1. Are there different modes of instruction available for BIOL 216?

In the regular academic year The Department of Biology offers BIOL 216 in the fall and spring terms. In the fall students attend two 75-minute classes each week. In the spring the course is taught in a hybrid mode. Students watch online lectures prepared by the course instructor (available through Blackboard) and do assigned readings prior to coming to class.  Then, students attend one 75-minute discussion each week with the course instructor.  The online lectures and reading prepare students for the discussion.  During discussion, students will work on problems and activities to develop critical thinking skills.  Students must attend the discussion section for which they are registered.

2. Does the hybrid mode fulfill the BIOL 216 requirement for the BA and BS in Biology?

Yes. The total student effort and course content is the same for both the fall and spring BIOL 216 offerings.

3. What is the prerequisite for BIOL 216?

BIOL 214.

4.How do I know what mode of instruction I am registering for?

Currently The Department of Biology offers the traditional mode (i.e., attend two classes per week) in the fall and the hybrid mode (attend one class per week) in the spring. When you register for the course, SIS will indicate if the class is the “Traditional” or “Hybrid” format.

5. How do I register for the hybrid mode?

When registering you will be prompted to register for the LEC (lecture) and one DIS (discussion) section. The LEC section is not scheduled class time (i.e., TBA). The LEC portion of the course is when students do their preparatory work (i.e., watch online lectures and read). The DIS section is the 75- minute period students attend class each week (students will attend either a Monday or Wednesday discussion).

6.  Is the hybrid mode right for me?

Are you a good time manager? Students in the hybrid class must be willing to prepare for each discussion. For example, if a student attends discussion on Monday, they have until the following Monday to prepare for the next week’s discussion. Preparation is essential to make the most of the discussion sessions. Preparation involves watching online lectures and/or reading. In most cases students have the choice to read or watch videos. That is, students choose what works best for them, but they must prepare. Pre-class questions help students organize their thoughts before coming to class. Pre-class questions are submitted online through BB.

Do you like to work in a collaborative, interactive classroom environment? The maximum number of students in each discussion is 48. During discussions students work in groups on various problems. The instructor interacts with the groups throughout the period.

The problems are designed to help students build critical thinking skills (e.g., apply and analyze information). These are important skills that will help students prepare for upper-level classes, graduate and professional schools, and in their chosen profession. For example, medical students at CWRU Medical School work in small student-lead groups that are facilitated by a faculty member. The hybrid BIOL 216 class will help develop skills of working in a group to solve problems.

7. What is the rationale for teaching the hybrid mode?

There is ample evidence that students who learn in cooperative environment have increased performance relative to students who learn in a more passive environment.  Although it is possible to execute collaborative activities in a traditional lecture hall, interactions among students and with the instructor can be challenging. On the other hand, classes designed to facilitate peer-centered learning (e.g., tables and chairs) often have fewer seats than a lecture hall and cannot accommodate large classes. A solution to this trade-off was converting the course into a hybrid reduced-seat time model. It is a hybrid model because the class has online and in-class components. It is reduced-seat time, because students attend one 75-minute discussion each week, instead of two 75-minute lectures per week. This way one class is split into two smaller groups, allowing the use of an active learning classroom, and increase the interaction among students and the instructor.