Many liberal arts colleges and universities require non-major science students to take at least one STEM-based class to satisfy their curriculum requirements. For non-science majors, the choice of science class can include introductory chemistry, introductory biology, and astronomy, among others. However, through conversations we have had with students in non-science fields, we have realized that many have reservations about taking a science course, for various reasons. To mitigate student concerns and to promote increased interest in the sciences, we have implemented methodologies that include course-independent, student-driven, mentored projects such as poster sessions, fact sheets, Wiki presentations, and other Project- and Team-Based Learning methodologies. Our focus is on the educational tools developed – what they involved, how they were used in the classroom, how they focused on scientific communication – and their usefulness, based upon general student feedback and personal responses over the course of 6 semesters and approximately 300 students. These activities also expose students to essential “soft skills” that will serve them well beyond the science classroom, including effective communication, working as a team, independent self-motivated learning, and effective and efficient problem-solving. In this talk, we will discuss the methodologies we implemented as well as the positive impact that diversifying learning strategies has on students’ attitudes towards the sciences. Future research will focus on implementation of Discipline-Based Education Research (DBER) guidelines, which provide a refinement of self-directed learning projects to allow for issues that may be specific to a subject area as well as certain student demographics and socioeconomic backgrounds.

Authors:
Alan Chant, The University of Vermont, United States

About the Presenter(s)
Alan Chant is an assistant professor who currently holds a teaching scholar position at the University of Vermont (U.S.A.).

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