UNDERGRADUATE CLASSROOM TEACHING: INTRODUCTORY LEVEL APPROACHES

Freshman Seminar: Origins or Order The freshman seminar originally titled Origins of Order has adopted an extremely appropriate acronym, ORDER or On Recent Discoveries by Emory Researchers. Each section of the freshman seminar is led by five graduate or post doctoral researchers (Teacher/Scholars) who are charged with bridging the important gap between research and instruction. The teacher/scholars are responsible for explaining their area of scientific exploration, and perhaps more importantly, describing a discovery that they have made during their time as researchers. For the freshman, this seminar is an invitation to embrace cutting edge research and see past the tedium of introductory science lectures. Tempering a young scientist’s education with an experimenthal component is essential, and what better way to achieve this but by connecting the large research community and the incoming college freshman.

REFLECTIONS ON THE MOTIVATION, PROCESS, AND PRODUCT In conceiving and designing ORDER, the goals were to answer the following questions: Is there a way to better position the freshman when they first come to college, such that scientific role models are actively available? Furthermore, can the Univeristy's scientific infrastructure be made translucent, effectively opening undergraduate research opportunities for all who are interested? Is there a way to empower graduate and postdoctoral students to be involved in undergraduate education? The answer to all three of these question is emphatically YES. The ORDER class defines a new way of getting undegraduates interested in science and getting graduate students exposed to class instruction. Getting involved in the class is extremely different for graduate students and undergraduates. Graduate students go through a competitive application process, which includes writing a proposal for the class and giving a four minute presentation in front of a panel of chemistry, biology, chemistry, and math professors. Undergraduates simply need to talk to their advisors and express an interest in natural science. The class is broken into five equal modules such that each of the Teacher/Scholars is given five class periods in which to present their research. An early concern was the amount of segmentation created by five different instructors, but after spending the entire summer hammering out the details, many underlying themes in the research emerged. These themes were emphasized by each instructor and in the end all of the research looked like pieces in a much larger puzzle. One of the most effective underlying themes has been "quality of life." As a whole, the class has been a huge success, and we have expaned the curriculum by opening the Teacher/Scholar positions to social scientists. Adding the Social Sciences to the program has brought an interesting juxtaposition to the class, particularly when searching for underlying themes. Fall of 2005 will include the fist class completely comprised of honors undergraduates. This may change some of the qualitative data collected during the class assessment.

ASSESSMENT As with any undertaking assessment is necessary in order to understand the projects accomplishments and failures. Two graduate researchers, Dawn Comeu from the Women Studies Department and Jessica Sales from the Rollins School of Public Health have helped compile information regarding enjoyment, effectiveness, and overall satisfaction of the class. For the freshman both pre- and post-seminar surveys are handed out. Interviews are also conducted with students willing to volunteer. The graduate researchers are asked to self evaluate themselves after their individual modules. Their written self assessments are collected and displayed for the other instructors to read and critique. Currently three publications are in the process of submission. The first two papers Enriching graduate student's opportunities: An innovative, interdisciplinary undergraduate science course team-taught by graduate students and Catch them while their young: Freshman Seminars in Science describe the benefit and shortcomings of the ORDER class for the Teacher/Scholars and for the undergraduate students respectively. The third paper Bridging the Gap: Unifying Graduate and Undergraduate Education qualitatively assesses the effectiveness of this freshman seminar at reaching the undergraduates. These three papers will hopefully increase awareness of this freshman seminar model and encourage science educators to think critically about their own curriculums.

Dave (far left) and Graduate Teacher Scholar from 2003

Articles on the ORDER Class The following links are recent articles desribing Origins of ORDER class. Emory University News Release - July 26, 2004 Emory University News Release - Nov. 20, 2003 ScienceNET Course Description

Teacher/Scholars in the Press One of the most exciting aspects of this project is the potential public exposure for the graduate researchers. Explaining their recent discoveries to an intelligent, open-minded, yet scientifically novice group of incoming freshman creates the perfect vessel for exposure to the general public. Furthermore each module undergoes an extensive review by a scientifcally diverse group of Teacher/Scholars and Dr. Lynn. By the end of each undergraduate semester the graduate scientists have received feedback from not only the freshman class, but also from his or her scientific peers. In this way the modules have served as an incubator readying the graduate researchers for future public endeavours. Since the class started many of the teacher/scholars have received news coverage on local, national, and international levels. The following are sound bites, movie-clips and accompanying articles were generated directly from the Teacher/Scholars experience in the ORDER class. Movie-Clip from composed of Teacher/Scholar Research Emory Research: Xeroderma Pigmentosum on Sound Print (2005-2-27) Researchers at Emory University study Xeroderma Pigmentosum or XP. This rare skin disease makes sunlight painful, and even deadly. Less then one in a million person have XP and because of its rarity persons with XP are often extremely isolated. New computer innovation have helped bring people afflicted with XP connect with one another in way they never were able to do before. Cutting-Edge Scientific Research at Emory(2004-12-30) From combating cancer, to working to understand to causes of Alzheimer's, to examining stem cells by looking at worms, cutting-edge research is taking place on the Emory University campus in Atlanta. (WABE) Emory Yeast Research Sheds Light on Rare Sunshine Disease (2004-09-21) Researchers at Emory University in Atlanta are studying ailments that make sunlight painful,and even deadly, for some children. They hope that, by searching for a breakthrough, they could also find potential cures for skin cancers and other diseases. (WABE) Study of Monkeys May Help Solve Stress in Humans (2004-08-26) Researchers at the Yerkes Primate Center in Atlanta and the National Institutes of Health have started to compile interesting data about the origins of stress. (WABE) Genes on Film May Help Unlock Causes for Epilepsy(2004-04-21) Researchers at Emory University are using micro-robotic technology, to unlock the causes of epilepsy. They may have also found a link tying a diet based on Biblical fasting - with a possible cure for the disease. (WABE) The Feel of Food Fascinates Emory Researcher (2004-01-27) When you have a snack, you probably don't think much about the molecular structure of what you're eating and drinking. But there are scientists who are devoted to making the textures of our foods, beverages and other products that much more agreeable. (WABE) Emory Scientists Seek Perfect Pictures (2003-10-28) Blurred picture quality can be a nuisance for casual photographers. But for doctors, scientists and the military, an out-of-focus image can mean major trouble. Graduate researchers at Emory University are currently working on algorithms - that could, in the future, clear up images that would otherwise be hopelessly blurry. (WABE)