University of New Hampshire is Now Accepting Applications for the Postdoctoral Diversity and Innovation Scholars Program

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A description of the program and the (5 postdoc cohort of diverse scholars each year) appears on their website at www.unh.edu/diverse-postdoc. A minimum salary of $50,000 (depending on discipline) and a professional development program and professional development fund are also provided. On the website you will find a PDF electronic card that describes the range of professional development opportunities which in particular includes a research mentoring network, participation in in-depth faculty development programs and the opportunity during the second postdoctoral year to apply for a tenure track faculty openings. They have postdoctoral opening in seven department across three colleges including the College of Life Sciences and Agriculture, the College of Health and Human Services and the Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics.

For questions please contact patricia.walsh@unh.edu who can set up an appointment with either Julie Williams, PhD senior vice provost or Leslie Couse, PhD executive director in the Office of Engagement & Faculty Development.

Application Deadline: March 29, 2019

The Effects of Doctoral Teaching Development on Early-Career STEM Scholars’ College Teaching Self-efficacy

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– CBE Life Sciences

To help prepare future faculty in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) to teach undergraduates, more research universities are offering teaching development (TD) programs to doctoral students who aspire to academic careers. Using social cognitive career theory, we examine the effects of TD programs on early-career STEM scholars’ sense of self-efficacy as postsecondary teachers.

The Impact of a Pedagogy Course on the Teaching Beliefs of Inexperienced Graduate Teaching Assistants

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– CBE Life Sciences

There has been little attention given to teaching beliefs of graduate teaching assistants (GTAs), even though they represent the primary teaching workforce for undergraduate students in discussion and laboratory sections at many research universities. Secondary school education studies have shown that teaching beliefs are malleable and can be shaped by professional development, particularly for inexperienced teachers. This study characterized inexperienced GTAs’ teaching beliefs about student learning and how they change with a science-specific pedagogy course that emphasized student learning.

 

Despite Similar Perceptions and Attitudes, Postbaccalaureate Students Outperform in Introductory Biology and Chemistry Courses

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–CBE Life Sciences

Embedding active learning is a common mechanism for meeting science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education reform goals. Researchers have identified student benefits from such strategies, yet these benefits may not be universal for all students. We sought to identify how students at a nontraditional university perceive introductory biology and chemistry courses, and whether perceptions relate to course type, performance, or student status.

Knowing is Half the Battle: Assessments of Both Student Perception and Performance are Necessary to Successfully Evaluate Curricular Transformation

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–PLOSONE

Telling is a time-tested and efficient way to communicate information. Just try to keep the strengths and weaknesses of lecturing in mind. The most effective teaching involves looking to communicate information in inefficient ways — that is, in ways that make students work to understand the information, and not just listen passively. A big benefit of engaging students in active learning is that it reveals — to us and to them — what they don’t yet understand. With lecturing, we can tell them all we want, but whether they’re listening is anyone’s guess.

Is it Ever OK to Lecture

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–ChronicleVitae

Telling is a time-tested and efficient way to communicate information. Just try to keep the strengths and weaknesses of lecturing in mind. The most effective teaching involves looking to communicate information in inefficient ways — that is, in ways that make students work to understand the information, and not just listen passively. A big benefit of engaging students in active learning is that it reveals — to us and to them — what they don’t yet understand. With lecturing, we can tell them all we want, but whether they’re listening is anyone’s guess.

New Resources (videos) on Education Research Methods!

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Resources on Biology Teaching Assistant Project (BioTAP) is a compilation of articles, book chapters and videos that can inform the creation and implementation of education research projects! This can help you get started with research on your GTA TPD program. Four education researchers at the University of Georgia (Jennifer Thompson, Paula Lemons, Peggy Brickman, and Tessa Andrews) are sharing information in the form of videos on the topics of Introduction to Qualitative Research, Types of Qualitative Research Interviews, Developing and Analyzing Data from Surveys, and Classroom Observation. These were green-lighted by Judy Milton (BioTAP Steering Committee Member) at UGA for the CIRTL program.

Visit website for resources.

Entering Mentoring Training Program

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Date: April 10 – June 12, 2019
Time: 3:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Location: Boyer Hall 130
Objective: To enrich the academic experiences of UCLA’s undergraduate researchers and to provide leadership guidance to UCLA’s graduate student and post-doctoral trainees who are about to embark on advance career aspirations. The goals of the mentoring seminar are to guide mentors to:
  1. Understand “scientific teaching” and apply it in mentoring
  2. Build relationship based on trust and respect with a mentee
  3. Build community with other mentors.
Facilitator: Diana Azurdia, PhD – dazirdia@mednet.ucla.edu
Course Materials: Course materials and resources will be shared via BOX weekly. Must bring a composition note book or journal to record reflections.
Sessions include:
  • 04/10/19 Introduction to Mentor Training
  • 04/17/19 Aligning Expectations
  • 04/24/19 Maintaining Effective Communication
  • 05/01/19 Assessing Understanding / Intro. to Mentorship Philosophy
  • 05/08/19 TBD
  • 05/15/19 Fostering Independence (need a space)
  • 05/22/19 Promoting Professional Development
  • 05/29/19 Addressing Equity and Inclusion
  • 06/05/19 Cultivating Ethical Behavior
  • 06/12/19 Articulating Your Mentoring Philosophy Plan
You will be notified if you’ve been accepted to participate in the course by mid-March.
Graduate students who are invited to participate may enroll in MOLBIO 300 to receive 1 unit of credit.

Register Now to be a Presenter in the 2019 STEM for All Video Showcase

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If you are engaged in a federally-funded project to improve Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM) and computer science education, STEM invite you to submit a video and discuss it with researchers, practitioners, policy makers and the public during an interactive week long event.

Videos will address:

  • Strategies to broaden participation & increase access for all
  • Research informing STEM and CS teaching and learning
  • Challenges and strategies in the implementation of STEM + CS programs
  • Measuring impact of innovative programs
  • Partnerships fostering innovation

Those who wish to present need to register by February 19th.

Visit website for more information

UCLA Instructors and Students Presents Education Research at SABER West 2019

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The Society for the Advancement of Biology Education Research (SABERI, holds an annual west coast regional conference for education researcher in biology. UCLA was well represented at this year’s conference at UC Irvine, January 19th – 20th, with presentations by:

Jeffrey Maloy – Spoke on the use of interesting but educationally irrelevant anecdotes in flipped classrooms
Rachel Kennison – Presented a poster on the impact of LS 110, Career Exploration in the Life Sciences
Natalie Rotstein (Undergraduate) – Presented a poster on electrophysiology measurement and sense-making in introductory physics for life sciences laboratories.
Dhiraj Nallapothula, Selina Han, and Carlos Herrera (Undergraduates) – Presented a poster on enhancing motivational predictors of retention in the life sciences.
Photo: (Left to right) Marc Levis-Fitzgerald, Jeffrey Maloy, Selina Han, Dhiraj Nallapothula, Jen Berden-Lozano, and Carlos Herrera stand in front of a poster with results of their mindset intervention being employed in introductory life sciences classes at UCLA.