Many of us have been there: you’ve attended seminars and workshops focused on transforming the way you teach, and you can’t wait to use what you’ve learned. However, examining the evidence behind evidence-based teaching and actually using the evidence-based teaching methods are very different beasts. If you aren’t quite sure how to incorporate active learning techniques into your classroom, consider applying to be a Promoting Active Learning & Mentoring (PALM) Network Fellow.

The PALM Network was established by GSA, the American Society for Cell Biology, and the American Society for Plant Biologists to spark sustained biology education reform at diverse institutions through one-on-one long-term mentorships for faculty new to approaches based on recommendations from the Vision and Change report. PALM provides faculty and postdoctoral scholars with resources that allow them to gain hands-on experience and long-term mentorship support to bring evidence-based, active learning strategies into their own classrooms. PALM offers up to $2,000 per Fellow; a $500 mentor stipend; and up to $1,000 for network meeting travel (for each Fellow and mentor).

The PALM Fellow application website opens on January 1, 2016; however, you can begin working on your application now! Use the guidelines available at www.ascb.org/PALM. The application deadline is January 15, 2016.

Applicants must:

• Be or become members of organizations that belong to the PALM Network.
• Demonstrate an abiding/sustainable interest in undergraduate biology education.
• Establish a mentor relationship before formally applying.
  • Mentors must be skilled in active learning strategies and evidence-based teaching that align with Vision and Change principles. See http://www.visionandchange.org.
  • Mentors must belong to (or join) one of the PALM Network organizations.
  • Assistance with mentor matching is available (PALM Steering Committee can make recommendations based on geography and specific teaching interests).
• Explain alternatives if they have no immediate access to their own teaching setting.

Become a Mentor

If you are already skilled in the active learning strategies and evidence-based teaching that align with Vision and Change principles, volunteer to become a mentor! Mentors receive a $500 stipend to help implement effective teaching strategies, as well as network meeting travel support. Be a part of true education reform by becoming a PALM Network Mentor!

Questions? Please email grant PI Sue Wick at swick@umn.edu or Beth Ruedi at eruedi@genetics-gsa.org.

Funded by NSF Research Coordination Network in Undergraduate Biology Education grant #1539870

Finals are over, grades are turned in, and winter break is finally here! For better or worse, however, many people use “breaks” to catch up on all the things that have stacked up during the fall. If your idea of relaxation includes thinking about your next course (after all, advanced preparation can be a big stress reliever), then here are some ideas for you courtesy of GSA’s genetics learning framework, the GSA Peer Reviewed Education Portal, and its affiliated partners.

Use the Force

In this case, “the Force” is high-quality, peer-reviewed teaching resources that you can use to plan out your next semester. GSA PREP has some new resources!

• Looking for a way to help your students understand genetics and development? A laboratory by Shipman and Dobens, Using Fijiwings to Understand the Genetic Control of Cell Growth and Proliferation: A Computer-Based Laboratory Exercise, conveys the core concepts of gene expression and regulation, and in particular how genes control development, using a computer-based program to measure the effect of manipulating cell signaling on tissue and cell size. The resource can be used as-is for an intermediate level undergraduate course, or can be modified to either accommodate introductory level students or advanced students.

• A set of in-class exercises by Hood-Degrengier, Active Learning Workshops for Teaching Key Topics in Introductory Cell and Molecular Biology: Structure of DNA/RNA, Structure of Proteins, and Cell Division via Mitosis and Meiosis, consists of workshop materials that facilitate an active learning approach to teaching three core topics typically covered in introductory cell and molecular biology courses: DNA/RNA structure, protein structure, and cell division via both mitosis and meiosis.

Keep an eye out for other new resources in the beginning of 2016, there are several in the queue.

Yes, you can publish that, too!

If you have your spring semester all planned out, why not take some time in the lull of winter break and publish something great? (Or alternatively, settle down for a long winter’s nap, though that doesn’t look as nice on a CV).

Take some time to write up your classroom resources for GSA PREP or CourseSource, and give your student-centered learning materials a chance to shine. You’ll get something for your CV, and other educators will get a great idea to use in their classroom.

What’s the difference between GSA PREP and CourseSource? Both are based on the same learning framework (note: the CourseSource webpage may not be updated); both request submissions of resources that use evidence-based, effective teaching methods. Indeed, most resources published in one will be cross-posted in the other. CourseSource is an online, open access journal that publishes five types of articles; lessons must be written with such detail that educators should be able to replicate the activity exactly. GSA PREP is an online repository of resources, offering a DOI; unlike CourseSource, it is not a journal, and thus resources are not articles nor are they indexed in PubMed. The format of GSA PREP materials is more informal, requiring only a resource justification; otherwise, teaching materials may be submitted “as-is.”

