Curriculum Development Instruments

Student Interviews

Instrument 7: Follow-Up Interview to Ecology Class

Project: Computing Simulation Modeling Using STELLA to Enhance Investigative Learning in a Biology Curriculum
Union College

Funding Source: NSF - Division of Undergraduate Education (DUE)

Purpose: Impact on students' understanding and use of models in the inquiry process

Administered To: Undergraduate ecology students at Union College in Spring 2001

Topics Covered:

• Academic Preference: methods
• Background Characteristics & Activities (Student): technology
• Content Specific Assessment: scientific inquiry — life science hypotheses generation, Ecology-population dynamics
• Course Context: instructional methods
• Impact Variables: technology/equipment, knowledge, student understanding
• Instructional Practices: technology, laboratory activities
• Learning Environment: equipment
• Lesson/Curriculum Plan: materials
• Project Evaluation: effectiveness

Format/Length: 3 closed- and 4 open-ended questions

Follow Up Interview
BIO 51 Spring 2001

Student Name__________________________
Interviewer____________________________
Cassette Tape _________________________

1. Have students read a scenario and generate a hypothesis (on back).   [see below]





2. Do you remember your protistan lab? What was your hypothesis? (If they cannot remember, let them look over their paper.)





1. Did student remember their hypothesis?






2. If you were to grade your hypothesis, what grade would you give it (A-F)?






3. Explain your answer to b. Specifically, what made your hypothesis strong or weak?






4. How did you arrive at your hypothesis? That is, how did you decide on that particular one?






5. Did the modeling exercise you performed using STELLA help in this process? If yes, can you be specific as to how it helped? If no, is there a way that the exercise could have been done differently to have the model assist in hypothesis generation?

[Scenario for question 1]

Case Study: Rocky Intertidal

Several species of barnacles live in the rocky intertidal zone. These species compete strongly for space by cementing their heads to the rock and preventing the settling of other individuals. You observe that one species (Chthamalus) occupies high areas that are exposed for long duration at low tides. Another species (Balanus) is found in lower areas that are exposed only briefly each day. There is an intermediate zone where both species coexist. The more exposed habitat experiences higher temperatures, more desiccation, and greater wave action. In addition to these physical differences, the predatory sea stars and snails are less abundant in the higher areas.

Propose a hypothesis that could be used as the basis for an experiment to evaluate factors that influence the distribution of these two barnacle species.