Inquiry-based undergraduate education at a large research university

1. Inquiry-based undergraduate education at a large research university American University of Beirut Center for Teaching & Learning October 21, 2008 Patricia J. Pukkila, Professor of Biology & Director, Office for Undergraduate Research U. North Carolina at Chapel Hill

2. Acknowledgements • Martha S. Arnold, Associate Director, Office for Undergraduate Research • David H. Kiel, Institute for the Arts and Humanities

3. Plan for session • Choosing roles as educators • Resources for making changes

4. Something about you • Above the line, write an adjective or brief phrase describing an “ideal” class that is going really well from your perspective • Below the line, write an adjective or brief phrase describing “the worst thing that could happen” from your perspective

5. Your views

6. Parker Palmer’s view: • Truth from authority? Classroom=dictatorship • Truth from opinion? Classroom = anarchy • Truth from inquiry? Classroom = community

7. My view: All educators wish to witness the progression of students from novices to experts in our fields (or at least see a change from less “novice-like” to more “expert-like” behaviors…)

8. Other considerations:- “Covering” material because of the curriculum and prerequisites- Mastery of useful information- Problem-solving- Effective communication - Cross-cultural understanding- Responsible citizenship

9. Assumption: “covering material” is not sufficient for the novice to expert transition

10. Imagine if we taught baseball the way we teach science • Until they were twelve, children would read about baseball technique and occasionally hear inspirational stories of the great baseball players • They would answer quizzes about baseball rules. • Conservative coaches would argue that we ought to make children learn and practice fundamental baseball skills, throwing the ball to second base twenty times in a row, followed by tagging first base seventy times. • Undergraduates might be allowed, under strict supervision, to reproduce famous historic baseball plays. • But only in graduate school would they, at last, actually get to play a game (Alison Gopnik, 1999 Small Wonders. New York Review of Books, May 6) (Adapted from Alison Gopnik, 1999 Small Wonders. New York Review of Books, May 6)

11. Resources • Ask a colleague • Ask your students

12. Elements Inquiry in a large class • Curiosity • Experimental design • Peer feedback

13. Inquiry in a large class Elements Methods Student interests Simulators “Talk to the person next to you” • Curiosity • Experimental design • Peer feedback

14. Curiosity • Diagram your concept of a gene • A deeper understanding of _____ is important to me because ______

15. Experimental design Flower Breeder (dyann@schmidel.com)

16. Since most feedback is from peers, instructors need to: • Teach students to value collaborative learning (give and receive “friendly amendments”) • Design the class so that student contributions are essential and valuable • shift instructor role from “authority” to “architect” • provide guides for necessary advance preparation by students, and trust them to embrace their roles • emphasize boundaries between known and unknown in discipline

17. More resources • Collaborative design with graduate students • Classroom assessment techniques (“CATs”) • Get feedback on your experiences

18. Recitations • Collaborative design • Instructor models graduate students, and graduate students model undergrads • Collaborative problem-solving, discussion, and presentation by undergrads

19. Modes of Inquiry -Undergrads interview faculty -Undergrads host seminar -Faculty discuss “point of entry” and research accomplishments -Grads lead comparative discussions -1 credit, pass/fail, multidisciplinary

20. Introduction to Research in Biology

21. Classroom Assessment Techniques • Minute paper: What is the most important thing you learned today? • Muddiest point: What remains unclear to you? • Application card: Choose one idea you heard and suggest another application for it • One-sentence summary: Use one sentence to describe "Who does what to whom, when, where, how, and why?"

22. GRC program • Faculty apply for funds to support a Graduate Research Consultant (GRC) to transform a “course project” into a research project • Undergrads work with “GRCs” who are paid for 30 hours/semester • Research design, methods, communication • Class time must be devoted to the products of student inquiry • GRCs coach and do not grade

23. GRC program

24. GRC Program, con’t.

25. Student enrollment in GRC courses 03-04 04-05 05-06 06-07 07-08 08-09*

26. Still more resources • Centralized campus program for undergraduate research and inquiry • Undergraduate curriculum • Collaborations among universities • Professional societies • Publications

27. www.unc.edu/depts/our

28. QEP • Resources (>$500,000/yr) • Data • 4 Distinguished professorships in research and undergraduate education • Expansion of inquiry-based education and undergraduate research • “Carolina Research Scholar” transcript designation open to all students

29. 16/16 have campus liaisons; 13/16 have centralized programs, website links

30. Research in the CapitalAn Undergraduate Research symposium for the NC legislature • Purpose (importance of research in education; benefits to NC) • Preparation (see Blockus & Renoe’s “One-minute WOW”; enthusiasm + gratitude; clarity + relevance; what was known what has changed; peer instruction) • Publicity (letters, introduction in chambers by legislative hosts, office visits) • Publication (abstract books; Websites; CURQ) • Persistence (2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009...)

32. 2008: part of Research Competitiveness request/ GA funding

33. Professional Societies • America Society for Cell Biology • Genetics Society of America • Genetics Society of AustralAsia

34. Genetics Education

35. The spread of innovations “[The translators] make things more palatable for mainstream people. They see what the [innovators] are doing AND THEY TWEAK IT. They start doing it themselves, BUT THEY CHANGE IT A BIT. [Others] look at it and say, it’s a little off. But there’s a way I can change it and make it okay. Then [the innovation] takes off.” (DeeDee Gordon, quoted in The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell, p. 200).

36. 10 Resources we discussed • Ask a colleague (PJP, for a start) • Ask your students (…is important to me because…) • Collaborative design with graduate students (facilitates collaborative learning; give and receive feedback) • Classroom assessment techniques -“CATs” (try one!) • Get peer feedback on your experiences (faculty recruit others to GRC program) • Centralized campus program for undergraduate research and inquiry (Office for Undergraduate Research) • Revision of Undergraduate curriculum (Quality Enhancement Plan) • Collaborations among universities (UNC 16-campus consortium; UNC-AUB!) • Professional societies (several) • Publications (Genetics Education)

37. Next steps • Above the line, record an idea we’ve discussed that you might modify and implement • Below the line, record a potential barrier to implementing the change

38. Conclusions • Inquiry-based approaches to course design are effective and enjoyable for research scientists • Gradual, incremental changes in roles as educators can be beneficial and substantial • Existing resources at every level are also opportunities to collaborate with others