Sharing is Caring

Bask in the glow of new year celebrations and give back to the education community by suggesting online resources for cataloging in GSA PREP. (This process will also help you procrastinate while you are writing up your own original resource for submission!) If you regularly use a resource in your class and think that everyone should do the same, suggest it via this form. This can include anything from videos, to presentation slides, to full teaching modules. Note that filling out the suggestion form is not a guarantee that the resource will be listed.

Don’t forget to PREP for the holidays and for your next course!

If you’re doing it right, teaching undergraduates is incredibly difficult. Delving into the scholarship of teaching and learning can be absolutely overwhelming, especially if the principles of Vision & Change are new to you. Preparing excellent activities, making sure that students are engaged, redesigning a course so that it’s “flipped”- all of these things take a great deal of time and effort. But the research shows it’s well worth it.

It may be easier for instructors to develop passive lectures and slideshows, but many agencies and institutions are united in calling  for drastic changes in pedagogy that include more active learning approaches (dip into some of the literature using the PULSE V&C Toolkit). One effective strategy is to use peer-reviewed literature to introduce students to core concepts in biology (for one excellent example, check out Sally Hoskins’ C.R.E.A.T.E. method). It is possible to design an entire course around a set of four to five primary research papers, achieving your learning objectives while successfully engaging students in the process of science.

There’s a hitch: reading primary literature is difficult. Even seasoned peer-reviewers can struggle with the density and jargon. Undergraduates find reading their first research paper even more intimidating; it is a “trial by fire” not only because they have no experience with the conventions of the genre, but because they are wading into uncharted conceptual territory.

I remember teaching my Genome Science class at North Carolina State University how to read a research paper. I suggested they start with the abstract, then try to get a general idea of what the figures were showing them. The next step was to move onto the intro, re-examine the figures, and read the discussion. Once they’d made it that far, then they would look over the methods and results. Even with guidance, becoming a seasoned reader takes practice.

What if there was a way to ease new readers into a peer-reviewed paper? Those questions were raised at a GSA Education Committee meeting by the Chair at the time, Beth De Stasio (Lawrence University), and later seconded by Scott Hawley (former President of GSA, Stowers Institute) and Mark Johnston (Editor-in-Chief, GENETICS; University of Colorado School of Medicine). In 2012, GENETICS unveiled its answer in a new type of article: the Primer.

Primers in GENETICS now come in two flavors: Research Primers, and Model Organism Primers.

Research Primers accompany peer-reviewed research articles published in GENETICS, and serve as a tool to guide the reader through the paper. Research Primers provide an expanded introduction and background, highlighting why the research was conducted and how the authors decided to address their unanswered questions. Methods used in the original article are presented with helpful context, typically also accompanied by explanatory graphics (see the description of yeast two-hybrid, for example, or knockout methods). Results are described in detail: what did the researchers find? How did they analyze their results? How were the results interpreted? An expanded discussion is followed by a guide for educators, which often includes a set of questions for classroom use.

What I would have given to have such a tool in my class! I am positive that my former students echo that sentiment.

Model Organism Primers provide a thorough background of a model genetic system, covering everything from its life cycle to the available genetic and genomic tools. Currently, Primers are available for budding yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), fission yeast (Schizosaccharomyces pombe), nematode worms (Caenorhabditis elegans), and the fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster).

Each of the Model Organism Primers was crafted by teams from their respective model organism communities. Not only are they incredibly useful, they also read as a kind of love letter to these systems. Indulge me a moment as I reflect on my personal favorite–the fly Primer. Yes, I chose to work with D. melanogaster because of its ease of use, its complex behavior, and its fully sequenced genome (a huge deal when I started grad school); but along the way, I got attached to the little critters, so reading about everything that makes flies great warmed my heart. I daydreamed for a moment that we had the fly Primer in my graduate advisor’s lab–we worked extensively with undergraduates, and if we had been able to hand them this paper, it would have made things so much easier for both them and us. And not just undergraduates! This Primer would have been a lifesaver for me when I started grad school as a fly-pushing novice.

Model Organism Primers also serve as excellent introductory tools for the classroom. For instance, imagine wanting to introduce your students to the concepts of gene function and expression, or specifically RNAi and genetic screening. Ideally, you could do this using a paper in GENETICS like “A Network of Genes Antagonistic to the LIN-35 Retinoblastoma Protein of Caenorhabditis elegans” by Polley and Fay (2012). Unless you’re leading a very advanced class, though, you’d first want to give them background on C. elegans: assign “A Transparent Window into Biology: A Primer on Caenorhabditis elegans” by Corsi, Wightman, and Chalfie (2015) as a pre-class reading, then have a discussion about the importance of model systems in your class. Next up, pair Polley and Fay’s paper with its corresponding Research Primer, “Suppressors, Screens, and Genes…” (2012) authored by Beth De Stasio. As she says in the abstract, “An article by Polley and Fay in this issue of GENETICS provides an excellent opportunity to introduce or reinforce concepts of reverse genetics and RNA interference, suppressor screens, synthetic phenotypes, and phenocopy. Necessary background, explanations of these concepts, and a sample approach to classroom use of the original article, including discussion questions, are provided.” Not only will your students learn core concepts in genetics, but they will gain a firmer grasp on a genetic model system and on how to read primary literature, both important core competencies in our field.

