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• KEYNOTE: A Multiple Intelligences Approach to Teaching and Learning
  Ruth Beattie, University of Kentucky
• Low Tech Options to Foster Critical Thinking in Non-Science Majors
  Mimi Bres, Prince George's Community College
• An Inconvenient Truth: Activities for the Classroom
  Ruth Beattie, University of Kentuck
• New Online Options for A&P Lab Courses
  Andrew Lokuta, University of Wisconsin-Madison
• Ten Ways to Turn Teaching Frustrations into Learning Opportunities
  Amy Cheng Vollmer, Swarthmore College
• Strategies for Online Course Management
  Kim Aaronson, Columbia College, Chicago
• Who Are These A&P Students? And How Did They Get in MY Class?
  Lori Garrett, Danville Area Community College
• Using Modeling to Assess Understanding and Uncover and Modify Misconceptions
  Jean Heitz, University of Wisconsin-Madison
• Serendipitous Gallimaufry for A&P
  Kim Aaronson, Columbia College, Chicago
• Session TBA

KEYNOTE: A Multiple Intelligences Approach to Teaching and Learning
Teaching and learning are often one-dimensional. Knowledge is transmitted in one intellectual direction and a learner receives it in one intellectual way. In an effort to further increase student learning, participation and interaction in introductory biology classes, Dr. Beattie has incorporated a variety of interactive activities, based on Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences Theory, into her classroom instruction. The purpose of this presentation is (a) to describe a variety of classroom activities, based on Howard Gardner’s multiple intelligence types, that have been successfully used to promote student participation, interaction and learning in introductory biology courses, and (b) to briefly discuss the results of student evaluations of these activities.

Dr. Ruth Beattie is an Associate Professor at the University of Kentucky. In 1987 she graduated from Queen’s University Belfast, Northern Ireland, with a Ph.D. in biochemistry. She completed two postdoctoral fellowships at the Hipple Cancer Research Center and at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. Dr. Beattie then taught at Ball State University, Muncie, IN, for four years. In 1995, she joined the faculty of the University of Kentucky as an instructional specialist, where her primary responsibility is teaching large-enrollment freshman level biology and microbiology classes. In 2000, Dr. Beattie was the recipient of a University of Kentucky’s Chancellor’s Award for Outstanding Teaching and has also been named a Top Ten Teacher in the College of Arts and Sciences for 2000, 2002 and 2003.

Low Tech Options to Foster Critical Thinking in Non-Science Majors
One of the compelling issues that confront science instructors today is helping students master critical thinking skills. Experience has shown that critical thinking is easier to achieve when content and problem solving techniques are learned together. This presentation will demonstrate a variety of simple techniques that can be used in any science course to help students acquire thinking skills, master basic concepts, and develop an appreciation for the scientific method. Topics will include use of lecture study guides, strategies to increase classroom participation, sample activities, non-graded assignments, group homework assignments, and testing for both content and thinking skill mastery.

Mimi Bres, a Professor at Prince George's Community College, has over 20 years experience in the development of curriculum materials designed to stimulate interest in science and to improve critical thinking skills. Of particular note is her recent work developing an interactive web and video-based curriculum, including a virtual field component, to teach environmental concepts without the need for students to travel. Dr. Bres received a 2001 National Award for Innovative Excellence in Teaching, Learning and Technology by the Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning. She has also been nominated for “Outstanding Freshman Professor of the Year,” the Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching, and the Faculty Senate Excellence Award.

An Inconvenient Truth: Activities for the Classroom
There is nothing students love more than discussing a hit documentary in class. In this workshop, the presenter will use the movie “An Inconvenient Truth” as the basis for a number of classroom activities designed to increase awareness of global warming issues.

Dr. Ruth Beattie is an Associate Professor at the University of Kentucky. In 1987 she graduated from Queen’s University Belfast, Northern Ireland, with a Ph.D. in biochemistry. She completed two postdoctoral fellowships at the Hipple Cancer Research Center and at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. Dr. Beattie then taught at Ball State University, Muncie, IN, for four years. In 1995, she joined the faculty of the University of Kentucky as an instructional specialist, where her primary responsibility is teaching large-enrollment freshman level biology and microbiology classes. In 2000, Dr. Beattie was the recipient of a University of Kentucky’s Chancellor’s Award for Outstanding Teaching and has also been named a Top Ten Teacher in the College of Arts and Sciences for 2000, 2002 and 2003.

New Online Options for A&P Lab Courses
A common challenge for A&P and human physiology laboratory courses is that many good learning activities may be too costly, too time-consuming, or too logistically complicated to perform in an actual wet lab. This hands-on session will direct an exploration of a few of the 40 PhysioEx™ 7.0 physiology lab simulations that may be used to supplement or substitute for physiology wet labs. Suggestions will be given for use in the laboratory as well as in a lecture setting. We will also offer a brief preview of Benjamin Cummings’ new Practice Anatomy Lab program that allows students a convenient way to prepare for lab practical exams in anatomy.

Andrew Lokuta is a Lecturer of physiology at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. He has a Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of Maryland Medical School, Baltimore. Dr. Lokuta currently teaches human physiology to undergraduates, medical students and graduate students as well as molecular physiology to advanced degree students. These classes include both regular classroom lectures and hands-on laboratories wherein PhysioEx™ has been successfully (and thankfully) employed.

