Compelling, data-driven national reports call for changes in the way STEM courses are taught at the college level. Many of the changes focus on helping students learn about core concepts and problem solving instead of concentrating on memorized facts. Although institutions are striving to make changes, understanding what classroom techniques help students learn, how to effectively assess learning, and how to support faculty who implement change is a complex research endeavor. My lab, which engages undergraduate and graduate students, postdocs, and university faculty, works on these teaching and learning topics. I am also the Editor-in-Chief of CourseSource. CourseSource is a peer-reviewed, open-access journal that publishes undergraduate life science teaching resources that have been developed with evidence-based pedagogical techniques.
See Prof. Smith's website and the Ecology and Evolution Biology department's profile on Biology Education Research for more information.
