Resources for Effective Pedagogy 

Research spanning several decades provides ample evidence that how we teach is as important as what we teach, not only in terms of its impact on the process skills our students develop, but also in terms of the content information that they learn. If we recognize that the scientific knowledge base continues to expand at an exponential rate, then we must concede that seeking to graduate students equipped with a comprehensive and up-to-date understanding of the content knowledge in their field of science is an unrealistic goal.

By the time their last test is graded, the information is dated.  Therefore, our goal must be to graduate students equipped with well-developed skills that enable them to be lifelong learners, ready to face the challenges of an ever-changing scientific enterprise.  Developing these skills in students requires a different kind of educator, one who creates a student-centered learning environment. If this is the goal, then the evolution of the effective science educator from “dispenser of knowledge” to “facilitator of learning” is no longer a luxury or even a necessity, but a critical key to effective science education.

While this is a challenging time for life science educators, it is also a time of discovery and new frontiers. A recent report by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute states, 
     "Biology is attracting students in the same way that physics did in the 1950s and 1960s – because it is at the leading edge of intellectual activity today…[B]iology seems on the verge of answering some of the most tantalizing questions in science: How do organisms grow and develop?  How do ecosystems function?  To what extent can and should we manipulate the biological world?  And these questions are not far removed from the world of undergraduates.  College students are cloning genes, investigating the properties of neurons, and measuring molecular evolution -- activities that were limited to graduate students, postdocs, and professors just a few years ago" (HHMI, p. 7).

Rising to the Challenge

How do we make the transition from being a “dispenser of knowledge” to being a “facilitator of learning”?  Where is the teaching manual for this new vision of life sciences education?  While no one collection of resources can provide the perfect guide to creating a student-centered learning environment, there are resources that can help us as we consider new ways to teach and to facilitate learning.

In this section of the Archive, you’ll find some of those resources.  You’ll be challenged to reflect on your teaching and on your students’ learning and to consider your role as a facilitator of learning.  You’ll hear from fellow educators and educational researchers about effective teaching methods (pedagogy) that facilitate student learning.  You’ll be encouraged to discuss these ideas online with your colleagues.  More importantly, you’ll be encouraged to try these methods, not once or twice, but several times until you feel comfortable using them.  Then you’ll be encouraged to assess the impact on your students.

Share The Wealth

Do you know of a useful resource on effective teaching practices?  Email the archives staff (archive@the-aps.org) with your suggestions. 

Reference
Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI). Beyond Bio 101. Bethesda, MD: HHMI.