Evidence map›Paper›PMID 25185230›Full record

ArticleCBE life sciences education2014

Identifying key features of effective active learning: the effects of writing and peer discussion.

Debra L Linton, Wiline M Pangle, Kevin H Wyatt, Karli N Powell, Rachel E Sherwood

Open access · hybridAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in CBE life sciences education, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 15 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
15citing papers in PubMed
41.3field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

15 citing papers in PubMed, 77 citations in OpenAlex.

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  8. Promoting the Multidimensional Character of Scientific Reasoning.Journal of microbiology & biology education · 2017
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.

Debra L Linton*Department of Biology, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI 48859 linto1dl@cmich.edu.
Wiline M Pangle*Department of Biology, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI 48859.
Kevin H WyattDepartment of Biology, Ball State University, Muncie, IN 47306.
Karli N PowellMathematics Department, Linden High School, Linden, MI 48451.
Rachel E SherwoodScience Department, Garden City High School, Garden City, KS 67846.
Central Michigan University · USBall State University · USGarden City Community College · USLindenwood University · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

We investigated some of the key features of effective active learning by comparing the outcomes of three different methods of implementing active-learning exercises in a majors introductory biology course. Students completed activities in one of three treatments: discussion, writing, and discussion + writing. Treatments were rotated weekly between three sections taught by three different instructors in a full factorial design. The data set was analyzed by generalized linear mixed-effect models with three independent variables: student aptitude, treatment, and instructor, and three dependent (assessment) variables: change in score on pre- and postactivity clicker questions, and coding scores on in-class writing and exam essays. All independent variables had significant effects on student performance for at least one of the dependent variables. Students with higher aptitude scored higher on all assessments. Student scores were higher on exam essay questions when the activity was implemented with a writing component compared with peer discussion only. There was a significant effect of instructor, with instructors showing different degrees of effectiveness with active-learning techniques. We suggest that individual writing should be implemented as part of active learning whenever possible and that instructors may need training and practice to become effective with active learning.

Indexed as

Peer GroupProblem-Based LearningStudentsEducational MeasurementHumansSample SizeWriting

Identifiers

PMID25185230
PMCPMC4152208
OpenAlexW2142892173

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-SA
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.