UCLA Center for Education Innovation & Learning in the Sciences | Monthly Newsletter

October 18, 2018

Announcements

Congratulations to Deb Pires for her recent NSF Award: Networking STEM Initiatives To Enhance (NSITE) Adoption of Evidence-Based Practices !

This project will establish a network that allows national STEM education reform initiatives to join forces to speed adoption of effective teaching practices in post-secondary STEM education and to provide a deeper understanding of how organizations change. At present, college STEM educators rarely have formal training in teaching. As such, many teach the way they were taught using a passive, lecture method that leads to low retention and success rates for students who enter college declaring STEM majors, especially those from under-represented groups. The resulting STEM workforce is therefore unable to meet the current demand for those professionals and does not represent the diversity of the society it serves. Over the past decade many initiatives have emerged to address this issue and have made some progress in spreading awareness and some solutions. While STEM education is changing, the pace is slower than the shifting societal demands. This new network will allow established initiatives to share effective strategies and to join forces testing new strategies to increase the rate of progress in STEM education reform and increase the success and retention of all students in STEM majors.

View additional information here .

CEILS SEMINAR:

Student Evaluations of Teaching: Managing Bias and Increasing Utility

CEILS Visiting Scientific Teaching Scholar

Professor Philip B. Stark

Professor of Statistics, Associate Dean of Mathematical and Physical Sciences

University of California, Berkeley

Date: Friday, November 2nd, 2018

Time: 2 :00 p.m - 3:00 p.m.

Location : Hershey Hall 158

View the event website for more information.

Student evaluations of teaching (SET) are widely used in academic personnel decisions as a measure of teaching effectiveness. Observational evidence shows that student ratings vary with instructor gender, ethnicity, and attractiveness; with course rigor, mathematical content, and format; and with students’ grade expectations. Surveys show that students deliberately falsify ratings. Randomized experiments show that SET are negatively associated with objective measures of teaching effectiveness and biased against female instructors by an amount that can cause more effective instructors to get lower SET than less effective instructors: SET is more strongly associated with students’ grade expectations and instructor gender than with objective measures of learning. Gender bias affects how students rate even “objective” aspects of teaching, such as how promptly assignments are graded. It is not possible to adjust for the bias, because it depends on many factors, including course topic and student gender. Students are uniquely situated to observe some aspects of teaching and they can provide information that helps instructors improve pedagogy–but SET items need to be selected and interpreted cautiously. For the purposes of evaluating teaching quality–and even to determine whether particular things transpired (e.g., whether the instructor explained the grading policy)–SET are unreliable and subject to strategic manipulation by faculty and by students. Relying on SET for employment decisions disadvantages protected groups. Universities have started to reduce or eliminate using SET for employment decisions; recent litigation and arbitration have led to rulings that could influence more universities do the same.

To ensure sufficient space and refreshments, RSVP here.

Research Deconstruction - A Classroom Approach for Engaging Students in Scientific Discovery

Date: Friday, November 9, 2018

Time: 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Location: UCLA Hershey Hall 158

RSVP by Thursday, October 25th if you plan to attend.

We invite you to this symposium at UCLA to learn about research deconstruction, a low cost, high impact pedagogical strategy developed at UCLA to engage novice undergraduate students in the process of scientific discovery. Research deconstruction requires no laboratory or textbook, making it affordable and sustainable for departments and students at a wide range of institutions, from R1 universities to 2-year colleges. Guided in‑depth analysis of a bona fide research seminar is used as a platform to teach fundamental concepts, experimental methodologies, and importantly, the logic of scientific investigation. Implementation over a 10-year period at UCLA suggests that research deconstruction is effective at both teaching students the process of scientific inquiry and increasing persistence in STEM.

At this symposium, educators from UCLA, UC Santa Cruz, University of Toronto and Santa Monica College will share insights, challenges and best practices from their experience using research deconstruction. If you would like to learn more about this pedagogy and potential partnerships to assist with implementation, please consider attending. Educators at community colleges are especially encouraged to participate and we hope that Chairs will consider applying attendance of this symposium toward the professional development requirement (flex time). Please feel free to share this with any interested colleagues.

OID Instructional Improvement Program - Fall Grant Deadline

The Instructional Improvement Grant Program supports curricular experimentation and development and instructional improvement of undergraduate offerings. Projects may be initiated by faculty, departments, or larger units. Proposals should address the specific needs of an undergraduate course or curriculum and explicate an appropriate and cost-effective response to a clearly defined pedagogical problem.

Please note that IIP grants — as well as OID Mini-grants for guest speakers, media purchases, etc. — can be used to support issues of diversity and inclusiveness in the classroom. The IIP Committee believes these are important considerations for faculty in designing their curricula.

