2 Controversies in Human Biology Activity developed at Cégep de Sainte-Foy By SÉBASTIEN PARADIS
2 Date Last Tested Author s Name Originating Cegep Author s E-Mail Address Scientific Discipline Average Age of Students Course Title and Number 2004 Sébastien Paradis Cégep de Sainte-Foy sebparadis@hotmail.com Biology 17-18 years old Human Biology (101-901-RE) Human Science program Duration of Activity 4 hours in the classroom (2 x 2 hours) and work outside the classroom NOTE In this document, the masculine is used without discrimination and solely to make the text easier to read. Appendices are available in PDF and Word format on the CD provided with this document. In addition, an instructional analysis of the activity is available in the pedagogical treasures section (Trésors pédagogiques) on the Saut Quantique Web site at: http://www.apsq.org/sautquantique. Use of this text is authorized for instructional purposes, provided that author s name and college are mentioned. Adherence to these recommendations will encourage authors to share their experience.
Description of Activity OVERVIEW The teacher presents a controversy for each of the four topics in the course curriculum (male reproductive system, female reproductive system, sexual relation and muscular system). Two teams work on each controversy for two weeks. They must learn about the subject, understand how the system works, and take a position on the controversy. The members of each team then present their positions and arguments, and explain the contents of the issue to their class colleagues, using a poster. Presentations are followed by a discussion. RELEVANCE AND ORIGINALITY OF ACTIVITY Building Knowledge Based on Self-Work and Peer Interaction This activity fits into a broader science education perspective than the simple acquisition of knowledge. It is aimed at developing citizens who are more than learned individuals, i.e. who are highly knowledgeable. It contributes to shaping social actors with critical thinking skills, based on intellectual reasoning. Within this perspective, group exchanges and cooperative work become privileged means to develop such intellectual reasoning. Building Significant Knowledge As long as students work on issues related to the current social environment, the knowledge they build often finds a meaning when their learnings are put into practice. Their knowledge is not built within a framework where meanings are limited to the school environment, but it is based on answers to previous questions. Building New Knowledge Based on Previous Student Knowledge In light of the work accomplished in the field of spontaneous conceptions, it is important to consider and build on the very broad and diversified existing knowledge of students. It may be assumed that new knowledge can only be coherently and solidly built on the basis of previous knowledge. Therefore, it is essential that educational activities be based on previous knowledge so that students become aware of the value of what they already know. This activity, where documentation and information research are assigned to the students, supports this perspective, namely because it enables students to call upon their specific individual knowledge to build arguments with their colleagues. Developing Critical and Emancipated Thinking Towards Scientific Knowledge The pedagogical strategy used in this activity is open questioning, which leaves room for interpretation. Students will form small teams to come up with coherent and viable arguments to state their case to their colleagues. In this type of activity, they will discuss their interpretation of the controversy, the concepts that will serve as a foundation, and the specific direction of their arguments. They will be able to rid themselves of a very rigid vision of scientific learnings, which are often presented as objective undebatable certainties. Developing Multiple Complementary Skills Many associated skills are developed during this activity: taking an active part in teamwork, negotiating and discussing to take a position, respecting others, critically analyzing information and its sources, developing well-argued answers to questions stemming from scientific disciplines and, finally, speaking in public. 15
A Bonus for Motivation Completing this activity helps to motivate students in several ways: 1. The suggested controversies are currently abuzz in our society. Students must focus on real, open questions that are likely to be of interest and that remain completely relevant outside the school environment. 2. This type of activity helps to diversify pedagogical approaches. The contents covered as part of this activity are not in any way presented in the form of a classroom lecture. The teacher and students share a radically different experience from the ones they usually live in a school environment. 3. Organizing the debates following each controversy requires each team to state their case to the other team, their class colleagues and the teacher. Teams cannot merely present their poster. They must exhibit solid arguments and excellent knowledge of the contents. This requirement seemed conducive to student commitment to this activity, and to their learning process. Objectives and Relation to the Program PEDAGOGICAL OBJECTIVES OR TARGETED COMPETENCIES Targeted Competency: Represent the human body from an anatomical and physiological perspective, and define the biological foundations of human behaviours (taken from the Human Biology course syllabus, Cégep de Sainte-Foy, Winter 2004). Following the activity, students should be able to describe the anatomy, and explain the functioning of the female and male reproductive systems, as well as the physiology of sexual relations. Also, they should be able to describe the anatomy and explain the functioning of muscle tissue. In addition to these content objectives, students taking part in this activity must develop the following competencies: Search for, select and assess sources of information; Collaborate and work in a team; Provide arguments, take a position, and structure ideas; Develop a critical awareness of science and technological innovations; Present ideas and speak in public. LINK BETWEEN THE ACTIVITY AND THE PROGRAM General Program Goals Targeted This activity targets the following general goals of the Human Science program: Distinguish the main facts, notions and concepts related to the object of study, i.e. the human phenomena, from a disciplinary and transdisciplinary perspective; Situate various issues related to citizenship in a world-wide context; Demonstrate the qualities associated with scientific intellect and critical thinking as well as the skills required to apply the qualitative and quantitative methods used in the field of human science; Use the necessary research and methods in order to pursue their studies; Use appropriate information technologies; 16
