Blueprints for Learning: Justin Shaffer on Structured A&P Course Design | TAPP 148
Release Date: 05/16/2024
Examining the Anatomy & Physiology Exam: Chatting with Greg Crowther and Ben Wiggins | TAPP 149
The A&P Professor
In episode 149 of The A&P Professor podcast, host Kevin Patton chats with Greg Crowther and Ben Wiggins about their work with exams in the anatomy and physiology (A&P) course. They discuss the importance of exams in assessing student learning and the need for exams to be more connected to course objectives. They also mention the challenges of designing exams that are fair and inclusive for all students. Crowther and Wiggins are conducting a survey on A&P exams and encourage listeners to participate to contribute to the understanding of exam practices in the A&P community. The...
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Blueprints for Learning: Justin Shaffer on Structured A&P Course Design | TAPP 148
The A&P Professor
In Episode 148, Justin Shaffer joins host Kevin Patton to discuss high structure course design. Justin shares his success in building a scaffold for learning by using a variety of course structures to improve student engagement and success, such as pre-class and post-class activities, micro-case studies and clicker questions, brief active learning practices, and much more. 00:00 | Introduction 00:46 | Introducing Justin Shaffer 02:49 | High Structure and Low Structure 20:47 | Badge Break 21:43 | Transparency, Expectations, & Flexibility 34:06 | Secret Code: TAA Conference in Nashville...
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Pulse of Progress: Looking Back, Moving Forward | TAPP 147
The A&P Professor
In Episode 147, host Kevin Patton reviews the highlights and events of the previous year in the world of The A&P Professor. He then turns to last year's predictions for teaching human anatomy and physiology to see if he was on the right track. Finally, predictions for the coming year are revealed. And lots of other stuff—this episode is two hours long, after all! 0:00:00 | Introduction 0:00:50 | Debrief: Topics, Stats, Reflections 0:21:28 | A Long, Long, Long Episode 0:23:05 | Debrief: More Reviewing & Reflecting 0:38:59 | Did I Get My Predictions Right? 0:50:22 | Textbook &...
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Anatomy of Trust: Promoting Integrity in A&P Education | Winter Shorts | TAPP 146
The A&P Professor
Episode 146 of The A&P Professor podcast is one of our winter shorts, where I replay interesting segments from previous episodes. In this one, we discuss the importance of academic integrity in the Anatomy & Physiology course. We emphasize the need to incorporate discussions about integrity in the syllabus and course materials and share real-life examples of violations in the healthcare field. We highlight how dishonesty can have serious consequences and discuss strategies for prevention, such as using multiple test versions and unique topics for papers/projects. Providing examples of...
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A Tongue Twister's Guide to Mastering Anatomy Pronunciation | Winter Shorts | TAPP 145
The A&P Professor
Episode 145 of The A&P Professor podcast is one of our winter shorts, where I replay interesting segments from previous episodes. In this one, you'll hear about the trials and tribulations of teaching and learning pronunciations of anatomy and physiology terminology. Including why the instructor is ALWAYS correct! 00:00 | Introduction 01:07 | Variations in Anatomy & Physiology Pronunciations 10:24 | Say Anatomy & Physiology Terms Out Loud 20:30 | Staying Connected ★ If you cannot see or activate the audio player, go to: 🏅 Apply for your credential (badge/certificate)...
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Dissecting the Kenhub Atlas: Insights from Editor Mike Pascoe | TAPP 144
The A&P Professor
Mike Pascoe joins host Kevin Patton in Episode 144 to chat about Mike's experience in editing the new Kenhub Atlas of Human Anatomy. We go behind the scenes to see how this new kind of anatomy atlas was developed. Let's see how those decisions get made and how the learning perspective gets incorporated into anatomy manuals. And we explore diverse representation in anatomy images and why we won't find any eponyms in this atlas. We also have a brief remembrance of our friend David Allard. 00:00 | Introduction 00:45 | Remembering David Allard 04:25 | Introducing Mike Pascoe 06:12 |...
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The One Teaching Strategy That Will Fix Your Anatomy & Physiology Course | TAPP 143
The A&P Professor
In episode 143 of The A&P Professor podcast for anatomy and physiology faculty, host Kevin Patton uncovers the super-secret, single, ultimate teaching strategy you need to keep your course tuned up and effective. He also revisits the "out there" transducer model of the brain and suggests a connection with a recent discovery supporting quantum wave activity in brain cell microtubules. Yes, quantum waves in the microtubules. Kevin also clarifies and expands on those wacky "extra" courses he described in Episodes 140 and 141. 00:00 | Introduction 00:51 | Clarifying Kevin's Wacky Supplemental...