Please review the 2018-2019 Instructional Improvement Grant Program overview .

Online Application for Instructional Improvement Major Grants

Please be sure to download the Budget Worksheet that you must include in the application form.

To enable the Committee on Instructional Improvement Programs’ full deliberation, all proposals must be submitted no later than 5:00 p.m. on Friday, November 9, 2018.

CEILS Journal Club

CEILS Journal Club for STEM Education Research | Learning Community Meetings

Fridays every Quarter from 2:00 – 3:00 PM

Location: 1100 TSLB

About Journal Club: Participants explore relevant education literature in more depth and develop greater understanding of assessment techniques and data analysis methods. Presenters may select a paper and lead a discussion about how education researchers have documented the relationship between effective teaching practices and their impact on student learning, knowledge retention, and persistence in STEM majors. Alternatively, presenters describe classroom innovations and evidence-based instructional strategies they are trying in their own courses, soliciting feedback from participants while sharing their expertise in a variety of areas supporting instruction and assessment in STEM classrooms. Faculty, graduate students, and postdocs are welcome to participate!

Fall 2018 Schedule:

October 26 | Roshini Ramachandran, Adjunct Assistant Professor in Chemistry & Biochemistry, presenting her research study, “Investigating the Effectiveness of Using Application-Based Science Education Videos in a General Chemistry Lecture Course”.
November 2 | Philip Stark, Visiting Scientific Teaching Scholar - see event page for details. (Note: this event will take place in Hershey Hall 158)
November 16 | Jeffrey Maloy, DBER Postdoctoral Scholar and Lecturer in Life Sciences Core Education, presenting his research study. Title TBA.
November 30 | Elizabeth Mills, Graduate Student in Physics & Astronomy, presenting her CIRTL teaching-as-research project. Title TBA.

View the STEM Education Research Journal Club event page for more details.

Postdoctoral Scholars & Graduate Students

Click here to view programs and initiatives for graduate students & postdoctoral scholars on our website.

See also: UCLA Professional Development for Graduate Students and Post-Docs

Resource: ScienceCareers - 2018 Career Handbook (PDF download available)

CIRTL@UCLA Information Session and Social Event!

View the event website for more information.

For a complete description of the CIRTL Network learning outcomes, please visit the CNC.

Come to a very INFORMAL Social event to hear about the CIRTL certification process and get to know CIRTL participants over food and drink. Dr. Rachel Kennison, Program Coordinator, will present a VERY BRIEF overview of the CIRTL@UCLA certification pathway – but this is mostly a time to get together, meet her and other CIRTL participants and get your questions answered.

Date/Time : Friday, October 26th from 4-6 pm

Location : Terasaki Life Sciences room 1100.

Pizza and drinks will be served so please RSVP by October 23rd!

Everyone interested in CIRTL is welcome, and if you have participated in CIRTL, please come and share your experience!

CIRTL @ UCLA - Professional Development Opportunities for Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Scholars

The Center for the Integration of Research,Teaching, and Learning (CIRTL) provides national events and courses. UCLA is a CIRTL institution, and we offer in-person learning communities and training opportunities. For detailed information about CIRTL @ UCLA, please visit: https://ceils.ucla.edu/cirtl-at-ucla/. If you have any questions, please contact our program coordinator Dr. Rachel Kennison at rkennison@ceils.ucla.edu.

Preview upcoming Fall Programming (including MOOCS!) here.

Upcoming events (click on image below to open in new window):

Newsworthy

Click here to view more/archived newsworthy publications on our website.

Resource: A favorite listserv for STEM education news, please subscribe to STEM|PROF

Six Things That Make College Teachers Successful | Faculty Focus

With so much to manage at the start of the academic year, it's good to reconnect with key principles of effective teaching.

Research on Flexible Classrooms: Scarce Yet Promising | Edutopia

An ambitious study of 153 classrooms in the United Kingdom provides very good evidence that flexible spaces can boost academic performance.

Measuring the Impact of Scientific Teaching | International Journal of STEM Education

A new study of 70 undergraduate classes examines whether students, instructors, and observers agree on the implementation of reformed teaching practices.

Too Little Aid for Low-income STEM Majors? | Hechinger Report

With an extra financial-aid boost, low-income students more likely to study science, technology, engineering or math, study finds.

Defining Accessibility in STEM College Programs | WXXI News

Although the Americans with Disabilities Act requires that public institutions make accommodations for people, some students in STEM still feel like they are being pushed out.

On-Campus Events

Click here to view more/archived events on our website.

Disabilities and Inclusive Design Training: Instructional Content

View the event website for more information.

Date: 22 October, 2018

Time: 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Location: IDRE Portal - 5628 Math Sciences

Learn about the challenges facing students, faculty, and staff with disabilities and how you can empower this population though accessible design. The trainings are stand-alone events.

