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Technological advances in drug discovery are exciting to students, but it is challenging for faculty to maintain the pace with these developments, particularly within undergraduate courses. In recent years, a High-throughput Discovery Science and Inquiry-based Case Studies for Today’s Students (HITS) Research Coordination Network has been assembled to address the mechanism of how faculty can, on-pace, introduce these advancements. As a part of HITS, our team has developed “Behind the Screen: Drug Discovery using the Big Data of Phenotypic Analysis” to introduce students and faculty to phenotypic screening as a tool to identify inhibitors of diseases that do not have known cellular targets. This case guides faculty and students though current screening methods using statistics and can be applied at undergraduate and graduate levels. Tested across 70 students at three universities and a variety of courses, our case utilizes datasets modeled on a real phenotypic screening method as an accessible way to teach students about current methods in drug discovery. Students will learn how to identify hit compounds from a dataset they have analyzed and understand the biological significance of the results they generate. They are guided through practical statistical procedures, like those of researchers engaging in a novel drug discovery strategy. Student survey data demonstrated that the case was successful in improving student attitudes in their ability to discuss key topics, with both undergraduate and graduate students having a significant increase in confidence. Together, we present a case that uses big data to examine the utility of a novel phenotypic screening strategy, a pedagogical tool that can be customized for a wide variety of courses.

Novice programmers, who have yet to form effective mental models of the domain, often experience high cognitive load, low confidence, and high anxiety, negatively affecting learning and retention rates. These cognitive and affective limitations pose an instructional challenge. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of a whole-task instructional approach compared with a part-task instructional approach for novices learning to program from a cognitive and affective perspective. A fully randomized between-subjects controlled experiment was designed, including two online instructional conditions (whole-task vs. part-task). The "whole-task condition" followed the Task-Centered Instructional Strategy and included explicit instruction in the context of whole tasks. The "part-task condition" followed a part-task instructional strategy and included the same explicit instruction, yet in the context of objectives and topic-related tasks. Based on Bandura's triadic model (Bandura, Social foundations of thought and action: A social cognitive theory, Prentice-Hall, 1986), we propose a conceptual model, which we used to hypothesize that the Task-Centered Instructional Strategy may be more effective for novices learning to program. Sixty-five students with no programming experience volunteered to participate in the study and were randomly assigned to one of the conditions. Participants in the whole-task condition performed significantly better on the near and far transfer posttests. In accordance with our model, confidence and cognitive load during learning were found to be significant partial mediators of the effect of instructional strategy on performance. Overall, we found that the task-centered instructional strategy, combining explicit instruction with whole-tasks, is effective for addressing the cognitive and affective considerations relevant to novices in computer science education.

The purpose of the study was to compare self-leadership behaviors of Thai and U.S. elementary teachers using the Revised Self-Leadership Questionnaire. Findings indicated that Thai and U.S. elementary teachers had self-leadership behaviors at a high level. Significant differences in self-leadership behaviors were found for Thai teachers regarding two demographic variables, and for U.S. teachers regarding four variables. The study identified strengths related to the cultures of each group of teachers that were seen as potential benefits to the other group. These strengths provided the basis for recommendations related to professional development and teacher training.

A first-class syllabus can help promote effective, efficient and engaging learning, but traditional syllabi too often fail to attain this purpose. This paper describes and illustrates a syllabus review check-list that was designed to assist faculty at a major university to adopt a problem-centered approach to their courses. The check-list enables the user to identify a typical syllabus; a more effective, efficient and engaging instructional syllabus; and an even more effective, efficient and engaging problem-centered syllabus. The review of the syllabi of 52 faculty members from a major university is reported.

A multidisciplinary group of experts gathered in Parma Italy for a workshop hosted by the University of Parma, May 16-18, 2014 to address concerns about the potential relationship between environmental metabolic disrupting chemicals, obesity and related metabolic disorders. The objectives of the workshop were to: 1. Review findings related to the role of environmental chemicals, referred to as "metabolic disruptors", in obesity and metabolic syndrome with special attention to recent discoveries from animal model and epidemiology studies; 2. Identify conclusions that could be drawn with confidence from existing animal and human data; 3. Develop predictions based on current data; and 4. Identify critical knowledge gaps and areas of uncertainty. The consensus statements are intended to aid in expanding understanding of the role of metabolic disruptors in the obesity and metabolic disease epidemics, to move the field forward by assessing the current state of the science and to identify research needs on the role of environmental chemical exposures in these diseases. We propose broadening the definition of obesogens to that of metabolic disruptors, to encompass chemicals that play a role in altered susceptibility to obesity, diabetes and related metabolic disorders including metabolic syndrome.

