(Engineering Sciences and Applied Mathematics, 2011-2012)
Course: ES & APPM 311-2: Methods of Applied Mathematics (partial differential equations)
Mentor: Ed Olmstead
Abstract
The traditional methods of teaching applied math comprise lecture, homework, and exams. Recent research suggests that other methods, such as peer instruction and project-based learning, can result in enhanced student engagement and better learning outcomes, at least in introductory math courses. This project applied these methods to an advanced undergraduate / graduate-level course in partial differential equations, with the goal of improving student participation, engagement and ultimately student learning. Specific steps taken include the development of new demonstration materials, the implementation of regular in-class small-group discussions, and the use of a group project in lieu of a final exam.
Keywords: active learning, partial differential equations, project-based learning
Antabli, Fadia
Course: Arabic 111: First Year Arabic
Mentor: Fatima Khan
Abstract
This critical account provides an overview of teaching methodologies for improving learners’ communicative language skills in the Arabic language class. In the project, I suggest that revising the course design based on a constructivist learning approach and the flipped classroom methodology would enhance learners’ oral communicative competencies, increase learning outcomes, promote learners’ language potentials, and also make learning more productive and fun. My objective is to create constructivist-based learning environments where learners are able to make responsible decisions towards their learning progress, work together to construct new meaning that leads to developing new cognitive skills, and build new understandings through shared reflection on their own learning experiences. Such learning environments utilize a space that enables learners to discuss, explore, interact, and determine their own learning goals. It is an attractive environment where effective learning occurs, and where higher cognitive skills are attained. Moreover, learning is guided and facilitated, not controlled or dictated. Thus, learning is interactive and the learner is the focus of the learning process, emphasizing active inquiry of knowledge and the independence and individuality of the learner.
Keywords: language, communicative, interactive model
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Argall, Brenna Dee (Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 2014-2015)
Course: EECS 469: Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence for Robotics
Mentor: Todd Murphey
Abstract
The challenge raised in this Searle Fellows project was how to restructure the content of a graduate-level course with an extremely high workload without actually reducing the amount of work—because the amount of work links very directly to the depth of the learning experience. Multiple goals were identified to address that challenge. This critical account overviews the restructuring of the pre-class preparation, in-class working examples and post-class homework requirements to achieve these goals.
Keywords: course restructuring, modified expectations
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Armbruster, Benjamin (Industrial Engineering and Management Sciences, 2010-2011)
Course: IEMS 326: Economics and Finance for Engineers
Mentor: Bruce Ankenman
Abstract
In this critical account I describe, motivate, evaluate, and reflect on the changes I am making to IEMS 326. These changes include reducing the use of Excel in lecture, adding case-studies, and reordering the course topics. Comparing student performance before and after these changes I find no reduction in performance and some limited gains.
Keywords: continuous improvement, assessment, case-studies
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Aydin, Koray (Engineering and Computer Science 2013-2014)
Course: EECS 223: Fundamentals of Solid State Engineering
Mentor: Seda Memik
Abstract
Engaging students in courses that are based on fundamental and abstract concepts is a challenging issue. In particular, I found it quite difficult to engage students while teaching EECS 223: Fundamentals of Solid State Engineering course, which covers conceptually abstract topics including quantum mechanics, semiconductor band structures and phonons. My Searle Fellows project is an attempt to promote student engagement using variety of active learning techniques including project-based learning, think-pair-share and using visual demonstrations and simulations.
Keywords: active learning, student engagement, project-based learning
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Balberg, Mira (Religious Studies, 2016-2017)
Course: Religion 170: Introduction to Religion
Mentor: Richard Kieckhefer
Abstract
My project was rethinking and redesigning Religion 170, ‘Introduction to Religion,’ an entry-level course geared for students without any prior knowledge in the field. My aim was to develop a course that will foster deep learning rather than surface learning, will incorporate methods of active learning and student engagement, and emphasize constructed knowledge rather than received or subjective knowledge. The teaching method I devised was a question-based lecture. Building each lecture around an open-ended question with clear relevance to the students’ own ‘life-world’ helps overcome the problem of common knowledge basis, while at the same time encourages intellectual risk-taking, critical thinking, and collaborative learning efforts. The formative and summative assessments in the course are likewise structured to promote intellectual experimentation and ownership of one’s learning.
Keywords: constructed knowledge, critical thinking, problematized teaching
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Ballard, Heather A. (Department of Pediatrics, Division of Anesthesiology, 2017-2018)
Mentor: Jeffrey Barsuk
Pediatric vascular access is challenging due to the small caliber of vessels and limited targets associated with chronic illness. Ultrasound-guided vascular access has shown to decrease the number of punctures and success rate in patients with difficult intravenous access. Unfortunately, the success of the pediatric anesthesia department does not parallel our interventional radiology colleagues, most likely due to lack of formal training. This project is to design a curriculum for ultrasound-guided vascular access using simulation-based mastery learning technique. Members of the pediatric anesthesia department (attending physicians, trainees, nurse anesthetists) will undergo training consisting of a pre-test, instructional video, deliberate practice using a realistic partial task simulator, and post-test. Students need to obtain a minimum passing score and have at least 5 proctored placements on patients to be considered certified in this skill. Currently, the Institutional Review Board (IRB) has approved implementation of the program, including collecting quality data on vascular access placement using our electronic medical record. By collecting baseline data on all patients, the rate of difficult vascular access and utilization of this technology can be discovered. The pre- and post-test checklists are being finalized and experts in pediatric vascular access are determining an acceptable minimum passing test score. Simulab has developed a realistic partial task trainer for vascular access that closely models the small diameter found in pediatric vessels. In reflecting upon this project, I have learned the values of mentorship, collaboration, and validity in implementing any educational curriculum.
Keywords: simulation-based mastery learning, partial task trainer, deliberate practice
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Bagheri, Neda (Chemical and Biological Engineering, 2013-2014)
Course: Chemical Engineering undergraduate Kinetics & Reactor Design (ChE 307)
Mentor: Wesley Burghardt & Lonnie Shea
Abstract
Novelty introduces risk; a new curriculum or a new assessment opens doors to great successes and potential failures. As teacher scholars, it is critical that we embrace risk, learn through our classroom and research experiences, and foster an environment in which students are encouraged to think critically and champion their mistakes. As part of the 2014 Searle Fellows program, I seek to reignite the learning experience by allowing students to teach and experience course material by moving beyond the traditional show and tell. I introduce three unique teaching and assessment strategies designed to reinforce active, peer-to-peer learning by promoting an environment in which students ride the buzz, transform from sinks to sources, and critically review & rebut.
Keywords: peer review, collaborative learning, self-reflection
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Balogun, Oluwaseyi (Mechanical Engineering, 2011-2012)
Course: ME 363: Mechanical Vibrations
Mentor: Sridhar Krishnaswamy
Abstract
Understanding fundamental concepts in dynamics is critical to development of new solution strategies and techniques to address real life engineering problems. However, teaching students to appreciate and retain these concepts is a formidable challenge using traditional teacher- centered approaches. To address this challenge, my Searle Fellows project seeks to identify and implement effective teaching strategies that can promote excitement and deep learning of fundamental concepts in dynamics, and provide a pathway for the application of these concepts in the real life problem solving. The new teaching strategies I am exploring include: in-class experiments and demonstrations, paper readings, group activities in and outside the classroom, and student inspired problem solving opportunities. These strategies are being implemented in my ME 363 classroom, and have led to positive student feedback. The strategies have the potential to inspire students to master the fundamental dynamics concepts and apply them in problem solving outside the classroom environment.
Keywords: deep learning, problem-solving, student-centered learning
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Bartolome, Sarah (Music Education, 2016-2017)
Course:MUSIC_ED 335/MUSIC_ED 435: Teaching Music for Exceptional Children
Mentor: Maud Hickey
Abstract
The purpose of this project was to develop a new course, Teaching Music for Exceptional Children, which features a community engaged fieldwork component in which my students would provide weekly classroom service at a local school for children with moderate to severe disabilities. I also designed and implemented an intrinsic case study examining the impact of the service project on the attitudes and pedagogical content knowledge of students enrolled in the course.
Keywords: university-community partnership, engaged learning, music teacher preparation, fieldwork
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Bega, Danny (Neurology, 2014-2015)
Project Title: Shaping Residency Education: Fostering Autonomy and Competency for Future Leaders through Near-Peer Teaching in Morning Report
Mentor: Cindy Zadikoff
Abstract
Teaching is integrated into every aspect of the daily practice of a physician, yet most residents have little or no formal teaching background. Guided by self-determination theory (SDT), I aimed to restructure a component of the residency learning environment to allow residents to function as teachers and facilitators in a supervised setting. First, I identified barriers to effective resident teaching. Next, I provided guidance in how to teach near-peers. Finally, I provided opportunities for residents to practice teaching in a problem-based learning setting by redesigning our Morning Report (MR) case conference. The project assessment was carried out by faculty observation and through survey responses of senior resident “teachers” and junior resident “learners.” Twelve out of 14 residents surveyed felt that the newly designed MR experience created an effective learning environment and that it should be continued. Survey responses indicate that residents learned skills for peer teaching, developed increased comfort with group facilitation, and gained an experience to build their sense of autonomy and competence. However, some concerns emerged with regard to the quality of the content being taught, the role of the faculty supervisor, and the accountability among learners in a near-peer setting.
Keywords: self-determination theory, near-peer teaching, residency education
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Ben Rhomdane, Asma (epartment of Middle East and North African Program, Arabic Language, 2017-2018)
Project Title: Student Engagement in Social Networking Context: Using Arabic Facebook Project as Part of the Next Generation Curriculum
Course: Arabic 111-3: First Year Arabic, 3rd quarter
Mentor: John Paluch
Student engagement is one of the most fundamental issues required to promote learning and teaching in higher education (Chen et al., 2008; Trowler, 2010). In order to adapt with today’s students nature, so-called “Net Generation” students, as they are
“connected, digital, and highly social” (Terantino and Graf, 2011, p.44), this critical account provides a demonstration of the significant role that social media — and Facebook in particular — play in enhancing the integration and connectiveness of foreign language learners. Through the implementation of a Facebook project as part of the Net Generation curriculum, my students had the opportunity to: 1) engage with their classmates, native speakers, and me in informal conversations in Arabic, 2) access authentic materials, and 3) share culturally relevant photos, videos, and music. Grounded in the student engagement theory (Astin, 1984) from a social networking context lens, this project did not only allow to promote my students’ social and active language learning, but also, evaluate how they describe and express themselves using what they acquired from the Arabic language class. I have to admit that it was a challenge for me to find relevant academic activities on social network that meet my project learning objectives. Throughout the period of designing and conducting this project, I realized how important it is to explore and understand the most inducing factors that stimulate students to be more engaged in these social network technologies for purposeful pedagogical activities.
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Bierman, Jennifer (Medicine, 2009-2010)
Project Title: Improving Observation and Feedback of Third Year Medical Students’ Physical Examination Skills
Mentor: Gary Martin
Abstract
Physical Examination skills are an important clinical skill for all medical students. Unfortunately due to time constraints in ambulatory medicine observation and feedback of these skills is low. A project using a structured checklist to evaluate just one portion of the physical exam was devised to determine if this could improve observation and feedback of these skills without being time consuming for the preceptors. Both goals were met in the pilot. Observation was improved and the use of the checklist by preceptors seems sustainable. This can be broadened to include more physical examination skills in the future.
Keywords: learner-centered, teaching barriers, curricular development, physical examination
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Bicknell, Klinton (Linguistics, 2016-2017)
Project Title: Teaching students to evaluate evidence using skills-focused teaching practices and real-world materials
Course: Cog_Sci 202: Evaluating Evidence
Mentor: Matthew Goldrick
Abstract
In this project, I am developing a new course on “Evaluating Evidence.” The goal of this course is to teach skills that can be directly applied in the student’s future lives, both personally and in the workplace. This focus on the teaching of skills allows for the use of a range of skill-focused (rather than knowledge-transfer-focused) teaching techniques. Additionally, the deep connections to the real world will be emphasized through the use of a range of real-word materials, such as podcasts and newspaper editorials, which should lead to enhanced engagement and deeper learning.
Keywords: real-world materials, case studies, critical thinking, team teaching, goal-directed assignments
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Boyk, David (Asian Languages and Cultures, 2017-2018)
Project Title: Bilingual Pedagogy in the Humanities
Course: ASIAN_LC 290—Literature and Translation: Cities and Modernity in South Asia HIND_URD 316—Translation and Literature: Cities and Modernity in South Asia
Mentor: Laura Brueck
This project attempts to bridge the divide between foreign language pedagogy and what are sometimes called “content” courses, by introducing a coordinated pair of courses, one (ASIAN_LC 290) taught entirely in English and the other (HIND_URD 316) taught partially in English and partially in Hindi-Urdu. Students with little or no knowledge of Hindi-Urdu can enroll in the former, and advanced learners and native speakers, in the latter. The courses meet twice a week, once separately and once together, in pursuit of several distinct but related purposes, including increasing language proficiency (in the case of students in HIND_URD 316) and pursuing a deeper understanding of Hindi-Urdu literature and the practice of translation. Although low enrollments have restricted the current implementation of the course design, it remains a promising model.
Keywords: bilingual, collaboration, differentiated instruction
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Brinkmann, John (Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation/NUPOC, 2013-2014)
Project Title: Establishing Criteria for Transtibial Impression Assessment
Course: Prosthetics Practicum, LL Below the Knee
Mentor: Babette Seligmann Sanders
Abstract
Assessment of student performance in a psychomotor skill requires an accepted standard of performance that correlates with the required outcomes in clinical practice. No objective performance standard exists (in education or clinical practice) to determine skill level during shape capture of a trans-tibial residual limb. In the absence of scientifically-validated objective data, a standard may be based on the consensus of experts in the subject area and skill. This project proposes a Delphi consensus process involving Northwestern University Prosthetics-Orthotics Center prosthetic practicum course faculty to establish performance standards for Patellar Tendon Bearing – Supracondylar Suprapatellar (PTB-SCSP) trans-tibial shape capture. Once established, future work will use these standards to develop an assessment instrument that will allow standardized assessment of skills learned and effectiveness of teaching across multiple faculty and allow more precise feedback.
Keywords: transtibial impression, assessment, Delphi process
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Buscarnera, Giuseppe (Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2012-2013)
Project Title: Engaging Students through Participation: Integration of Group Activities in Engineering Mechanics Courses
Mentor: Richard Finno
Abstract
This project details the plan for developing a new course on the mechanics of failure in geological materials (e.g., soils and rocks) at the senior undergraduate or first-year graduate level. The traditional structure of fundamental mechanics courses is typically based on a chalk-and-talk strategy, that does not promote active learning and undermines students’ interest in the topic. This course will encourage active participation of students by combining classical individual assessment methods with group activities and discussion sessions. The course will promote four main learning objectives: (i) acquisition of new analytical and technical skills to understand failure processes is soils and rocks; (ii) ability to establish links between material processes and failure events in natural settings; (iii) ability to collaborate in teams; and (iv) development of communication skills in written and oral form. The objectives will be assessed via weekly written assignments, as well as through group presentations, discussions, and final written reports.
Keywords: active learning, group activities, students’ engagement, communication skills
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Cadava, Geraldo L. (History, 2010-2011)
Project Title: Evaluating Changing Perceptions of Immigration in a Freshman Seminar
Course: History 102-6-20: Mexican Immigration to the United States
Mentor: Melissa Macauley
Abstract
This Critical Account provides a description of, and preliminary findings from, my Searle Fellows Program project on tracking and evaluating the changing attitudes of undergraduate students who took my winter 2011 freshman seminar on “Mexican Immigration to the United States.” Through a combination of surveys, Small Group Analysis, written reflections, and CTECs, I set out to understand more about how, or if, student attitudes towards Mexican immigration change over time through deepened knowledge about the subject. My primary interest in this study from a purely pedagogical perspective is my desire to engage students in meaningful, critical, and respectful dialog about a particularly challenging and divisive issue.
Keywords: Mexican immigration, changing attitudes, divisive subjects
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Cameron, Kenzie (General Internal Medicine, 2010-2011)
Project Title: Using Technology to Engage Students and to Promote Collaborative Learning
Course: PUB HLTH 301: Behavior, Society, and Health
Mentor: Gary Martin
Abstract
Understanding behavioral and social science theories is necessary, but not sufficient, for students to learn how such theories have been applied, successfully or unsuccessfully, nor to learn how the knowledge of such theories could be relevant to students’ future studies and/or careers. Nor is focusing solely on students’ ability to remember or understand an acceptable end goal for teaching excellence. The goal of this project is to effectively incorporate technology both within and outside the classroom to promote collaborative and active learning among students enrolled in the Behavior, Society, and Health course offered through the Program in Public Health.
Keywords: technology, collaborative learning, student engagement
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Campbell-Yesufu, Mobola (Department of Medicine, 2016-2017)
Project Title: An Innovative Curriculum in Health Disparities and Social Justice for Internal Medicine trainees
Mentor: Gary Martin
Abstract
Healthcare disparities in the United States were reported in the 2003 Institute of Medicine report “Unequal Treatment.” Unfortunately, these disparities still exist as reported in the annual National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report. The ACGME’s Clinical Learning Environment Review Healthcare Quality Pathways 5 and 6 outline the importance of resident and fellow healthcare disparities education and engagement in clinical site initiatives to address healthcare disparities. This curriculum was developed to meet the educational needs of Internal Medicine residents for training in health disparities and social determinants of health. It consists of three modules each of which include both a didactic component and case-based discussions. Most of the trainees rated the curriculum highly and report it will change some component of their practice. However, challenges to implementation of the curriculum include scheduling and timing of the sessions, and a busy rotation schedule.
