title: But are they learning? Getting started in classroom evaluation.
abstract: There are increasing numbers of traditional biologists, untrained in educational research methods, who want to develop and assess new classroom innovations. In this article we argue the necessity of formal research over normal classroom feedback. We also argue that traditionally trained biologists can make significant contributions to biology pedagogy. We then offer some guidance to the biologist with no formal educational research training who wants to get started. Specifically, we suggest ways to find out what others have done, we discuss the difference between qualitative and quantitative research, and we elaborate on the process of gaining insights from student interviews. We end with an example of a project that has used many different research techniques.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Davidson College, Davidson, North Carolina 28035, USA. medancy@davidson.edu
authors.forename: Melissa H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Dancy
authors.forename: Robert J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Beichner
mesh_terms: D001695:Biology / Q000193:education*; D004521:Educational Measurement / Q000379:methods*; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D007858:Learning; D012106:Research / Q000193:education