NICHD Workshop: Teaching Biology in the 21st Century effort led by Graham Walker, Julia Khodor, and Melissa Kosinski-Collins On August 5th, 2005, Graham, Melissa, and Julia were asked to run a teaching workshop for postdocs and faculty at the National Institute of Child Health and Development (NICHD) in Bethesda, MD. The session consisted of three concurrent workshops each led by one the core group members of the education group through which the 45 postdocs could rotate throughout the day. The workshops dealt with a variety of topics in biology undergraduate education including project laboratories, concept-based learning, and 3D visualization techniques. The postdocs at the NICHD do not have the chance to participate in teaching experiences and, therefore, this workshop provided them with a rare opportunity to learn and think about education at the undergraduate level. NICHD Website

Workshop 1: Designing and Teaching an Advanced Undergraduate Project Laboratory, Professor Graham Walker Allowing students to ask their own research questions, and to design and carry-out experiments to answer these questions is critical to providing them with a “real� scientific experience. Unfortunately, designing laboratories in which this is a central focus is often difficult. During this workshop, attendees will participate in a discussion about how to design, implement, and instruct an open-ended project laboratory for undergraduate biology students. The discussion will use the MIT project lab course as a model to explore time and facility requirements, as well as possible project topics. We will focus on the benefits of exploratory laboratory experiences, and possible scientific and educational outcomes. Workshop 2: Concept-based Instruction in Science Courses, Dr. Julia Khodor Research shows that students enter science classrooms with deeply held misconceptions. Only when these misconceptions are identified and addressed head-on can meaningful learning and retention occur. In this session, we will take a look at the structure of and example sections from the Biology Concept Framework developed at MIT to identify the key concepts in an Introductory Biology course. We will then develop a concept framework on a topic of interest to the group. Finally, we will discuss the uses for a BCF in designing, teaching, and assessing a course, as well as in coordinating among courses. Workshop 3: The Importance of Learning in 3-Dimensions: Using 3D Molecular Modeling Software to Teach Biology and Chemistry, Dr. Melissa Kosinski-Collins Studies have shown that students learn differently from 3D images than from 2D textbook pictures. In biology, we are constantly emphasizing the importance of shape and chemistry in the understanding of how and why molecules function and interact, but many students struggle with this abstract concept. There are many freely available programs that allow scientists to visualize and manipulate biological molecules in 3-dimensions although it is not always trivial to modify and incorporate these programs into a classroom setting. In this session, we will explore several of these different options and look at ways in which they can be utilized effectively in introductory courses. Jmol Exercise Swiss PDB Viewer Exercise Introduction to the PDB Exercise Workshop 3 Resource Handout