This article aims to explore the experiences of science instructors who are active participants in the design and enactment of an interdisciplinary science course with student-centered pedagogy in a large-enrollment class. The data were collected through interviews with instructors and analyzed using the inductive thematic approach. Results show that the instructors discussed the benefits and challenges of using the previous passive-lecture format of the science course.

This article aims to explore the experiences of science instructors who are active participants in the design and enactment of an interdisciplinary science course with student-centered pedagogy in a large-enrollment class. The data were collected through interviews with instructors and analyzed using the inductive thematic approach. Results show that the instructors discussed the benefits and challenges of using the previous passive-lecture format of the science course.

The field of biology education—and other science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines more broadly—has witnessed two major shifts in the past decade: (i) the increased awareness of research-based instructional strategies (RBIS) that are beneficial for student learning, and (ii) a recognition of the importance of computing in industry and academia. However, uptake of RBIS remains low and opportunities for students to learn computing skills are limited.

The field of biology education—and other science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines more broadly—has witnessed two major shifts in the past decade: (i) the increased awareness of research-based instructional strategies (RBIS) that are beneficial for student learning, and (ii) a recognition of the importance of computing in industry and academia. However, uptake of RBIS remains low and opportunities for students to learn computing skills are limited.

Given the recent state of social distancing, the online lab experience discussed in this article offers an economical and versatile approach to online undergraduate chemistry lab instruction. With videoconferencing software, this experience is easily adaptable to a socially distanced learning environment, although it was initially designed for a classroom (nonlaboratory) setting with an instructor present.

Given the recent state of social distancing, the online lab experience discussed in this article offers an economical and versatile approach to online undergraduate chemistry lab instruction. With videoconferencing software, this experience is easily adaptable to a socially distanced learning environment, although it was initially designed for a classroom (nonlaboratory) setting with an instructor present.

Equity, as we define it, means striving to serve the needs of others and enhancing belonging by focusing on “whole humans” in emotional, sociocultural, and personal contexts. Integrating equitable practices in STEM classrooms has advantages ranging from helping students grasp concepts to better fostering student transitions into STEM culture. Through class observations, teacher interviews, and open-ended student surveys, we explore differences in perceptions of equity between major and nonmajor biology and geology courses.

Equity, as we define it, means striving to serve the needs of others and enhancing belonging by focusing on “whole humans” in emotional, sociocultural, and personal contexts. Integrating equitable practices in STEM classrooms has advantages ranging from helping students grasp concepts to better fostering student transitions into STEM culture. Through class observations, teacher interviews, and open-ended student surveys, we explore differences in perceptions of equity between major and nonmajor biology and geology courses.

Researcher innovation and leadership skills are fundamental for creating implementable solutions to pressing societal and market-based global problems. The Research to Innovation to Society (R2I2S) program is a transformative approach to graduate education, training students at the intersection of research, innovation, and leadership. In this article, we detail the design of the program and a 3-year exploratory investigation of its impact at one research university in the western United States.

Researcher innovation and leadership skills are fundamental for creating implementable solutions to pressing societal and market-based global problems. The Research to Innovation to Society (R2I2S) program is a transformative approach to graduate education, training students at the intersection of research, innovation, and leadership. In this article, we detail the design of the program and a 3-year exploratory investigation of its impact at one research university in the western United States.

Physical and life science disciplines emphasize how basic structural units influence function, yet it is challenging for students to understand structure-function relationships, particularly at molecular scales. Undergraduates in our biology capstone course struggled to connect mutations in a gene encoding a key protein in a cell development regulation pathway to the function of that protein. We hypothesized that physical molecular models and interactive activities exploring the pathway would help students overcome this learning challenge.

Physical and life science disciplines emphasize how basic structural units influence function, yet it is challenging for students to understand structure-function relationships, particularly at molecular scales. Undergraduates in our biology capstone course struggled to connect mutations in a gene encoding a key protein in a cell development regulation pathway to the function of that protein. We hypothesized that physical molecular models and interactive activities exploring the pathway would help students overcome this learning challenge.

Volume 4, Issue 6

Volume 4, Issue 6

Volume 4, Issue 6