Teaching the fundamentals of evolutionary biology
As a graduate student at Cornell, I worked with Dr. Michelle Smith and graduate student peers to develop a novel, active learning lesson plan on speciation in an introductory Evolutionary Biology course. We focused on the concepts and tools researchers use to define species, the process of speciation, and how species definitions can impact conservation efforts. Real-world examples of giraffe speciation and conservation helped to engage students and provide a more inclusive perspective on scientific research. Find out more in our publication in Course Source!
|
Bringing research labs into the classroom
As an undergraduate student, I worked with the Miller Lab at the University of Florida to develop a brand new, active-learning course. Our goal was to build a classroom experience where students would feel like a part of our research team, from collecting data to discussing hot topics in science.
Each class, we address common misconceptions about science head-on. Our discussion topics included “Science in the media,” “Science literacy,” “Public distrust of science,” and “Evolution and intelligent design.” Prior to each class, students completed challenging reading and a quiz, and at the end of each class a few students did their own presentation on the topic - kind of like a lab meeting! To build student research experience, we also assigned computer-based insect measurements, the same work as I had completed as a “traditional” undergraduate member of the lab. I trained our ~30 students in Image J, and managed their data collection for over 2,000 insects. To see whether students left the class with a better understanding of scientific research, we measured student gains through pre- and post-course tests and focus group sessions, sharing our results in Bioscience! |