Keywords: diversity, health disparities, social determinants of health
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Cerf, Moran (Kellogg School of Management & Neuroscience Program, 2015-2016)
Project Title: Measuring Students’ Engagement, in Real-time, Using Neuroscience Tools
Mentor: Bobby Calder
Abstract
Building on recent neuroscience works, we use brain imagining tools to measure the engagement of students in education content. Engagement is measured as the overall recruitment of brain regions in the same fashion by the content. Engaging content takes over our brains in a similar way, by silencing some parts and activating others. When this process happens across individuals in perfect synchrony, this neural entrainment is driven by the content rather than intrinsically. We show subjects online education content with varying levels of engagement and measure their learning using short and long-term memory tests, knowledge tests, and test of the ability to abstract the learning. Overall, engagement—as measured by the brain—predicts improved learning. This novel method shows the potential to be used in the classroom, where a teacher could assess, in real-time, the engagement of students in the class. This way, one can repeat content that was not fully grasped, speed up parts that are surely understood, and enhance the learning experience.
Keywords: engagement, neuroscience, learning metric
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Chapman, Margaret (Division of Hospital Medicine, 2015-2016)
Project Title: Communicating Critical Reasoning: Key Skills for Senior Medical Students
Course: Synthesis and Application Module 7: Introduction to Phase 3
Mentor: Gary Martin
Abstract
The ability to synthesize and interpret a patient’s symptoms into a prioritized differential diagnosis and to communicate that thought process to others is an essential skill all physicians and physicians-in-training should have. As medical students transition from their pre-clinical years into their clinical experiences, many have beginner reasoning skills and novice communication skills. I created a two-part curriculum to re-examine the foundations of clinical reasoning and the common pitfalls physicians may encounter, as well as develop advanced communication skills to share this interpretation with others. This content will be focused on senior medical students as they transition into their advanced clinical years of medical school. The student’s performance will be analyzed using formative feedback in a structured rubric.
Keywords: clinical reasoning, communication toolkit, medical education
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Cherry, Haydon Leslie (History, 2015-2016)
Project Title: Reframing the History of Modern Southeast Asia: A Pedagogical Challenge
Course: HIS 300: Modern Southeast Asia
Mentor: Melissa Macauley
Abstract
Southeast Asia is an extremely diverse region. It comprises eleven modern nation-states: Burma/Myanmar; Thailand; Laos; Cambodia; Vietnam; Malaysia; Singapore; Brunei; Indonesia; the Philippines; and East Timor. It was divided among all of the major colonial powers: the Portuguese; Spanish; Dutch; British; French; Japanese; and Americans all administered colonial territories in the region. And it is characterized by extraordinary linguistic diversity: Southeast Asians speak Sino-Tibetan; Hmong-Mien; Tai-Kadai; Austronesian; and Austroasiatic languages. The main pedagogical challenge for history instructors is to design and deliver a course that recognizes this diversity while detailing the similarities and continuities that make Southeast Asia a meaningful region, rather than an arbitrary collection of neighboring nation-states. Focusing on the economic and social history, rather than the political history of the region, offers a promising framework for teaching the history of modern Southeast Asia.
Keywords: area studies, Southeast Asia, comparative history
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Christian, Aymar Jean (Media, Technology and Society Program, 2014-2015)
Project Title: Power in Entertainment: Developing Critical Thinking of Creative Industries Among First- and Second-Year Undergraduates
Mentor: James Webster
Abstract
The project seeks to redesign a survey course in creative industries from an upper-level undergraduate course to a 200-level introductory/survey course for freshman and sophomores. How do I transform an upper-level survey course into a lower-level one that still promotes critical thinking? I have integrated and continue to plan enhancements to the syllabus to develop critical thinking among students, integrate assessments and focus on student engagement to achieve the goals of the course. To do this, I have employed a variety of methods. The first, and simplest, is adapting of the readings and writing to reflect the capabilities of a freshman or sophomore. This includes a guided final paper or project, a lighter reading load and the inclusion of a textbook for reference (Joseph Turow’s Media Today). For more substantial changes I have turned to research in teaching provided by the Center. I focused my research on the areas of critical thinking, integrated assessment and student engagement. Researchers have explored a variety of methods to improve learning in these areas. I found most helpful the literature on formative assessments and rubrics (particularly Brookhart; Hunt & Pellegrino), active and problem-based learning (Michel, et al.), and group-based learning techniques and strategies (Webb, et al.; Smith). I employ these methods to advance critical thinking about creative industries. I have piloted some as I am currently teaching “Power in Entertainment” for sophomores, juniors and seniors and have seen visible improvement in student engagement in class and online, with students asking critical questions in class and developing opinions about a variety of media texts.
Keywords: creative industries, critical thinking, formative assessment, student engagement, active learning, problem-based learning
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Crabtree, Shannon (Department of Medical Education - Physician Assistant Program 2016-2017)
Project Title: Implementing Mastery Learning into Physician Assistant Education Using Bedside Ultrasonography
Course: PA 460: Pre-Clinical Year Preparation Course
Mentor: David Salzman
Abstract
Physician Assistants (PA) are trained healthcare providers who work under the supervision of physicians in any specialty of medicine. PA educators are challenged in that they must train PA students in a very short period of time to be competent in a broad array of clinical skills. Ultrasound is a clinical skill which recently has become more prominent in traditional medical school training, due to its cost-effective and non-radiating diagnostic uses in a variety of medical specialties, but not yet in traditional PA education. This Searle project addressed the need to implement point-of-care ultrasound training into PA education in a way all students could achieve a high level of skill they could further apply on clinical rotations and eventual clinical practice. Mastery Learning is an educational model that focuses on baseline testing, individual feedback and deliberate practice, followed by post-testing to allow all students to achieve the same high standard set, and was therefore utilized as the teaching model for the ultrasound curriculum. This single cohort of 30 PA students demonstrated substantial growth of over 30% from their baseline testing to post-testing on both multiple-choice and hands-on skills examinations. All students achieved the minimum passing score after just two attempts, correlating to achieving the high level of competency set by a panel of expert clinicians. Students noted in their curriculum evaluation that the hands-on deliberate practice and one-on-one feedback from faculty was what best helped them learn.
Keywords: mastery learning, physician assistant education, point-of-care ultrasonography
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Gopwani Jain, Priya (Department of Pediatrics, 2016-2017)
Project Title: Improving Trainee Feedback through a Clinical Coaching Program
Mentor: Walter Eppich
Abstract
Feedback is a critical component of the development of a trainee learning the clinical practice of medicine. Despite acknowledging the importance of feedback, many training programs have difficulty developing ways in which their trainees can receive consistent high quality feedback in a way that it may inform their self-assessment and lead them to develop goals for improvement. The Clinical Coaching Program aims to enhance the way trainees receive feedback through the development of “Clinical Coaches.” Clinical Coaches are faculty members who pair with fellows in educational alliances. The Coaches utilize facilitated feedback conversations as well as skills they have learned in both receiving and giving meaningful feedback, in order to help the trainees better understand the feedback they receive, and to develop individualized goals to improve their performance. In order to better support the Coach-fellow pairs, the Clinical Coaching Program also aims to augment the feedback provided to the trainees by incorporating 3600 multidisciplinary feedback and by bringing faculty together on a regular basis to discuss the progress of each trainee. With the establishment of the Clinical Coaching Program, trainees now feel that they are receiving more high quality feedback on a regular basis. Training program leadership has expressed that they have been pleased with trainees who are now more aware of their level of performance as well as areas in which they need to improve. The Clinical Coaching Program is an ongoing program, and will be modified as necessary based on feedback. In addition, it will be expanded to a second division within the Department of Pediatrics starting in the 2017-2018 academic year.
Keywords: coaching, feedback, educational alliance
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Delaney, Erin F. (Law School, 2013-2014)
Project Title: Building Empathic Intelligence through Experiential Learning: A Case Study in Immigration Law
Course: Immigration Law
Mentor: Leonard S. Rubinowitz
Abstract
I argue that lawyers need not only cognitive and emotional intelligence but also an understanding of how the two interact – or “empathic intelligence.” This project, applied in the context of immigration law, draws on theories of experiential learning to create opportunities for metacognitive analysis leading students to this holistic view of legal problems and the law.
Keywords: empathic intelligence, experiential learning, metacognition
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Destin, Mesmin (Human development and Social Policy/Psychology, 2013-2014)
Project Title: Faculty Perspectives towards Student Diversity in STEM
Mentor: Douglas L. Medin
Abstract
Researchers and educators have devoted increasing attention to the experiences and outcomes of students from groups that are underrepresented in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). In the current project, a faculty survey explored perspectives of faculty members in STEM regarding student diversity and their teaching experience. Additionally, a pilot workshop was designed and facilitated to engage faculty around issues related to the experience of students from underrepresented groups in their STEM classes. The project illuminated a variety of faculty perspectives, experiences, and strategies for ongoing efforts to increase their capacity to reach students from a diverse range of backgrounds.
Keywords: STEM, diversity, belonging
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Dolinskaya, S. Irina (Industrial Engineering and Management Sciences, 2010-2011)
Project Title: Engaging Teaching in Large Classroom
Mentor: Karen Smilowitz
Abstract
Undergraduate introductory and curriculum required courses often have large student enrollment, resulting in large classroom settings. Due to the size of such classes, instructors often feel limited to a lecture format to present the material to students, fostering one-way communication from professor to students. Such an environment makes students feel invisible to the professor and decreases their engagement in the course. Through a review of the existing literature, I identify some pedagogical challenges associated with the large classrooms and present techniques to address them. This paper describes a student-group assignment that I implemented in my class at the beginning of the term to facilitate engaging teaching throughout the course and discusses its initial assessment and outcomes.
Keywords: engaging students, large classroom teaching, connecting with students
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Dong, Jing (Industrial Engineering and Management Sciences, 2015-2016)
Project Title: Incorporating Case Studies and Simulation Experiments in the Teaching of Introductory Statistics
Course: IEMS 303: Statistics
Mentor: Barry Nelson
Abstract
In this project, I incorporated case studies and simulation experiments into my introductory statistics class. The case studies are used to help build better connections between theory and real-life application, thus providing strong motivation for students to learn and creating a more engaging learning experience. The introduction of real-life complications also helped students develop better appreciation of advanced computational tools and critical thinking skills. The simulation experiments are effective tools to challenge students’ existing hypothesis and help them develop better understanding of the probability and statistics theories. In particular, they facilitated student learning of threshold concepts.
Keywords: statistics, case study, simulation, engagement
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Donnelly, Eric (Radiation Oncology, 2017-2018)
Project Title: Implementing an Active Learning Environment to Improve Residency Education in Gynecologic Brachytherapy
Mentor: Shohreh Shahabi
Brachytherapy is a form of radiation that involves the placement of radiation sources inside or within close proximity to areas of cancer. The radiation emitted travels only a short distance into the target areas. The technique enables high doses to be delivered to tumors and minimizes dose to adjacent normal structures, limiting toxicity. Brachytherapy is a vital component in the treatment of women with gynecologic malignancies. However, we continue to see a decrease in its utilization, likely secondary to limited experience and comfort in performing the procedure. Currently residents gain experience in brachytherapy through didactic lectures and a limited number of patient procedures. In an effort to improve residents’ brachytherapy skills and increase utilization, we have re-evaluated our gynecologic brachytherapy training and are developing a new course incorporating new teaching methods to foster an improved learning environment. The goal would be for participants to gain practical experience in each step of the process with a focus on the actual techniques of applicator placement. Updated didactic courses would incorporate patient and applicator selection. Practicum sessions would build upon video tutorials with “hands-on” experience. Each portion of the course would utilize an active learning component with an overarching theme of deliberate practice. We would aspire to develop gynecologic brachytherapy simulator models to be used in conjunction with the brachytherapy course. Such a training program can serve as a critical tool in developing an understanding of the steps involved, improving technique and enabling trainees to transfer this knowledge to patient procedures.
Keywords: instructional design, active learning, deliberate practice
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Doshi, Marcus (Theatre, 2014-2015)
Project Title: Training Artists to Take a Stand
Course: Theatre 450: Dramatic and Aesthetic Theory for Stage Designers
Mentor: Dassia Posner
Abstract
My project was to create a class that addressed a lack of exposure among MFA Stage Design students to the big ideas of dramatic and aesthetic making theory that inform contemporary theatre practices. My goal was to structure an experience that introduced a broad array of theories but was more than just a history class, rather to create a class that required the student-artists to think synthetically and creatively about the ideas to which they were being exposed. The result was a palpable evolution of the points of view of the students.
Keywords: threshold concept, backwards design, synthetic thinking
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Easterday, Matthew (Education and Social Policy, 2012-2013)
Project Title: Digital Lofts: Online learning environments for real world innovation
Mentor: Christopher Riesbeck
Abstract
Civic innovators design real-world solutions to societal problems. Teaching civic innovations presents serious challenges in classroom orchestration because facilitators must manage a complex learning environment (which may include community partners, open-ended problems, and longtime scales) and cannot rely on traditional classroom orchestration techniques (such as fixed schedules, pre-selected topics and simplified problems). Here we consider how “digital lofts”—online learning environments for civic innovation—might overcome orchestration challenges through the use of badges, cases, crowd-feedback, semi-automatically created instruction, self-assessment triggered group instruction, social media, and credentialing. Together these features create three types of feedback loops: a crowd critique loop (in which learners receive formative feedback on their innovation work from a broader community); a case development loop (in which examples of student work are semi-automatically created to provide instruction); and a learner-driven instructional loop (in which self-assessments determine which group instruction is provided). Researching and developing digital lofts can help us understand how to support real-world innovation across multiple design disciplines (including engineering, policy, writing and even science), and result in technologies for disseminating and scaling civic innovation education more broadly.
Keywords: digital lofts, feedback, civic innovation, online learning environments
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Feldman, Hannah (Art History, 2010-2011)
Project Title: Keeping Minds (and Eyes) Open When the Lights Go Out: The Introductory Survey of Contemporary Art History and the Non-Humanist
Course: Art History 260: Introduction to Contemporary Art History: Contemporary Art and its Engagements
Mentor: Susan Hollis Clayson
Abstract
The survey-format introduction to “Contemporary Art History” presents several pedagogical challenges. Meant to familiarize students with a representative sampling of art produced since 1960, the content of the course corresponds to an area of study that is as uncodified as it is self-referential and esoteric. As a result, students taking the course in order to satisfy distribution requirements within the Humanities are at risk of being alienated by course materials that seem to depend on prior knowledge at the same time that they also forcibly disrupt the empirical, data-and information-delivery based learning to which students have grown accustomed in similarly introductory level courses within the sciences and engineering. These challenges and risks are only augmented by the incursion of digital distractions into the lecture hall. The project then is to re-engage these students in the learning process through the articulation of learning objectives and teaching methods that both conform to the nature of the materials at hand and aim to produce critical thinking skills above and beyond the mastery of an unstable canon. Within this context, this is best done through the implementation of participatory lecture strategies, creative and self-critical assessments as related to both reading and writing, and through careful syllabus articulation.
Keywords: critical thinking, lecturing, active learning, student engagement, teaching intelligence doubt and curiosity vs. institutionalizing expertise, canon-mastery
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Findler, Robert B. (Electrical Engineering & Computer Sciences, 2010-2011)
Project Title: Improving Learning via Codewalks
Mentor: Gokhan Memik
Abstract
Programming and then presenting programs to peers can have a positive impact on learning in computer science courses. Students learn how to present programs (and thus how to write programs that are easier to read in the first place) and how to read others’ programs. Both these skills are important for professional programmers and both are lacking in conventional computer science curricula. This paper describes one way to structure such exercises in classroom and reports on experience with that organization.
Keywords: codewalks, active learning, computer science
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Freedman, Danna (Chemistry, 2014-2015)
Project Title: Incorporating the primary literature into the introductory chemistry curriculum
Course: Chemistry 103: General Physical Chemistry
Mentor: Tom O’Halloran
Abstract
One key concern with the chemistry undergraduate curriculum is the disconnection between static textbook learning and active laboratory research within the department. This discrepancy leads to a lack of student engagement with the course material. To increase engagement and interest over the past quarter, I incorporated examples from the primary literature into the introductory chemical curriculum. I focused on examples related to current research at Northwestern, including examples from chemistry, biology, and physics. Students appeared more engaged during these class components.
Keywords: research primary literature, engagement, science education
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Fuentes, Marcela (Performance Studies, 2013-2014)
Project Title: Situated Learners: From Learning About Performance to Performance as a Pedagogical Tool
Course: Performance Studies 216: Performance and Culture
Mentor: Ramón Rivera-Sivera
Abstract
Performance Studies invites us to deconstruct ways in which social orders are imposed and resisted through embodiment. It also challenges us to think about body-based epistemologies as powerful ways of producing and disseminating knowledge. This is aligned with cutting-edge educational research that puts emphasis on student engagement, highlighting its central role in long-term and meaningful learning. This project develops a student-centered approach to the study of cultural phenomena, mobilizing the experiential, body-based approach facilitated by performance as pedagogical method. Foregrounding performance as object and method of study, this project’s goal is to highlight the function of performance in instituting and subverting social orders and its significance as an embodied, experiential, and relational method of elucidating how power and resistance work on our bodies and in the spaces we inhabit.
