The evolving landscape of online education calls for strategies to avoid instructor burnout. This presentation explores how AI-driven course development, using Open Educational Resources (OER) and collaborative efforts between Learning Experience Designers (LXD) and faculty, creates efficient, content-rich courses. Emphasizing andragogy, we developed comprehensive materials (PowerPoints, quizzes, assignments, rubrics) and ensured all AI outputs were rigorously evaluated before implementation. Attendees will learn how these innovations enhance online learning while reducing instructor workload, promoting well-being, and ensuring student success.
In post-pandemic classrooms, instructors strive to respond to demands for increased flexibility for student needs while keeping their students on track. Meeting these expectations in large introductory courses comes with the potential for hundreds of email responses and mentally taxing decisions about making allowances for students while maintaining fairness to others. This balancing act can lead to educator burnout and negatively impact student retention and curriculum development as one collapses under the burden. We have designed a system that encourages inclusivity, is well received by students, and reduces the workload on instructors by using student feedback and evidence-based practices.
Director of The Biology Teaching Laboratories, Cornell University
Check out my website for more information: HTTP://sensitivescientist.comI live at the intersection of education research and science communication. As an educator and science communicator, my goal is to explore more effective ways to engage my audience, establish trust and get a dialogue... Read More →
While undergraduate research experiences are valuable, their acquisition has historically been inequitable, partly due to a lack of Scientific Research Cultural Capital (SRCC). To address this, we developed in-class "Research Workshops" at a four-year institution and local community college. These workshops educate students on UREs, including opportunities and benefits, and teach practical skills like using online resources and contacting professors. Students who participated showed increased interest in UREs. The workshops also enhanced students' skills in securing research experiences, communicating with faculty, and resilience. This approach may help a more diverse group of students participate in undergraduate research.
Incorporating undergraduate learning assistants (ULAs) in the STEM classroom consistently enhances student engagement, which we highlight here, as well as how ULAs in a large enrollment General Microbiology course cultivate student community while also significantly advancing the professional development of our ULAs. In this session, we will explore the practicality of involving ULAs to effectively meet students’ needs and provide guidance without overwhelming the instructor. Simultaneously, we will delve into mentoring ULAs in the art of teaching, fostering a dynamic and mutually beneficial relationship that cultivates student engagement and a sense of belonging for all in academic settings.
Many instructors are unaware of the educational research highlighting successful evidence-based teaching practices. Studies suggest that frameworks that guide the development of assessments and activities aligned with learning outcomes provide valuable feedback that can enhance learning. Based on the latest ASM Curriculum Guidelines for Undergraduate Microbiology, this session will introduce participants to the process of class design using learning outcomes, thus shifting the focus from what the instructor will do to what the students will learn. During the workshop, participants will explore the structure and benefits of evidence-based teaching, then practice on the first step—writing learning outcomes.
Recently, there has been a concerted effort to build syllabi to foster a more inclusive, welcoming introduction to a course. Research shows that when syllabi include supporting or welcoming statements, use warm/friendly language, or are learning-centered, students have a more positive impression of a course and instructor. One type of inclusive syllabus is the liquid syllabus, a dynamic, online version of a traditional course syllabus that is designed to be more accessible, interactive, and engaging for students. This presentation will discuss student views on the liquid syllabus and its effect on student sense of belonging, engagement, and instructor approachability.
This session explores the use of pre-recorded lecture videos in an online asynchronous immunology & molecular biology class and their impact on student academic performance. During the session we will review the process of using pre-recorded lectures in an online course to promote equity and inclusivity in student learning while having a positive impact on academic performance. We will discuss our research study which demonstrated students who watched pre-recorded lecture videos performed better on exams and in the course.
The rise of large language models (LLMs) has introduced new tools that can enhance student productivity. While LLMs can explain complex topics in easy-to-understand language and act as a learning resource, there are concerns about their potential to reduce cognitive workload and enable academic dishonesty. In this presentation, I will share survey data on student usage of LLMs and the effectiveness of AI detectors. Additionally, we will share our experiences with LLM in the classroom. The end product of the discussion will be a potential AI policy we can all use.
This session will focus on strategies for facilitating the training and professional development of faculty teaching course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs). In this session, I will highlight how the First-Year Innovation and Research Experience (FIRE) program at the University of Maryland trains and mentors our 15 professional track faculty. Attendees will learn how FIRE structures our training and professional development of new and existing faculty. Attendees will discuss best practices for training faculty running CURE-based courses. Attendees will also explore how to build communities of practice amongst faculty mentoring undergraduate researchers in CURE-based courses.
