Designing a high-structure course to support students’ self-testing and metacognition

Where

The Ohio State University, Psychology Building Room 10

When

3:00 - 5:00 PM EST

Goals

• Describe a high-structure course design model and why it leads to better learning outcomes for all students.  

• Identify ways that lesson-level learning objectives and study skills training can support underprepared students. 

• Connect different parts of the Codon Learning platform with the evidence-based practices they support, including high-structure course design and self-regulated learning strategies such as metacognition, spacing, and self-testing.

Agenda

3:00 PM — High-Structure Course Design and Its Impact on Learning Outcomes
Scott Freeman, PhD (University of Washington)

3:30 PM — Fostering Metacognition in the Classroom
Jaime Sabel, PhD (The Ohio State University)

4:00 PM — Using Technology to Operationalize Lesson-Level Learning Objectives and Design a High-Structure Course
Ashley Rowland, PhD (Codon Learning)

5:00 PM — Wrap-Up & Optional Happy Hour
Join us at The Bottle Shop (237 King Ave.)

Dr. Scott Freeman is Lecturer Emeritus at the University of Washington. The recipient of a UW Distinguished Teaching Award, he has published research on how innovative approaches to teaching science benefit students. He is the author of the textbooks Biological Science and Evolutionary Analysis, which have sold over 500,000 copies and been translated into multiple languages, and the popular book Saving Tarboo Creek, which is for general audiences. He is the lead author of Codon’s introductory biology course for majors: Introducing the Life Sciences.

Dr. Jaime Sabel is Director in the Center for Life Sciences Education and Associate Professor in the Department of Molecular Genetics at the Ohio State University. Her research focuses on how students learn biology and the best ways to support them in understanding complex scientific concepts. Current projects in her lab focus on how metacognition develops in biology majors, tools to support development of metacognition, science identity, science communication, and the experiences of research mentors. 

Dr. Ashley Rowland is Director of Customer Experience at Codon Learning, where she works closely with instructors to design high-structure courses and ensure the platform effectively supports both instructors and students. Ashley earned her PhD in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology from CU Boulder, and transitioned to biology education research, studying factors that influence student participation and success in science career paths. As a first-generation college graduate from a low-income background, she is committed to catalyzing the use of effective, evidence-based teaching practices that support all students.