Keywords: active learning; student engagement; performance pedagogy; threshold concepts
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Gerber, Elizabeth (Mechanical Engineering and the Segal Design Institute Journalism, 2009-2010)
Project Title: Preparing Students to be Innovators through Informal Service Learning Experiences: A Case Study of Design for America
Mentor: Maud Hickey
Abstract
Government and industry depend on higher education to prepare students for careers that advance innovation and universities are designing new initiatives to meet this need. However, few initiatives emphasize the importance of fostering innovation self-efficacy, or belief in one’s ability to innovate, as a critical first step to preparing future innovators. This paper explores how students can build innovation, self-efficacy and supporting skills through informal service learning experiences in design. The paper describes a recent initiative I launched at Northwestern University called Design for America. Design for America is designed to engage students in innovation work through social and local design projects. The paper qualitatively assesses the success of this goal. Based on this assessment, I present design principles for creating initiatives to foster innovation self-efficacy, intrinsic motivation, comfort with ambiguity and failure, perspective taking, interdisciplinary teamwork and communication, and leadership.
Keywords: design, innovation self-efficacy, service learning, informal learning, experiential learning
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Gilbert, Jeremy (Journalism 2009-2010)
Project Title: Journalism + Technology: Cooperative Experimentation in the Creation, Consumption and Distribution of Media
Mentor: Charles Whitaker
Abstract
The future of journalism requires new skills and new uses of technology. Journalists and computer scientists need to know how to communicate if they are to create the systems and tools to aid in the creation, consumption and distribution of media. This project is a multidisciplinary, cooperative classroom experience that brings together journalism and computer science students to create experimental systems and tools for media. Through group project work and presentations to their peers, industry experts and faculty, students learn to manage projects and gain exposure to other disciplines.
Keywords: communication, small group learning, cooperation
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Gossett, Jeffrey G. (Pediatric Cardiology, 2012-2013)
Project Title: Teaching Pediatric Cardiac Auscultation
Mentor: Mark Adler
Abstract
Teaching pediatric residents to diagnose congenital heart disease is a key component of the Cardiology rotation. Residents consistently express concerns about their skill and comfort with the cardiac exam, and studies show striking gaps in performance. The goal of this project is to improve the teaching of the cardiac examination through utilization of a newly developed high-fidelity Blue-Tooth stethoscope that allows real-time recordings. The Blue-Tooth connection allows replay directly into the stethoscope at a future time with fidelity to the original exam. The sound quality and tactile presence of the stethoscope realistically simulate the patient interaction. The educational intervention consists of 1) a learner accessed teaching module, and 2) deliberate practice to solidify learning. The module integrates a didactic component and a guided auscultatory component utilizing the Blue-Tooth stethoscope. Deliberate practice is then achieved through guided use of the stethoscope to auscultate an annotated library of pediatric cardiac exams. Assessment of the learner’s improvement in differentiating normal from abnormal sounds, and appropriate referral for sub-specialty care, is integrated into the project. The library of sounds is currently being acquired through an IRB approved process. Once this has been completed, the project will be implemented during the core Cardiology Rotation. Developing and implementing novel curricula in a real-world medical environment is filled with challenges, but is critical as duty-hour restrictions limit resident work schedules.
Keywords: auscultation, clinical skills, cardiac examination, technology
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Greenberg, Robert (Pediatric, 2011-2012)
Project Title: Utilizing a Text-Paging Platform to Enhance Clinical Assessments among 3rd Year Medical Students
Mentor: Julie Stamos
Abstract
Teaching students how to concisely and accurately assess a patient is a key goal of all core clerkships. Adept assessments require students to not only report data but to interpret it. Yet, due to time constraints, differing expectations, and lack of context, this skill is often inconsistently taught in medical school. Through the use of standardized virtual patient scenarios, this project utilized an innovative modality, text-pager messaging (limited to 200 characters), to challenge students to summarize the high-priority details of patients in a succinct manner. During the exercise, responses were reviewed and both individual and general feedback was provided to participants. Retrospectively, message content was reviewed for the inclusion of pertinent historical details (reporting) and a diagnosis (interpreting). Over the four practice exercises, instructors observed that students generally improved in their reporting of pertinent facts and more often included a diagnosis. Feedback from students on this exercise was that it improved their confidence in summarizing patients. Because the clinical assessment constitutes the critical component for handoff communication between physicians, we plan to incorporate this activity into a larger handoff curriculum in the 2012-2013 academic year.
Keywords: case presentation, curricular development, patient assessment
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Gruber, Daniel A. (Integrating Marketing Communications, 2012-2013)
Project Title: Tweeting the News: Using twitter to bridge theory and practice
Mentor: Paul Wang
Abstract
Using Twitter for the “In the news” part of my classes has had a significantly positive impact on my teaching. It has enhanced important learning goals in my courses, including theory/practice integration and class participation. Adopting this approach has also helped increase student engagement. This critical account has allowed me to systematically evaluate how Twitter is impacting the student experience in my classes. Additionally, I have developed a set of issues to consider at the start of each quarter to ensure successful implementation of Twitter for “in the news”.
Keywords: social media, student engagement, collaborative learning
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Gupta, Ramona (Radiology, 2012-2013)
Project Title: Using Simulation Technology in Interventional Radiology Fellowship Training
Mentor: Christine Park
Abstract
The efficacy of simulation-based training in medicine has been proven repeatedly by studies demonstrating improved patient outcomes, improved technical success, improved operator confidence, better skill retention, and cost savings.1,2 Simulation has been applied broadly across medical specialties including procedural fields, most notably anesthesia and general surgery. However, the use of simulation training has not been widely adopted by the field of interventional radiology (IR). My goal is to create a module in which IR trainees complete a simulation-based skills assessment, followed by formal teaching and practice, and a final assessment.
Keywords: simulation, renal biopsy, interventional radiology
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Haase, Claudia (School of Education and Social Policy, 2014-2015)
Project Title: Emotional Mysteries: Developing an Undergraduate Course
Mentor: Dan McAdams
Abstract
Classrooms, work settings, and family relations are hotbeds of emotion. However, what is an emotion? What happens in our bodies and our brains when an emotion is triggered? How can emotions help us live productive, connected, healthy, and long lives? And can we ever truly understand what somebody else is feeling? These are some of the mysteries that we will seek to unravel in this novel undergraduate course “Emotional Mysteries” that I plan to teach in 2016. We will read literature from Darwin to the latest scientific articles, combine lecture with small-group discussions, conduct research experiments, and engage in peer review and online collaboration. With this course, I do not only seek to enhance students’ knowledge about emotion but also to ignite their passion for science.
Keywords: undergraduate students, affective science, connecting classrooms to the world of research
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Hambleton, James Paul (Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2017-2018)
Project Title: Maximizing Learning Outcomes in a Mixed Level Graduate Engineering Course
Course: CEE 495: Computational Geotechnics
Mentor: Richard Finno
The overall aim of this project was to develop a new graduate-level engineering course focused on the theory and implementation of a computational framework used commonly in research and engineering practice. The challenges associated with such a course are the complexity of the subject, large disparities in preparation from one student to another, and variations in student expectations. These challenges were overcome through project-based and cooperative learning by structuring the course around individual projects, and by providing a progression and variety of assessments that allowed for the development of key concepts. The course was co-taught with a post-doctoral fellow to provide additional perspective and further enhance engagement, as well as give valuable teaching experience. This model promoted engagement and feedback on all possible levels: student to student, student to instructor, and instructor to instructor. As compared to another graduate-level course, the model implemented in this course was found to be a considerable improvement. It provided more opportunities for learning, mainly through improved engagement and feedback. Being my first formal exposure to the theory and practice around teaching and learning, participation in the Searle Fellows Program has generally changed my thinking. I am equipped with a new understanding and new tools that I look forward to wielding in the refinement and development of courses, both old and new.
Keywords: project-based learning, cooperative learning, co-teaching
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Harbridge, Laurel (Political Science, 2012-2013)
Project Title: Problematizing Lectures to Promote Critical Thinking in Political Science
Mentor: Hendrik Spuyt
Course: POLISCI 325: Congress and the Legislative Process
Abstract
This critical account details my efforts to develop students’ analytic and critical thinking skills in an upper division course on Congress and the Legislative Process. When combined with students who may be strategic rather than deep learners, the traditional lecture format of this course does not challenge students to engage in critical thinking. Revisions to this course focus on creating more active learning opportunities and problem-based learning. The specific revisions include focusing lectures around a motivating problem or puzzle and assigning a paper and group presentation geared toward the application of material to recent political events.
Keywords: critical thinking, problematized lectures, active learning
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Hardavellas, Nikos (Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, 2011-2012)
Project Title: Enhancing Critical Thinking through Inquiry-based Learning
Course: EECS 395/495: Programming Massively Parallel Processors
Mentor: Gokhan Memik
Abstract
Critical thinking, particular in STEM education (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics), has been identified as one of the major educational targets for the coming decade. Critical thinking cannot be taught through a traditional lecturing format. Rather, it has to be practiced and refined. This account presents my attempt to enhance critical thinking in an advanced engineering course, by utilizing teaching methodologies that emphasize problem solving and knowledge construction.
Keywords: inquiry-based learning, deliberate practice, critical thinking
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Hartmann, Erica Marie (Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2017-2018)
Project Title: Assessment of Concept Mastery Based on Creativity and Critical Thinking
Course: CIV ENV 295: Biological and Ecological Principles; CIV ENV 495: Molecular Microbiology
Mentor: Neal Blair
Writing is an essential skill for all students to develop and an underutilized tool for assessment in STEM classes. In this project, I developed summative written assessments to evaluate mastery of course material while also incentivizing creativity and critical thinking. Specifically, I assigned an op-ed piece in an undergraduate class and a scientific research proposal in a graduate class. Based on students’ performance and on CTECs, students were able to synthesize and apply information learned in class and that they found the process enjoyable. By doing this project, I learned that students are not intimidated by creative work. I am thus encouraged to include this type of assessment in other classes. However, I am still concerned about the lack of objectivity in grading this type of work and strongly favor the use of thorough grading rubrics to detail how assignments will be graded.
Keywords: evaluation, creativity, critical thinking
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Heiman, Heather (Medicine, 2009-2010)
Project Title: Mastery Learning of Oral Case Presentations
Mentor: Gary Martin
Abstract
A concise, organized, and well-reasoned patient case presentation is a mandatory skill for medical students to acquire. Yet the teaching of case presentation skills can be haphazard, and medical students at Feinberg and nationally often feel inadequately prepared to deliver these presentations. I am working to develop a second-year oral presentation curriculum with three parts: an interactive on-line module, a series of video-taped cases for deliberate practice and feedback, and a set of test cases with assessment checklists. We will determine a minimum passing standard for each test case checklist using standard-setting methods, and students will be required to meet or exceed this score. Students falling below the standard will undertake more practice and take retests until they pass. Using a randomized waitlist-controlled design, we will examine the effectiveness of the mastery curriculum in the 2010-2011 academic year.
Keywords: clinical skills, deliberate practice, oral presentation
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Henke, Marina E. (Political Science, 2015-2016)
Project Title: Gender Bias in Office Hour Attendance
Mentor: Jacob Smith
Course: POL 345: National Security
Abstract
Does gender bias affect office hour attendance? Office hours are some of the rare opportunities that allow students and professors to bond. Students can seek answers to questions that go beyond the classroom, notably with regard to career opportunities, while professors get to know the students on a more personal basis—thus learning about the student’s motivations, interests and dreams. Often the latter information finds its way into recommendation letters, which are frequently decisive in job and graduate school applications. If gender bias influences office hour attendance, some students holding strong biases are thus likely to miss out on a crucial opportunity for personal and professional growth. This report is a first attempt to analyze this question. It presents a survey experiment that tries to assess whether male and female undergraduate students hold different attitudes toward attending a female professor’s office hours. The findings suggest that office hour attendance indeed differs among male and female students. Female students were much more likely to attend a female professor’s office hours. In addition, male and female students appear to have different rationales for attending or not attending office hours: female students, for instance, declared much more frequently than male students that they wanted “to more broadly discuss a question or topic related to the course themes” while male students indicated more often than female students that “they had no time” to attend office hours. Overall, the report thus suggests that gender does affect office hour attendance. Nevertheless, whether gender bias is the key causal factor to explain the observed gender differences requires further research.
Keywords: gender bias, office hours, political science
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Henry, Kyle (Radio, Television, and Film, 2013-2014)
Project Title: Engaging Risk and Uncertainty in Media Production Classes
Course: RTVF 379 Special Topics: Fractured/Anti-/Alternative Narratives
Mentor: Eric Patrick
Abstract
Student media-makers must be encouraged to take more creative risks with their class projects if they are to both sharpen their storytelling skills and find their own unique voice as artists, both keys to finding a successful path within the entertainment and arts industries post-graduation. The new Winter 2014 RTVF 379 Special Topics class Fractured/Anti-/Alternative Narratives, which focused on innovative approaches to narrative structure, was designed specifically to encourage engagement with creative risk and uncertainty through active, student-centered learning, incorporating a variety of small group learning techniques and a flexible course structure design that was responsive to student articulated needs.
Keywords: active learning, student centered learning, creative risk-taking, small groups
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Hernandez-Saborit, Sara (Economics, 2017-2018)
Project Title: ETeaching Introduction to Microeconomics with Real World Cases
Course: ECON 202: Introduction to Microeconomics
Mentor: Lori Beaman
In this project, I develop new materials, including a series of case studies and surveys, to be used for an introductory microeconomics class. The goal of the new materials is to emphasize the relevance and application of economic tools, their connection to real-world settings and to foster the student metric of attitude sophistication. A first innovation introduced in this class is that students are asked to answer a set of questions in an online survey prior to coming to lecture. They are then given the opportunity to see the class distribution of answers and are offered the opportunity to reevaluate their answers in real time via a classroom poll. A second innovation relates to the use of case studies that are tied to real world phenomena.
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Higgins, Alanna Joyce (Pediatrics/Division of Hospital-Based Medicine, 2013-2014)
Project Title: The Use of Simulation for Medical Student Handoff Education
Mentor: Heather Heiman
Abstract
Patient handoffs are a necessary part of modern patient care in large tertiary care hospitals. Though formal training often exists for medical residents, there are few opportunities for medical students to learn this essential skill prior to residency. We propose a case-based simulation approach to teaching handoffs. We focus on small-group learning in a safe environment, autonomous decision-making, and a formative assessment through structured debriefing. Deep understanding is fostered through teaching peer collaboration and flexible medical decision-making.
Keywords: simulation, medical students, handoff
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Hibler, Elizabeth A. (Preventive Medicine, 2017-2018)
Project Title: Course Design: Exploring Trends in Cancer Epidemiology using Real-World Data
Mentor: Mercedes Carnethon
My project was to design a Cancer Epidemiology course for the graduate program in public health. The course (PH 315) will fill a gap in knowledge in the curriculum and enhance the electives offered to the MPH/MS students. PH 315 was designed to cover the basics of cancer biology then in-depth cancer epidemiology by tissue-specific cancers. This includes a mix of project-based learning using real-world data with traditional lecture, as well as modalities such as think-pair-share and online polling. The goal of this course is to achieve the following learning objectives: 1) describe the molecular mechanisms of carcinogenesis and the “hallmarks of cancer”; 2) analyze trends in cancer epidemiology utilizing publicly available resources and interpret findings; 3) distinguish between epidemiologic study designs and assess appropriate design for cancer epidemiology; and 4) appraise cancer epidemiology literature for validity and application to public health. During this process, my conceptualization of the real-world data project changed drastically from analysis of a mock dataset to utilization of freely available tools for public health reporting. The reasoning behind this changes was primarily that programmatically the course needed to be offered in the first quarter of the program. Thus, student would not yet have significant skills in data analysis. In response, this project was revised to utilize existing online tools from government agencies and cancer surveillance data. Overall, I learned to design a course by focusing less traditional lecture and more on interactive as well as project-based approaches, which I believe will enhance student learning.
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Hill, Dana (Law, 2011-2012)
Project Title: Using Problematized Teaching to Engage First-Year Law Students in Threshold Concepts in the CLR Classroom
Course: Communication and Legal Reasoning
Mentor: Martha Kanter
Abstract
The focus of my project was to utilize teaching methodologies in a Communication and Legal Reasoning course that increase student engagement in class with particular focus on the subject matter’s “threshold concepts.” My goal was for students to achieve a deeper understanding of the threshold concepts necessary for legal analysis and writing and engage in critical thinking during class. I used the problematized teaching method, in which I related the class topic to a real life problem and then gave the students the opportunity to think through the problem prior to the lecture.
Keywords: threshold concepts, problematized teaching, student engagement
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Horowitz, Russ (Department of Pediatrics, 2016-2017)
Project Title: Development of a Longitudinal Ultrasound Curriculum for Early Medical Students
Mentor: Patricia Garcia
Abstract
Ultrasound-enhanced education has gained traction in undergraduate medical curriculum at a number of medical schools. The technology has several applications: teaching anatomy, physiology, integrating scientific concepts, and assisting with clinical skill development. This Searle Fellowship project seeks to develop a longitudinal multi-year ultrasound curriculum embedded within the existing M1/M2 Feinberg School of Medicine curriculum. The ultrasound curriculum will include didactic lectures and small group hands-on workshops. The perception of the students will be continually assessed.
Keywords: ultrasound, medical education, curriculum
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Huang, Chiang-Ching Spencer (Preventive Medicine, 2009-2010)
Project Title: Bioinformatics: Small Class Teaching in Medical School
Mentor: Rick McGee
Abstract
Bioinformatics is an emerging interdisciplinary field that covers a wide spectrum of research areas including; genetics, biochemistry, statistics, and computing. Teaching bioinformatics in the medical school represents a challenge to instructors because of students’ diverse educational backgrounds. In this critical account, several strategies were developed to motivate students, especially when difficulties or challenges come as the course progresses. In addition, pedagogical changes, from knowledge transmission to active learning, were emphasized to help students develop self-learning skills.