Reforming our biology courses to create inclusive and anti-racist classroom environments in the face of significant requirements for students to master biology concepts can seem daunting. What if you could coherently integrate evidence-based inclusivity strategies and anti-racist content to support the teaching of foundational genetics and evolution concepts, in a way that makes sense to a biologist and without further diversity training? The session uses the example and data on student learning from such a reformed introductory biology course for science majors to invite you to explore ways to introduce similar reform in your course, department or instructor professional development.
Antibiotic-resistant bacteria pose a grave threat to human health. Bacteriophage (phage) therapy uses viruses targeting bacteria to treat infections. We have developed a phage therapy program at the University of Pittsburgh which offers custom phage cocktails to treat individual patients with bacterial infections under compassionate use. We isolate and characterize phages that target antibiotic-resistant bacterial pathogens, perform phage susceptibility testing to match infecting strains with phages that can kill them, manufacture and test custom phage cocktails for individual patient use, and follow patients receiving this therapy to study what happens to them.
Roundtable discussion. Bring your thoughts and questions.
In this roundtable discussion, participants will reflect on the changes they have made to their courses in response to the rise of generative AI tools. Topics will include limiting AI use, monitoring its application, and addressing student misuse. Following this, participants will share their experiences—both successes and challenges—in integrating AI into their courses. Together we will reflect on high value use of this new technology for both students and faculty.
Below is the ChatGPT version of the description: This roundtable invites faculty to discuss the use of generative AI tools in undergraduate biology courses. Topics will include balancing AI restrictions with opportunities for student engagement, strategies for monitoring AI use, and addressing academic integrity. Faculty will share their experiences, highlighting both successes and challenges, in adapting assessments and teaching methods. The goal is to foster an exchange of ideas for responsibly and effectively incorporating AI to enhance student learning in biology classrooms.
Microbiologist interested in active learning, assessment, buildling and using case studies to teach general microbiology, general biology, general genetics.
In this session participants will learn some initial, intermediate, and advanced steps they can take to strengthen their focus on diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging at the curricular and department/program levels. The first part will focus on the 5-year efforts of the biology program at Moravian University, which has become an example of inclusive excellence on their campus. Then, participants will share examples of their own DEI efforts at the department level, discuss and trouble-shoot the greatest barriers to this work, and will leave with new goals and ideas to take home to their colleagues.
Associate Professor and Chair; Biological Sciences, Moravian University
Hi! I'm an Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Biological Sciences at Moravian University, a small liberal arts institution in Bethlehem, PA. I teach a wide range of courses from entry-level biology courses, to upper level electives (ex. Microbiology, Immunology), to... Read More →
Saturday November 16, 2024 9:40am - 10:10am EST
ButlerFederated Tower, 1000 Penn Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15273
Integrating arts and science is a growing movement, exemplified by STEAM initiatives worldwide. At my mid-sized university, the benefits of STEAM are being realized through a rich collaboration between the departments of Art History and Biology. In this session, you will dive into the three projects we carried out: i) agar art creation in the teaching laboratory and in public agar art workshops, ii) mentored undergraduate research investigating the microbiomes of artwork in our university collection, iii) formation of a learning community focused on art conservation. Participants will brainstorm how they can establish collaborations in their own settings.
Balancing the application of active learning techniques with content coverage can often pose an instructional challenge. An impactful strategy to incorporate the two is to use figures from primary sources in the classroom. In this interactive workshop, participants will explore strategies for using a primary source figure, and associated resources from HHMI BioInteractive, that allow students to practice their data interpretation skills and generate questions. These also allow students to apply content knowledge such as intrinsic antibiotic resistance in gram negative and gram positive bacteria.
This is a two-part series designed to provide attendees with (1) further insight into novel pedagogical development (both at the activity and curriculum levels), the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning (SoTL), and discipline-based education research (DBER); and (2) effective strategies regarding how to progress from ideation to dissemination of educational resources and scholarship. This first session will focus on the ideation and development of novel pedagogical activities, as well as beginning strategies for SoTL and/or DBER.
