In January, nearly 150 participants gathered in an active-learning classroom in Bruininks Hall to share and innovate in the realm of evidence-based science education. Attendees of the Biology Teaching and Learning (BTL) 10th Anniversary Symposium spent the day immersed in discovering the best practices for science classrooms.
“It was exciting to bring together such a rich network of science educators,” says Tamar Resnick, an event organizer and BTL faculty member. “I think the strong participation in the symposium showed that a lot of people, across different roles and different units, are working on related questions about undergraduate STEM education, and are eager for more opportunities to connect about how to do this work best.”
The symposium celebrated a decade of biology education innovation by the department and provided BTL researchers and educators with a platform to amplify their impact by actively engaging others in discussions about effective teaching strategies. Attendees experienced firsthand the meticulous attention and dedication of the BTL staff and walked away inspired and equipped to bolster student success.
“The speakers often gave a mix of research and classroom applications, so the attendees were able to see how they might be able to implement some of the ideas” says David Kirkpatrick, head of BTL. “Giving instructors a chance to reflect on their own practices and consider ways to modify them to enhance the learning going on in their classrooms is a powerful thing.”
The morning and afternoon sessions were packed with examples of the different factors that can influence student success in a biology classroom and how to integrate evidence-based approaches.
Breakout sessions and a series of lighting talks broke up the morning and afternoon sessions, and offered graduate students, postdocs, and researchers to share highlights about their finished work or work in progress. Lightning talks included topics such as active learning, the role of teaching assistants in classrooms, and engaging students in online courses.
Even those familiar with BTL’s work were excited to connect in a more formal way. “I think many of the people there had a sense of little pieces of the work BTL does, but the symposium gave more opportunity to share the wide range of projects that members of the department are doing,” says Resnick.
Interested in learning more? Watch a recording of the BTL 10th Anniversary symposium or view photos from the event