Technology Instruments

Teacher/Faculty Interviews

Instrument 2: Debriefing Questions for Microbe Detective Unit Teachers

Project: Anonymous (Technology 2)

Funding Source: NSF: Undergraduate Education (DUE)

Purpose: Debrief with teachers who taught a new science unit

Administered To: Teachers

Topics Covered:

• Impact on Outcomes: student knowledge
• Implementation Activities: content, methods, activities, usage patterns, curriculum/materials

Format/Length: 13 open-ended items

Debriefing Questions for Microbe Detective Unit Teachers

1. How did you like the combination of conceptual learning (readings, analyses, discussions), and technical learning (lab work, lab techniques and skills)? Did it seem significantly different from other curricula you have taught? How, or how not?


2. How would your students respond to the above question from their perspectives?


3. Do you think this unit helped your students relate conceptual ideas to technological skills? How or how not?


4. What were the primary things your students learned in this unit?


5. What did they not learn? Did different groups learn different things?


6. How long do you think this unit should take to teach, at a pace that allows students to absorb the information? (figure according to traditional 40-50 minute classes). Do you have a concern that with the combination of complex concepts and complex lab procedures that the unit content is treated too superficially? If so, how would you suggest modifying it?


7. Do you think the topics covered in this unit are a good "cluster", or would you add or subtract topic areas?


8. Do you think teachers/schools would accept this long a unit as a "drop in" piece of a biology or biotechnology curriculum (i.e. as part of a year-long curriculum)? Why or why not? Do you feel the unit meets a substantial portion of your state science standards?


9. What elements (labs, readings and discussions, activities, other things) in the unit do you think "worked the best" and what "worked the least well"? Why?


10. How clear were the guidelines for the teachers? What would you suggest changing? How?


11. How can we make the labs better (clearer protocols, teacher guidelines, substitute other labs?)


12. What suggestions do you have for making the books more "user friendly" (e.g. more diagrams and pictures, different formatting, etc.)?


13. What other points, issues, suggestions do you want to bring up? (if time does not permit here, you can e-mail or call us)