Associate Teaching Professor, North Carolina State University
I am an Associate Teaching Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences and teach in the Biotechnology Program (BIT) at North Carolina State University. I am very interested in integrating open practices in the courses I teach. I believe strongly in non-throwaway assignments... Read More →
Associate Professor, The University of Texas at El Paso
I am a discipline-based education researcher whose work focuses on understanding how the contextual features of course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) influence student- and instructor-level outcomes. I am also deeply interested in designing professional development... Read More →
Curriculum mapping is an effective method to build or evaluate a curriculum, or program of study. A curriculum map is typically a diagram that illustrates how the courses that students take fulfill a program’s goals and/or intended student learning outcomes. In this session, we will demonstrate how to develop a curriculum map that aligns existing courses to the new ASM guidelines and use different methods to analyze and present the data to a variety of different audiences. Finally, we will discuss the actions to be taken based on analyses of a microbiology undergraduate major’s curriculum map.
Microbiologist interested in active learning, assessment, buildling and using case studies to teach general microbiology, general biology, general genetics.
Saturday November 16, 2024 10:15am - 10:45am EST
ButlerFederated Tower, 1000 Penn Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15273
The Assessment SKills in Biology network (ASK BIO) is an NSF funded project helping faculty write high quality assessment items. Professional development workshops offered throughout the year have helped us learn from faculty about challenges and opportunities in improving assessment. In this session we will share key learning on assessment item writing and review as well as provide resources to support faculty as they create new assessment items. Participants will utilize an inclusivity guide for assessment item writing and have opportunities for reflection and discussion. Lastly, we will focus on learner centered classroom strategies for engaging students in assessment.
This is a two-part series designed to provide attendees with (1) further insight into novel pedagogical development (both at the activity and curriculum levels), the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning (SoTL), and discipline-based education research (DBER); and (2) effective strategies regarding how to progress from ideation to dissemination of educational resources and scholarship. This second session will provide attendees with guidance related to types of manuscripts and best practices for publishing in the Journal of Microbiology and Biology Education.
Associate Teaching Professor, North Carolina State University
I am an Associate Teaching Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences and teach in the Biotechnology Program (BIT) at North Carolina State University. I am very interested in integrating open practices in the courses I teach. I believe strongly in non-throwaway assignments... Read More →
Associate Professor, The University of Texas at El Paso
I am a discipline-based education researcher whose work focuses on understanding how the contextual features of course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) influence student- and instructor-level outcomes. I am also deeply interested in designing professional development... Read More →
Instructor Talk (IT)—the noncontent messaging that educators employ while creating the learning environment of a course—has been shown to directly influence student engagement and success. First-day Instructor Talk (FIT) is hypothesized to be especially important for establishing classroom culture and addressing early student concerns. As previous research on FIT has largely centered on faculty lecturers, the FIT used by educators in biology laboratory courses remains understudied. In this session, I will introduce attendees to IT frameworks, explore findings from a laboratory-based FIT study that our team conducted, and prompt attendees to consider the “right FIT” at their institutions.
Associate Professor, The University of Texas at El Paso
I am a discipline-based education researcher whose work focuses on understanding how the contextual features of course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) influence student- and instructor-level outcomes. I am also deeply interested in designing professional development... Read More →
Saturday November 16, 2024 2:00pm - 2:30pm EST
SomersetFederated Tower, 1000 Penn Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15309
All instructors engage in the private generation of educational materials for their students, from creating lessons and courses to curriculum development. A natural career progression is to explore sharing one’s teaching materials in a more public forum. Publishing and presenting are important and fulfilling ways for educators to enhance their professional development. This session will offer a panel-based discussion on challenges and supporting resources related to educational publishing. Speakers will include those with informal (e.g., essays and teaching tips) and formal (e.g., peer-reviewed articles, lab manuals, and textbooks) publications. Participants will self-reflect on and discuss personal publishing aspirations and barriers.
The National Microbiome Data Collaborative (NMDC) aims to connect and engage the microbiome research community to unlock new possibilities in microbiome data science. To further this mission, the NMDC has developed extensive outreach, engagement, and educational strategies and activities. The NMDC has recently developed an environmental microbiome science certificate program for undergraduate students interested in microbiome research. The curriculum includes modules to further the students’ technical knowledge as well as their practical and professional skills. This educational effort has already and will continue to incorporate content and feedback from various partnering organizations and groups including the Microbiome Centers Consortium, the NMDC Champions, the American Society for Microbiology, as well as individual microbiome scientists and educators. This educational content is aimed at promoting practical skills to empower the next generation of microbiome researchers.