Many new instructional theories advocate centering instruction around a set of authentic tasks to improve application and transfer of knowledge and help students take more responsibility for their own learning. At BYU-Hawaii, a general education biology course was redesigned to follow this task-centered approach and then taught to two groups of students. Tasks were chosen for this course that required students to first learn and then apply their knowledge of biology. Technology was also brought into the course to help BYU-Hawaii reach its target areas for distance students. Overall, students feel that this course helps them take more responsibility for their learning and is more meaningful than other general education courses to which they have been exposed. Responses to tasks suggest that students who apply themselves learn critical thinking skills within the domain of biology and discuss biological topics in depth. (Contains 6 figures.)

Based on a review of instructional design models, previous papers identified first principles of instruction. These principles prescribe a cycle of instruction consisting of activation, demonstration, application, and integration. These instructional phases are best implemented in the context of real-world tasks. A Pebble-in-the-Pond approach to instructional development prescribes a task-centered, content-first instructional design procedure, which implements these first principles in the resulting instructional products. This conceptual paper elaborates the component analysis and instructional strategy phases of this instructional design model. This paper also integrates previous instructional strategy prescriptions from Component Display Theory with the content components of knowledge objects. The strategy for teaching within the context of a whole task consists of applying strategy components to these various knowledge components in a way that enables learners to see their interrelationships and their relationship to the whole. The resulting instructional strategy is a guided task-centered approach as contrasted with more learner-centered problem-based approaches to instructional design. The application of this component analysis and task-centered instructional strategy is illustrated. (Contains 1 footnote, 11 figures and 3 tables.)

Technology education has progressed through several iterations over the past 100 years and continues to evolve as the primary medium for preparing children and youth in technological literacy. Over the past 20 years, technology education has worked diligently to move from a subject field where students primarily manipulated materials (industrial arts) to one of systematic instruction about technological systems and enterprises (technology education). The "Standards for Technological Literacy" more clearly define an operational agenda for the advancement of technological literacy for the nation's school-age youth. This study is the third in a series of national surveys that have systematically assessed the status of technology education in the United States and Canada. This study, a more recent analysis of the overall status of technology education, has been expanded significantly beyond the Oaks (1991), Chinien and Oaks (1995), and Newberry (2001) studies to include more indepth information regarding the general health and wellness of technology education in the United States. Eleven of the most critical issues and trends in technology education were selected and examined based on current literature, information from state technology education supervisors, and information profiled in the previous published articles. From a synthesis of these eleven topical areas, five major areas of focus emerged: (1) The status technology education holds at the state level and in schools; (2) The change in technology education program demographics during the last five years; (3) The degree to which extant curricular designs reflect current educational reform (the standards movement) and the evolution of technology education from industrial arts; (4) The current and future trends of technology educator supply and demand; and (5) The diversity of school populations as reflected in technology education programs. These five major areas became the focus of a comprehensive analysis of the profession, which began with the design and method of the research. (Contains 4 tables.)

Different and Distinctive, But Nevertheless Baptist: A History of Northminster Baptist Church, 1967-2017. The James N. Griffith Series in Baptist Studies. By C. Douglas Weaver and Aaron Douglas Weaver. Macon, [...]

This article provides the rationales for three recommendations for the future of Instructional Technology: (1) instructional technology as a field seems to have reached a tipping point, where the basic approach to instructional design has stabilized to where further research at this level has waned, suggesting that it is time for instructional design to be taught at the undergraduate level; (2) there continues to be a tendency for this field to pursue the latest advances in technology to the neglect of a firm scientific foundation for the prescriptions of the field, suggesting the need for a continued balance between the science of instruction and the technology of instructional design; (3) masters students in instructional technology are most likely to be managers of designers-by-assignment rather than the designers of instruction, suggesting that the role of masters programs should be acquiring skills for the management of designers-by-assignment and skills in designing instructional design templates for use by designers-by-assignment.

