Topics & Speakers | Agenda | Registration Form | Hotel Information

• Keeping Non-Science Undergraduates Awake and Interested
  Iain Campbell, University of Pittsburgh, PA
  
• The First Course in Preparatory/Introductory Chemistry: Enthuse Them or Lose Them
  Mike Silver, Hope College, MI
• Using Technology to Enliven Biology
  Eric Simon, New England College, NH
• Getting the Horse to Drink: Developing Inquiry-based Activities for Students in Large Courses
  William Hoese, California State University, Fullerton, CA
• Hands-On PhysioEx ™ V5.0 Susan Baxley,
  Troy State University, AL
• Lecture PLUS Chemistry
  Karen Timberlake, Los Angeles Valley College, CA
• The Science Behind the Stories: Engaging Non-Science Students in Science Courses
  Scott Brennan, Western Washington University, WA
• Hands-On BiologyLabs Online
  Robert Desharnais, California State University, Los Angeles, CA
• Teaching Writing Skills to Undergraduate Biology Students
  Jared Haynes, University of California, Davis, CA
• Kemistry Kwick Tricks
  Jacquelyn Thomas, Southwestern College, CA
• Online Course Management
  Edgar Espina, Benjamin Cummings
• Assessing the Development of Science Students' Problem Solving Skills
  Ron Stevens, University of California, Los Angeles, CA
  Marcia Sprang, Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District, CA

Keeping Non-Science Undergraduates Awake and Interested
The prospect of teaching biology to masses of biology majors and/or hordes of undergraduates seeking to fulfill their general education requirements might make even Hercules quake in his classical sandals. The principal goal of this talk is to convince you that not only can you discharge such assignments well, but you can have fun and find great and lasting satisfaction in the process.

• Dr. Iain Campbell is an Associate Professor of Biochemistry in the Biological Sciences Department at the University of Pittsburgh. His principal research interest is industrial microbiology, which he pursues academically and as a private consultant. He is active in undergraduate education, has won the University of Pittsburgh Chancellor's Distinguished Teaching Award, and serves on the board of the Semester at Sea Program. He is a regular speaker on the academic, business, and general education circuits.

The First Course in Preparatory/Introductory Chemistry: Enthuse Them or Lose Them
Imagine the first meeting of a classroom full of nervous pre-chem students who fear both chemistry and math. You have 50 minutes during the first lecture to make your case and turn their fear of chemistry into excitement. In this session, I will demonstrate the techniques I use to keep students enthused - not only in the first lecture of preparatory chemistry but also throughout the course - while insisting on an extremely high level of comprehension of the fundamental concept not usually attempted in the pre-chem course.

• Dr. Mike Silver graduated from Cornell University with a Ph.D. in inorganic chemistry in 1982. He did postdoctoral research at Northwestern University and then joined the faculty at Hope College in Holland, MI, where he is a full professor teaching courses across the curriculum. His most enjoyable course is an evening preparatory chemistry class he teaches at nearby Grand Rapids Community College. Dr. Silver received a Camille and Henry Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award for excellence in teaching and research in 1988, and the Provost's Award for Teaching Excellence in 1997.

Using Technology to Enliven Introductory Biology
Introductory Biology is particularly well-suited to the incorporation of technology into lectures and laboratory exercises. Multimedia allows for inclusion of very current topics, use of animation and video to clarify complicated issues, and reference to popular culture. In this presentation, a variety of creative ways to use technology to teach introductory biology will be discussed, including collaborative projects between professor and students, specific hardware and software solutions to common teaching goals, and how pop culture can enliven the classroom environment. The goal of this presentation is to present practical tips on how any teacher can use technology to improve the teaching and learning environment.

• Dr. Eric J. Simon is an Assistant Professor of Biology at New England College in Henniker, NH, where he teaches introductory biology, genetics, microbiology, and molecular biology. He received his Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Harvard University. Dr. Simon is a coauthor, along with Neil Campbell and Jane Reece, of the books Essential Biology, Second Edition and Essential Biology with Physiology. His research interests focus on creative uses of technology to improve the teaching and learning of science.