Keywords: small group learning, course evaluation, active learning
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Huang, Jiaxing (Materials Science & Engineering, 2011-2012)
Project Title: Integrating Research Discoveries into the Teaching of Materials Science and Engineering
Mentor: Thomas Mason
Abstract
Advancing discovery while promoting teaching, training and learning is the professional fulfillment of faculty in a research university. It also resonates well with the new strategic plan of Northwestern University. My Searle Fellow project aims to develop and implement effective methodology to integrate research discoveries into undergraduate teaching. Mat_Sci 301 “Materials Science Principles”, an entry level materials science course was selected as the platform to test this idea. Since it is the gate of entrance for the majors to the discipline, the project can have a significant impact on the motivation and retention of majors. Here, a Northwestern-made research discovery – high throughput imaging of graphene-based sheets by fluorescence quenching microscopy (FQM) was transformed into an undergraduate student project as part of the lab component for Mat_Sci 301. Instead of a detailed procedure, students were given a question-driven guideline to have them “think” through the materials and prepare for the lab. During the lab, students used FQM to establish a processing-structure relationship of their graphene thin films, based on which they were required to come up with methods for improving the sample quality. Through the FQM lab, students practice searching and reading of scientific literature, learn state-of-the-art research technique, work as a team to find solutions to a problem related to a real technical challenge, and deliver a final written report. Surveys performed before and after the project, combined with in-class observation and CTEC questions were designed to access the learning outcomes. The active learning activities gave students an opportunity to exercise critical and creative thinking, and to experience firsthand how the materials science and engineering paradigm they learn in class governs the development of exciting new materials that are not covered in a typical curriculum.
Keywords: assessment, engagement, learning through experience
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Huffman, Brent (Journalism, 2011-2012)
Project Title: Engagement across Platforms – Narrative Innovation Project
Mentor: David Abrahamson
Abstract
The goal is to improve upon an existing journalism course 490-Special Topics: Long Form Multimedia Narrative where I combined magazine print writing students with documentary video students in a class that focused on advanced storytelling methods. For this critical report, I set out to improve student engagement, collaboration, and innovation cross platform with the end result being an ipad ibook in the new iteration of the class. Two print students and two video students will work together on one ibook project with an innovative print and video component focusing on the same concept.
Keywords: collaboration, engagement, innovation
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Jacoby, Sarah (Religious Studies, 2011-2012)
Project Title: Thinking through Religion: Inspiring Learning through Engaged Lecturing in a Large Class
Mentor: Ken Seeskin
Abstract
This project focuses on transforming a traditional large lecture-format course into an interactive, engaged lecture format by implementing a number of teaching methods appropriate for the large lecture hall including problematized and interrogative lecturing, multi-sensory approaches to lecturing involving audio/visual technology, techniques to improve information retention including proper lecture pacing and active learning strategies. Results were highly positive based on student assessments of the course, with room for future improvement regarding matching course objectives more fully with assessment techniques, in particular finding ways to assess students that further emphasize deep learning and critical thinking.
Keywords: active learning, engaged and problematized lecturing
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Jewett, Michael C. (Chemical & Biological Engineering, 2010-2011)
Project Title: Using Cooperative Learning and ¬In-Class Demonstrations to Illuminate a Structure for Integrating Knowledge
Course: Chemical Engineering 375 – Biochemical Engineering
Mentor: John Torkelson
Abstract
Integrating bioprocess principles for the design and analysis of fermentation processes is arguably the kernel of modern biochemical engineering. However, teaching students to draw higher-level relationships from fact-based information is a fundamental challenge. To address this challenge, my Searle Fellows Project sought to promote student learning by illuminating a structure for integrating knowledge in the Biochemical Engineering 375 classroom. The central teaching innovations were to incorporate cooperative learning strategies and in-class demonstrations. These approaches gave students an opportunity to engage and explore in problem-solving strategies and integrate cumulative knowledge as a group to achieve deep learning.
Keywords: cooperative learning, active learning, problem-based learning
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Kaczynski, Kelly (Art Theory & Practice, 2009-2010)
Project Title: Studio Practice: facilitating agency in an arts curriculum
Mentor: Judy Ledgerwood
Abstract
Studio Practice is a course specifically geared to advanced art students as they work to develop a self-directed practice. The course provides curriculum that examines models of behavior and operations in arts production. Furthermore, it challenges the students to locate their subject and to position their research in an historical and contemporary context. In doing so, the course must be able to provide concrete means for learning and assessment in what is largely a subjective process of engagement.
Keywords: self-directed practice, agency, critique, assessment
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Kalow, Julia Ann (Chemistry, 2017-2018)
Project Title: Implementing Proposal Writing and Review in a Graduate Organic Reaction Mechanisms Course
Course: Chemistry 412: Organic Reaction Mechanisms
Mentor: Regan Thomson
CHEM 412 is a graduate organic and organometallic reaction mechanisms course. To encourage students to integrate and apply key concepts and techniques learned in the course, their final project is a proposal in which they propose a mechanism for a catalytic reaction reported in the peer-reviewed literature and how to elucidate it. In 2017, as part of my Searle Fellows project, I also introduced a peer review component, in which students participated in a mock, double-blind panel review. After receiving reviews for their proposal, students could write a response. This project addresses key learning objectives for the course, including applying mechanistic tools to a “real-life” scenario and improving scientific writing, and more broadly addresses learning objectives for graduate students as researchers. Students were assessed based on instructor, not peer, evaluation. Based on an optional, anonymous survey, the project was successful and students appreciated the opportunity to apply concepts from the course and learn about the peer review process in an active way. Future modifications of this assignment are described.
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Kernell, Georgia (Political Science, 2011-2012)
Project Title: Introducing Original Research Components in Undergraduate Classes
Mentor: James Farr
Abstract
Undergraduate students are fully capable of conducting original research on a novel topic. Yet too often they are not challenged to form original hypotheses and write research papers of publishable quality. In this critical account, I describe different methods to introduce original research into the classroom, including poster sessions, group projects, and writing workshops. I have had successful results in first-quarter freshmen seminars, honors mathematical methods in the social sciences courses, and first-year graduate methods courses.
Keywords: group work, hypothesis testing, original research
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Keten, Sinan (Mechanical/Civil & Environmental Engineering, 2013-2014)
Project Title: Mechanics Across Disciplines: Expanding Student Perspectives Through Applied Case Studies
Course Title: GEN-ENG 205-2: Engineering Analysis II
Mentor: David Corr
Abstract
This critical account summarizes efforts aimed at understanding how student perspectives and learning can be transformed using applied case studies that transcend across disciplines. The established case-study repository coupled with a post-survey indicated that applied case problems are useful in expanding student perspectives on the applicability of fundamental physics to disciplines where physical sciences seemingly play a minor role. However, the efficacy of applied problems on informing major choice decisions is limited. Assessment of self-perceived confidence of the students revealed a need to broaden the difficulty levels of the applied problems, and to address gender gaps in professional role confidence in engineering students.
Keywords: problem-based learning, gender gap in STEM, student-centered learning, multidisciplinary education
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Kleinfeld, Joshua (School of Law, 2014-2015)
Project Title: Motivating Philosophy of Law
Course: LAWSTUDY 601: Jurisprudence
Mentor: Matthew Spitzer
Abstract
My Searle project—designing a course on the philosophy of law—presents the question of how to communicate the value of philosophy of law to pragmatically-minded future lawyers. Research on teaching and learning categorizes this as a question of student motivation and suggests an answer: students are motivated to learn theory when it is integrated with practice. A successful course on the philosophy of law must therefore connect the philosophy of law to the practice of law; that connection must furthermore be intellectually solid, or students will (rightly) see through it. My philosophy of law course makes this connection in three ways that reflect three of my fundamental convictions: (1) changing philosophical ideas of law have accompanied virtually every major historical development in law; (2) philosophical ideas of law affect the day-to-day practice of legal argumentation; and (3) aspiring lawyers should confront Socratic questions of what makes one’s professional life worth living.
Keywords: motivation, theory & practice, philosophy & law
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Lank, Patrick (Emergency Medicine, 2015-2016)
Project Title: Learning Emergency Medicine in the Time of Free Open Access Meducation (FOAMEd)
Course Title: First Year Emergency Medicine Resident Seminar Series
Mentor: Michael Gisondi
Abstract
The first year emergency medicine resident seminar series at Northwestern is a yearlong curriculum consisting of seven hour-long sessions covering the major topics in emergency medicine research methodology. The course required a redesign for the academic year 2015-16 when it became clear that residents were rarely learning new ideas in medicine from the primary literature. Instead, they had uniformly and wholeheartedly embraced the movement called FOAMEd (Free Open Access Meducation) – an online movement that aims to collate emerging research articles, individual opinions, and experiential tidbits in freely available webpages and blogs. The seminar series redesign included an introduction to various FOAMEd resources but also provided the scientific knowledge foundation required to begin to evaluate them critically. At the end of the seminar series, the residents were asked to develop a product – a review article or opinion piece – critically evaluating emergency medicine research. They were given the minimum requirement that the product be of high enough quality to be published on our own medical education blog (www.nuemblog.com), but encouraged to consider submission to various print journals. With the academic year still ongoing, the residents have not yet completed their projects, and a course evaluation has not been distributed. I plan to use these to better focus next year’s seminar curriculum and specifically to refine the expectations of the culminating project.
Keywords: andragogy, research methodology, residency education
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Leonard, Joshua N. (Chemical and Biological Engineering, 2009-2010)
Project Title: Using Natural and Synthetic Biological Systems to Shift Context and Enhance Learning in Process Dynamics and Control
Course Title: Chemical Engineering 341 – Process Dynamics and Control
Mentor: Bill Miller
Abstract
An undergraduate chemical engineering education must build a unique set of core competencies and prepare students to solve open-ended problems in diverse fields ranging from chemical catalysis to biotechnology. In pursuit of these goals, this project sought to promote student learning by updating and enhancing the core process dynamics and control course. The central teaching innovation was to use natural and synthetic (engineered) biological systems to shift the context in which course concepts were developed and applied. This approach was most successful when the contextual shift served as an extension of established general principles to concrete, novel problems.
Keywords: problem-based learning, contextualized content, active learning
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Leonardi, Paul (Communication Studies and Industrial Engineering/Management Sciences, 2009-2010)
Project Title: Using Structure and Experience to Enhance Memory of Course Concepts
Course Title: Organizational Behavior and Innovation (IEMS 342/ CS366)
Mentor: Bill White
Abstract
Undergraduate students who take a class on management are interested in the topic, but they have trouble remembering and applying course concepts because they have little real-world experience managing people. Soon after graduating from Northwestern, they find themselves in management roles and trying to remember concepts and tools they learned in the course. My project uses ideas of experiential learning and chunking (splitting core concepts into similar categories) to help students to remember important concepts not only throughout the term, but also at a later time when they find themselves in positions to use and apply them.
Keywords: memory, retention, chunking, experiential learning
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Losh, Molly (Communication Sciences and Disorders, 2012-2013)
Project Title: Introducing students to autism: Development of a new course
Mentor: Jerilyn Logemann
Abstract
This project focused on developing a new course, Autism Spectrum Disorders, CSD 382. Primary course objectives were to provide an overview of autism including clinical presentation, potential causes, diagnosis, and controversial issues such as changing prevalence, and myths about the causes of autism. Teaching methods included integrating formal lectures with class discussion and small group activities, brief assessments of student comprehension, and evaluating critical thinking through exams, discussion activities, and a term paper. Student feedback was solicited periodically (e.g., mid-quarter reviews, evaluations of group assignments) and used to evaluate progress and modify instructional practices.
Keywords: autism, interactive lecture, group discussion
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Lu, Amy Shirong (Communication Studies, 2013-2014)
Project Title: Teaching (with) Video Games: Reflections and Strategies
Course Title: Serious Games (COMM 395)
Mentor: Steven Zecker
Abstract
This project focuses on the ongoing development of an undergraduate course titled “Serious Games.” The course introduces students to the psychological and behavioral mechanism of serious games, i.e., interactive games developed for purposes beyond entertainment. The content domain of this course is as interdisciplinary as its student body, ranging from technology, media, and humanities, to health, psychology, and the arts. Over the time of teaching this course, I have developed teaching methods in accordance with the project learning objectives. I aim to provide a critical reflection of the Serious Games instruction with the goal of exploring the potential in teaching and learning experience.
Keywords: learning, motivation, engagement, technology, video games
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Luo, Xunrong (Medicine, 2009-2010)
Project Title: Meeting the Expectations
Mentor: Steve Miller
Abstract
This project attempted to test strategies in a research laboratory setting that would maximize individual potentials, promote intellectual synergy and enhance group productivity. This critical account reports the salient points identified in this process as individual vignettes. It concludes that motivational strategies should be highly individualized, and that meeting expectations is a mutual process and satisfaction is frequently found somewhere mid-way.
Keywords: motivation, expectation, individualization, group synergy
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Ma, Yong-Chao (Pediatrics, 2009-2010)
Project Title: Teaching Great Experiments by Listening to Our Learners
Course Title: NUIN 411: Great Experiments in Molecular and Developmental Neuroscience
Mentor: Rick McGee
Abstract
During my teaching of NUIN 411: Great Experiments in Molecular and Developmental Neuroscience, I tested a more student-oriented flexible teaching approach by listening closely to the learners, to more efficiently engage students and to better align the learning and teaching goals. With the new approach, teaching objects were chosen by students to meet their diverse needs. Students also brought in real-life projects for critical analysis and comments. The assessment was changed to testing how to solve practical experimental questions creatively. These approaches motivated students, better accommodated their diverse backgrounds, and significantly enhanced the teaching outcome.
Keywords: student-oriented learning, flexibility, motivation
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Maguire, Emily A. (Spanish & Portuguese, 2010-2011)
Project Title: Writing about Literature in the Foreign Language Curriculum
Course Title: Spanish 220: Introduction to Literary Analysis
Mentor: Lucille Kerr
Abstract
This project re-designed a 200-level course from the undergraduate Spanish curriculum to better reflect the function the course needed to serve as the first literature course for Spanish majors and minors and as key building block in the curriculum. While retaining a focus on learning key vocabulary and concepts utilized in literary analysis, the course was revised to better engage students in the progressive development of writing skills geared towards writing about literature.
Keywords: literary analysis, writing, language-literature curriculum
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Majchrowicz, Daniel Joseph (Asian Languages and Cultures, 2015-2016)
Project Title: Teaching Literature and Popular Culture in Lesser-Taught Languages and Regions
Course Title: Burning Embers and Burka Avengers: Society, Literature and Popular Culture in Pakistan
Mentor: Laura Brueck
Abstract
In this project, I sought to design a new course in the Department of Asian Languages and Cultures on the literature and popular culture of Pakistan. More specifically, I envisioned a course that would focus on the relationship between literature and the arts, on one hand, and on political and social movements, on the other. The ideal course would simultaneously introduce students to the literary and artistic history of Pakistan within its cultural context, but also, at a more theoretical level, to explore how the arts, politics, and societal change intersect. Many of the challenges of the course revolved around how to address larger questions while also introducing students to a wide body of unfamiliar literature and history. The report below examines these learning objectives and the syllabus and assessments that I designed with reference to secondary literature on course design.
Keywords: course design, threshold concepts, assessments
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Mangold, Karen (Pediatrics, 2014-2015)
Project Title: A Longitudinal Elective in Medical Education for Pediatric Residents
Mentor: Rick McGee
Abstract
Academic medical faculty members have a new career pathway known as the “clinician-educator” track. While residency programs often prepare residents for clinical practice, they traditionally have not offered much formal instruction in education. A new longitudinal elective in medical education, called the Medical Education Area of Focus, will prepare participating pediatric residents for a career as a clinician-educator. Participants will receive instruction on didactic topics in medical education, as well as mentored feedback on their own teaching skills. They will also receive career guidance on how to build an academic career with education as a scholarly focus.
Keywords: resident-as-teacher, mentorship, career development
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Masanet, Eric (Mechanical, Chemical and Biological Engineering, 2013-2014)
Project Title: Can a partially “flipped” classroom enable better application of engineering theory to student course projects?
Course Title: ME/ChBE 395 (Quantitative Methods in Life Cycle Analysis)
Mentor: Wesley Burghardt
Abstract
This project pursued a partially “flipped” classroom model for ME/ChBE 395 (Quantitative Methods in Life Cycle Analysis) in an attempt to focus more in-class time on hands-on exercises and discussions related to student course projects. The partially “flipped” elements of the course included online lecture videos viewed outside of class, the use of an online discussion forum for explorations of course content and “just in time” teaching, and less in-class time devoted to lectures on basic LCA theory. While the new course model was generally well received by the students, there were numerous opportunities identified for more effective design and implementation of the partially “flipped” model moving forward. When addressed, these improvements should enable more in-class focus on course projects and a more effective learning experience in the LCA methodology.
