Biology Scholars Program

1. Biology Scholars Program • Goal: Develop faculty expertise in evidenced-based science education reform • Three components • Research – practices SoTL • Transitions - publishing science education research • Leadership - undergraduate reform • Applications required; multiyear residency • 7 life sciences professional societies and Carnegie Foundation for Advancement of Teaching www.biologyscholars.org

2. Partners and Sponsors • Life science partners • American Association for the Advancement of Science • American Institute of Biological Sciences • American Physiological Society • American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biologt • American Society for Cell Biology • Ecological Society of America • Genetics Society of America • Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching • National Science Foundation CCLI Project Managed by: American Society for Microbiology Funded by: National Science Foundation

3. Program Features • Three themes • Science education research • Science education publishing • Educational leadership • Applications & institutional support required • Intensive, multi-day kick-off institute • 1 year virtual residency w. 5 year tracking • Follow-up meetings • E-discussions • E-mentoring • Personal benchmarks

4. Outcomes: Research Residency • Develop a hypothesis to explore student learning in biology • Design an experiment using their classes to test the hypothesis • Identify existing resources regularly used to assess student learning • Understand methods of collecting and interpreting data used to measure student learning • Understand IRB requirements for conducting research on students • Identify appropriate venues for publishing their research

5. Outcomes: Transitions Residency • Situate their work within the context of the field. • Identify the developmental stage of their work (e.g., preliminary versus complete) and, if still in development, additional steps required for publication • Develop a plan, as necessary, for additional data collection and analysis  • Organize data and outline a manuscript according to publication guidelines • Identify the characteristics of a good story • Develop abstracts that clearly summarize the research described in the article • Identify and select appropriate journals and on-line venues for submission of manuscripts • Understand guidelines for preparing manuscripts and assigning authorship • Cite references and resources accurately • Develop a plan to dedicate time for writing • Seek mentoring and support for publishing life science education research from the biological sciences community as well as social science researchers, organizational psychologists and anthropologists

6. 2005-2006 Cohort (ASM Scholars-In-Residence-ASMSIR- 3-year pilot) 16 participants; 14 women, 2 men 2006-2007 Cohort (ASMSIR) 15 participants; 7 women, 8 men 2007-2008 Cohort (ASMSIR) 13 participants; 9 women, 4 men 2008-2009 Cohort (BSP) 20 participants; 15 women, 5 men Research Residency (4 years) 64 Participant Scholars

7. Evaluation of Research Residency Scholars Agree to 5-year tracking • Participation • Number and demographics of participants • Continue throughout the year? Any attrition? • Satisfaction • Do they enjoy the residency? • Is it what they expected? • Learning • What did they learn? • Did they learn what you intended? • Application • Are they using what they learned? • In what ways? • Overall Impact • Publications and presentations • Participation in the Writing Residency or Leadership Residency

8. Satisfaction (3 Cohorts) The outcomes have all been positive. I have gained new tools with which to pursue my research and have a network of scholars with whom I can share and learn from in this pursuit. The ASM Scholars experience gave me the confidence to take an initial attempt at SoTL and turn it into a part of my research program.

9. Learning (3 Cohorts) Describe your practice of SoTL: I think about what I want to know about my students and their learning and apply methods to answer those questions. I develop assessment instruments to use in my classroom in an attempt to determine how changes I make in my teaching style affect student learning.

10. Application(3 Cohorts) I used a mixed methods approach to assess student learning in an advanced molecular biology course; one tool was a written grant proposal to assess higher order thinking skills. I have asked students to write reflective journals weekly. I have scored these to see how their thinking about the lab becomes more or less scientific over the course of a semester.

11. Application(3 Cohorts) Completing one 4-year study on active learning; working on one study involving high school teachers and students; and starting a project to revise the curriculum and assess learning in an intro biology course. I have revised my course to include active learning experiences and online discussions of scientific readings.

12. Overall Impact (3 Cohorts) If anything, I am a more fierce advocate of SoTL and feel strongly that SoTL must be seen on par with traditional, disciplinary, discovery-based scholarship, especially for tenure and promotion. I am so centered on student learning that I rarely take time to administer the teaching evaluations!

13. Barriers and Challengesfor Scholars IRB process at institution Unsupportive administration Time to implement Still learning how to practice SoTL Resistant or unsupportive colleagues Student issues - resistance, attrition Not supported by discipline, profession Pre-tenure

14. January 2009 Writing Residency Pilot held (now Transitions Residency); 5 participants July 2009 Research Residency Scholars selected; 21 participants 2010 and beyond-establish leadership Program Research Scholars - Next Steps

15. Applying to the Biology Scholars Program Transitions Residency Jun 14-17, 2010, Washington, DC Application deadline: Feb 1, 2010 Research Residency Jul 14-17, 2010, Washington, DC Application deadline: March 1, 2010 www.biologyscholars.org