Saturday October 20 8:30-11:30
This Mini Conference on Undergraduate Education (miniCUE) session will give participants an overview of the methods used in “Scientific Teaching”. The goal of Scientific Teaching is to make teaching more scientific. We will explore ways that we can do this in our microbiology classes. We will begin by describing the main approaches and theories important to Scientific Teaching and continue with two session that apply these methods.
The first session will demonstrate how to use Case Studies to make learning relevant to a student’s life and to show the larger picture of biology to your classroom. Using an example case, the Human Microbiome (written for the textbook, Biology: How Life Works), and related in-class activity, we will walk you through the backward design techniques used by the text and activity authors to ensure this case and activity connects core concepts, adds relevance, and inspires critical thinking.
The second session will demonstrate how online interactive games can be used to effectively teach science. Created through grants from the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation, Web Adventures are thematic interactive games and simulations driven by specific learning objectives aligned to National Science Education Standards. The idea was to create a free online environment that not only allows students to explore science concepts, conduct virtual laboratory investigations, and role-play science careers, but also enables teachers to reinforce standards. Currently, there are six themed Web Adventures that cover infectious diseases, the neuroscience behind substance abuse, the impact of alcohol on body systems, forensic science, clinical trials, and science careers. While the original target audience was middle school students and high school students, Web Adventures offers examples of how games can be crafted to teach science at any level. Results of field tests in middle school and high school classrooms indicate the efficacy of this methodology in achieving specific learning objectives and the viability of this type of teaching tool. See http://webadventures.rice.edu.
We will then have time to meet with each other and share ideas before breaking into small groups for our Microbrew Sessions. The following sessions will be available:
Lab safety: Diane Hartman
Microbe Mayhem, An Educational Adventure in a Wetland Environment: Melissa Mullins
Case Studies and Critical Thinking: Alisa Petree
Man vs Machine: Balancing Tech in the Classroom with a Human Element: Donavan Haines
Graduate School Possibilities at UNTHSC: Harlan Jones and Jessica Brewer
More Case Study Exploration: Shannon Howard
WebAdventures: Kristi Bowling and Greg Frederick (1 hour-bring laptop (not notebook)