Keywords: project-based learning, online learning, flipped classrooms
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Matthews, Jolie Christine (Learning Sciences, 2017-2018)
Project Title: Teaching Students to Become Critical Consumers and Producers of Content as They Interact with and Conceptualize Media Technology
Course Title: LRN_SCI_306: Learning with New Media
Mentor: David Rapp
For my project, I restructured the undergraduate version of my class “Learning with New Media.” With a focus on media literacy and critical thinking, my goal was to make students better consumers and producers of media content, to have them reflect on source credibility, and to focus their attention on the origin of all the information they used. I also wanted to address how media technology subtly and unsubtly shapes the way they interact with content on a regular basis. Class-time was a mix of discussions about the readings and relevant media examples, followed by in-class media exercises where students collaborated in small groups. The exercises were designed to have students creatively integrate media practices into educational topics, as well as cultivate their media literacy and critical thinking skills. Midterm and final projects were a techno-autobiography where students reflected on their media history, learning, and habits through media in lieu of a traditional essay, and writing an empirical paper based on the individual research study they conducted in the course. Distinctions emerged in how groups approached the in-class exercises and around students’ ideas of what counted as “learning” and a “learning activity” despite engagement with the material. Key findings include the role of explicitness in assignments and making not even implicit assumptions that there is a shared understanding of what is “learning” and
“media” across a class.
Keywords: media literacy, critical thinking, source credibility
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McBride, Mary E. (Pediatrics – Divisions of Cardiology & Critical Care Medicine, 2015-2016)
Project Title: Three-Dimensional Printing of Congenital Heart Disease
Mentor: Katherine Barsness
Abstract
I was introduced to the three-dimensional printed models of congenital heart disease by my mentor, Dr. Katherine A. Barsness. At first glance, I thought these models would be perfect in helping pediatric cardiology fellows understand congenital heart disease and its complexity on a higher level and would particularly aid in the ability to understand three-dimensional relationships, as we often study this disease in two dimensions. I then wondered how else they could be incorporated and in what other groups of learners would they be useful. With that in mind, I developed a qualitative analysis, studying individual pediatric cardiology fellows and groups of pre-clinical medical students. With an open-ended question strategy, learners reflected while studying a three-dimensional model, and these sessions were audio-recorded and transcribed. Both groups of learners thought that a library of three-dimensional models of representative lesions would be an invaluable addition to current curricula. The students thought that small group sessions with the models after their didactic teaching on these lesions would add a great deal of understanding of the complexity of each disease. The fellows thought that adding these models to the imaging curriculum of their fellowship would aid in the understanding of the three-dimensional nature of the disease that is not offered by learning and studying two-dimensional echocardiography and would be very helpful in learning to communicate with the surgical team and also to understand the details to surgical repair and palliation. Further data collection is needed to improve the sample size and ultimately the power of the data found.
Keywords: 3D printing, congenital heart disease, innovative, curriculum
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McHugh, Megan (Center for Healthcare Studies, 2012-2013)
Project Title: Experience with a Hybrid Distance Learning Course Structure in a Graduate-Level Health Services Research Course
Course Title: HSR 440: Disparities in Healthcare
Mentor: Jane Holl
Abstract
The purpose of this effort was to understand student and faculty experiences with a hybrid, 3-modality course format (synchronous, asynchronous, and in-person meetings) in a health services research course, and to identify lessons learned to inform future efforts. Students appreciated the flexibility of distance learning, but reported that they felt most engaged during in-person meetings. Faculty reported that it was no more time consuming to prepare for a synchronous or asynchronous meeting (as compared to an in-person meeting) and that they would be willing to use distance learning again. However, they believed that the learning experience was not as rich for students. Technical issues were encountered frequently, and were distracting to class activities.
Keywords: distance learning, health services research, faculty satisfaction, student satisfaction
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Mersey, Rachel Davis (Journalism, 2009-2010)
Project Title: Audiences: Using Client-Based Learning to Encourage Practice-Oriented Students to Use Theories to Create Journalism Products
Course: OUR 455: Audience Insight
Mentor: Ed Malthouse
Abstract
Client-based learning allows professionally oriented students to apply research methods and theories to real-world problems. The goal is to create evidence-based editorial growth strategies for journalism organizations.
Keywords: client-based learning, real-world problems, research methods
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Mosser, Eric Ardon (Program in Biological Sciences, 2017-2018)
Project Title: Learning How to Evaluate and Communicate Science in a Group of First Year Students with Diverse Backgrounds and Interests
Course: Biol Sci 101 - Sleep
Mentor: John Mordacq
Students will readily and happily engage with memorizing facts when presented with a straightforward, one-way lecture format, but can be much less comfortable engaging with more student-focused, active classroom activities, such as discussions and peer-editing sessions, as well as similar activities that require interacting with other students outside of the classroom. Teaching facts is clearly an important part of teaching biology, but so is teaching how to discuss biology, how to write about biology, how to critically evaluate scientific claims, etc. These are learning goals that seem much better addressed by activities such as discussions and other active/interactive activities. Heterogeneity of student groups in terms of preparation level and background knowledge presents both challenges and opportunities in small and large group discussions. I sought to develop and refining existing activities and assessments for my first year seminar course (Biol Sci 101 - Sleep) to better meet my goal of fully engaging the students and accomplishing my learning objectives of both factual knowledge and experience-based learning of how to communicate science, as well as to utilize individual student expertise and interest in peer-led groups.
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Murphey, Todd D. (Mechanical Engineering, 2009-2010)
Project Title: Learning Mathematical Reasoning Using Project-Based Instruction
Course Title: ME 314—Machine Dynamics; EA 3—Introduction to Engineering
Mentor: Ed Colgate
Abstract
Mathematical reasoning has historically played a central role in engineering, but two important things have changed. Students are less interested in the mathematical aspects of what they will do as engineers. Moreover, computational techniques have advanced sufficiently that calculations are now largely tasked to computers. This project aims to understand what role mathematical reasoning still plays in engineering practice and whether or not students can be engaged in mathematical reasoning in their undergraduate experience.
Keywords: mathematical reasoning, project-based learning, independent learning
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Murray, Wendy (Biomedical Engineering, 2010-2011)
Project Title: How to Teach Sophomore Engineering Students to Apply Fundamental Knowledge to Unfamiliar Problems
Course Title: BMD_ENG 271: Introduction to Biomechanics
Mentor: Rob Linsenmeier
Abstract
The ability to project one vector in the direction of another vector is a skill that is integral to mechanics. Although vector algebra is taught and applied in prerequisites to BMD_ENG 271: Introduction to Biomechanics, formative assessments completed in my class over the course of 4 years consistently support the need to improve performance in this area. Because of my experiences in the 2010-11 Searle Fellows Program, my focus for the next iteration of my class has moved away from continued diagnostics of the problem and moved toward effective communication of the objectives of a deep approach to understanding this important concept.
Keyword: deep approaches to learning, troublesome concepts, alignment
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Mutharasan, Kannan R. (Medicine-Cardiology, 2013-2014)
Project Title: Sonata: An Active Learning Paradigm to Promote Clinical Reasoning in Pre-clinical Learners
Course: Science in Medicine, Phase 1a Medical School Curriculum
Mentor: Tom Corbridge
Abstract
A longstanding challenge of medical education has been to impart the vast foundation of medical knowledge necessary for clinical practice, while at the same time affording students the opportunity to apply this knowledge by engaging in clinical reasoning. Rapid advances in information technology have facilitated new learning paradigms such as the flipped classroom, in which didactics are done pre-class, and active learning is pursued in-class. The goal of this Searle Fellows project is to develop an active learning paradigm based on the flipped classroom to teach diagnostic reasoning simultaneously with factual information. The resulting active learning paradigm is called a Sonata because its structure closely resembles the musical structure of a sonata.
Keywords: active learning, flipped lecture, clinical reasoning
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Nasir, Sazzad (Communication Sciences and Disorders, 2012-2013)
Project Title: Discover relevance through collaborative learning
Course Title: CSD 307: Acoustic Phonetics
Mentor: Charles Larson
Abstract
This teaching project develops ideas that promote critical thinking in a classroom of professional students with diverse learning backgrounds. In the redesigned course we plan to achieve active learning through a collaborative framework, enriching students’ learning experiences through group work. A key element of the course redesign is that students will be required to discover relevance to their career goals through group-led research projects, and hence, will feel more connected to the course, promoting a more enjoyable learning experience. Students in their groups will participate in problem-based learning and will identify research projects relevant to their professions. Students will further work on their projects in groups, making final presentations to the entire class. Students will be assessed on individual comprehension of course material through exams, and on their collaborative research projects through peer assessment as well as individual reports in which they identify how work on the project contributed to the process of, “relevance discovery.”
Keywords: problem-based learning, collaborative learning, relevance discovery
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Neal, Jacqueline D. (Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 2014-2015)
Project Title: Changing Medical Culture through Educational Programming
Course: The Mobility Conundrum in the Intensive Care Unit
Mentor: Elliot Roth
Abstract
The current recommended standards of care in the intensive care unit (ICU), as described by the society of critical care medicine guidelines, is for each patient to be evaluated and provided with early mobilization with the assistance of physical and occupational therapists. Implementation of this intervention requires significant change to a culture of mobility rather than a culture of immobility in the critically ill. In this critical account, pedagogical strategies were utilized to develop an educational program intended for internal medicine and psychiatric residents to help facilitate cultural change in the intensive care unit. Several strategies were implemented to motivate change from the perspective of education.
Keywords: curriculum development, small-group learning, active learning
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Nevin, Mary (Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine, 2011-2012)
Project Title: Education for Best Practices in Pediatric Asthma: Continuing Medical Education for the General Pediatrician
Mentor: Ramsay Fuleihan
Abstract
A significant proportion of pediatric asthma care is delivered by the primary care provider in the community. The provision of pediatric asthma care which is consistent with published national quality guidelines has known impact, not only on asthma related morbidity and mortality but also on health care utilization and cost. Despite these facts, adherence to these quality guidelines by the pediatric physician remains sub-optimal. In the current project, a readily accessible series of web based educational modules which review the approach to the evaluation and management of children with asthma were developed for approximately 350-400 physicians in 150 pediatric practices in the Chicago metropolitan area. The current project’s goal was to provide clinically applicable and updated knowledge which could be readily utilized by the practitioner to provide optimal asthma care in the setting of a busy outpatient pediatric practice.
Keywords: clinical skills, continuing medical education, technology
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Nicholas, Jennifer (Medical Imaging, 2011-2012)
Project Title: Preparing Radiology Residents for Independent Call in a Pediatric Hospital via an iPad-based Curriculum
Mentor: Marianne Green
Abstract
The purpose of this project is to develop an effective call preparation curriculum, which can be administered to radiology residents via tablet computers (specifically, the Apple iPad), before they take independent overnight radiology call at Children’s Memorial Hospital (CMH).
Keywords: call preparation, independent practice, tablet computer (iPad)
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Norton, Elizabeth Spencer (Communication Sciences and Disorders, 2017-2018)
Project Title: Using Authentic Activities to Promote Content Learning, Skill Development, and Critical Thinking in an Undergraduate Cognitive Neuroscience Seminar
Course: CSD 369 Special Topic: Cognitive Neuroscience of Human Communication
Mentor: Matthew Goldrick
AbstractAbstract How can a course prepare undergraduate students to become researchers or clinicians who are well-versed in the rapidly-evolving field of cognitive neuroscience? This field, the study of how human behavior is related to the brain, often relies on expensive, highly technical, and inaccessible equipment and technical primary articles. During my time as a Searle Fellow, I developed and taught a new undergraduate seminar, “Cognitive Neuroscience of Human Communication.” The goal of the course was to promote student learning of neuroscience content and methods and develop research skills using authentic activities. The primary course activities designed to address these goals included 1) critical discussion of primary research articles with weekly reflection questions and 2) project-based learning with a hands-on experiment collecting and analyzing data using event-related potential (ERP) techniques. The course was held in Winter 2018, and enrolled 4 students who were all upperclass Human Communication Studies and/or Neuroscience majors. Students completed pre-, mid- and post-course reflections on their knowledge of cognitive neuroscience methods and their relevance to the study of communication. Students’ reflections, critical question responses, and in-class performance indicated that they gained content knowledge, were better able to analyze primary research articles and explain the considerations relative to research in cognitive neuroscience and its applications to the study of human communication.
Keywords: authentic learning, project-based learning, research
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Odom, Brian (Physics & Astronomy, 2009-2010)
Project Title: An Interactive Advanced Physics Course
Course: Atom Trapping and Applications
Mentor: Michael Schmitt
Abstract
Physics education research shows that traditional teaching methods often do not produce the desired levels of student learning. In addition, two sets of skills, scientific presentation skills and quantitative estimation skills, are areas of training which are extremely important for careers in science and yet are often neglected in undergraduate and graduate physics classroom education. In the project presented here, I develop a non-traditional interactive course focused on my area of research, Atom Trapping and Applications, with the specific goal of developing the presentation and quantitative estimation skills of advanced undergraduates and graduate students.
Keywords: interactive, presentation, estimation
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Parkinson, Anna M. (German, 2013-2014)
Project Title: Switched On, Tuned In: Engaging Students in Critical Thinking in Lectures
Course: German 228: The German Film: “Cinema in the City: The City in Cinema”
Mentor: Peter Fenves
Abstract
Initiating and maintaining student engagement in lecture courses requires more than interesting course content. Using “pedagogies of engagement” (Smith et al.) to encourage students’ critical engagement in class, my lectures included punctual questions, group work (think-pair-share), and group discussion in the lecture setting. In addition to implementing these, I felt that more attention needed to be paid to critical writing due to the course’s emphasis on analytical papers as a primary mode of assessment. Thus, a lecture session was devoted to a critical writing workshop focusing on peer review. In spite of the unorthodox nature of conducting a writing workshop in this setting, a post-workshop survey indicated that the majority of students support the inclusion of critical writing of this kind in the lecture setting for both intellectual and social reasons.
Keywords: critical thinking, critical writing, student engagement, peer response, interactive learning
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Patel, Angira (Department of Pediatrics, 2016-2017)
Project Title: Developing a Competency Driven Bioethics Curriculum for Graduate Medical Trainees
Mentor: Karen Mangold
Abstract
Bioethics or medical ethics education has long been recognized as an important component of graduate medical trainee education for promoting professionalism, for identifying ethical issues encountered in medicine, and for being able to perform an ethical analysis critical in clinical decision-making as it involves consideration of patient and family values. Despite recognizing its importance, providing education in bioethics to medical trainees has been challenging due to lack of consensus about the specific goals of medical ethics education for future physicians, the essential knowledge and skills learners should acquire, the best methodological and processes for instructions, and the optimal strategies for assessment. The Romanell report lays out potential goals and objectives as well as challenges for developing a comprehensive curriculum. This report is the motivation for developing a two-year, longitudinal, competency-driven curriculum for Northwestern McGaw residents and fellows. Trainees who complete the program will have in-depth exposure to bioethics and the skills to be the future ethics educators and leaders in policy and medical ethics discussions as it pertains to their respective fields. In addition, components of the program can be used as a blueprint by program directors of various McGaw residency programs for targeted resident ethics education.
Keywords: bioethics, medical ethics, professionalism, curriculum development
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Pearlman, Wendy (Political Science, 2011-2012)
Project Title: Blogging on Current Events: Applying Class Learning beyond the Lecture Hall
Mentor: Reuel Rogers
Abstract
Political Science 351 is a large lecture class offering an introductory survey of Middle East politics. In attempting to improve this course, I have had two objectives. First, I have sought to make the lecture format more engaging by adding new elements of active and interactive learning. Second, I have sought to enhance the direct relevance of the course by encouraging students to use class materials to enrich their understanding and analysis of current affairs. With these goals in mind, I retained features of the class that I found to be effective in past years and introduced a new component: a class blog. I created eight threads, each dedicated to a different country or group of countries in the region. Students were required to post two comments that built on material from class to make original commentaries on news topics of their choosing. The blog aimed to encourage free and critical thinking, as well as dialogue and debate on important topics. A survey to be administered during the last week of the quarter will assess students’ perceptions of the degree to which the assignment achieved these goals.
Keywords: class blogs and online discussion boards, real-world applications, student engagement
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Perry, Ohad (Industrial Engineering and Management Sciences, 2015-2016)
Project Title: Probability as a Threshold Concept
Course: IEMS 460-1: Stochastic Models
Mentor: Barry Nelson
Abstract
A threshold concept can be thought of as a “conceptual gateway” leading to previously inaccessible understanding of a matter. This project is concerned with clarifying the threshold concept “probability” to Ph.D. students in engineering. Threshold concepts exist in any field, but what makes probability theory unique is that the notion of “probability” itself is a threshold concept. Indeed, as the citation by the renowned mathematician and philosopher Bertrand Russell above demonstrates, even though probability theory was studied for centuries by many of the greatest mathematicians, there was no satisfactory answer to the problem of what ”probability” is. Moreover, even though probability was finally defined in a satisfactory manner by the Russian mathematician A. Kolmogorov in the 1930’s, under-standing the definition requires deep mathematical knowledge that most graduate students lack. In fact, even students that have the required technical background typically fail to see how it connects to the definition of probability, as this is rarely discussed in textbooks. The purpose of this project is to develop a detailed explanation, aimed at the measure-theoretic layperson, for the concept of “probability,” so as to transform the way students think of, and understand, this term.
Keywords: threshold concepts, developing intuition, enhance learning
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Pinkett, Heather W. (Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Cell Biology, 2009-2010)
Project Title: Collaborative Learning in the Classroom
Course: Biochemistry 212-1
Mentor: Rick Gaber
Abstract
In an effort to introduce collaborative learning into the Biochemistry 212-1 classroom, students participated in classroom discussions and projects with the overall goal of a deeper understanding of scientific concepts through mutual exploration. For the project, students were given a list of 10 biomedical problems to explore. As a group they must decide on a topic, engage in intellectual processing through discussions and write a scientific review. The students then work as a team to design a multimedia interactive presentation. The collaborative learning activity gave the students the opportunity to explore, understand and integrate new information as a group and then take an active role in peer teaching for a general audience.
