A Novel Grading Strategy for Team-Based Learning Exercises in a Hands-On Course in Molecular Biology for Senior Undergraduate Underrepresented Students in Medicine Resulted in Stronger Student Performance

Autor/inn/en	Carrasco, Gonzalo A.; Behling, Kathryn C.; Lopez, Osvaldo J.
Titel	A Novel Grading Strategy for Team-Based Learning Exercises in a Hands-On Course in Molecular Biology for Senior Undergraduate Underrepresented Students in Medicine Resulted in Stronger Student Performance
Quelle	In: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education, 47 (2019) 2, S.115-123 (9 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Zusatzinformation	ORCID (Carrasco, Gonzalo A.)
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1470-8175
DOI	10.1002/bmb.21200
Schlagwörter	Grading; Teamwork; Molecular Biology; Undergraduate Students; Disproportionate Representation; Learning Readiness; Tests; Scores; Laboratory Experiments; Genetics; Cytology; Health; Diseases; Correlation; Science Tests; Course Content; Learning Processes; Computer Assisted Testing; Science Achievement; Medical Education + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Notengebung; Schulnote; Molekularbiologie; Lernbereitschaft; Examination; Prüfung; Examen; Laboratory work; Laborarbeit; Humangenetik; Zytologie; Gesundheit; Disease; Krankheit; Korrelation; Kursprogramm; Learning process; Lernprozess; Medizinische Ausbildung
Abstract	We developed a hands-on course in molecular biology for undergraduate underrepresented in medicine (URM) students. To incentivize student preparation for team-based learning (TBL) activities, we implemented a novel grading schema that requires a minimum individual readiness assurance test (iRAT) score to share the team group readiness assurance test (gRAT) score. Fifty-one students participated in this 2-year study and were divided in teams of five or six students that worked throughout the course on a unique, hands-on project and also participated in TBL exercises. In the laboratory sessions, students isolated RNA from cultured neuronal cells, synthesized complementary DNA (cDNA), and used gene sequencing to identify a gene relevant in human health and disease. Student participation in TBL was quantified and correlated with performance on individual iRATs and the course final examination. We found that implementation of the novel incentive structure lowered the variance of TBL scores (iRAT and gRAT) and strengthened the correlation between final examination scores and either iRAT scores or percentage participation in TBL. Subgroup analysis showed that with the new grading schema, stronger students benefited more from the gRAT exercises, while more poorly performing students were better helped by individual preparation prior to the iRAT exercise. A combination of two active learning strategies, TBL and hands-on sessions, may strengthen student acquisition of course content and promote teamwork skills. The new incentive structure seems to reduce the disparity in knowledge amongst our students as demonstrated by the reduced iRAT and gRAT score variances. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2020/1/01