In our meeting today we decided it would be a valuable product and exercise for the working group to generate modules demonstrating how to teach basic biological topics (such as genetic inheritance) using models. This exercise will help us understand using models in biology class better, develop good scaffolding to help other faculty use modeling, and be publishable products.
The plan is to pick a few topics that are commonly taught and revisited across levels. Our goal will be to put together a collection of modeling activities that would enhance student understanding of the topic, address common misconceptions, and help students and faculty recognize and utilize models more effectively. We want to see if we can develop a template for adding modeling to basic instruction, and if not, understand why so we can develop appropriate support for introducing and using models. We will plan on serious progress on these modules at our face to face meeting in March. In the meantime, we will continue the discussion on the forum. Please add your ideas for good topics, and teaching resources we should consider. Please visit the forum discussion and explore the resources others have shared. For these activities, consider where models are or could be added, and how modeling enhances student understanding. We'll keep reading papers as well, especially as they relate to this topic.
We're excited and look forward to everyone's ideas.
About the author
I am the Executive Director of TIDES at UT Austin. I earned my Bachelors at the University of California San Diego, in Biochemistry and Cell Biology. A high point of my undergraduate career was studying abroad at LaTrobe University in Melbourne, Australia for a year. I earned my PhD in Molecular and Cellular Biology at the University of Arizona, where I worked on RNA metabolism. After a short stint in industry at a start up biotech company, I moved into education. I have been fortunate to have a variety of experiences including teaching high school, as well as at a small college, an R1 and a community college. I ran a McNair Program at Concord College in West Virginia, and worked for BCSC before taking a position at the National Evolutionary Synthesis Center (NESCent). From NESCent, I moved to a position in future faculty development at the University of Wisconsin. In 2015I became the Executive Director of BioQUEST where I led the transition to a non-profit organization and played a key role in the development of QUBES.
My goal in science education is promoting success for all students and I use the Universal Design for Learning framework to support this outcome. I am particularly interested in teaching evolution, nature of science and quantitative reasoning skills. Projects I have been involved in to achieve these goals include Quantitative Biology at Community Colleges (https://qubeshub.org/community/groups/qbcc), which brings together a community of mathematics and biology faculty at two year institutions to develop Open Education Resources for teaching quantitative skills in a biology context, the BioQUEST UDL Initiative, which is focusing on bringing Universal Design for Learning practices to higher education, and EVOKE, an EU coalition focused on improving evolution education for everyone.