Keywords: collaborative learning, active learning, small group learning
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Puthumana, Jyothy (Cardiology, 2011-2012)
Project Title: Focused Clinical experience - a Pilot Study
Mentor: Gary Martin
Abstract
As part of the curriculum renewal at the Feinberg School of Medicine incorporation, early clinical exposure is being planned to complement didactic instruction to give a clinical context to learning issues. A focused clinical experience (FCE) is meant to expose the early learner, guided by a preceptor to clinical manifestations of disease through a focused history, clinical exam and related investigations. We conducted a pilot study in 2nd year medical students after their cardiovascular block to see if such a FCE would reinforce the clinical context of the basic science learning topics covered during that block. 95 students completed the initial questionnaire at the beginning of the cardiovascular block and about 45 of these students went through a FCE with a preceptor. Assessments were done using post exposure questionnaires. FCE helped to identify knowledge gaps, clear confusing concepts, and increased interest in clinical medicine with the greatest impact attributed to the preceptor, patient and review of tests and investigations.
Keywords: cardiovascular disease, focused clinical experience
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Quadri, Maheen (Pediatrics, 2017-2018)
Project Title: Incorporating Active Learning into a Pediatric Residency Primary Care Curriculum
Mentor: Jenifer Trainor
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Rasminsky, Sonya (Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, 2010-2011)
Project Title: Standard Setting for the Psychiatry OSCE
Course: Psychiatry Clerkship, Feinberg School of Medicine
Mentor: Joan Anzia
Abstract
An important element of assessment on the core psychiatry clerkship is student performance on the OSCE (Observed Structured Clinical Examination), a test in which students interact with patient-actors in standardized clinical scenarios. The exam aims to ensure that all students completing the psychiatry clerkship have achieved basic clinical competence, since they will all become physicians evaluating patients. Although we have been using this exam for many years, there have not been clear standards about what should constitute a minimum passing grade. For my Searle project, I conducted a formal standard-setting exercise, working with a group of faculty to determine the minimum acceptable performance for one of the cases that comprise the psychiatry OSCE.
Keywords: assessment, standard setting, clinical skills
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Rivera-Servera, Ramón (Performance Studies, 2009-2010)
Project Title: (Re) locating The Border: Performance and Pedagogy
Course: PERT_ST 515-20
Mentor: E. Patrick Johnson
Abstract
This project adapted a performance studies doctoral course developed in and focused on the U.S.-Mexico border region for doctoral students in Performance Studies at Northwestern University. The course design retained a theoretical focus on the border while expanding the definition of the concept to transmigrated communities in the Chicago metropolitan area. In doing so, the course sought to replicate embodied ethnographic research experiences through cooperative learning techniques at various field sites in the Chicago region that evidence and perform cultural borderlands.
Keywords: ethnography, Borderlands Studies, cooperative learning
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Rivnay, Jonathan (Biomedical Engineering, 2017-2018)
Project Title: Cooperative Learning in Bioelectronics
Course: BME/MSE 395: Bioelectronics
Mentor: Guillermo Ameer
Course offerings in inherently multidisciplinary fields and those with a varied student preparation present a challenge in teaching and learning. The cross-listed course BME/MSE 395: Bioelectronics is a particular example where both heterogeneity in student expertise in major or specialty and experience creates an opportunity to engage students in non-lecture activities in order to facilitate teaching and learning. Moreover, the multidisciplinarity of the Bioelectronic field permeates both academic research and industry, requiring team-based approaches to solve engineering problems. Cooperative learning provides a platform for the learner to take on teaching responsibilities, requiring trust amongst students, and fostering a team-like environment. Such an approach is particularly fruitful in settings of diverse expertise, mirroring cooperative and collaborative settings in the professional realm. In this critical account, I describe the integration of cooperative group-based activities into an upper-level engineering elective course. I focus on group interactions that highlight the breadth of technologies or design approaches to solve the same problem, or alternatively, the similarity in design thinking required to solve different problems. One key activity implemented is a Jigsaw technique which replaced a traditional individual midterm exam. The Jigsaw activity highlighted the collaborative and problem-solving objectives, and culminated in a design challenge, which extends the format of previously reported Jigsaw approaches. The activity further served to reduce student anxiety, and provided a platform for them to reflect on their own teaching and learning.
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Roberts, Angela (Communication Sciences and Disorders, 2016-2017)
Project Title: Meeting World Health Needs through Innovative Teaching Approaches in Communication Sciences and Disorders
Mentor: Pamela Souza
Abstract
The healthcare needs created by a rapidly aging population, necessitate preparing a well-trained workforce to help support individuals and families living with the devastating communication impairments that occur in the neurodegenerative disorders (e.g., dementia) associated with aging. This requires a course design that facilitates the translation of theory into practice and creates a foundation for the development of tacit knowledge. To fill these critical gaps, a new course proposal was developed. The proposed course is unique within speech-language pathology graduate training programs both at Northwestern and nationally because it utilizes a problem based learning design. The course is centred on authentic learning and assessment experiences. Program evaluation is expanded beyond standard CTEC approaches and includes learner self-assessment of course objectives and individualized learning goals.
Keywords: speech-language pathology, problem based learning, experiential learning
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Rogers, Ariel (Department of Radio/Television/Film, 2015-2016)
Project Title: Screens in the Classroom
Course: RTVF 398-0: Screens
Mentor: Jacob Smith
Abstract
This project has enabled me to develop new pedagogical approaches for my course on screen technologies. As a ubiquitous part of daily life, screens are often taken for granted as neutral gateways to content. However, screens, operating at the interface of physical and represented spaces, play a crucial and active role in structuring our engagement with media. My course seeks to DE familiarize the screens with which students are in constant contact by highlighting the ways in which these surfaces give shape to films, television shows, and many works of new media. My goal for the Searle Fellows project has been to embed the use of screens more deeply and creatively into the design of the course, employing screens not only as an object of study, but also, concomitantly, as a pedagogical tool. In carrying out this project I have drawn on models of experiential learning, which emphasize that the process of assimilating concepts into knowledge both informs and is informed by real-world experiences of observation, testing, and action. This conception of experiential learning suggests that screens may be used productively in the classroom to provide concrete experiences against which students can weigh, test, and revise abstract concepts or schemas. Accordingly, I have designed activities that advance the course’s learning objectives by encouraging students to use screens to test and reconsider abstract ideas.
Keywords: experiential learning, technology in the classroom, media technologies
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Rohrobach, Emily (English, 2011-2012)
Project Title: Engaging Students in a Large Lecture Course
Mentor: Jules Law
Abstract
My approach to engaging students in the large lecture course on British literature (Spring 2012) has been to use a variety of media (recent and historical images, video clips of films and interviews, etc.) to illustrate ideas related to the literary concepts and texts. Additionally, I have punctuated my lectures with critical questions. In Power Point slides, I present not only these questions, but also outlines that help students follow the logical organization of the lecture, key passages that I closely analyze during the lecture, and assorted other information. Feedback from students on midterm evaluations has been overall very positive, especially regarding the use of images and video clips and the way the midterm asked them not just to rehash information that had been delivered to them, but to think critically.
Keywords: engagement, imagination, questions
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Rothstein, David H. (Pediatric Surgery, 2010-2011)
Project Title: Just-in-Time Teaching in Pediatric Residency Training: Teaching Subspecialty Topics to Generalists
Mentor: Debra DaRosa
Abstract
Much of didactic medical education takes place in a very teacher-centered format, with hour-long lectures provided by experts in a topic. Learning is passive, and the efficacy of this format is questionable. Just-in-time teaching is a concept originally described in the engineering sciences arena, whereby students are challenged to help guide lecture content based on readings distributed prior to class. Web-based responses to content questions help tailor lectures to address specific questions and to clarify points of confusion. This Searle project proposes to use just-in-time teaching in the education of Pediatrics residents by sub-specialists.
Keywords: subspecialty training, just-in-time teaching, knowledge retention
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Rubenstein, Michael (Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 2016-2017)
Project Title: Modifying Team Dynamics in an Applied Mechatronics Course
Course:MECH_ENG 495: Mechatronics with Quadrotor Project
Mentor: Todd Murphey
Abstract
During the Spring ’16 quarter I developed and taught a class titled Applied Mechatronics: Quadrotor Design and Control, a hands on class where teams of students worked towards programming a real quadrotor flying robot. Due to safety and cost reasons, the students paired up in teams of two, with one quadrotor per team; each team working toward completing the day’s goals on this single quadrotor. As an instructor, I experienced a challenge with this course due to the teamwork nature of the class, which manifested in multiple ways: (1) There were some teams where one of the students dominated the work, and I feel that this negatively impacted the other teammates' ability to learn the material. (2) Additionally, when one of the team members was absent from class, I asked them to do their work separately, and this would cause problems the next week when they had to combine their separate work to start working as a team again. For my project, I wanted to learn how to restructure the course to correct the problems associated with these student teams.
Keywords: teamwork, student participation, student engagement
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Ruo, Bernice (General Medicine, 2012-2013)
Project Title: Incorporating Evidence-Based Medicine into the Clinical Curriculum
Mentor: Gary Martin
Abstract
Teaching evidence-based medicine to medical school students has been done primarily in the classroom setting. Since learning is best reinforced in an applied manner, the goal of this project is to improve the frequency and quality of discussions about key evidence-based concepts in clinical discussions about patient care during third year clerkship rotations. To achieve this, I have worked with the Neurology department to improve the teaching of clinical cases about stroke. This process involves modifying student learning guides and faculty teaching guides as well as conducting review sessions for the faculty to introduce the revised guides and assure familiarity with the evidence-based medicine concepts. To measure the effect of this intervention, I will use student and faculty surveys in addition to adding questions to the student exam that is completed at the end of the neurology rotation.
Keywords: evidence-based medicine, clinical decision making, medical school curriculum
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Sabol, Terri (Human Development and Social Policy, 2016-2017)
Project Title: Applying the Science of Child Development to Real-World Policy Contexts
Course: SESP 351: Crafting Child Policy
Mentor: Dan McAdams
Abstract
In this project, I sought to restructure my undergraduate child development course to enhance student learning and engagement. My course seeks to guide students in how to apply psychological theory and rigorous research methods to the study of child and family policies in real-world settings. The goal of my project was to encourage “active learning” while ensuring that the content was relevant and challenging. The new methods of my course include process-oriented guided inquiry learning, interactive lectures, and independent writing activities. More specifically, working in groups, students have the opportunity to answer pressing questions on child and family policy posed by the Illinois Governor’s Office of Early Childhood Development. The course culminates in final presentations at the Governor’s Office. I taught my restructured course in Spring 2017 so this critical account details both my work in preparing for the course as well as reflections on how the course has gone so far.
Keywords: active learning, constructed knowledge, relevancy, collaboration, student engagement
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Saroli, Tania L. (Department of Pediatrics, Division of Cardiology, 2017-2018)
Project Title: Development and Implementation of a Comprehensive Curriculum for Pediatric Echocardiography Boot Camp
Mentor: Peter Koenig
Given the time constraints of fellowship training, methods resulting in increased training efficiency are desirable. Cardiology and echocardiography-specific “boot camps” are not new, but can be refined. Using Kern’s theory for curriculum development in medical education, we hypothesized that novice first year Pediatric Cardiology fellows could be trained to perform a complete echocardiography scanning protocol in a shorter time than prior years and have a superior knowledge base at the completion of the boot camp. A comprehensive transthoracic echocardiography boot camp was redesigned to include novel educational techniques as well as simulation. An evaluation process consisted of pre- and post-session knowledge assessments, and final competency testing to assess performance of a complete scanning protocol on a model patient. At the conclusion of boot camp, all three novice Pediatric Cardiology fellows passed the proctored competency test, and increased their mean score on the knowledge assessment quiz. Comparison of knowledge assessment scores versus current fellows showed that the new curriculum resulted in superior performance of novice first year categorical fellows compared to those who did not undergo the boot camp the year prior. There was a marked decrease in time needed to achieve the performance of a full complete scan per standard protocol. There was an increase in knowledge to a level comparable to current fellows in more advanced stages of training. Given the success of transthoracic echo boot camp, a transesophageal echo boot camp was also implemented this year using didactic lectures and simulation. My key reflections included formalizing the assessment of learners, improving learning objectives, and improving post-boot camp training assessments.
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Sauer, Andrew J. (Cardiology, 2014-2015)
Project Title: Integrating Simulation, Audience Response and Interactive Discussion in the Lecture Hall: A Potential Mechanism for Motivating the Learner in the First-Year Medical School Curriculum
Mentor: Gary Martin
Abstract
A prevailing challenge of undergraduate medical education has been to facilitate the learner’s understanding of basic medical science necessary as the foundation for eventual clinical practice, while at the same time creating relevance and motivation for connecting the science to clinical reasoning principles. Advances in information technology have facilitated new learning paradigms such as the web-based supplements, interactive didactics involving audience response systems, and simulation learning. The goal of this Searle Fellowship project is to advance the active learning paradigm by integrating such technologies to help solidify medical student understanding of basic mechanisms of cardiovascular disease, electrophysiology, and pharmacology while connecting the learner to bedside clinical care. The results of our project can serve to demonstrate proof of concept that integration of simulation, audience response, and interactive discussion can motivate the active learner in pre-clinical undergraduate medical education curriculum.
Keywords: active learning, simulation, clinical reasoning
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Schmidt, Carol (Ophthalmology, 2011-2012)
Project Title: Teaching Ophthalmologic Surgical Skills: Taking a New Look at Educational Strategies
Mentor: Robert Kushner
Abstract
Modern phacoemulsification cataract surgery evolved from a three-hour, general anesthetic, inpatient procedure to a twenty-minute, conscious sedation outpatient procedure. Teaching this delicate intraocular procedure demands experience, calm demeanor, and confidence. In the interest of patient safety, ACGME surgical competency mandates caused educators to replace the established apprentice (Halsted) model. They revised training protocols and assessment tools. Costly, yet intriguing, surgical simulators recreate the intraocular experience and provide evaluation opportunities. In the ten years since the mandates, no standardized and validated ophthalmology surgical curriculum exists. Given the recent acquisition of the EYESI virtual-reality (VR) simulator and recent FSM curriculum renewal, the goal of this project was to reconsider our surgical teaching. Specifically, I formalized the PGY 2 microsurgical cataract skills curriculum with a learner-centered approach. I avoided passive power-point didactics with the incorporation of small-group learning, mentored wet-lab practice, and weekly VR simulation.
Keywords: deliberate practice, simulation, small-group collaborative learning
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Schmidt, Tiffany Marie (Neurobiology, 2016-2017)
Project Title: Deepening student learning through engagement in a classroom of 30
Course: Neurosci 377: Neurobiology of Sensation and Perception
Mentor: Tom Bozza
Abstract
In my first two years of teaching Neurosci 377: Neurobiology of Sensation and Perception, I have developed a hybrid format between engaged lecture and in-class group problem sets. This format has been well-received by the students and led to what I would consider satisfactorily deep learning of the course material. However, in the first two years of this course offering, enrollment was only 6 and 7 students. This is likely due to the fact that the Neuroscience major is currently in its second year and many students did not have the prerequisites to take the course. In 2018, I expect enrollment to be as high as 30 students, a number that will be less conducive to my current class format. This critical account will explore 3 possible ways in which I could maintain a version of my current structure, but modify it to maximize the depth of learning for a larger class size. I will discuss advantages and disadvantages of each approach and how each could be implemented and conclude with my plans for next year.
Key Words: engagement, flipped classroom, deep learning, group work, participation, class size
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Schroeder, James W. (Pediatric Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery, 2013-2014)
Project Title: The Use of Script Concordance Testing in Pediatric Otolaryngology Curriculum Evaluation
Mentor: Mary Nevin
Abstract
Educators in the field of graduate medical education have struggled with developing a methodology to accurately teach and then assess a medical trainee’s clinical judgment. Oral examinations have been used to assess critical thinking skills and judgment. However, their application is resource and time intensive, can be variable, and may not be suitable for all training situations. Script concordance testing (SCT) is a reliable method to assess all measurable aspects of clinical reasoning. In essence, SCT is a written test that assesses the learner’s ability to interpret medical information under conditions of uncertainty. SCT builds upon two theories of clinical reasoning: hypothetico-deductive theory and illness script theory. A unique SCT was created for this project. The purpose of the test is to evaluate the otolaryngology content of the general pediatric residency curriculum for pediatric residents. The knowledge base tested will be otolaryngologic issues affecting children that are frequently managed by primary care physicians, including: acute otitis media, tympanostomy tube placement, acute sinusitis, obstructive sleep apnea, tonsillitis and the appropriate use of sleep studies in the pediatric population. The SCT will be scored by comparing the trainees’ responses to those of a reference panel. If there is a high rate of concordance between the graduating 3rd year pediatric residents and the reference panel then the otolaryngology component of the general pediatric curriculum will be considered adequate.
Keywords: script concordance test, curriculum, clinical judgment, medical education
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Scott, Evan Alexander (Biomedical Engineering, 2014-2015)
Project Title: Immunology for Engineers: A Portfolio-Based Assessment Strategy for Students with Diverse Engineering Backgrounds
Course: BMD_ENG 344 Biological Performance of Materials
Mentor: Guillermo Ameer
Abstract
Biomedical Engineering and Biomaterials Science education usually involve teaching only the most basic aspects of inflammation when discussing interactions between biological systems and materials. Without delving into the details of how the immune system functions and directs inflammation, students are often poorly prepared to predict the immunological implications of changing the chemical and physical properties of biomaterials and implanted devices. Here, I present a course to prepare undergraduate engineering students of diverse educational backgrounds to better design materials that interact with the immune system as well as to pursue their future endeavors in the relatively new field of immunoengineering.
