Proposal Title
Large-scale change in teaching practices via department-based educational development: Conclusions of the Carl Wieman Science Education Initiative
Session Type
Presentation
Room
P&A 150
Start Date
7-7-2017 11:25 AM
Keywords
institutional change, research-based instructional practices, faculty development
Primary Threads
None of the Above
Abstract
To follow-up on our in-progress reports of previous years, we present key findings at the conclusion of the Carl Wieman Science Education Initiative at the University of British Columbia (UBC). The core model for change has consisted of hiring and training “Science Teaching and Learning Fellows” at the post-doc or contract faculty level to partner with faculty members in bringing the principles of “scientific teaching” into departments: (1) establishing what students should learn; (2) determining what students are actually learning by systematically gathering data; (3) deploying, adapting, or designing research-based instructional methods, assessments, and curriculum that support the intended learning; and (4) evaluating and disseminating results.
Beyond the primary goal of transforming undergraduate science education – with a majority of faculty having engaged with the fellows, influencing the teaching of nearly 200 courses that represent about three quarters of all credit hours taught in the UBC Faculty of Science – and an associated shift in department cultures, other accomplishments include a substantial accrued base of local data, a well-used website featuring evidence-based teaching practices, over 100 research publications including new measurement tools and teaching practice implementations, shaping the careers of dozens of fellows, and inspiring similar work at a number of institutions.
Those who attend this session will learn about models for change in higher education articulated in recent years, with the components of this large-scale initiative mapped onto the different models as an example. They will also learn of recommended practices to support and evaluate change efforts in their own departments/institutions.
Elements of Engagement
We will first establish how well-known this initiative among the attendees to the session, as well as their experience in changing their own teaching practices and/or within their institutions (also, in what capacity? Faculty member, student, educational developer, administrator, etc.) and pitch the level of detail accordingly. We would also like to hear about barriers for change encountered or perceived at other institutions in an attempt to relate these to experiences in our departments.
Large-scale change in teaching practices via department-based educational development: Conclusions of the Carl Wieman Science Education Initiative
P&A 150
To follow-up on our in-progress reports of previous years, we present key findings at the conclusion of the Carl Wieman Science Education Initiative at the University of British Columbia (UBC). The core model for change has consisted of hiring and training “Science Teaching and Learning Fellows” at the post-doc or contract faculty level to partner with faculty members in bringing the principles of “scientific teaching” into departments: (1) establishing what students should learn; (2) determining what students are actually learning by systematically gathering data; (3) deploying, adapting, or designing research-based instructional methods, assessments, and curriculum that support the intended learning; and (4) evaluating and disseminating results.
Beyond the primary goal of transforming undergraduate science education – with a majority of faculty having engaged with the fellows, influencing the teaching of nearly 200 courses that represent about three quarters of all credit hours taught in the UBC Faculty of Science – and an associated shift in department cultures, other accomplishments include a substantial accrued base of local data, a well-used website featuring evidence-based teaching practices, over 100 research publications including new measurement tools and teaching practice implementations, shaping the careers of dozens of fellows, and inspiring similar work at a number of institutions.
Those who attend this session will learn about models for change in higher education articulated in recent years, with the components of this large-scale initiative mapped onto the different models as an example. They will also learn of recommended practices to support and evaluate change efforts in their own departments/institutions.