SVM Education Day: On-Line Discussion Site and other Tools Kristen A. Bernard, DVM, PhD

Today’s Outline ●Brief background on virology course tools −Discussion site for questions −On-line quizzes for required research articles −Course & Instructor evaluation (survey tool)

WELCOME TO VIROLOGY!! Year 2 in Fall

Instructors – 29 lectures for 2 credits Bernard Course director + 18 lectures OsorioOlsen Kawaoka Kurth Friedrich

General Course Info ●Exams on materials in lectures & required handouts (multiple choice) −Exams 1 & 2 = 25% each −Final exam = 35% (cumulative) ●Required research articles & on-line quizzes −3 quizzes = 5% each −Article discussed in class ●Discussion site – not graded ●Clicker questions – extra credit (up to 1% of final grade) −Questions asked throughout lecture to emphasize material & gauge understanding

On-Line Discussion Site ●Optional – NOT graded ●Using since Fall 2010 ●Developed to avoid individual questions via prior to exams −Fairness −Opportunity to learn while studying ●Students can still ask questions during, after or outside class −Often post these questions on line ●Allow students to post questions anonymously (majority)

Discussion Site

Statistics

# Threads# Replies Estimate of Time (min) Exam Exam Final

Course Evaluation ●Consistently favorable ●2013 & 2014 data using survey tool on (thanks Mike Collins!)

Course Evaluation Evaluate the discussion site as a tool for learning and communicating with instructors The posts helped me learn and/or study for the exams (check N/A if you did not read the posts) Instructors should continue to use the discussion site (check N/A if you did not read the posts) 51% 61%

Course Evaluation Evaluate the discussion site as a tool for learning and communicating with instructors The posts helped me learn and/or study for the exams (check N/A if you did not read the posts) Instructors should continue to use the discussion site (check N/A if you did not read the posts) 36% 54%

Written Comments ●“ I think the discussion site is a good thing. I might not have used it all that often, but it provides a great forum for questions & answers & allows everyone to see them.” ●“Discussion board was very helpful & was a great leveler (so that individuals weren’t getting answers the whole class wasn’t. I would encourage students to try to answer each other’s questions… a great way for us to study by helping each other out.” ●“…I also liked having the discussion board available while I was studying for exams. Although I personally didn’t ask any questions, I learned a lot from my classmates’ questions, & it helped me to focus my studying be realizing the things that I didn’t understand as well.”

Feedback & Questions? ●Other courses have started to use discussion site ●Suresh & Tricia Sharpe in Immunology ● Students asked for this after experiencing virology discussion board ●Ruth Sullivan & Rob Lipinski in Developmental Anatomy ● Use as true review session with limited hours for posting questions

Today’s Outline ●Brief background on virology course tools −Discussion site for questions −On-line quizzes for required research articles −Course & Instructor evaluation (survey tool)

Primary Research Articles

●After AIL case of the “clumsy horse” ●Relate back to this case

On-line Quizzes

Course Evaluation Evaluate the assigned research articles as a learning tool The research articles were interesting & gave clinical relevance to the class material The research articles were too difficult & hard to understand 78%

Written Comments ●“ The assigned articles were interesting & by the second one I was much more efficient at completing it. It is very nice to have unlimited time to complete the quiz…” ●“The articles were neat in order to gain a research perspective and how we might go about interpreting virology research publications. ” ●“…I also enjoyed reading the articles. It showed clinical relevance to what we were learning.” ●“…The articles are great. I feel like veterinary students are not given much experience … interpreting the literature, & I think that this is a CRITICAL SKILL to be an up-to-date veterinarian in the future….”

Today’s Outline ●Brief background on virology course tools −Discussion site for questions −On-line quizzes for required research articles −Course & Instructor evaluation (survey tool)

Survey Tool

Special thanks to… ●Current & past lecturers ●Past course directors −Chris Olsen −Ron Schultz −Jorge Osorio ●Mike Collins −Help with clickers −Course evaluation – questions & use of survey tool

Course Evaluation out of 85 students Clickers kept me engaged in lecture Instructors should continue to use clickers in lecture 94%