Four years after two senior academics at Stanford University challenged medical schools to stop lecturing and start flipping their classrooms, major reforms at underway at a handful of colleges to change the way they teach medicine. Read the whole article here.
Researchers from Washington State University and CU-Boulder present a model for undergraduate chemistry curriculum development based on five important questions and offer a new general chemistry course — CLUE: Chemistry, Life, the Universe, and Everything — as an example of materials developed in this way.
Departments are increasingly hiring Science Faculty with Education Specialties (SFES) to help improve undergraduate science education. According to a recent study, SFES report their strongest impact is influencing other faculty’s teaching practices.
The public is invited to provide feedback on a draft National Academies report regarding national indicators to monitor undergraduate STEM education. Click through to download the report and offer comments.
CEILS hosted the third annual Faculty Workshop on Best Practices in Teaching on September 14th. The day-long event featured sessions on UCLA’s undergraduate students and their current barriers to academic success and persistence in STEM fields. Throughout the day, session facilitators highlighted inclusive and equitable teaching strategies designed to support student success as well as using backwards design to organize a single lesson or an entire course. Participants practiced writing learning outcomes, were exposed to a variety of active learning strategies, and considered multiple ways to assess student learning. Concurrent sessions provided a choice of topics for participants to explore in more depth including group work and collaborative instruction, question writing, concept mapping, and classroom technology supporting hybrid and flipped learning environments. Additionally, representatives from multiple campus units came to highlight their programs and services and offer additional resources to support all instructors in their teaching at UCLA.
Thank you to all who helped make the event a huge success!
Photo: Jordan Moberg Parker highlights strategies for effective assessment of student learning.
Among the featured articles in this special issue are:
Dr. Shaked is a leader at UCLA in the use of evidence-based teaching techniques, particularly those that aid in the retention of underrepresented groups. She has also pioneered a range of interdisciplinary teaching collaborations with faculty across the UCLA Physical and Life Sciences. After earning her B.S. and B.A. in Physics, Astronomy and Mathematics from the University of Arizona, she received a Ph.D. in Applied Physics from the University of Michigan and a Master of Arts in Teaching from Ithaca College. Her research experience ranges across astrophysics, biophysics, environmental physics, pollutant modeling, sustainability, and ultimately physics education research. At UCLA, Dr. Shaked has initiated a range of evidence-based teaching techniques, such as an interdisciplinary undergraduate Learning Assistant program to promote active learning and inclusivity in large lecture courses. She is an expert in the implementation of pre- and post-tests and surveys to assess the effectiveness such educational interventions.
The overall focus of Dr. Shaked’s efforts in CEILS is to identify and address the educational needs and interests of Physical Science faculty, and in so doing, support the academic success of all UCLA students. Connect with Shanna at shaked@ceils.ucla.edu.