<br/>Most instructors concur that repeated exposure to essential ideas over longer periods of time and when presented in a logical progression, preferably with some overlap in multiple courses, result in improved learning outcomes for the students.  Course Preparation Assignments (CPAs) are teaching tools that help facilitate the learning of essential information by providing an initial exposure to essential course material prior to discussion in class.  In addition, CPAs require that individual students read and analyze course material before classes, thus engaging them in responding to and completing the assignments in writing.  Furthermore, CPAs are tailored to each semester and provide students with a preview of learning goals and, when applicable, how new topics fit into their prior scientific knowledge.  Interestingly, it was noted that CPAs especially benefited students taking reading-intensive chemistry courses with abundant chemistry terminology which led to implementation of CPAs in the Principles of Biochemistry courses for life science students.  Indeed, utilizing CPAs in conjunction with presenting all in-class problems in relevant context, and offering optional bi-weekly problem solving sessions led by undergraduate learning assistants (LAs), have improved student learning outcomes.  CPAs are especially useful in presenting medical correlations, nutritional aspects of Biochemistry and other challenging material in a manner that engages undergraduate students.  In that regard, student perception of the CPAs, in-class problems, and the use of LAs has been assessed using Student Assessment of their Learning Gains (SALG).  The SALG survey, which utilizes statements each followed by a numerical rating scale and open-ended responses, has provided valuable information regarding student satisfaction and self-reported learning gains.  In addition, specific learning objectives for each course such as, strengthening students’ ability to interpret data and make conclusions based on figures, tables or graphs as well as integrating chemical and mathematical principles necessary for a deeper understanding of biology, are also measured at the end of the semester.<br/>

Course Preparation Assignments as a teaching tool in one-semester undergraduate biochemistry courses

253rd National Meeting (2017)

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