Fact Check: What are we teaching in our introductory courses?

Sponsored by the ECCSE, Diane Ebert-May visits Emory to reveal results of her research on effective teaching practices for intro-level undergraduate Biology courses.

Who: Diane Ebert-May, Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University

When: Friday, March 26th @ 1:00pm

Where: Emory University, James B. Williams Medical Education Building, Room 130 [map]

Abstract:
Science in the 21st century is driven by cross‐cutting questions that involve many disciplines. Successful scientists are able to integrate information that traverses temporal and spatial scales to evaluate problems and synthesize solutions. Undergraduate introductory science courses are widely criticized for overemphasizing details and rote memorization at the expense of helping students develop higher‐level cognitive skills. Indeed, numerous calls for reform of STEM education reflect a wide disjunction between what is taught in the undergraduate biology classroom and the skills needed by scientists, science teachers, and informed citizens. Data to support such claims, however, are surprisingly scarce. As part of a research study of faculty teaching practice, we quantified the level of learning targeted by faculty in introductory‐level biology courses and documented their teaching practices through direct classroom observations that were analyzed using the Reformed Teaching Observation Protocol. We used the results to inform the design and implementation of FIRST IV, a national professional development program in teaching and lea rning targeted for postdoctoral scholars in the biological sciences.