On-Demand Workshop

Improving Introductory STEM Course Sequences to Provide Cohesive, Cross-Disciplinary Experiences

Event Date: August 5, 2021 2:00 PM-3:30 PM

Speaker(s):
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Alo Basu, Ph.D.
Director of the Neuroscience Program & Associate Professor of Neuroscience
College of the Holy Cross
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Emily Borda, Ph.D.
Director of Science, Math, and Technology Education (SMATE)
Western Washington University

How can we improve introductory STEM courses to create a stronger, more cross-disciplinary approach to teaching the foundations of STEM? In this workshop hosted by the American Association for the Advancement of Science – Improving Undergraduate STEM Education Initiative, speakers discuss their own experiences designing or redesigning introductory STEM courses. First, Dr. Alo Basu shares her experience and insights on the content and culture of undergraduate STEM from her experience auditing four introductory STEM courses and designing an integrative core curriculum for neuroscience. Next, Dr. Emily Borda discusses how to recognize characteristics and patterns across STEM disciplines to create more meaningful and cross-disciplinary introductory STEM courses. Overall, this workshop provides insights on how to strengthen introductory STEM courses, both by addressing content and culture from a student perspective and through cross-disciplinary curricula.

Speaker(s)

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Alo Basu, Ph.D.
Director of the Neuroscience Program & Associate Professor of Neuroscience
College of the Holy Cross
Alo Basu is a behavioral neurobiologist interested in inclusive, integrative STEM education for undergraduates. Over the past five years, she has spearheaded the development of an inclusive neuroscience program and its integrative core curriculum, building a multi-disciplinary team to design multiple integrative neuroscience courses using principles of inclusive pedagogy: Introduction to Neuroscience, Neuroethology with Physics, and an Advanced Seminar in Neuroscience. She has also examined the content and culture of introductory/gateway STEM courses through an immersive study of introductory biology, chemistry, mathematics, and physics courses as a basis for these and other curriculum development efforts.
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Emily Borda, Ph.D.
Director of Science, Math, and Technology Education (SMATE)
Western Washington University
Dr. Emily Borda is the director of Science, Math, and Technology Education (SMATE) at Western Washington University (WWU), where she is also jointly appointed as a professor in SMATE and chemistry. Dr. Borda received a Ph.D. in chemistry and M.Ed. in education leadership and policy studies from the University of Washington. A Discipline-Based Education Researcher (DBER), Dr. Borda has studied undergraduates’ learning of chemistry and their ability to connect chemical ideas on the submicroscopic, macroscopic, and symbolic levels. Her current research also focuses on how students connect science ideas between different science disciplines, particularly in courses for preservice K-8 teachers. Dr. Borda is also involved in in-service teacher and faculty professional development efforts in inclusive, equitable science teaching.

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