Description:
Each discipline has it's own content knowledge. Then there is knowledge about teaching and learning - which is pedagogical knowledge. At the junction of this venn diagram is an important area - Pedagogical content knowledge. This is the integration of best practices in teaching with an expertise in what you are teaching. Gaining skills in this area is what developing discipline-based teaching strategies is all about.
Since I am a student in the department of Plant Biology, and am a biology education researcher, I will speak from the perspective of biology undergraduate education. In recent years years, there has been a lot of scholarship with respect to biology education at the undergraduate level. One important document that has been widely adopted is the Vision and Change report by AAAS. This document emphasis using scientific skills like modeling and data analysis while teaching core concepts in biology, like evolution. The report also calls for changing the focus of biology education to be more student centric.
Each discipline has it's own content knowledge. Then there is knowledge about teaching and learning - which is pedagogical knowledge. At the junction of this venn diagram is an important area - Pedagogical content knowledge. This is the integration of best practices in teaching with an expertise in what you are teaching. Gaining skills in this area is what developing discipline-based teaching strategies is all about.
Since I am a student in the department of Plant Biology, and am a biology education researcher, I will speak from the perspective of biology undergraduate education. In recent years years, there has been a lot of scholarship with respect to biology education at the undergraduate level. One important document that has been widely adopted is the Vision and Change report by AAAS. This document emphasis using scientific skills like modeling and data analysis while teaching core concepts in biology, like evolution. The report also calls for changing the focus of biology education to be more student centric.
Another important piece of scholarship that has framed my views of biology education is the concept of 'scientific teaching'. This premise of scientific teaching is making the teaching of science just like the practice of science. It stresses that teaching should mirror the practice of discovery that we engage with while creating scientific knowledge. This creation of knowledge should no longer be restricted to labs, and transmission of knowledge to the classrooms. The classroom should be just as much a part of creating scientific knowledge.
This is how I met the requirements for this competency:
Required Courses:
Additional Courses:
Required Courses:
- ISE 820, College Student Cognition in Science, Fall 2016.
- An Introduction to Evidence-Based Undergraduate STEM Teaching, Fall 2015. Additionally I have completed two teaching experiences as part of ISE 870, Spring 2018
Additional Courses:
- PLB 809, Communicating Science, Spring 2016
- TE 936, Topics in Research on Teaching & Learning Science: Scientific Literacy, Spring 2016
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Artifact and Rationale:
Syllabus of the MOOC : An Introduction to Evidence-Based Undergraduate STEM Teaching I took this MOOC at the same time that I was taking Dr. Ebert-May's class on Pathways to Scientific Teaching. It was during the course of these two classes that I was made aware for the first time of the concept of Scientific teaching and Evidence-based teaching. I had not thought of teaching and research as being so similar. Developing hypothesis, framing a methodology to test the hypothesis, testing it using reliable and valid instruments, collecting the data, analysing it and presenting the results was something that till then was limited to the lab. Bringing these practises to the classroom was a novel and refereshing experience - one which left me thinking - of course this is the way to do things - why would we ever do it in any other way. In my research I would not accept anything that is not backed by evidence - so why should I not do the same in my teaching? |
Front cover of Pathways to Scientific Teaching by Diane Ebert-May and Janet Hodder
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Materials Developed and Rationale:
As part of my comprehensive requirements I had to design an introductory course for Plant Biology. In response these are the materials I developed: Introductory Course for Plant Biology. The description of these materials, along with others that I have developed can be found here.
At first, coming up with a whole course seemed like a huge challenge. But then, I used the skills and knowledge that I had learnt in all my time in at MSU. I used Vision and Change (V&C) as my guiding post. We had spoken about backward design, so that is where I started - with the big picture objectives. What it was that I wanted the students to walk away with at the end of the class, not just the knowledge but also the skills that I wanted them to develop.
Then I constructed an assessment to assess some of those skills. Since I did not have to design all the assessments, I focused on developing a formative assessment which would test the development of their expertise in core competencies and disciplinary practices laid out by V&C while simultaneously assessing their scientific skills. By this point the whole exercise became fun. I was making use of all that I had learnt and I was enjoying it.
So for the last part - which was designing the actual course work, I decided to use 'Evolution' as the context that linked across all content, and to use principles from place-based learning and inquiry based learning,
I am rather proud of the product and think it would be great to teach this class someday!
As part of my comprehensive requirements I had to design an introductory course for Plant Biology. In response these are the materials I developed: Introductory Course for Plant Biology. The description of these materials, along with others that I have developed can be found here.
At first, coming up with a whole course seemed like a huge challenge. But then, I used the skills and knowledge that I had learnt in all my time in at MSU. I used Vision and Change (V&C) as my guiding post. We had spoken about backward design, so that is where I started - with the big picture objectives. What it was that I wanted the students to walk away with at the end of the class, not just the knowledge but also the skills that I wanted them to develop.
Then I constructed an assessment to assess some of those skills. Since I did not have to design all the assessments, I focused on developing a formative assessment which would test the development of their expertise in core competencies and disciplinary practices laid out by V&C while simultaneously assessing their scientific skills. By this point the whole exercise became fun. I was making use of all that I had learnt and I was enjoying it.
So for the last part - which was designing the actual course work, I decided to use 'Evolution' as the context that linked across all content, and to use principles from place-based learning and inquiry based learning,
I am rather proud of the product and think it would be great to teach this class someday!