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Muscle: A Gripping Story by Roy Meals | TAPP 142
The A&P Professor
Get pumped up for Episode 142, where we have the honor of hosting Dr. Roy Meals, the musculoskeletal maestro! 💪 We're gonna flex our curiosity muscles and explore every nook and cranny of his latest masterpiece, Muscle: The Gripping Story of Strength and Movement. This episode's so dynamic, you might need a protein shake afterward! 0:00:00 | Introduction 0:01:13 | Re-Introducing Dr. Roy Meals 0:04:08 | Muscle Strain & Why We Train 0:13:53 | What Sword Swallowing Teaches Us About Muscle 0:24:49 | Muscle Stories: Learning Should Be Fun 0:38:48 | Staying Connected...
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Study Courses Supercharge Anatomy & Physiology Success | TAPP 141
The A&P Professor
Get ready for a mind-bending 😲 rendezvous with Kevin Patton in Episode 141, where he continues to spill the beans on his top-secret recipe for student triumph. 🏆 Brace yourself for this next adventure on his whirlwind tour of revolutionizing A&P 1 education, as we dissect the art of identifying student pain points, personalizing preparation, and serving up the kind of mentorship they've been yearning for! 0:00:00 | Introduction 0:00:45 | One of Two Success Courses 0:09:48 | Setting Up the Supplement Course 0:18:44 | Structure of Class Sessions 0:40:17 |...
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Pre-A&P: A Refresher for Student Success in Anatomy & Physiology | TAPP 140
The A&P Professor
In episode 140, we introduce the development of the pre-A&P course and the A&P1 Supplement course. These courses address the challenges faced by A&P students and improve their readiness and comprehension. In this first of two episodes, we focus on the pre-A&P course. It focuses on filling subject knowledge gaps with 10 modules and cumulative tests. Student surveys and studies show its effectiveness in achieving higher grades in the A&P 1 course. Implementing these nontraditional courses requires collaboration and support from advisors and faculty members. Together, we...
info_outlineIn Episode 148, Justin Shaffer joins host Kevin Patton to discuss high structure course design. Justin shares his success in building a scaffold for learning by using a variety of course structures to improve student engagement and success, such as pre-class and post-class activities, micro-case studies and clicker questions, brief active learning practices, and much more.
00:00 | Introduction
00:46 | Introducing Justin Shaffer
02:49 | High Structure and Low Structure
20:47 | Badge Break
21:43 | Transparency, Expectations, & Flexibility
34:06 | Secret Code: TAA Conference in Nashville
36:04 | Baby Steps or Go All In?
50:16 | Staying Connected
★ If you cannot see or activate the audio player, go to: theAPprofessor.org/podcast-episode-148.html
🏅 Apply for your credential (badge/certificate) for listening to this episode: theAPprofessor.org/podcast-episode-148.html/#badge
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To achieve great things, two things are needed; a plan, and not quite enough time. (Leonard Bernstein)
Introducing Justin Shaffer
2 minutes
Host Kevin Patton briefly introduced our guest, Dr. Justin Shaffer. Justin is an experienced educator who provides professional development and advice on pedagogy for educators in anatomy and physiology and other disciplines. He is particularly well known for his advice on how to implement high structure course design.
★ Recombinant Education (Justin's website) recombinanteducation.com/
★ Justin Shaffer (Justin's LinkedIn profile) linkedin.com/in/justin-shaffer
★ How to Use High Structure Course Design to Heighten Learning (Justin's conversation with host Bonni Stachowiak on the Teaching in Higher Education podcast) AandP.info/xlo
★ High Structure STEM Classes (Justin's interview on the podcast, Tea for Teaching) AandP.info/75a
High Structure and Low Structure
18 minutes
Kevin Patton discusses with Justin Shaffer the concept of high-structure course design, which revolutionizes traditional teaching by providing a scaffolded learning process involving pre-class content acquisition, active in-class engagement, and post-class assessments. This method, inspired by the educational research of Scott Freeman and Mary Pat Wenderoth, has been successfully applied across multiple disciplines, demonstrating its versatility and effectiveness in improving student learning outcomes and engagement.
