ERIC Number: EJ1395321
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2023
Pages: 9
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1470-8175
EISSN: EISSN-1539-3429
Available Date: N/A
Teaching and Assessing Undergraduate Collaboration Skills Scaffolded through the Biochemistry Curriculum Using Collaboration Rubrics and Student Learning Contracts
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education, v51 n5 p499-507 Sep-Oct 2023
The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at St. Mary's College of Maryland has scaffolded collaboration skills throughout the Biochemistry curriculum and developed several assessment tools to evaluate these skills. Biochemistry I and II have used team contracts at the beginning of extensive team projects where students identify their strengths, review expectations, and plan for group communication. At the conclusion of each project, each student assesses their own contributions and team members for various parts of the project. A common collaboration rubric was also applied in Biochemistry I and II as well as in two other courses, General Chemistry II Lab and Physical Chemistry I Lab, for students to evaluate themself and team members using the following subcategories: quality of work, commitment, leadership, communication, and analysis. In Biochemistry I and II, we used this rubric for multiple assignments that are part of the projects in the lecture courses. In the General Chemistry II Lab, we provided elements of this rubric within an evaluation form that reflects these collaboration attributes after each lab experience, so students can assess and report privately on their experiences as part of their collaboration grade for the course. A similar collaboration rubric is completed by students for each team-based laboratory within Physical Chemistry I. We also demonstrate different ways that instructors can use the data from these assessment tools. In our department, we are using these tools to frame the importance of collaboration skills and collecting data to inform our teaching of these skills. Preliminary data suggest that our curriculum is successfully teaching students how to be good collaborators.
Descriptors: Teaching Methods, Student Evaluation, Undergraduate Students, Cooperative Learning, Scaffolding (Teaching Technique), Science Curriculum, Scoring Rubrics, Contracts, Evaluation Methods, Chemistry
Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www-wiley-com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-us
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: National Science Foundation (NSF), Division of Undergraduate Education (DUE)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Maryland
Grant or Contract Numbers: 1625354
Author Affiliations: N/A