At Case Western Reserve University, all undergraduate students are required to take 2 seminar/discussion-based or "communication-intensive" courses as a general education requirement. For the past several years, I have taught one such course called "Antibiotics: From Miracle Drugs to Superbugs" appropriate for students from any discipline. Major writing assignments are scaffolded and culminate in a 10-12 page position paper proposing to design a new therapeutic to battle a resistant bacterium or fungus coupled with a "Shark-Tank"/"3-Minute Thesis" style elevator pitch for funding. In my mind, my biggest challenge is promoting in-class student discussion; students are highly reluctant to participate. I will outline some past and current strategies, but I seek audience suggestions to improve in-class engagement, conversation, and interaction. How can I better ensure students feel included...assuming they wish to be included?