Convey their ideas clearly and correctly in the language of instruction; Integrate the learning acquired throughout the program. If the activity is used in the Nature Science program, the following goals are targeted: Use rigorous reasoning; Communicate clearly and accurately; Learn autonomously; Work in a team; Create links between science, technology and society; Define one s system of values; Adopt attitudes conducive to scientific discovery; Deal with novel situations on the basis of acquired knowledge and experience. Link with Course This activity covers two of the topics that are part of the course curriculum: reproductive systems and muscular system. The time allotted to the activity is the planned duration of these topics in the course curriculum. In addition, this activity fosters the development of a critical awareness of scientific knowledge and technological innovations. This point seems particularly relevant in the Human Biology course, as it is the only science course that these students will have taken once they are through college. Link with Other Courses The type of activity suggested integrates the contents and skills developed in all the other courses. In fact, since students must find the information they need on their own, the other courses that are part of the program become one of the many sources of information available to them. Similarly, skills developed during this activity are entirely transferable and can be used in other courses, in a job, or in day-to-day life. Number of Students and Educational Support APPROXIMATE NUMBER OF STUDENTS IN CLASS 31-35 students NUMBER OF STUDENTS PER TEAM 4 people EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT Since a considerable portion of the activity is completed alone and in a team outside the classroom, providing clear instructions at the outset is an essential support element. The teacher also has a privileged opportunity to support progress when plans and summaries are handed out one week before the presentations. Part of the support is also based on interaction with peers, who check the progress and quality of the work done by the other members in their team. Conducting the Activity CONDUCTING THE ACTIVITY AND TIME REQUIRED TO COMPLETE EACH STEP Before No particular preparation is needed to conduct the activity. The teacher must simply make sure to have photocopies of the instructions to be handed out to students as well as of the suggested controversies (see Appendices S.1 and S.2). 17
Three weeks before the activity is done in class, the teacher provides instructions, states the correction criteria, and asks students to split into teams of four people. The entire group is given a brief presentation of the controversies, and the teams are invited to choose the topic for their assignment. It is important to insist on the fact that content guidelines to be taught during the presentation must support and not simply be provided alongside the arguments. During Teams have two weeks to gather information, discuss, state their position, build their arguments, and prepare their posters. After two weeks, each team must present a written summary of arguments and a plan of its presentation. The teacher provides comments and suggests changes as required. One week later, (three weeks after handing out the controversies), each team makes its presentation, which should last no more than fifteen minutes. Teams working on the same topic present their posters one after the other. A twenty-minute debate on this controversy is then initiated with the entire group. Thus, 50 minutes are allotted for each controversy. The four controversies can therefore be covered in 2 two-hour periods, which is the time to be allotted to the corresponding contents based on the course curriculum. After It might be interesting to provide students with a detailed study plan of the contents covered as part of this activity, so as to reassure those who may feel insecure because the teacher is not giving the course as a classroom lecture or imposing any source of information. Evaluation and Required Material SUGGESTED EVALUATIONS The teacher provides a formative evaluation of the activity when summaries are handed out (one week prior to the presentation). The summative evaluation is done when students present their posters and during debates. The correction criteria are handed to students along with the instructions (see Appendix T.1). Marks allotted for this activity represent 20% of the overall summative evaluation. This activity serves as a documentation research project set out in the course syllabus. REQUIRED MATERIAL Provide material to attach posters (adhesive tape, thumbtacks, etc.). Students are responsible for providing the material they need to create their posters. It should be noted that the quality of the material presentation is not evaluated, as its importance is secondary to that of the contents of the presentation. APPENDICES Teacher Appendix T.1: Sample Evaluation Grid Students Appendix S.1: Instructions Appendix S.2: Suggested Controversies Note: Appendices are available in PDF and Word format on the CD provided with this document. 18
Other Suggestions and Media Directory OTHER IDEAS TO EXPLORE The same pedagogical approach may be reused for a wide variety of topics, whether it is for another system of the human body or any other concept. All that is required is a technoscientific controversy that meets the following requirements: 1. Questioning that is currently debated in our society, for which there is no obvious consensus. 2. The scientific contents covered by the activity must be relevant to the development of arguments. They should not merely be set out along with the arguments. 3. The way the position is presented must emphasize the controversial and open aspect of the question. Students should not be able to interpret the question as a simple scientific information research project. Media Directory MARIEB, E.N. and K. HOEHN (2006), Human Anatomy and Physiology, 7 th edition, Benjamin Cummings, 1296 pages. (This textbook is the reference manual for the Human Biology course.) The media directory is deliberately limited, as searching for relevant sources of information is part of the teams mandate. In addition to conventional scientific sources, resorting to mainstream media is encouraged (daily newspapers, documentaries, newscasts, etc.). 19