1. University of Washington The Evergreen State College
Scientific Teaching
Mary Pat Wenderoth
University of Washington
Clarissa Dirks
The Evergreen State College 1

2. Goals for Summer Institute
To enhance the quality of science education
To create a more diverse scientific community
Initiate a national revolution in science education
NSF ADVANCE 2

3. Learning Outcomes for Scientific Teaching Session Participants will be able to…..
Explain the need for change in science education
Define “scientific teaching”
List and describe the three themes of scientific teaching
Engage in the process of science 3

4. Calls for Change in Science Education
AAAS “Science for All Americans”
NRC “How People Learn”
NAS “From Analysis to Action”
NRC “Bio2010”
President Obama “Win the Future”
Need for increase of “science literacy”
NSF and AAAS “Vision and Change” 4

5. “Talk to your neighbor”
Reasons For Change
“Talk to your neighbor” 5

6. Reasons For Change
Inability of science students to engage in conceptual and analytical thinking
Poor retention (10-20% lecture content)
Exit of students from college science (biology majors ~60%)
Long term lack of persistence of women in academic science
Greater loss of certain ethnic minorities (~80% for African American students) 6

7. Minority Retention Rates in Science Are A Sore Spot for Most Universities
Underrepresented students don’t stay the course.
Science 324: 7

8. “Talk to your neighbor”
What is Scientific Teaching?
“Talk to your neighbor”
NSF ADVANCE 8

9. What is Scientific Teaching?
The classroom reflects the process of science – evidence based
The classroom captures the rigor, iterative nature, and spirit of discovery of science at its best
Students learn the process and skills of science
The classroom includes all students
Handelsman et al., 2004 Science 304:
NSF ADVANCE 9

10. Summer Institute Themes
Assessment
Active learning
Diversity
NSF ADVANCE 10

11. Summer Institute Themes
Assessment
Not assume that our teaching methods work
Empower students to assess their own learning - metacognition
Enable instructor to monitor student progress
NSF ADVANCE 11

12. Summer Institute Themes
Assessment
Active learning
Students must be engaged in the process of learning
Transition from a passive to an active learner
NSF ADVANCE 12

13. Active Learning
You are now playing the role of an undergraduate in introductory biology
Please read the information on the next slide and discuss this in groups of three at your table 13

14. Active Learning
(NOTE: If you know the answer to this, please don’t reveal it to your group!)
You an undergraduates at a party. One of your male friends goes into the bathroom and comes back to you looking rather distraught. He tells you that he found a box of pregnancy tests in the bathroom and as a joke took the test. He was shocked when he unexpectedly saw a positive result.
Discuss the results with your group of 3 and propose a hypothesis and design an experiment. 14

15. Active Learning
Share your hypothesis and experimental design with the other group(s) at your table. 15

16. Active Learning New information:
You think that the test is faulty and advise your friend to go into the bathroom and take another test. You are amazed to find out that the second test is also positive. You even confirmed that he was reading the results correctly!
Does this new information change your hypothesis?
What questions do you have for us? 16

17. Active Learning
Let’s Brainstorm! 17

18. Active Learning We just modeled: The process of science
The importance of collaborative of work
Ask, don’t tell
Everyone was engaged! 18

19. Summer Institute Themes
Assessment
Active learning
Diversity
Science depends on contributions from diverse people for creativity – so should our classrooms
NSF ADVANCE 19

20. What is DIVERSITY in the classroom?
Brainstorm! 20

21. Prejudice and Bias in the Classroom
DIVERSITY
in the classroom
Cognitive Style
Learning Style
Gender, Race, and Style
Prejudice and Bias in the Classroom 21

22. Your Work at The Summer Institute
Terminology:
A teachable unit versus a teachable “tidbit”
Teachable Unit:
a framework of a teaching plan designed to help students master a particular concept
Teachable Tidbit:
one or two teaching activities from this unit that are developed in detail (you will present it on Friday)

23. Materials Are Developed With Feedback
Terminology: “Do-Si-Do”/group share
Do-Si-Do:
An event in which one group presents their preliminary work to another team for feedback.
Each group should explain their learning outcomes, then “teach” their tidbit to the other group. The groups offer one another constructive feedback for improvements.

24. When a faculty member in your department is given a new course to teach, what steps do they take to prepare?
Discuss the typical approach faculty take. 24

25. Standard course planning
Choose textbook 
Create syllabus
Write/revise lectures, notes
Prepare PowerPoint presentations
Write exams
Instructor-centered

26. An Alternative Approach Is Backward Design
General Course Goals
An Alternative Approach Is Backward Design
Student Centered
MeasurableOutcomes
Summative Assessment
(Exams)
Formative Assessment
(Instruction)
Adapted from Wiggins and McTighe (1998)

27. Wednesday and Thursday
General Course Goals
Tuesday
MeasurableOutcomes
Everything is inclusive of Diversity!
Summative Assessment
(Exams)
Wednesday
and
Thursday
Formative Assessment
(Instruction)
Adapted from Wiggins and McTighe (1998)

28. Final Presentations on Friday
Each group will have 25 minutes to present an outline of their unit and “teach” their tidbit.
Presentations will be followed by 10 minutes of comments and suggestions.
Note:
The process is the important part of the Summer Institute and developing the materials provides practice.

29. Throughout the Summer Institute
We Will Use A Variety of Techniques and Tools

30. iClicker
A radio frequency classroom response system that helps us better connect!

31. Why do we want our students to use iClickers?

32. iClickers, or personal response systems, will:
help students to be engaged during lectures.
allow students to assess your knowledge during lectures.
allow faculty to assess students knowledge during lectures.
keep student responses confidential.
enhance peer instruction.

33. Let’s Practice Using Them!
I have used iClickers or another personal response system in my teaching.
Yes No

34. We Will Use iClickers To Gain Important
Information From You Throughout the Summer Institute
For Example . . .
I am familiar with or have used a Wiki prior to the Summer Institute:
Yes No

35. This Summer Institute will help you be in a position to do . . .
Scientific Teaching!
In the literal sense you will be able to:
introduce innovative teaching approaches
measure the effects on student learning
use the data to improve the course next time around
Point out the analogy to laboratory science – with an assay for student learning, you can apply the scientific approach to optimizing your teaching. 35

36. Break Time!