Brigham Young University-Hawaii (BYU-Hawaii) has students from over 70 countries attending classes. One of BYU-Hawaii's current aims is to increase the effectiveness of course instruction and help students take more responsibility for their own learning as they look to increase distance education offerings to students in different countries. "Biology 100" was one of the first classes to be changed to help meet this aim. "Biology 100" is a survey course that gives freshman-level students an introduction to the field of biology. Traditionally this course "skimmed" a wide breadth of topics, a common type of general education course taught in universities today. Many university courses center instruction on topics rather than tasks without requiring students to apply the information they learn to new situations. Thus, Dr. M. David Merrill, advisor to the Center for the Improvement of Teaching and Outreach at BYU-Hawaii, recommended a combination of instructional strategies including task-centered instruction, effective peer-interaction, and online delivery as the best approach to help BYU-Hawaii meet its aims. In this article, the authors discuss the process in redesigning "Biology 100". (Contains 7 figures.)

From a review of instructional design theories, research, and practice, the author has derived his "First Principles of Instruction". In this article, he suggests a rubric for using these principles to evaluate existing instruction. The article presents a Course Evaluation form and accompanying demonstration and application rubrics that enable the user to examine an existing course to determine the extent to which First Principles of Instruction have been implemented. For purposes of statistical analysis, the article also suggests a scoring procedure that assigns a value of from 0-10, indicating the degree of conformance to First Principles. The remaining sections summarize First Principles and the instructional design concepts involved in these principles and the accompanying rubrics. (Contains 7 tables and 3 figures.)

This article suggests that peer interaction is most effective when orchestrated around a progression of problems. Problem-centered learning is enhanced by carefully structured peer interactions. Problem-centered instruction is a form of direct instruction wherein instructional components are taught in the context of problems. An effective problem-centered instructional strategy involves (a) facilitating learners' activation of relevant mental models, (b) demonstrating problem solutions to learners, (c) enabling learner application to the solution of new problems, and (d) facilitating integration into activities beyond the classroom by critique, discussion, and reflection. Instruction is most effective when there is appropriate peer interaction during each of these instructional phases: peer-sharing during activation, peer-discussion during demonstration, peer-collaboration during application, and peer-critique during integration. (Contains 1 figure.)

Brigham Young University (BYU)-Hawaii has a student body of approximately 2,400 students representing 70 different countries. Almost half of this student body is international, representing many different cultures and languages. One of the biggest challenges for BYU-Hawaii is return-ability; that is, the university does not want to be a stepping stone for immigration to the United States. The university is striving instead to provide an education to these young people that will facilitate their productive return to their home countries. The goal of the Willes Center for International Entrepreneurship (CIE) is to prepare students to return home and start small businesses that will not only provide for their families but will also enable them to employ others. The Center for Instructional Technology and Outreach (CITO) at BYU-Hawaii was established with two primary missions: first, to help the faculty of BYU-Hawaii to provide more effective instruction and second, to assist the faculty of BYU-Hawaii to put their courses on-line for delivery to students prior to their coming to the university so that the university can accommodate more of the young people in their target area. CIE director, Gregory Gibson, contacted CITO with a proposal for an on-line course in "Entrepreneurship for Non-Business Majors." The existing program consisted of a series of a business core of six short courses representing what the CIE believed to be the most important steps in starting a business. CITO was able not only to help CIE put their Entrepreneurship course on-line but to also implement an innovative problem-centered approach to this instruction. The authors briefly describe this project and their approach in this portfolio. (Contains 8 figures.)

Summarizes first principles of instruction and presents a revised approach to instructional development that has been found to be most effective in overcoming the recent criticism of traditional ISD (instructional systems design), while at the same time implementing these first principles of instruction. (Author/LRW)

Suggests there must be educational reform deliberately engineered to enable schools to effectively use instructional technology. Discusses principles of instruction that facilitate learning; the need for effective instructional authoring tools; and the need for teacher support within the system to encourage innovation. (LRW)

Defines primary knowledge components for entities, actions, and processes, and for instructional strategy. Proposes that a different combination of strategy and knowledge components is required for different kinds of instructional goals, and if they are not present there will be a decrease in the student's acquisition of the desired knowledge and skill. (Author/LRW)

This instructional design looks at momentum in physics through railroading, to assist students in developing appropriate mental models that will enable them to solve problems relevant to the process or principle being taught. A PEAnet (process, entity, activity network) relationship enables an instructional visualization (simulation) in which students can manipulate components of the knowledge object in a way that enables them to acquire the cognitive processes to make predictions. (AEF)

Describes ongoing work in designing modular software components based on open standards and a specific instructional design theoryuinstructional transaction theory. Focuses on applied technological solutions to overcome identified limitations of current authoring environments, including proprietary architectures, instructional design theory neutrality, and monolithic structures. (DB)