Not surprisingly, microbiology educational tends to emphasize the pathogen in the epidemiological triad, training students to focus on virulence factors without adequately considering the importance of host and environment. Using epidemic typhus and the 1917 Bath Riots as an example, I will share how instructors can more holistically explore the epidemiological triad highlighting opportunities to explore how microbiology and public health intersect with racism and social justice. In addition, I will provide suggestions and best practices to ensure these conversations and lessons are covered in a way that safely respects and honors students’ unique backgrounds and identities.
Saturday November 16, 2024 2:00pm - 2:30pm EST
Westmoreland EastFederated Tower, 1000 Penn Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15274
Community colleges are pivotal in higher education, offering accessible pathways for students to pursue academic and career goals. While faculty at these institutions may encounter constraints such as limited time and resources for research, innovative approaches and collaborations still enable valuable research opportunities for students. This discussion will highlight essential strategies for exploring UREs at community colleges, empowering faculty to develop UREs as independent research projects, integrating them into curricula, leveraging institutional resources, identifying funding opportunities, and fostering collaborative partnerships. Cultivating a culture that promotes research experiences can empower students and enrich their STEM identity.
I have been teaching microbiology to a diverse group of students with varying backgrounds and career goals. I noticed significant disparities in their preparedness, with the first exam often representing a barrier. It sounded an alarm for many, causing them to take the class seriously and work hard. However, that first exam score took a toll on their final grade. I remember my experience as an undergraduate in Italy. I took anatomy twice. I failed the first time, so I studied and took it again. The failing grade showed nowhere in my transcripts; I graduated top of the class and earned 2 Ph.D.s. So, I asked myself, what if my students could have that grace that I was given as an undergraduate? What if we don’t penalize them during the first month of the semester but promote understanding and hard work? I now implement an exam 1 retake policy.
Our study examines the barriers and bridges to DEIB among STEM students, whether undergraduate STEM majors identify as scientists, and whether identifying as a scientist leads to increased feelings of inclusion and belonging. Prior research has focused on science identity as a driver of DEIB among STEM majors. However, nearly all of these studies have utilized quantitative measures with little attention paid to how science identity relates to a broader sense of inclusion and belonging among STEM students. The current study fills this gap by presenting both quantitative and qualitative data on barriers and bridges to inclusion and belonging.
Team teaching can be powerful for enhancing student learning, supporting instructor growth and well-being, and reducing burnout. At its best, team teaching promotes effective course design, diversifies role models for students, and provides peer mentorship and support for instructors. However, team teaching can also present challenges, introducing conflicting student expectations, course design approaches, and classroom management strategies. In this session, attendees will use our adaptation of a teaching values assessment tool to reflect on their own teaching values and priorities and practice using the tool to facilitate open communication and co-planning between members of a teaching team.
Students often struggle to interpret the abstract ways that biologists represent DNA. We developed two online interactive learning tools to help students develop the visual literacy skills that are necessary for accurately interpreting abstract representations in molecular biology. These tools use animations and gameplay that can help students learn to distinguish between the shapes and symbols that represent nucleotides, genes, and chromosomes. We will discuss scaffolding visual literacy skills into instruction to address common errors in student interpretation of representations in molecular biology. Attendees should bring a laptop to this session.
In this workshop, participants will learn how the Biologists and Graph Interpretation (BioGraphI) Project, an NSF-funded initiative, can help them improve student persistence in biology through increasing representation of diverse scientists and integrating data interpretation skills in the curriculum. As a Research Coordination Network of faculty, we create and publish Open Educational Resources in online Faculty Mentoring Networks (FMNs), conduct workshops on curriculum implementation, and collaborate with similar initiatives. Participants will explore existing BioGraphI lessons and will be guided on how to align a lesson to their course’s goals and student audience and measure the efficacy of curriculum implementation.
The COVID-19 pandemic has illustrated the importance of understanding viruses, but also the challenges with misinformation about and misunderstanding of viral evolution, control, and treatment. Educating undergraduates about viruses can help mitigate these challenges, but virology is not always offered at this level. In part, this is due to the complexity of viruses, and finding time in the curriculum to include virology. Here, session participants will be introduced to recently-developed undergraduate virology curriculum guidelines and example learning objectives, to develop (or modify) their microbiology (and/or introductory biology) course(s) to help their students better learn this important material.