Keywords: class participation, diversity, group learning
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Shah, Malika (Pediatrics, Newborn Nursery, 2015-2016)
Project Title: The Physician’s Role in Promoting Breastfeeding
Course: Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital CME Webinar
Mentor: Irwin Benuck
Abstract
As a Searle Fellow, I designed an innovative educational program on optimal infant feeding practices for health care providers who work along the spectrum of care in maternity settings. While hospitals have made steady progress in addressing challenges to breastfeeding, achieving adequate education of health care providers remains a barrier to achieving national goals. Breastfeeding education has historically been underemphasized in medical school, and physicians currently in practice often have demanding clinical and research schedules, making time for attendance at live educational seminars difficult. Access to senior mentorship through the Searle Fellows program allowed me to improve my skills as an educator, access novel educational strategies, connect lower and higher order learning objectives, and understand how learning changes throughout a provider’s lifetime. Through performing a Needs Assessment of key stakeholders at hospitals on the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative, I was able to identify specific gaps in physician knowledge and also learn that cost, time, and lack of convenience were major impediments to physician education. Utilizing funding from the Ann and Robert H. Lurie Advocacy Board, I created an on-line continuing education activity entitled: The Physician’s Role in Promoting Breastfeeding. Free of charge to participants, the program will be delivered as a live webinar in August 2016. Funds allow the course to endure over the Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago learning platform for two years so that physicians unavailable for the live session may view the course at their convenience and at their own pace.
Keywords: understanding and implementing best practices in infant nutrition
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Shah, Ramille N. (Materials Science & Engineering & Orthopaedic Surgery, 2010-2011)
Project Title: Building Knowledge and Skills through Practical Learning: Interactive Lectures, Practice-Based Assignments, and Collaborative Projects
Course: MSC 395: Design of Biomaterials for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine
Mentor: Ken Shull
Abstract
This project incorporates active learning techniques, inter-related practical assignments, and collaborative projects to enhance student learning in a course that teaches design of biomaterials for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications. Multiple assessment techniques are developed to increase student participation, engagement, and overall student satisfaction.
Keywords: interactive lectures, practice-based assignments, collaborative projects
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Shaw, Aaron (Communication Studies, 2013-2014)
Project Title: Learning Informal and Ad-hoc Organization: Tactics of Teamwork and Problem-solving in Small Groups
Course: Communication Studies 378: Online Communities and Crowds
Mentor: Noshir Contractor
Abstract
How can college instruction support students' cultivation of the teamwork and collaboration skills necessary to understand, critically analyze, and participate in informal and ad-hoc organizations? In this project, I describe the design, implementation, and results of a pilot learning module on informal teamwork and problem-solving implemented during Fall, 2013, as part of a Searle Fellows Program Fellowship. The module, which takes place over several weeks of my Communication Studies 378 course, engages students in the synthesis of central research themes, the production of theoretical knowledge and practical skills, task-oriented small group work, and multiple forms of assessment and critical evaluation.
Keywords: teams, collaboration, organization, group work, pedagogy
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Shiozaki, Toru (Chemistry, 2014-2015)
Project Title: Motivating Basic Sciences: Teaching Chemistry in a Mathematical Language
Course: CHEM 342-3: Statistical Thermodynamics and Kinetics
Mentor: Regan Thomson
Abstract
One of the major challenges in teaching physical chemistry to undergraduate students at Northwestern is to teach students who are underprepared in mathematics and physics that are prerequisites for my class. They are typically interested in becoming engineers or medical doctors, and have learned basic-science subjects only at the surface until they come into the class. In this critical account, I will first discuss the relationship between this problem to concepts in pedagogy, “deep learning” and “surface learning,” to identify and characterize the root problem. Then, I will describe my project that aims to motivate and guide these underprepared students, in which the result of a survey from my on-going class will be presented.
Keywords: deep learning, mathematics in chemistry, basic science
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Silverstein, Shayna (Performance Studies, 2016-2017)
Project Title: Experiencing Disjuncture: When Less is More
Course: PerfSt 220: Sound Cultures
Mentor: Ramón Rivera-Servera
Abstract
How to facilitate deep approaches to learning and guide students towards a transformative experience through course curriculum? Evidence-based research has demonstrated that deeper learning occurs when students participate in the construction of knowledge and develop their questions and relationships to lesson content. To learn the extent to which deep learning structures are experienced in my courses, and to develop an approach to revising my courses, I set out to identify learners in my courses, better understand student learning experiences, preferences, and motivations, and develop strategies to foster deep, active learning. These objectives were achieved through three approaches: conducting qualitative research, including a focus group and pre-course survey, that identified key learner characteristics; facilitating a learning environment that engages students affectively, perceptually, symbolically, and behaviorally; and revising the course design with attention to constructive alignment, coverage, and pedagogical strategies in the classroom. The outcomes of this research and course revision primarily focused on lessening the experience of “disjuncture” (Light, Cox, and Light 2009), or making new connections between content and meaning through the incorporation of old with new materials. I also applied the concept of constructive alignment to course revisions to enrich affective, behavioral, symbolic and perceptual learning. Finally, by facilitating discussions and developing more experiential learning activities for the classroom, I encouraged students to engage as deep learners, rather than surface or strategic learners. The outcome is that students actively constructed their own meanings through the conjuncture of content, meaning, and experience in ways that deepened the learning experience for all participants.
Keywords: experiential learning, deep learning environments, student engagement
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Smith, Jacob (Radio-TV-Film, 2012-2013)
Project Title: Eco-Media as a Platform for Service Learning
Mentor: Hamid Naficy
Abstract
This project involved the research and development required to create the plan of assessment for a new course on the environmental dimension of media technologies, to be taught in the Department of Radio-TV-Film at Northwestern University. Inspired by literature in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning on course preparation, group work, and service learning, I structured the course around a group project in which students work with community environmental organizations and document their experiences in the form of an audio project to be broadcast on the campus radio station.
Keywords: media studies, sustainability, environmental activism, ecology, service learning, course preparation, assessment
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Smith, Ned (Management & Organizations, Kellogg, 2014-2015)
Project Title: Blending Theory & Practice: Integrating Professional Managers into the Classroom
Course: Management & Organizations (MORS) 455: Strategy Implementation
Mentor: Brian Uzzi
Abstract
Effectively integrating theory and practice in the classroom involves overcoming several important and related challenges. One challenge is logistical: theory and practice occupy separate social spaces that must be bridged. A second challenge is cognitive: theory and practice involve unique languages and methods of communication that require active translation. A final challenge is social: the people populating the different social spaces of theory and practice are often skeptical of one another. Despite these challenges, there is much to gain from effectively integrating theory and practice in the classroom, including notably increasing student engagement. My Searle Fellows project involved designing and implementing a quarter-long speaker series in the Kellogg SOM course, "Strategy Implementation," that addressed each of the three challenges while increasing student engagement, fostering critical reflection, and aiding in retention of new knowledge.
Keywords: theory and practice, student engagement, real-world integration
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Stathapoulos, Amanda (Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2015-2016)
Project Title: Authentic Learning of Survey Methods for Engineering Decisions: Triggering Engagement and Sensitivity with Out-of-Classroom Connections
Course: CIV_ENV-473: Survey Methods, Data and Analysis
Mentor: Joseph Schofer
Abstract
The goal of the teaching activities for the course “Survey Methods, Data and Analysis” (CIV_ENV-473) is to activate, by having students design their own research question and survey to investigate it, a combination of knowledge, skills, critical thinking, curiosity, and real-world applications. The course teaches all major steps in designing and implementing surveys with engineering relevance and modeling the acquired data to provide decision support. Classes are combination of lectures, discussions, and laboratory work. There are three main learning goals for the Searle critical account:
(a) engagement through peer exercises, (b) critical thinking from integration, and (c) authentic problem-based learning and assessment. Expecting mature contributions, in terms of autonomy and inventiveness, has shown that students rise to the occasion of developing an authentic survey. The integration of insights from multiple sources, such as class work, readings, and peer-evaluations, into a class-long survey project is a promising way to trigger analytical and sensitive work, fueled by working on unstructured problems.
Keywords: authenticity, critical thinking, engagement
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Statsyuk, Alexander (Chemistry, 2012-2013)
Project Title: Teaching Interdisciplinary Science
Course: Chemical Biology – 415-0-23
Mentor: Regan Thomson
Abstract
Interdisciplinary science, and chemistry in particular, is an emerging discipline which is shaping such fields as chemical biology, nanotechnology, chemical engineering, material science, and personalized medicine. It is therefore important to integrate interdisciplinary science into the teaching curriculum for both undergraduate and graduate students. Teaching interdisciplinary science is difficult, however, because, it requires students to have advanced backgrounds in science, and knowledge of multiple experimental techniques. It is also difficult to cover the large amount of diverse material during the lecture time. Strategies and tactics to teach interdisciplinary science to undergraduate and graduate students will be discussed in this proposal, including: how to take advantage of concept teaching, incorporate technology, and introduce more research relevant techniques.
Keywords: interdisciplinary science, team learning, creativity
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Stern, Nathaniel P. (Physics and Astronomy, 2014-2015)
Project Title: Learning Objectives in Introductory Physics Laboratories: Designing for Broad Student Populations
Course: Physics 136-1: General Physics Laboratory
Mentor: David Meyer
Abstract
Introductory physics is a core subject that attracts a broad student population on diverse career trajectories. Traditional teaching of the laboratory component of general physics focuses on active learning of physics concepts, but this approach shortchanges the impact and relevance of experimental skills on the dominant non-major student participants. The objective of this project is to design a modern, goal-directed approach to introductory physics labs at Northwestern that emphasizes active engagement and learning objectives beyond traditional physics concepts. This lab course will integrate several key innovations that will transform how introductory physics labs are taught at NU, such as clear definition of lab learning objectives, emphasizing rigorous assessment of student activities, improving student engagement, and optimizing class time with active learning, interactive modules, and online exercises. Effective coordination and management of teaching assistants is also explored as a critical component in improving the learning environment for the large-enrollment laboratories. This laboratory redesign will be evaluated through student and TA feedback and pre- and post-lab surveys. Early feedback indicates positive trends in student output for weekly laboratory summaries and effectiveness of time spent in class. This Searle project provides the opportunity to explore a deeper appreciation of student motivations in order to overcome pedagogical challenges, including infrastructure constraints, within the context of broadly-subscribed introductory courses.
Keywords: communicating learning objectives, student engagement, diverse learners
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Strople, Jennifer Armstrong (Pediatrics/Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, 2013-2014)
Project Title: Improving Medical Education in Pediatric Nutrition—A Case-Based Approach
Mentor: Estella M. Alonso
Abstract
Nutrition plays an important role in health and disease, but education in nutrition at both the preclinical and clinical stages of medical training is often inadequate. The purpose of this project is to develop and implement a web-based interactive teaching resource that enhances nutrition education for pediatric residents. The goal is to improve understanding of common nutrition themes so that residents can accurately assess nutritional status and develop appropriate treatment plans in their pediatric practices.
Keywords: nutrition education, case-based learning, clinical skills, web-based learning
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Sun, Cheng (Mechanical Engineering, 2012-2013)
Project Title: Promoting Active Learning with the Emphasis on Conceptual Problems
Course: ME202 Mechanics II
Mentor: Jane Wang
Abstract
With an emphasis on prompting active learning in an undergraduate level engineering class, this project aimed to develop a new teaching methodology that assists students to develop analytical abilities with which they can effectively link forces with motion and thus develop better problem-solving skills. A set of conceptual problems was used in instruction for multiple purposes: 1) as a teaching module focused on underlying physics principles; 2) to promote in-class interaction among students; and 3) as an assessment tool to gauge student understanding of basic ideas.
Keywords: mechanics, conceptual problem, and active learning
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Sweis, Ranya (Division of Cardiology, Interventional Cardiology, 2015-2016)
Project Title: Mastery Learning Right Heart Catheterization Simulation Program for Trainee Education
Course: Course: Mastery Learning Right Heart Catheterization Simulation Program
Mentor: Gary Martin
Abstract
The traditional “see one, do one, teach one” approach to teaching procedural skills in medical education frequently produces physicians who are not competent or confident in their procedural skills. Furthermore, a significant number of complications that occur during hospitalization are related to medical procedures. Simulation education allows the medical trainee the opportunity to learn a procedure in a safe setting without jeopardizing patient safety. It has also been associated with improved operator confidence in performing the procedure and decreased health care costs. Right heart catheterization with pulmonary artery catheter insertion is a procedure performed in order to obtain the pressure measurements in the right side of the heart and the pulmonary arteries to aid in patient diagnosis and to guide therapy. This procedure is usually taught by observation and supervision while being performed on actual patients. Already published literature has demonstrated the benefits of mastery learning using simulation in other medical procedures. Benefits include enhancing the learner’s ability to perform specific procedures, as well as the resultant increase in the trainee’s self-confidence. In light of this information, I am developing a mastery learning right heart catheterization simulation curriculum. Trainees in specific programs at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine will be required to participate in this training program with the goal of helping them to achieve mastery level competence on the patient simulator prior to performing the procedure on actual patients.
Keywords: mastery learning, simulation, right heart catheterization
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Szmuilowicz, Eytan (Medicine, 2009-2010)
Project Title: Development and Assessment of a Palliative Care Curriculum for Hospital Medicine Physicians
Mentor: Jamie Von Roenn
Abstract
Hospitalist physicians frequently care for patients at the end of life, but are underprepared to provide competent palliative care. A faculty development program was designed to address the self-identified needs of a group of academic hospitalists. Eleven hospitalists have participated in regular, case-based, small-group discussion sessions led by two content experts in Palliative Medicine. Project evaluation will consist of learner feedback, change in knowledge scores, changes in confidence to provide and teach palliative care principles, and chart audit. Challenges to implementation, unanticipated positive effects, and potential changes to the curriculum are reviewed.
Keywords: faculty development, small-group discussion sessions, student-centered learning
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Trainor, Jennifer (Pediatrics, 2012-2013)
Project Title: A Pediatric Boot Camp for Graduating Medical Students to Help Prepare Them for Internship
Mentor: Mark Adler
Abstract
During internship, increased clinical responsibilities require strong communication and organizational skills as well as the ability to apply medical knowledge. Relatively little time is devoted to pediatrics in undergraduate medical education. In order to address these training gaps, we developed a novel, one-week elective course with input from multiple sources, including educational experts, the medical literature, and feedback from recent graduates of Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine (FSOM) who matched in Pediatrics, Medicine/Pediatrics or Family Medicine. Curriculum consisted of a combination of problem-based learning cases, simulation, didactics, videos, role-play, small group discussions, and debriefings to promote deep learning. At the end of the course, each participant completed a multi-station, objective-structured clinical exam that required synthesis and application of boot camp elements. Assessment instruments were utilized for each station. A faculty member debriefed students individually. All participants completed a post-course evaluation form.
Keywords: boot camp, curriculum development, internship readiness
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Tyo, Keith E. J. (Chemical & Biological Engineering, 2011-2012)
Project Title: Teaching Biological Concepts through Exploratory Computational Tools
Mentor: Wesley Burghardt
Abstract
Problem-based learning, learning by solving complex problems in groups, is demonstrably effective in increasing student engagement and outcomes, and is an integral part of engineering education. This learner-centered approach was applied to molecular biology courses to engage students and give engineering students in particular an opportunity to use their quantitative skill set to learn biological mechanism. In this project, learning modules were developed to apply mathematical modeling principles to understand biological systems. Team-based projects showed students could use this approach to achieve higher order thinking concepts of analyzing, evaluating, and creating new systems.
Keywords: problem-based learning, team learning, quantitative models in biology
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Vassallo, Patricia (Cardiology 2014-2015)
Project Title: Enhancing the Environment to Improve Critical Thinking
Mentor: Sarah Sutton
Abstract
Developing a positive learning environment is central to facilitating collaboration and engagement among medical students as they learn clinical medicine. The traditional pedagogical device of questioning students in the clinical setting, known in the medical field as “pimping,” is a commonly used form of teaching (van Schaik, 2014). Pimping is beneficial to assess knowledge of students, residents and fellows; however, this method of teaching can be intimidating and humiliating for students and can create a more competitive, rather than cooperative, learning environment. In my Searle project, I wanted to investigate a new approach to learning clinical medicine that creates a safe, comfortable environment where the teacher can ask questions (pimp) in a format that fosters cooperation and interactive, engaged learning. I utilized a case-based interactive approach that integrates history taking, cardiovascular physical exam, cardiac pathophysiology and multi-modality imaging. Techniques included guided pre-reading, peer instruction, and clinical cases. The learning environment is important to improve student participation and engagement and enhance critical learning (Williams and Williams, 2011).