Upcoming trainings include:

29 October, 2018: Documentation
5 November, 2018: Web
19 November, 2018: Basics
3 December, 2018: Instructional Content

National Events & Webinars

Click here to view more/archived national (off-campus) events on our website.

STiP Webinar: Implementing Active Learning in Online Courses

View the event website for more information.

Date : 26 October, 2018

Time : 3:00 p.m - 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time

In this webinar, Peggy Brickman, developer of curriculum designed to foster scientific literacy in introductory biology students, will lead participants through a discussion of concrete strategies to enhance interactivity in an online setting. Participants are encouraged to bring their ideas and questions on this most timely and important topic on today’s college campuses.

AAC&U Webinar :

2018 Transforming STEM Higher Education

View the event website for more information.

Date: November 8, 2018 to November 10, 2018

Location: Atlanta, GA

Transforming STEM Higher Education invites academic STEM practitioners and scholars of all disciplines to join us. The conference will critically examine the entire range of contemporary opportunities for—and challenges to—STEM higher education reform including, but not limited to, exploring evidence-based approaches to undergraduate STEM teaching, examining new approaches to broadening participation, interrogating emerging research studies related to STEM student learning, and verifying new assessment tools for determining undergraduate STEM teaching effectiveness.

Reinvention Collaborative National Conference

Please see the event page for more information.

Date: November 8-10, 2018

Location: Arlington, VA

The Reinvention Collaborative is a leading national consortium of research universities focused on innovation in undergraduate education. The conference features invited speakers who are nationally recognized for their leadership in undergraduate education. The deliberations at the meeting focus on critical challenges research universities face.

Distinguish speakers attending the conference include our very own Erin Sanders O'Leary, Shanna Shaked, Blaire Van Valkenburgh, Kelly Wahl, who will be presenting on various evidence-based teaching methodologies. These include, "Combining Learning Assistants with Integrated Active", "Reimagining the Introductory Math Curriculum for Life Science Majors: A Study of Student Success and Overcoming Cultural Barriers", and "Learning Outcomes Assessment: Catalyzing Innovation in STEM Education to Effect Institutional Change".

2018 NABT Professional Development Conference

Date: November 8-11, 2018

Location: Sheraton San Diego Hotel and Marina

View the event website for more information.

Early registration deadline: July 31, 2018

Submit a proposal to present at the 10th Annual Biology Education Research Symposium and/or the Undergraduate Biology Professional Development Summit at the National Association of Biology Teachers (NABT) 2018 Professional Development Conference.

SABER West - Registration Open, Poster Abstract Submission Open

Date: January 19 - 20, 2019

Location: UC Irvine

The third annual SABER West conference will be held on January 19 and 20, 2019 at the campus of the University of California, Irvine. SABER is the Society for the Advancement of Biology Education Research and was founded in 2010.

CEILS will be organizing a UCLA group to attend this conference together. We hope you will consider submitting a poster abstract for this year's conference. Please register and contact media@ceils.ucla.edu if you are interested in applying for possible subsidies for registration, hotel room accommodations, and carpool options. Presenters are responsible for their own poser printing and workshop costs.

For more information on SABER, please visit the SABER website.

5th Life Discovery - Doing Science Biology Education Conference

Date: March 21-23, 2019

Location: Gainesville, Florida

View the event website for more information.

Deadline for Proposals: September 30, 2018

The Education Share Fair has become a unique feature of the Life Discovery Doing Science Education conference. Proposals will be accepted on a first come first served basis until available spots are filled.

2019 Accelerating Systemic Change Network (ASCN) Transforming Institutions Conference

Date: April 3-5, 2019

Location: Pittsburgh, PA

View the event website for more information.

The conference will bring together researchers, faculty, change agents, administrators, and policymakers to focus on transforming undergraduate education. The conference will address critical questions related to institutional change in higher education and foster connections between researchers and change agents across fields. There will be opportunities for cross-disciplinary discussion and collaboration as we work together to bring about institutional change and to define the future of this work.

The proposal submission deadline is November 11, 2018, at 11:59 p.m. EST.

Conference website: https://bit.ly/ASCNHigherEdTI2019

Call for proposals: https://bit.ly/ASCNCFP19

ASCN: https://ASCNhighered.org

Featured Job Opportunities

Click here to our job postings archive on our website.

UCLA Job Opportunities

Academic Administrator in the Center for Educational Assessment | UCLA

Under the supervision of the Faculty Director for the Office of Instructional Development, the Academic Administrator will be responsible for the development and management of projects involving curricular revision and assessment. The first planned project is a thorough examination of UCLA’s General Education (GE) curriculum in the area of Foundations of Scientific Inquiry. Applications due tomorrow, Oct. 19th!