We hope that Primers in GENETICS will help you in a plethora of different ways, whether it be fine-tuning your teaching, or introducing a new student into your lab.

Interested in becoming a Primer author? Contact GENETICS Primer Editor Beth De Stasio for more details. Keep an eye out for more Primers coming out soon!

CITATIONS:

Duina, A. A., Miller, M. E., & Keeney, J. B. (2014). Budding yeast for budding geneticists: a primer on the Saccharomyces cerevisiae model system. Genetics, 197(1), 33-48. doi: 10.1534/genetics.114.163188

http://www.genetics.org/content/197/1/33.full

Hoffman, C. S., Wood, V., & Fantes, P. A. (2015). An Ancient Yeast for Young Geneticists: A Primer on the Schizosaccharomyces pombe Model System. Genetics, 201(2), 403-423. doi: 10.1534/genetics.115.181503

http://www.genetics.org/content/201/2/403.full

Corsi, A. K., Wightman, B., & Chalfie, M. (2015). A Transparent window into biology: A primer on Caenorhabditis elegans. Genetics, 200(2), 387-407. doi: 10.1534/genetics.115.176099

http://www.genetics.org/content/200/2/387.full

Hales, K. G., Korey, C. A., Larracuente, A. M., & Roberts, D. M. (2015). Genetics on the Fly: A Primer on the Drosophila Model System. Genetics, 201(3), 815-842. doi: 10.1534/genetics.115.183392

http://www.genetics.org/content/201/3/815.abstract

Polley, S. R., & Fay, D. S. (2012). A network of genes antagonistic to the LIN-35 retinoblastoma protein of Caenorhabditis elegans. Genetics, 191(4), 1367-1380. doi:10.1534/genetics.112.140152

http://www.genetics.org/content/191/4/1367.full

De Stasio, E. A. (2012). Suppressors, Screens, and Genes: An Educational Primer for Use with “A Network of Genes Antagonistic to the LIN-35 Retinoblastoma Protein of Caenorhabditis elegans”. Genetics, 191(4), 1031-1035. doi: 10.1534/genetics.112.142943

http://www.genetics.org/content/191/4/1031.full

The National Science Foundation has funded a new mentoring initiative jointly organized by the GSA, American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB), and American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB). The Promoting Active Learning & Mentoring (PALM) Network was established to spark sustained biology education reform at diverse institutions through one-on-one long-term mentorships for faculty new to approaches based on recommendations from the Vision and Change report.

PALM provides faculty and postdoctoral scholars with resources that allow them to gain hands-on experience and long-term mentorship support to bring evidence-based, active learning strategies into their own classrooms. The longer term goal is to lead enduring change that will positively influence the teaching culture at each PALM Fellow’s institution.

PALM offers up to $2,000 per Fellow; a $500 mentor stipend; and up to $1,000 for network meeting travel (for each Fellow and mentor). The 2016 application deadlines are January 15 and June 15. The application site will open on January 1, 2016 at www.ascb.org/PALM; more details are available on the site now.

PALM Fellows will:

• Identify and secure partnership with experienced mentors who have already reformed their classrooms. A successful application will define how Fellows will visit the mentor’s site to observe and participate in teaching redesigned classes. This will allow Fellows to experience first-hand—and begin to put into practice—the full scope of pedagogical and cultural shifts needed to achieve effective change.
• Submit a complete proposal.
• Schedule dates to complete the identified work within six months of receiving the award notification.
• Develop an active learning-based module for one of their classes with guidance from their mentors and implement it, thus demonstrating how they have incorporated active learning approaches.
• Submit videos of their teaching before and after their mentoring experience for analysis.
• Consider best options and timing for disseminating their materials to others in their institutions and in the greater scientific community, including publication (e.g., CourseSource or GSA PREP).
• Report on their activities to colleagues at the year-end gathering of the PALM Network, as well as at a national, regional, or sectional meeting of their respective scientific societies.
• Participate in surveys over several years so the PALM Network can assess the extent and persistence of change in classroom practice.

Applicants must:

• Be or become members of organizations that belong to the PALM Network.
• Demonstrate an abiding/sustainable interest in undergraduate biology education.
• Establish a mentor relationship before formally applying.
  • Mentors must be skilled in active learning strategies and evidence-based teaching that align with Vision and Change principles. See http://www.visionandchange.org.
  • Mentors must belong to (or join) one of the PALM Network organizations.
  • Assistance with mentor matching is available (PALM Steering Committee can make recommendations based on geography and specific teaching interests).
• Explain alternatives if they have no immediate access to their own teaching setting.