★ Increased structure and active learning reduce the achievement gap in introductory biology (report in Science mentioned in this segment) AandP.info/vqb
★ Getting Under the Hood: How and for Whom Does Increasing Course Structure Work? (paper in CBE-Life Sciences Education by Kelly Hogan and Sarah Eddy mentioned in this segment) AandP.info/ktl
★ Inclusive Teaching: Strategies for Promoting Equity in the College Classroom (book by Kelley Hogan and Viji Sathy mentioned in this segment) geni.us/kkB4Fn
★ True Grit: Passion and persistence make an innovative course design work (paper in PLOS Biology by Casper, Eddy, and Freeman mentioned in this segment) AandP.info/h27
★ Student performance in and perceptions of a high structure undergraduate human anatomy course (Justin's paper on high structure anatomy in ASE) AandP.info/lv1
★ High Structure Course Design for Chemical Engineering (Justin's paper on high structure chemical engineering in CEE) AandP.info/djc
★ Do I Really Have to Teach Reading? (source of the quote used in this segment, "My wish for you is that each year you look back at your career and laugh with embarrassment about the way used to teach. If you do this, you will continue to learn and grow.") geni.us/J9jdp
Badge Break
1 minute
Kevin reminds listeners that listening to this episode and reviewing the notes at this episode page can be documented with a professional development credential that can be shared in the form of a digital badge or certificate. It helps you keep track of your independent professional development activities and it provides evidence for your records or reports. Scroll down to the the link below to claim your digital credential. Or go to one of the links listed:
★ Education | Professional Development (all about TAPP digital credentials)
★ TAPP Education | Credentials | P Group (list of all the credentials related to this podcast)
Transparency, Expectations, & Flexibility
12.5 minutes
In this insightful exchange, Kevin Patton and Justin Shaffer explore the transformation of teaching strategies from low to high structure. Patton discusses the shift in student expectations due to more structured courses, and Shaffer explains how transparency and flexibility within this framework can significantly enhance student engagement and success. They discuss the importance of being adaptable while maintaining rigorous academic standards to mirror real-world responsibilities.
★ Some related resources from The A&P Professor
★ ★ The Case for Transparency | Episode 51
★ ★ Student Evaluations of Teaching II: Proactive, Active, and Reactive Strategies | TAPP 85 (discusses course debriefing sessions with feedback)
★ ★ Should We Extend Deadlines? | Models & Color Codes | TAPP 112
★ ★ The Inclusive Anatomy & Physiology Course | Part 2 | 8 More Tips to Include All | TAPP 109
★ ★ More Quizzing About Kevin's Wacky Testing Scheme | Book Club | TAPP 100
★ ★ 49 Tricks for Retention & Success in Online Courses | Episode 21
★ ★ 49 MORE Tricks for Retention & Success in Online Courses | Episode 22
★ ★ EVEN MORE Tricks for Retention & Success in Online Courses | Episode 23
★ ★ Ungrading With Standards-Based Grading | A Chat With Staci Johnson | TAPP 106
★ ★ Taking Bold Steps in Teaching | Notetaking | Science Updates | TAPP 90
★ State of Student Success and Engagement in Higher Education (recent report from Instructure) AandP.info/ir9
Secret Code: TAA Conference in Nashville
2 minutes
We take a brief pause to talk about the Textbook & Academic Authors Association (TAA) in which many A&P professors find helpful support and benefits. TAA meets the needs of those interested in creating textbooks, lab manuals, workbooks, and other learning resources, as well as those who focus on academic writing, such as journal articles, dissertations/theses, monographs, and scholarly or other nonfiction works.
Kevin explains that he has a secret code for a significant discount on the upcoming TAA Annual Conference. Contact him at [email protected] or the podcast hotline at 1.833.546.6336
★ TAA Annual Conference (Nashville TN, June 21-22—contact Kevin for the secret discount code) 2024taaconference.org/
Baby Steps or Go All In?
14 minutes
In this segment, we discuss the dilemma of adopting high-structure teaching methods with Justin Shaffer, focusing on the balance between workload and effectiveness. Shaffer recommends a phased approach to implementing new strategies in an established course, starting small and evaluating the impact before adding more elements. This method allows educators to manage their workload while still experimenting with innovative teaching practices that can significantly enhance student learning experiences and outcomes. For new courses, Justin suggests going all-in from the start, noting that while the initial setup may be labor-intensive, the long-term gains in student performance and instructional efficiency can justify the effort.
★ Recombinant Education (Justin's website with a lot of resources related to high structure teaching) recombinanteducation.com/
★ Improving Exam Performance in Introductory Biology through the Use of Preclass Reading Guides (Justin's paper on Reading Guides in CBE-Life Sciences) AandP.info/clu
★ Teaching and Learning STEM: A Practical Guide (book by Rich Felder and Rebecca Brent, both mentioned in this segment) geni.us/jP9tT
People
Production: Aileen Park (announcer), Andrés Rodriguez (theme composer, recording artist), Karen Turner (Executive Editor), Kevin Patton (writer, editor, producer, host).
Not People
Robotic (AI) audio leveling/processing and transcription is done by Auphonic.com and the content, spelling, grammar, style, etc., of these episode notes are assisted by various bots, such as ChatGPT, Grammarly, and QuillBot.
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★ Transcript available in the transcript box: theAPprofessor.org/podcast-episode-148.html
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