Reflections:
I taught at the K-12 level, both before and after getting my B.Ed. degree, and I noticed a huge difference in my teaching style after I was trained. Though I was enthusiastic and knowledgeable about the subject matter, before training, I did not have any pedagogical knowledge and did not know how to teach. However, after my training, my teaching was much better since I had increased my pedagogical knowledge.
Despite having attended the International TA orientation when I first came to MSU, I faced significant difficulties in my first semester as a TA. I felt that there were a lot of cultural barriers that were unseen and therefore difficult to overcome. As such, the teaching and learning process in my classroom did not go well. However, I did reflect on the various thing that went wrong. Some of the things that I came to understand were that while some of the teaching skills are transferable from the K-12 level to the undergraduate level, I did not take into consideration that this is a different population of students, at a different stage in their lives and therefore with different needs. I realized that while I have a good foundation in pedagogy, I need to learn to effectively transfer the skills I have and to cultivate the skills I don’t have.
The classes that I took at MSU not only introduced me to new and innovative strategies in undergraduate teaching and learning - they helped me contextualise the skills and knowledge that I had gained. I was introduced to the idea of scientific teaching, a pedagogical method, where we teach using the same methodologies and rigor that we use while doing our research. We make students active participants in their learning. By making them stakeholders in their educational outcomes, not just in name but in deed, is a great way to increase performance outcomes.
I learnt to make the very important connection between 'teaching' science and 'doing' science. Basically, good teaching practices are the same as good research practices, and what does not go in the lab, should not go in the classroom. I would not tolerate an experimental design that is not based on evidence, or haphazard data collection, or sloppy analysis in my research; therefore how can I except that in my classroom. Additionally when I am conducting research, I customise my study to the context in which it is occurring, I consider the variables and adjust the design accordingly. This is also what I should be doing in my classes - consider that there is not a 'one-size-fits-all' approach and that teaching must be relevant to the context in which the students are living.
Additionally, I had to accept that while my course and the skills I was teaching were a huge priority for me, they were not necessarily at the same priority level for my students. While it would have been great to have it be their top priority, it was unreasonable to expect it to be. Therefore, I had to tailor not just my coursework but my expectations to the population that I am teaching.
Though I have not taught an undergraduate class after finishing my coursework - I feel like I am in a much better position to do so, and will do a much better job. I had the chance to use these skills while designing the course that I have described above. I chose a place-based-learning approach so that I could contextualise the subject matter to the students. They have the opportunity to learn about what can be a difficult and abstract concept like evolution, in a setting that is familiar and using examples that are relevant to their daily lives. Additionally, I also realise that while we might want to do a lot for our students, we are often constrained by resource availability. Therefore, I designed the course to leverage resources that we already have - the diverse ecosystems of our own Kellogg Biological Station.
I taught at the K-12 level, both before and after getting my B.Ed. degree, and I noticed a huge difference in my teaching style after I was trained. Though I was enthusiastic and knowledgeable about the subject matter, before training, I did not have any pedagogical knowledge and did not know how to teach. However, after my training, my teaching was much better since I had increased my pedagogical knowledge.
Despite having attended the International TA orientation when I first came to MSU, I faced significant difficulties in my first semester as a TA. I felt that there were a lot of cultural barriers that were unseen and therefore difficult to overcome. As such, the teaching and learning process in my classroom did not go well. However, I did reflect on the various thing that went wrong. Some of the things that I came to understand were that while some of the teaching skills are transferable from the K-12 level to the undergraduate level, I did not take into consideration that this is a different population of students, at a different stage in their lives and therefore with different needs. I realized that while I have a good foundation in pedagogy, I need to learn to effectively transfer the skills I have and to cultivate the skills I don’t have.
The classes that I took at MSU not only introduced me to new and innovative strategies in undergraduate teaching and learning - they helped me contextualise the skills and knowledge that I had gained. I was introduced to the idea of scientific teaching, a pedagogical method, where we teach using the same methodologies and rigor that we use while doing our research. We make students active participants in their learning. By making them stakeholders in their educational outcomes, not just in name but in deed, is a great way to increase performance outcomes.
I learnt to make the very important connection between 'teaching' science and 'doing' science. Basically, good teaching practices are the same as good research practices, and what does not go in the lab, should not go in the classroom. I would not tolerate an experimental design that is not based on evidence, or haphazard data collection, or sloppy analysis in my research; therefore how can I except that in my classroom. Additionally when I am conducting research, I customise my study to the context in which it is occurring, I consider the variables and adjust the design accordingly. This is also what I should be doing in my classes - consider that there is not a 'one-size-fits-all' approach and that teaching must be relevant to the context in which the students are living.
Additionally, I had to accept that while my course and the skills I was teaching were a huge priority for me, they were not necessarily at the same priority level for my students. While it would have been great to have it be their top priority, it was unreasonable to expect it to be. Therefore, I had to tailor not just my coursework but my expectations to the population that I am teaching.
Though I have not taught an undergraduate class after finishing my coursework - I feel like I am in a much better position to do so, and will do a much better job. I had the chance to use these skills while designing the course that I have described above. I chose a place-based-learning approach so that I could contextualise the subject matter to the students. They have the opportunity to learn about what can be a difficult and abstract concept like evolution, in a setting that is familiar and using examples that are relevant to their daily lives. Additionally, I also realise that while we might want to do a lot for our students, we are often constrained by resource availability. Therefore, I designed the course to leverage resources that we already have - the diverse ecosystems of our own Kellogg Biological Station.
