Implementation of Student- Centered Pedagogy, Its Impact on Learning, Persistence, and the Teaching Culture

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This project will significantly improve the learning environment for thousands of life science majors by converting introductory courses in biology and math to student-centered modes of instruction. Instructor teams will be trained to use interactive video technology to implement active learning pedagogies in core biology courses. The project team also will design a new math curriculum that incorporates biology-relevant content and computational applications, supplemental instruction opportunities for underrepresented racial minority students, and student-centered teaching methods demonstrated to positively impact students most at risk for dropping out of science. Expected outcomes include more students motivated and prepared to explore diverse science careers, fewer students under-performing in their introductory coursework, and a more diverse undergraduate pool completing science and math degrees. Project activities also will produce research faculty who are more engaged in assessing student learning as well as future faculty (teaching fellows) who can serve as advocates of student-centered teaching at other institutions. To augment these activities, a new position will be created within the UCLA Career Center that promotes student interest in career alternatives to medicine and awareness of emerging careers in science. The project evaluation plan will provide new knowledge about the impact of interactive videos on student learning, the effectiveness of student-centered teaching on knowledge retention and persistence in science majors, and the support structures necessary to engage research-focused faculty in curricular reform. All of these activities will incorporate faculty mentoring strategies and incentives aimed at surmounting institutional barriers that tend to inhibit educational reform.