Scientific Teaching: Perspectives from an Early Career Teacher

1. Scientific Teaching: Perspectives from an Early Career Teacher Lisa R. Wilken Assistant Professor Biological & Agricultural Engineering Kansas State University “Tell me and I’ll forget; Show me and I may remember; Involve me and I’ll understand.” -Chinese proverb

2. 1) Backward design facilitates learning: Teach as if it were a science. Be inclusive Whoever does the work, learns. Handelsman, J. et al. 2007. Scientific Teaching. W.H. Freeman and Co. New York, NY.

3. 1) Backward design facilitates learning Handelsman, J. et al. 2007. Scientific Teaching. W.H. Freeman and Co. New York, NY.

4. 2) Whoever does the work, learns... • Focus on difficult concepts, common misconceptions, and/or fundamentals • 34% of students fail introductory STEM courses in traditional lectures • For most, failure results in dropping out of STEM majors entirely • Closes the achievement gap between underrepresented students and their classmates Freeman, S. et al. 2013. PNAS. 111(23): 8410-8415.

5. 2) Whoever does the work, learns... • If goal is for students to recall, memorize, define, etc., lecture may be adequate • If goal is to have students analyze, apply, or evaluate new problems based on concepts, active learning is more effective

6. 3) Be inclusive… www.culturalorganizing.org

7. 3) Be inclusive • Strategies • Define roles with group • Various methods for data analysis • Apply jigsaw • Provides essential part to each team member • Reduces anxiety and improves feeling of inclusion • Encourages listening, engagement, and empathy • Integrate culturally diverse and relevant examples • Wait time (1.5 s to 3-5 s) Tanner, K. 2013. CBE Life SciEduc. Fall; 12(3): 322–331. https://www.schreyerinstitute.psu.edu

8. Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4

9. Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4

10. Classrooms are not suitable! Address the challenges… Takes too much class time! • Set expectations early • Emphasize that work is required to learn • Provide justification through data • Consider content vs. understanding

11. Summary • Backward design facilitates learning. • Teach as if it were a science. • Whoever does the work, learns. • Activities tap into existing pathways, integrate and connect concepts, and provide experiential learning • Be inclusive. • Take proactive approach when designing course materials

12. Acknowledgements • Ruth Dyer and Kansas State Office of the Provost • Summer Institute for Scientific Teaching (Northstar, University of Minnesota) sponsored by HHMI, NSF, Helmsley Foundation