Getting the Horse to Drink: Developing Inquiry-based Activities for Students in Large Courses
Actively engaging students in large lecture classes can be a daunting task. Inquiry-based activities stimulate students to identify assumptions, use critical and logical thinking, and consider alterative explanations for scientific observations. Many instructors are put off by the task of developing quality inquiry exercises and few inquiry-based resources already exist for college science teaching. Figures and diagrams in current textbooks provide raw material to construct in-class inquiry activities. In addition, primary literature provides a wealth of resources for developing inquiry exercises focused on specific concepts. This session provides practical examples of how to (1) modify existing text materials and (2) adapt primary references for inquiry-based use in the college science classroom.

• Dr. William Hoese received his B.A. and M.S. from Stanford University and Ph.D. in Zoology from Duke University. While in graduate school he helped redesign the core introductory biology curriculum. As a post-doc at Duke University he developed an inquiry-based seminar curriculum for introductory biology majors. He is currently involved with curricular reform at California State University Fullerton and is researching how students learn core concepts of evolution and biodiversity.

Hands-On PhysioEx™ V5.0
A common challenge for A&P and Human Physiology laboratory courses is that many good learning activities may be too costly, too time-consuming, or too dangerous to perform in an actual wet lab. This session will allow you to explore a few of the 36 PhysioEx™ physiology lab simulations that may be used to supplement or substitute for wet labs. Suggestions will be given for use in the laboratory as well as in a lecture setting. Session attendance limited to 20.

• Susan Baxley is the Science Department Chair at Troy State University, Montgomery in Montgomery, AL. She has a B.S. in Biology from Auburn University and a M.A. from Troy State University, Montgomery. Susan currently teaches the laboratory portion of the 300 level, two-semester Human Anatomy & Physiology courses. In 1996, she was named Teacher of the Year for TSUM, and in 2001-2002 and 1999-2000 was the recipient of the President's Excellence Award for Full Time Faculty at TSUM. She is an active member of the Human Anatomy and Physiology Society (HAPS).

Lecture PLUS Chemistry
Lecture PLUS is a teaching strategy that incorporates student-centered activities and assessment into lecture to promote Participation, Learning, Understanding and Success. In this session, attendees will experience ways to convert a traditional teacher-centered chemistry classroom into a student-centered learning environment. It will model a classroom lesson by engaging participants in a Lecture PLUS learning environment, integrating collaborative learning activities and formative assessment strategies into a mini-lecture format. PowerPoint modules for transparencies or presentation systems may be downloaded if participants bring computer disks to the session.

• Karen Timberlake has been a professor at Los Angeles Valley College for the past 30 years. She received her Masters in Biochemistry from UCLA and has long been an advocate of student-centered teaching. For ten years she also taught a preparatory chemistry class at UCLA using non-traditional teaching methods. She was regional winner of the 1985 Award For Excellence in Teaching from the Chemical Manufacturers Association. Outside of her teaching interests, Karen is the author of a number of textbooks.

The Science Behind the Stories: Engaging Non-Science Students in Science Courses
This session will give faculty an opportunity to explore the use of multi-media tools, storytelling techniques, and innovative in-class and on-line "talk shows" to engage non- science students in introductory science courses. By emphasizing the importance of real places and real people as well as the science behind today's news and world events, you can effectively engage non-science students in serious science courses. The session will show you how and will provide an opportunity to share tips with other faculty members.

• Scott Brennan teaches environmental science, policy, and journalism at Western Washington University's Huxley College of the Environment. He has also worked as a journalist, policy analyst, and environmental consultant. The recipient of a Duke University research fellowship in marine science, Professor Brennan has been recognized for his accomplishments in environmental journalism by Washington State University, Western Washington University, and the Society of Professional Journalists.

Hands-On BiologyLabs On-Line
This session will provide faculty an opportunity to use web-based simulations that are designed to involve students in the scientific process. Although the labs are designed for general biology students, they are appropriate for many upper division courses. In addition to actually running the labs, participants will be given sample assignments for the use of the labs with their students. Session attendance limited to 20.

• Dr. Robert Desharnais is Professor of Biology at California State University, Los Angeles, where he teaches courses in introductory biolgy, biometrics, genetics, population genetics, ecology and population modeling. He is currently the Director for Biolgical Science of the Virtual Courseware Project, and NSF- and CSU-funded program with the goal of using information technology to improve science education. Dr. Desharnais received a B.A. in Biology from the University of Massachusetts in Boston and an M.S. and Ph.D in Zoology from the University of Rhode Island, Kingston. His current research includes the study of non-linear dynamics and chaos theory in populaton ecology in population ecology and the dynamics of intertial mussel communities.