Ten Ways to Turn Teaching Frustrations into Learning Opportunities
How can you take a boring or dry topic and turn it into something that is more enjoyable for you and your students? How do you ensure that your students “know” a topic, without designing an onerous exam or having them write an essay? How can you break a long paper into shorter parts, so that you can spread out the grading and give students feedback that will improve their writing?
How is it possible to avoid reading answers to the same question over and over? Participants will be engaged in short activities that will show them simple ways to convert their assignments or lecture materials into interactive or creative exercises. Students’ retention of the material and their ability to apply their knowledge to new situations are the rewards of these efforts.

Amy Cheng Vollmer completed her B.A. in biochemistry in 1977 at Rice University and her Ph.D. in biochemistry in 1983 at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Her post-doctoral research in T-cell immunology took place at Stanford University. After four years at Mills, she joined Swarthmore College where she is a professor and former Chair of the Department of Biology in 2003-05. She and teaches introductory biology, microbiology and biotechnology courses. She has also a great interest in promoting adult science literacy. A previous Editor-in-Chief of Microbiology Education, Dr. Vollmer researches in the area of bacterial stress response, and she engages many undergraduate students in projects in her laboratory. In 2006 she was awarded the Carski Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching Award by the American Society for Microbiology.

Strategies for Online Course Management
This session will highlight some of the most helpful features of CourseCompass™ powered by BlackBoard, including syllabus, chapter materials such as online quizzes and interactive lab, online discussion forums and the very useful gradebook and assignment functions will also be demonstrated. Although this presentation will focus on MyA&P™ for CourseCompass™, most of what will be presented is also applicable to other CourseCompass™ enhanced courses.

Kim Aaronson has been in the health care field since 1960, when he began working in a hospital laboratory in Alliance, OH. Since that time he has worked as a medical technologist. He attended physician’s assistant and forensic pathology training at Medical University of South Carolina at Charleston. He received a B.S. in Science Education, Biology from East Carolina University in 1981, and a D.C. from Cleveland Chiropractic College in Kansas City, MO in 1996. He has taught middle school through college in the science and health fields. Dr. Aaronson has recently taught Anatomy & Physiology, Nutrition and Human Biology as an adjunct instructor at various colleges in Chicago. He is currently teaching an online medical terminology course he developed for Harold Washington College and teaches General Biology for Columbia College in Chicago. He also has an active nutrition and wellness private practice.

Who Are These A&P Students? And How Did They Get in MY Class?
As competition for admission into Allied Health and Nursing programs increases, anatomy & physiology students need to do more than just pass the class, they need to truly master the course content. At the same time, many students have forgotten what they learned in previous science classes, are not prepared to study for a rigorous science course, or lack the fundamental knowledge necessary to handle the material in lecture and lab. In this interactive session, Ms. Garrett will discuss ways in which instructor expectations and student ability are often mismatched, and how this leads to frustration and poor performance on both sides of the podium. She will discuss her school’s approach to this problem, and various strategies and techniques that help her students overcome these challenges and ultimately succeed in A&P. Participants are encouraged to discuss ideas from their own teaching experience.

Lori K. Garrett teaches anatomy & physiology courses at Danville Area Community College, where she developed her own science "prep" course to help students succeed and, using assessment, convinced administration of the need for a prerequisite before A&P. Her gifts for simple, straightforward explanations and effectiveness in the classroom have earned her several teaching awards, including the Association of Community College Trustees' William H. Meardy Faculty Award. Ms. Garrett is the author of the new Get Ready for A&P workbook and online program from Benjamin Cummings.

Using Modeling to Assess Understanding and Uncover and Modify Misconceptions
When I began my career, I thought that if I were a better teacher, if my presentations were better, my students would learn more. However as my presentations improved, I did not see similar improvement in student learning. What was the problem? I finally realized that instead of concentrating on how I could learn more and do better, I needed to concentrate on how to help my students learn. Now to help insure that my students really understand biological processes, instead of giving them diagrams to memorize, I have them draw, diagram or model the processes themselves. These activities also help uncover and modify misconceptions students may have. In this session, we will engage in and evaluate a specific modeling exercise. We will also discuss: a) what types of processes are better suited for modeling; b) what we need to consider before setting up a modeling activity; and c) how modeling can be used to uncover and modify misconceptions.

Jean Heitz is a Faculty Associate in Zoology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and has worked with a two-semester Botany/Zoology introductory sequence for majors since 1978. Her key roles have been in development of active learning activities for discussion section and open-ended investigations for laboratory sections. Heitz also teaches a graduate course in “Teaching College Biology” and has presented workshops at a number of national meetings including the Coalition for Education in the Life Sciences Conference in 1995 (Strategies for Teaching and Learning in Undergraduate Life Sciences), the Society for the Study of Evolution Conferences in 1999 (Teaching Evolution to Undergraduates), in 2000 (Using Bioquest’s BIRDD Program to Teach Evolution) and Merlot in 2004 (Use of Interactive Biology Tutorials and a BioInventory as Learning Assessment Tools). She is also the author of Practicing Biology, Second Edition (Benjamin Cummings, 2005).

Serendipitous Gallimaufry for A&P
This engaging presentation will give participants a number of ideas that have been accidental discoveries that successfully engaged students in anatomy & physiology. Some of these activities could be tweaked and used in other science classes as well. Your creativity will be stimulated by this sometimes humorous and somewhat out-of-the-box presentation.

Kim Aaronson has been in the health care field since 1960, received a BS in science education, biology from East Carolina University in 1981, and a DC from Cleveland Chiropractic College in 1996. He has taught middle school through college in the science and health field since 1985, recently teaching anatomy & physiology, nutrition, human biology, general biology and medical terminology as an adjunct instructor at various colleges in Chicago. Kim is actively involved in online course development and facilitation. He currently teaches an online medical terminology course he developed and nutrition and introduction to drugs at Columbia College in Chicago.

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