Collectively Improving Our Teaching: Attempting Biology Department–wide Professional Development in Scientific Teaching

• DOI: 10.1187/cbe.17-06-0106
• Publication Date: 2018-01-12T01:30:40Z
• Authors: Melinda T. Owens; Gloriana Trujillo; Shannon B. Seidel; Colin D. Harrison; Katherine M. Farrar; Hilary P. Benton; J. R. Blair; Katharyn E. Boyer; Jennifer L. Breckler; Laura W. Burrus; Dana T. Byrd; Natalia Caporale; Edward J. Carpenter; Yee-Hung M. Chan; Joseph C. Chen; Lily Chen; Linda H. Chen; Diana S. Chu; William P. Cochlan; Robyn J. Crook; Karen D. Crow; José R. de la Torre; Wilfred F. Denetclaw; Lynne M. Dowdy; Darleen Franklin; Megumi Fuse; Michael A. Goldman; Brinda Govindan; Michael Green; Holly E. Harris; Zheng-Hui He; Stephen B. Ingalls; Peter Ingmire; Amber R. B. Johnson; Jonathan D. Knight; Gretchen LeBuhn; Terrye L. Light; Candace Low; Lance Lund; Leticia M. Márque...; Vanessa C. Miller...; Christopher A. Mo...; Heather Murdock; Gloria L. Nusse; V. Thomas Parker; Sally G. Pasion; Robert Patterson; Pleuni S. Pennings; Julio C. Ramirez; Robert M. Ramirez; Blake Riggs; Rori V. Rohlfs; Joseph M. Romeo; Barry S. Rothman; Scott W. Roy; Tatiane Russo-Tait; Ravinder N. M. Se...; Kevin A. Simonin; Greg S. Spicer; Jonathon H. Stillman; Andrea Swei; Leslie C. Tempe; Vance T. Vredenburg; Steven L. Weinstein; Andrew G. Zink; Loretta A. Kelley; Carmen R. Domingo; Kimberly D. Tanner
• Keywords: Faculty Development; Institution

Many efforts to improve science teaching in higher education focus on a few faculty members at an institution time, with limited published evidence attempts engage across entire departments. We created long-term, department-wide collaborative professional development program, Biology Faculty Explorations Scientific Teaching (Biology FEST). Across 3 years of FEST, 89% the department's completed weeklong scientific institute, and 83% eligible instructors participated additional semester-long follow-up programs. A semester after institute completion, majority FEST alumni reported adding active learning their courses. These instructor self-reports were corroborated by audio analysis classroom noise surveys students biology courses frequency active-learning techniques used classes taught nonalumni. Three launched, participants overwhelmingly that was positively affected. Unexpectedly, most respondents also believed they had improved relationships departmental colleagues felt greater sense belonging department. Overall, our results indicate develop skills can indeed attract large numbers faculty, spark widespread change practices, relations.