Networking Works

The PALM Network is designed to combine the shared educational interests of scientific organizations working to promote the objectives of Vision and Change. PALM founders will expand the network by bringing in other organizations seeking collaborations based on reform efforts as they work hard to promote the principles of Vision and Change. The PALM Network Steering Committee contains members representing three professional societies, minority-serving institutions, and community colleges; this is an intentional combination aimed at ensuring diversity in program management and participation.

The PALM Steering Committee’s links to minority- and tribal-serving institutions and community colleges will support this grant’s goals for broadening participation in active learning reform. These organizations educate over half the underrepresented minorities in the U.S., so PALM is primed to bring Vision and Change reforms to populations of faculty and students who have not factored prominently into past pedagogical reform plans.

Questions? Please email grant PI Sue Wick at swick@umn.edu or Beth Ruedi at eruedi@genetics-gsa.org.

Funded by NSF Research Coordination Network in Undergraduate Biology Education grant #1539870

At the Gordon Conference on Undergraduate Biology Education Research in July 2015, Meg Bentley (American University) presented data demonstrating the effectiveness of an Undergraduate Teaching Assistant (UTA) program. Genes to Genomes asked her to give us some advice on the development and execution of such a program.

Imagine a biology lab in which students work in pairs to determine the characteristics of a water sample by measuring oxygen levels, magnesium and pH. It’s a beautiful lab that meets the standard of Vision and Change – it is real-life, it is inquiry based, it is messy – really, really messy.

In our labs at American University and many other institutions across the US, an inquiry-based laboratory often means that a lone, (typically young) graduate student is tasked with managing up to 24 undergraduates with majors ranging from political science to dance to economics. The grad student must corral these undergrads through a series of stations urging them to pipette accurately, dispose of sulfuric acid safely, and get through all the stations in time – all of which are cookbook-style lab course elements not recommended in Vision and Change.

To alleviate this problem and restore our focus on engaging students in making observations, asking real-life questions, and focusing on data and evidence, we decided to add a second person to technically-intensive labs–specifically, an undergraduate teaching assistant (UTA).

UTAs are undergraduate science majors. They are assigned to a lab section and attend 6 (or just about half) of the labs in a particular semester. The UTA is there to answer questions about anything – “how does this thing turn on? Do we need a positive control for every assay? How did you get interested in science?” They don’t get paid and they don’t grade – they simply come and exemplify a passion for doing science.

UTAs are trained in lab safety and about the particular labs in which they will participate, but not specifically in pedagogy. UTAs are encouraged to have open-ended discussions with students, ask students for more, troubleshoot errant equipment or assays, and be comfortable saying  “I don’t know.”

At American University, we use UTAs in our non-majors biology course and our two introductory majors courses. We have asked the UTAs and the students in labs served by UTAs about their experience and it is a win-win (win win win!). Similar to other seminal programs like the Colorado Learning Assistants (CLA) Model, our UTAs report gains in confidence in troubleshooting, communication, and scientific knowledge. UTAs frequently become mentors to their peers and enhance their relationships with faculty and the department. Surveys indicate that more than half of the students interact with UTAs at least 6 times during the semester–and all respondents reported that these interactions are helpful! Reasons for interacting include discussion of results, explanation about assignments, and clarification on how to use equipment. Students in our majors courses also report using UTAs as mentors who answer questions about curriculum choices and study strategies. The fact that most UTAs re-enlist, despite being volunteers, demonstrates the ongoing value UTAs place on this experience.

Here are a few recommendations if you want to get a UTA (or similar) program started at your institution:

1. Recruit UTAs thoughtfully – the best UTAs are the ones who enjoy being in the lab and aren’t scared of “messy.” We don’t select UTAs based on grades.
2. Encourage the UTA to discuss their expectations and goals with the graduate student(s) they will be assisting. Each UTA will have unique expectations and strengths – remind your TAs of this.
3. Train the UTA in safety and content, ideally alongside the TAs.
4. Communicate regularly with UTAs – This is why Facebook was invented! After 3 years of emailing UTAs about training and other issues, we created a Facebook group and now I get responses in 2 minutes rather than 2 days!
5. Create and distribute a description of the UTA role and responsibilities for students’ resumes.
6. Sing the praises of the UTA in your department. Make sure your colleagues know what a UTA is and does.
7. Assess the effectiveness of UTAs– remember to talk with your Institutional Review Board (IRB) before doing student surveys.
8. It’s okay if they don’t show up – UTAs are busy undergrads too. We think of UTAs as cherries on an ice cream sundae – if they are not around, then you still have a pretty darn good dessert.