Teaching Writing Skills to Undergraduate Biology Students
Most university teachers in the sciences (as well as in other disciplines) feel that their students don't write well. The standard biology lab report and the research paper seem to many students to be tedious exercises that they complete half-heartedly. In addition, in large classes, teachers often find it hard to fit writing assignments into the curriculum, and the time needed to grade student papers is daunting. Join this session as we look at writing as a tool for learning, rather than just as a tool for assessment. I will present ways to structure assignments that lead to more successful student writing, and we will discuss strategies for commenting on and grading student papers effectively and efficiently.

• Jared Haynes graduated from Dartmouth College in 1969 with a B.A. in Renaissance Studies. He received an M.A. in Biology in 1982, and a second M.A., in English, with an emphasis on teaching writing, in 1987, both from Humboldt State University. He has been teaching writing, primarily to science students at the University of California, Davis, for 15 years. He has presented many workshops, both on campus and at institutions, on writing in the disciplines, critical thinking, the cognitive development of college students, and gender equity in the classroom.

Kemistry Kwick Tricks
Mnemonics and other memory devices can help students feel more comfortable in a generally stressful class - chemistry. In 17 years of teaching, I have discovered several memory aids to make a variety of chemical topics easier for students to comprehend. These include polyatomic nomenclature, mass-mass problems, diatomic molecules, and redox. Participates will receive worksheets based on these devices that can be used for student workshops or given as supplemental material.

• Jacqueline Thomas received a B.A. in Chemistry from United States International University in 1971. She taught chemistry and mathematics for 13 years in the Sweetwater Union High School District, Chula Vista, California. Returning to school, Jackie received her M.S. in Chemistry from San Diego State University in 1995. For the last six years, Jackie has been employed at Southwestern College as a professor of Chemistry teaching General Chemistry. Awards include Teacher of the Month, October 1986 and Teacher of the Year, 1987 both from Mar Vista High School, and Who's Who Among America's Teachers, 1992,1994,1996, and 1998, Who's Who Among Young American Professionals 1988, and Who's Who in California 1988.

Online Course Management
As advances in Internet technology are helping instructors teach online science courses more effectively, the variety of options for online course management can be overwhelming. This session will demonstrate CourseCompass™ powered by Blackboard and highlight Benjamin Cummings customizable content, including lecture outlines, chapter-specific test and quiz questions, interactive exercises, case studies, web-based research activities, and more. Session attendance limited to 20.

• Edgar Espina is a Technology Specialist for Benjamin Cummings.

Assessing the Development of Science Students' Problem Solving Skills
What if you could reliably predict your student's future problem solving strategies (good and bad)? Would you try to intervene? What if you could assess the effectiveness of these curricular interventions on student problem solving? And, what if you could get these predictions and evaluations in real-time across the web? This presentation describes IMMEX, an online problem-solving environment for grades 6-20 that tracks how students select and use strategies as they solve complex science problems. In this session we will first demonstrate the IMMEX problem-solving system and show educators how to gain free access to these tools. Next, we will provide case histories of how these technologies have been successfully incorporated throughout districts across the country. Finally, we will describe how educators can partner with other educators to create such assessments for their own needs.

• Dr. Ron Stevens is the director of the technology-based IMMEX problem-solving project and Professor of Microbiology and Immunology, UCLA School of Medicine and Professor of Education at UCLA. As a basic science researcher he has published more than 100 peer-reviewed articles in the area of cellular and molecular immunology. He has also published articles on technology and professional development topics spanning elementary school through medical school. He is/has been the principal investigator on multiple science education grants (National Science Foundation and Howard Hughes Medical Institute) to foster the integration of technology and problem solving into the classrooms of Los Angeles and through the Department of Education's PT3 program has extended these technologies to preservice teacher instruction.

• Dr. Marcia Sprang is the TK-12 Program Director at the Placentia- Yorba Linda Unified School District and chair of the Science Department at Esperanza High School. The TK-12 Program is a program to transfer thinking skills, communication skills and technology applications across the science curriculum and into the workplace through education in grades K through 12. She has received recognition for her teaching including Outstanding Physics Teacher of the Year, UC Irvine (1997), Staff Member of the Year, Esperanza High School (1997), Fredrick Emmons Termen Engineering Scholastic Award, Stanford University (1997), Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District Teacher of the Year (2000), and Vision for Excellence Award from Project Tomorrow and the Beckman Foundation (2001).