Programs in STEM Academic Retention and Success

Innovation in Undergraduate STEM Education

Professional Development Workshop Series

Spring 2010 – 6 workshops

PROSTARS, in collaboration with Boston University’s Center for Excellence and Innovation in Teaching (CEIT), is initiating a series of faculty workshops and visitor seminar programs this spring to integrate innovative methods in undergraduate STEM education to directly address ineffective modes of instruction in introductory and gateway STEM courses. Since lecturing is still the primary method used in STEM education, a key focus of our workshops and seminars is the implementation and refinement of interactive learning techniques in both small- and large-lecture classrooms.

Our desire for participation is to focus on groups of faculty that co-teach a given intro STEM course, as well as other interested teaching faculty. The material that is presented and discussed at the workshops can then be incorporated across all sections for a particular class. We are offering 3-4 “mini-grants’ of $500 to $1000 to support faculty members that participate in these workshops and are eager to implement new ideas and pedagogical techniques. The funding will be split between the faculty member’s department, the CET and PROSTARS, 50:25:25.

The workshop sessions will focus on the discussion and sharing of educational innovations between interested faculty in STEM disciplines, with panel discussions and directed readings.

Session 1: Exploring Active Learning - February 23, 2010 in SCI 352 from 9:00-10:00am

Presenter: Dan Dill, Professor in Boston University’s Department of Chemistry

What do you mean by active learning? How are student-centered, interactive-engagement elements introduced in different STEM gateway courses? And what’s the deal with clickers?

Session 2: Building an Integrative, Interdisciplinary Curriculum – March 3, 2010 in SCI 352 from 4:30-6pm

Presenters: Dick Hall, Associate Professor and Director of Math Instruction in Boston University’s Department of Mathematics and Don Wroblewski, Associate Professor in Boston University’s Department of Mechanical Engineering

How do we develop integrative courses? What are the elements of a successful interdisciplinary course targeted to non-STEM majors? What are the integrative elements of the Engineering curriculum and how do we link these together? How are fundamental skills translated, e.g from freshman calculus to a senior design course?

Session 3: Measuring Impact - March 17, 2010 from 4:30-6pm in PHO 901

Presenter: David Pritchard, Cecil and Ida Green Professor of Physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology

How do we know what works in the context of instructional innovation? What research-based instruments exist to measure student gains in different STEM gateway courses?

Session 4: Tablet PC’s for Interactive STEM Instruction – March 31, 2010 in FLR 247 (808 Comm. Ave, Floor 2M) from 4:00-5:30pm

Presenter: Carla Romney, Chair and Associate Professor of Science and Engineering at Metropolitan College and Assistant Dean of Graduate Medical Sciences at the School of Medicine

Tablet PCs are attracting enormous attention because they permit users to write directly on documents and presentation materials. How can Tablet PCs be incorporated into STEM classes? What are the advantages of using this technology? Do students and faculty need their own Tablet PCs? 

Session 5: Enhancing Teaching Laboratories: How to Get The Most Out of Labs - April 14, 2010 from 4:30-6pm in SCI 352

Presenter: Kathryn Gardner, Director of Instructional Labs in Boston University’s Department of Biology

How do we train graduate students to be effective teachers? How to optimize the teaching experience for the teaching fellow while optimizing the learning experience for the student? What is the role of the Undergraduate Assistant in the teaching laboratory? What role does the traditional lab section play in specifically addressing the conceptual difficulties of students with the course material? How effective are labs with respect to other educational goals?

Session 6: Achieving Large-Scale Instructional Change in STEM Education – April 28, 2010 from 4-5:30pm in SCI 352

Presenter: David Campbell, Boston University Provost

How do we successfully implement innovation in STEM education on a large-scale?  What strategies exist to encourage and sustain reform among all STEM faculty teaching gateway courses?

Syllabus, additional details and signup on-line at: www.bu.edu/prostars/iuse

Contact: Prof. Manher Jariwala Prof. Bennett Goldberg Ms. Kristen Woods

BU Physics Department BU Physics Department Program Coordinator

manher@bu.edu 3-5766 goldberg@bu.edu; 3-5789 woodsk@bu.edu 8-4336