11026 DigitalMediaTutors agar_diffusion.mp4 width:800 height:600]

The initial video was well received by the students (even if it was a bit misleading) and lead to greater understanding of the method. Students were able to write and talk about the method in class in a deeper and more meaningful way after I started using it in my pre-lab lecture. It has been viewed over 3,000 times since it was posted to YouTube in February 2014; clearly it has appeal to learners beyond the College.

POGIL, a method of active learning: An interview with Glen Ernstrom

Glen Ernstrom, Assistant Professor of Biology and Neuroscience, leading a workshop on POGIL (Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning)

Glen Ernstrom, Assistant Professor of Biology and Neuroscience, leading a workshop on POGIL (Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning)

What is POGIL?

Glen: POGIL stands for Process-Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning. It’s a mouthful. It is a method of active learning that has two major foundations. One, to emphasize process, the idea of learning how to collaborate, how to do time management, gather resources, resolve problems, conflicts, or disagreements. That’s the process aspect of the learning process. The second foundation is guided inquiry learning.  That’s where you deliver content in a way that students can access that content through an active learning process.

What do you mean by active learning?

Glen:  Active learning is a process where the students take control of their learning, and as the instructor, you provide resources that facilitate learning new content. As a teacher, you have to prepare materials ahead of time: a set of questions, a worksheet centered around a model, or a diagram where students can start to interrogate this model by defining terms and by working their way through a learning cycle process of basic definitions.  Through some sort of evaluation, this brings them to a  higher order of thinking that involves analysis and synthesis. It’s an interactive process within a typical class session.  You might do two or three of these learning cycles, working through a set of questions on the order of ten questions per cycle, with each cycle lasting about fifteen minutes each.

How does this differ from traditional methods of instruction?

Glen: Students active formulate content by solving problems together in groups.  The students interact with each other working on those process goals. An important characteristic of this type of active learning is that students work in groups of three to four, as they work together on these worksheets. Each person in the group has defined roles —  a manager, a note-taker, an oral presenter, or a librarian —   so you work on these process goals while at the same time learning the content. At the most basic level, it is a break from traditional passive instruction towards one where students are encouraged to take control of their own learning.

Why did you choose this to make this change in instructional method?

Glen: I am convinced by several studies that show positive learning outcomes from active learning activities like POGIL.  Students retain the knowledge longer, and they enjoy the learning process better overall. People are also finding that underrepresented minorities perform better in classes with active learning.

What’s prevented you from doing nothing but POGIL?

Glen: There is student resistance. Not all students like the knowledge that they’re going to have to come to class prepared and to be able to exchange ideas, and that they’ll be assessed on that ability rather than just coming to class and passively sitting in a lecture hall. They realize that there’s more onus on them when with respect to class time. There’s resistance and sometimes some pushback on that. There’s also a very common report on course evaluations from some students who perceive this as the faculty not actually teaching. Even as this idea of active learning is trickling through our community, both from a faculty perspective and an administrative and student perspective, there’s still work that needs to be done for students to get used to it. So my approach has been to try to work it in into areas where the subject matter becomes especially tricky, more complex, and less straight-forward. That’s where POGIL really does a good job of reinforcing ideas and helping students really assess themselves. Do I really know this or not?  Then by working in groups and comparing the results of their work in class, they can measure themselves with their peers and see how well they are in doing. They get immediate feedback on their understanding.

If you imagined a world in which the students saw the light and realized that this actually is a fabulous way for them to learn, could you imagine doing nothing but POGIL?

Glen:  I think there  needs to be a balance because people learn in different ways. Even for people that are really into active learning, I think balancing a traditional lecture format with POGIL would be effective. Early in the week, you set the stage and provide some factual content; later in the week you reinforce those new concepts with a POGIL activity. Despite the benefits and advantages of working together and doing these process activities, there are some people that just don’t work that well and find it hard to work in that situation. There still needs to be more studies on this. Because people learn in different ways, having both options available to people is the best route for me, at least right now. And maybe people will find that that’s the way to go.

Section of POGIL exercise that Glen has used in his classes.

Section of POGIL exercise that Glen has used in his classes.

How do you introduce POGIL into a class?

Glen: There are different thoughts on this. Do you explain the theory behind POGIL and explain what POGIL stands for, or do you just say, hey, we’re going to do some class activities to help reinforce this and let the structure teach itself rather than explaining and justifying it. These days students want to know that what we’re doing is useful and that there’s some science behind what we’re doing. That’s why I decided to introduce the term “POGIL,” and  provided some  literature about the method and I showed them graphs showing improved performance in a controlled study.

Having taught in both modes, can you see on-the-ground evidence that by using POGIL students are learning more than they would in a traditional method of instruction?

Glen: The short answer is that it’s too early to draw any conclusions.  I started to using POGIL in a 300-level class this last spring semester.   We did four different POGILs, at different times throughout the semester. That’s about once or twice a month. (Click here to view a sample POGIL.) I don’t yet have solid evidence that there is a correlation between student performance or enjoyment of the course, and whether or not it’s attributed to POGIL. It’s still early going, and I’ll have a better sense as add more POGIL activities when I teach the same course several times. So far  students have not reported any negative comments about POGIL activities. I did see on my latest course response forms where students wrote “the POGILs were helpful.” So that was good to see.

How might one get started with POGIL?

Glen: The nice thing about the POGIL community as a whole is that there is a systematic way to distribute activities that have been field tested, peer-reviewed and evaluated.  So while these questions and  worksheets take about the same time that you would take to prepare a straight lecture.  There are already created and tested activities you can work from.  For example, with the Animal Physiology class, I adapted activities from a Human Physiology POGIL text. There are POGIL books for Biochemistry, Biology, and Chemistry.

Are there other benefits to POGIL?

Glen:  I write lots of letters of recommendation, especially for Pre-Med students. When you look up what medical schools, and many employers are looking for, they’re looking for process skills.  Sure, they want knowledgeable students. But they also want to know that students can work together in team and  know how to manage time. And these are process skills that can I can watch get developed during class time.

So assessment-wise, I’m hearing you say as a scientist that it is too early to say yet, but it’s looking good so far. I would argue you’re voting with your feet, right?

Glen: I think it’s the right way to go. I find the evidence from larger scale supporting activities like POGIL compelling. I think it is a way to make learning fun and engaging. I also think this style of teaching promotes and develops the kinds of qualities we want from critically thinking scholars.

In what way does the process goals side of POGIL connect to your department?

Glen:  In the Biology Department, we’re trying really hard to level the playing field for underrepresented minorities wanting to learn STEM, (science, technology, engineering, and math). POGIL is an excellent mechanism for facilitating and enhancing learning experiences, especially in the first and second year.  In fact, they’re using this even in medical schools now. They’re incorporating POGIL-type activities from large imposing lecture halls to smaller communities of students. This style of teaching can help students who are interested in sciences with different levels of preparation continue to develop a lifelong interest in learning science. And that’s something that we really want to happen.

Resources:

Effectiveness of POGIL

Process-oriented guided-inquiry learning in an introductory anatomy and physiology course with a diverse student population, by Patrick J. P. Brown

Active learning increases student performance in science, engineering, and mathematics, by Scott Freeman, Sarah Eddy, Miles McDonough, Michelle Smith, Nnadozie Okoroafor, Hannah Jordt, and Mary Pat Wenderoth

Learning Goals:

Engage in independent research, inquiry, and/or creative expression.

Read, listen, and observe discerningly

Think critically, creatively, and independently