What teaching practices most effectively promote student learning in UBC undergraduate biology courses? This month’s interesting read describes a large-scale study conducted at UBC in which researchers observed classroom practices and assessed student learning in 31 biology courses (involving more than 3,700 students!). They found that group work was “the most significant positive predictor of learning gains”, particularly when it included the use of worksheets.
Weir LK, Barker MK, McDonnell LM, Schimpf NG, Rodela TM, Schulte PM. (2019) Small changes, big gains: A curriculum-wide study of teaching practices and student learning in undergraduate biology. PLOS ONE 14(8): e0220900. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0220900
Also, here is a link to a UBC press release about this study.