Keywords: positive learning environment, interactive peer teaching/learning, clinical presentation-based learning
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Verma, Neil Kanwar Harish (Radio-Film-Television 2017-2018)
Project Title: Podagogy 2.0: Opportunities and Challenges Facing Student Podcast Coursework
Mentor: Mimi White
In the mid 2000s, educators across postsecondary settings began to distribute lectures and other materials on the new iPod, a movement loosely arranged around the term
“podagogy” (Campbell 2005; Bell, 2008; Rosell-Aguilar 2007). More recently, in part as a response to the explosion in podcasting since 2014, an overlapping approach has emerged as instructors ask students themselves to produce podcasts for classes, rather than just distributing lectures digitally. The goal of the current project is to gain insight about this “Podagogy 2.0” moment from instructors who ask students to learn by podcasting. I interviewed 12 faculty who ask students to create podcasts for classes, learning more about their motives, methods and outcomes, in part to help me rethink my own syllabi, and in part to help inform those who are pursuing podcasting for learning for the first time. While these interviews suggested a feeling of success among instructors, three areas of ambivalence emerged. The first had to do with finding a balanced approach to teaching technology. The second had to do with writing skills, and how podcasting contributes to or neglects them. Finally, there was a question about how podcasting troubles the boundary between what is “inside” and what is “outside” the class. According to my interviews, these are three issues about which instructors ought to be especially thoughtful, since they have broad and often unforeseen ramifications.
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Wagner, Greg (Mechanical Engineering, 2016-2017)
Project Title: Building Critical Thinking about Computational Simulation in Engineering
Course: MECH_ENG 395: Applied Computational Fluid Dynamics and Heat Transfer
Mentor: Todd Murphey
Abstract
Commercial software has made it easy to develop simulations of engineering systems with little training. However, without an understanding of the physics and numerics on which these computations are based, the results obtained can be incorrect or even nonsensical. A new course, MECH-ENG 395, is developed to instill the critical thinking skills students need to build accurate simulations, communicate results to colleagues, and understand and assess results presented by others. Small (3-4 member) teams of students will work on projects through the duration of the course to use computational tools to model problems of industrial relevance. These teams will present progress throughout the course, and their presentations will be assessed and scored by their peers for accuracy, clarity, and persuasiveness. In-class guided inquiry exercises, also undertaken by small groups, will allow students to interact with the simulation software and form and test hypotheses about the effects of various modeling choices.
Keywords: problem-based learning, group learning, peer assessment
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Wang, Amy Y. (Department of Family and Community Medicine, 2016-2017)
Project Title: Introducing Medical Students to Clinical Informatics Practice and Careers
Course: Medical Informatics Clerkship
Mentor: Mark Adler
Abstract
Rationale: There is an urgent need for expertise in health informatics, which focuses on improving health through the use of health information. Health professionals report increasing burnout due to time, financial, and regulatory pressures, changing guidelines, and electronic health records (EHRs). Physician informaticians are uniquely qualified to address these issues.
Context: An elective rotation in medical informatics can introduce students to the field. Developing a 4-week elective clerkship covering essential topics in an interdisciplinary field with sufficient breadth and depth for varying student backgrounds is challenging.
Objectives: Goals for the clinical informatics elective included improving coverage of core competencies, introducing new learning opportunities and methods, and enhancing student assessments. Additional goals were tailoring experiences for trainees’ diverse interests, needs and abilities, and providing interested students opportunities to explore careers in informatics.
Approach: Scientific literature, published competencies, external course descriptions, and discussions with clerkship directors and mentors provided context. New mentors provided new areas of focus and experiences, and cross-institutional collaboration provided access to new resources. Student feedback fueled further refinements in content and teaching methods.
Findings: Combined learning methods and modalities facilitate active learning through understanding, analysis, and problem solving. Core and elective components cover key concepts and support customization. Cross-institutional collaboration facilitates sharing of resources, ideas, and practices. Reflections from students demonstrate learning and provide course feedback.
Conclusion: The redesigned curriculum is a major improvement. Future work includes further refinements and assessments. The clerkship is an important contribution to addressing the need for more physicians in clinical informatics.
Keywords: active learning, interdisciplinary, project-based learning
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Wang, Mitchell [Muzhou] (Chemical and Biological Engineering, 2017-2018))
Project Title: Student-Composed Homework Problems in an Upper-Level Engineering Course
Course: CHEM_ENG 322 Heat Transfer
Mentor: Michael Jewett
Abstract
This project is an active learning module in CHEM_ENG 322 Heat Transfer, a required course in the junior-level sequence of the chemical engineering curriculum. It was an attempt to enhance the student learning experience by broadening class participation and placing the students in the role of the instructor. In this class, there have historically been 9 homework assignments that reinforce material introduced in the previous week’s lectures. For this project, students were randomly assigned one of the assignments. In that week, the student’s normal homework responsibility was waived, and instead the students were asked to compose a new homework problem, its solution, and a paragraph explaining how the problem relates to recent course material. Their submissions were then graded on relevance to the course, clarity of the problem statement, creativity, and correctness of the solution. Some students were also asked to present their problems and solutions as examples in a final exam review session.
The project was conducted because it is well-known that teaching requires a much deeper understanding and mastery of the core concepts than learning through classical homeworks and exams. This phenomenon was confirmed here, as the project was effective in its goals. Informal evaluations based on the quality of the submitted problems and solutions and the presentations at the exam review session suggest a strong understanding of the course material. Further feedback through Course Evaluations were mostly positive, where many students felt they learned the material covered by the project better, as revealed by a quantitative survey question and an open-ended response. Negative feedback was constructive, with logistical suggestions to improve the learning enhancement for everyone. Improved exam performance was observed in limited cases for those students that recently completed their projects.
Keywords: class participation, active learning, student teaching
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Wang, Yun (Civil & Environmental Engineering, 2009-2010)
Project Title: Redesigning a Research-Based Course to Bridge Three Science Courses
Course: CEE 448
Mentor: Jean-Franҫois Gaillard
Abstract
In my project, I redesigned a research-based course, “Chemical and Biological Complexities in Natural Aqueous Environments,” to provide a platform for bridging environmental microbiology, chemistry and biogeochemistry for Environmental Engineering and Science major graduate students.
Keywords: proposal writing, engagement, interdisciplinary teaching
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Weinreb, Alice (History, 2010-2011)
Project Title: Encouraging Critical Thinking through Food History
Mentor: Sarah Maza
Abstract
I have struggled with getting students to critically engage with history as a discipline. Often they define history as a factual narrative, and ‘success’ in a history class as successfully memorizing the appropriate information. Equally as common is an instinctual distancing of students from the material being taught as something that is separate from their own lives and only peripherally connected, if at all, to ‘real world’ concerns. I decided to use a historical topic that students find inherently interesting and ‘relevant’ to their own lives – food – in order to design courses explicitly aimed at developing critical thinking skills and student engagement. This worked best when paired with concrete writing exercises that reinforced these critical thinking skills and when the material being discussed was not too personally sensitive for the students.
Keywords: food history, critical thinking, engagement
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Weiss, Emily A. (Chemistry, 2009-2010)
Project Title: Development of a Problem-Based, Peer-Led Course in Multidisciplinary Science
Course: Engineering and Chemistry in a Common Language (ECCeL): Systems for Solar Energy Conversion
Mentor: Karl Scheidt
Abstract
This document describes the rationale and plan for developing a course on multidisciplinary approaches to solar energy conversion for chemists and engineers at the senior undergraduate or first-year graduate level. This course will encourage communication between students from different specialized backgrounds by requiring them to critically evaluate the literature on a series of solar energy-related topics, and propose alternative solutions from an interdisciplinary viewpoint. Students’ achievement of four main learning objectives—(i) multidisciplinary understanding of various specific scientific problems, (ii) enhancement of group-learning and collaborative skills, (iii) appreciation of the scope and importance of solar energy-related research, and (iv) the ability to write “jargon-free” – will be assessed through group presentations and reports, writing samples, and a final exam.
Keywords: peer-led learning, problem-centered learning, multidisciplinary education, contextual learning
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Weitzman, Erica (German, 2015-2016)
Project Title: Building Meaningful Interdisciplinarity
Course: German 238: Turn-of-the-Century-Vienna: Analyzing Freud
Mentor: Peter Fenves
Abstract
My project, “Building Meaningful Interdisciplinarity,” attempts to address the inherent problems associated with learning across the disciplines through course design and teaching, as well as to utilize these problems themselves as a source of creativity and critical understanding. Using the course German 238: Analyzing Freud as a test case, I implemented a number of teaching techniques and course design features such as mini-units, dynamic juxtaposition of course texts, post-unit student projects, emphasis on threshold concepts, and above all, a question- and stakes-focused teaching style to encourage students to think critically, both in regard to the course material itself and to the various methods and approaches that are taken in relation to it. The result is a deepened concept of interdisciplinarity that is not only immediately practicable for undergraduate teaching, but applicable to and implementable within professional scholarly settings as well.
Keywords: Interdisciplinarity, course design, threshold concepts, critical thinking
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Wells, George F. (Civil & Environmental Engineering, 2015-2016)
Project Title: Microbial Ecology for Environmental Engineers: Critical Reading and Discussion of Primary Literature as a Learner-Centered Teaching Approach
Course: CIV_ENV 443: Microbial Ecology
Mentor: Aaron Packman
Abstract
Microbial ecology is the study of microorganisms and microbial communities in the environment and their interactions with each other. In addition to playing critical roles in all parts of the biosphere, microbial communities also form the basis for a suite of emerging technologies and strategies for public health and environmental protection, coupled with urban sustainability and renewable energy or resource generation. Microbial ecology is thus an important area of inquiry for aspiring environmental engineers and scientists. Here, I detail design, implementation, and evaluation of a course on microbial ecology (CIV_ENV 443) targeted towards graduate students in environmental engineering and science and in allied fields. Learning objectives for the course center on fundamental concepts in microbial ecology, but emphasize new discoveries and applications in engineered systems for resource recovery and pollution prevention. To concurrently facilitate development of critical research skills and to increase understanding and appreciation of the scientific research process, the course is structured around critical reading, evaluation, and analysis of cutting-edge primary literature. Student-led discussions of readings coupled with background lectures and small-group activities form the core in-class teaching activities. The course culminates in a final project in the form of a research proposal and proposal “pitch.” I taught CIV_ENV 443 for the first time in the winter quarter of 2016. Centering learning in this course on reading and discussion of primary literature proved to be a fruitful and engaging approach to teaching microbial ecology. Based on assessments and course evaluations, it was also a successful method for communicating key concepts in a cooperative learning environment while also stimulating enthusiasm for the subject matter. I conclude by offering a number of opportunities for course modification and improvement in the future.
Keywords: cooperative learning, discussion, research-based instruction
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Withrow, Emily (Journalism, 2013-2014)
Project Title: Teaching the “Unclass”: Student-centered learning via individualized learning plans in a practicum setting
Course: 390 - Advanced Interactive Storytelling and Design
Mentor: Patti Wolter
Abstract
Adopting basic principles from human-centered design and applying them to the classroom, this project moves forward with the hypothesis that journalism students could learn more and produce better projects if the classroom were better modeled to a real-world environment. “Advanced Interactive Storytelling and Design” featured a team-based, project-based classroom in which students created individual learning plans centered on individual needs and goals.
Keywords: individual learning plans, just-in-time learning, practicum
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Wolfe, Katie Knoedelseder (Department of Pediatrics, Division of Critical Care, 2017-2018)
Project Title: Assessing and Improving the Learning Environment for
Pediatric Residents in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit
Mentor: Mary McBride
Pediatric trainees experience challenges in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). The Intensive Care Unit (ICU) environment is fast-paced and patient-care focused, making it a difficult place to teach trainees in a traditional format. Additionally, both learners and teachers in the PICU experience high rates of burnout, adding to the challenges of engagement in education. The overarching goal of this project was to identify aspects of the learning environment and overall experience of pediatric residents in the PICU, which could be better understood and improved. Using Kern’s six steps of curriculum development, I conducted general and focused needs assessments. Residents experienced high levels of burnout during their PICU rotation, likely impeding their ability to learn. While they generally reported being satisfied with their experience in the PICU, workload, lack of autonomy and feeling undervalued and unnoticed were themes throughout the assessments. For our intervention, we focused on better identification of learning opportunities, workload reduction, refinement of the didactic curriculum and increasing feedback. Following implementation of these interventions, residents remained satisfied with their PICU experience in general, felt that their education was valued and universally reported that the interventions were useful to their experience and learning overall. The follow-up needs assessment highlighted additional areas for improvement, which will inform further changes and inquiry, including larger additions to the resident curriculum. Overall, trainees appreciated having the opportunity to share their opinions on improving the resident experience, making them more open to collaboration and change.
Keywords: graduate medical education, learning environment, feedback
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Yoshida, Masaya (Linguistics, 2010-2011)
Project Title: Teaching Methods of Science through Experimental Psycholinguistics
Mentor: Stefan Kaufmann
Abstract
In this project, I am developing a new course, Psycholinguistics. I focus on the ‚relevance‛ of theoretical and experimental linguistics courses for non-linguistics majors as well as linguistics majors. Normally in linguistics courses, students cannot figure out how linguistics is relevant to them. Facing this common challenge in linguistics courses, I point out that linguistics courses can be a good venue for learning scientific and critical thinking. Thus, in the current course design, aspects of scientific thinking are brought to the foreground and requirements and assessments are designed to help students learn scientific thinking.
Keywords: psycholinguistics, methods of science, peer reviews
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Yosmaoglu, Ipek (History, 2012-2013)
Project Title: Teaching a Research-Intensive Undergraduate Seminar, Challenges and Incentives
Course: HIS 395: The Making of Modern Turkey
Mentor: Peter Carroll
Abstract
In the required History 395 seminars, students are expected to write a research paper based on primary sources. This can be particularly challenging when the seminar topic is unfamiliar, and potential sources are inaccessible to the students because they are not written in English. Strategies such as early communication of course objectives, providing guidance in locating primary sources, breaking up the main assignment into manageable pieces, and providing feedback on ongoing work were implemented to mitigate the potential difficulties of teaching this type of course.
Keywords: analyzing primary sources, evaluating unfamiliar information, research skills
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You, Fengqi (Chemical and Biological Engineering, 2012-2013)
Project Title: Enhancing Students’ Learning in Capstone Design Projects: Motivation and Assessments
Course: Chem Eng 352: Chemical Engineering Design Projects
Mentor: Wesley Burghardt
Abstract
A number of teaching innovations on student motivation and assessments are applied to a chemical engineering senior capstone design course to engage students and improve the learning outcomes. Specific teaching activities experimented in this project-based course include restructuring the course following a “divide-and-conquer” approach, offering variety and choice of learning tasks to students, teaching learners of different levels, enhancing teamwork through subjective peer evaluation, and the development of rubrics for peer-grading. Feedback from the students about these teaching activities has been positive and assessment results show most of these teaching innovations help students to achieve deeper learning.
Keywords: motivation, assessments, group project, learners of different levels
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Young, Sera Louise (Anthropology, 2017-2018)
Project Title: Can Conducting a Systematic Literature Review Teach Undergraduates About Water Insecurity?
Mentor: William Leonard
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Zhang, Hao (Biomedical Engineering, 2012-2013)
Project Title: Project-driven Learning in Optical Microscopy
Course: BME333 Modern Optical Microscopy and Imaging
Mentor: Vadim Backman
Abstract
Almost all the major universities in the U.S.A. are teaching optical microscopy courses in a traditional manner, relying solely on textbook, slides, and, recently, online modules. However, optical microscopy by nature is an experimental skill that requires intensive practices and can only be truly grasped through hands-on experiences. To fill this gap, I redesigned the curriculum of an existing optical microscopy course to include both individual labs and group projects that are tightly integrated with classroom lecturing. The newly designed course has been well received by students who have taken it in the past two years; however, there are still many challenges in improving the course in the future.
Keywords: optical microscopy, peer mentoring, project-drive learning
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Zhang, Haoqi (Biomedical Engineering 2014-2015)
Project Title: DTR: Undergraduate Program for Design, Technology and Research
Mentor: Bryan Pardo
Abstract
Design, Technology, and Research (DTR) is a Computer Science and Segal Design learning initiative that empowers undergraduate and graduate students to drive cutting-edge research by designing systems that shape new experiences with people and technology. As a program and model for academic research, DTR prepares students for careers in engineering, design, innovation, and research by providing authentic practice.
Students participate in DTR through fast-paced, quarter-long programs. Students work with mentors to identify a direction of research, explore and iterate over designs, prototype at varying fidelities, build working systems, conduct evaluative studies, and report findings through conference publications. As a cohort, students demo their prototypes regularly, provide and receive feedback, and help each other resolve technical challenges. DTR adapts and extends agile development [2. 3] and design-based research practices [1] with scrums, sprints, studio critique, design logs [9], and pair research [5]. Students embraced these practices and praised their effectiveness for promoting productivity, learning, and collaboration.
I conducted a pilot of DTR this last year. I started with 8 undergraduates and have now expanded the program to 16 undergraduates and 4 graduate students (8 women).
Some highlights:
- Students iteratively designed, built, and tested 12 new socio-technical systems.
- 75% of students have submitted papers to the top conferences in human computer interaction and social computing, including CHI, CSCW, and HCOMP.
- Students report significant development in their design, technical, research, and communication skills.
- Students loved the experience. All students have taken DTR for more than two quarters and many choose to continue till they graduate.
Keywords: authentic practice, project-based learning, learning by design
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Zheng, Jing (Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, 2010-2011)
Project Title: Creating an Energetic Research Environment
Mentor: Claus-Peter Richter
Abstract
This project aims to increase research productivity by enhancing team communication in a research-based laboratory. Through various communication skill exercises, trainees are expected to achieve five main objectives: (1) Enhance problem-solving skills. (2) Learn to present/understand scientific results more effectively. (3) Enhance critical thinking and learning. (4) Nurture scientific inspiration and motivation, and (5) Stimulate collaboration. The progress will be assessed through group presentations and writing reports.
Keywords: critical thinking, communication, motivation
