Teaching Innovation Awards for fall 2024 announced
The Penn State Eberly College of Science’s Grove Center for Excellence in Science Education has announced its fall 2024 Teaching Innovation Awards. These awards provide an opportunity for instructors in the college to request support to create new or improve their existing science and math courses, programs, and teaching-related activities.
Selected for these awards are Denise Okafor, assistant professor of biochemistry and molecular biology and Huck Early Career Chair in Biophysics, and a team of faculty that includes Amine Benkiran, associate teaching professor of mathematics; Nicholas Stepanik, lecturer in mathematics; Michael Steward, associate teaching professor of mathematics; Matthew Endres, associate teaching professor of biology; Joe Houck, associate teaching professor of chemistry; and Jackie Bortiatynski, director of the Grove Center.
Denise Okafor
Okafor’s project focuses on developing a course-based undergraduate research experience for students to learn how to generate molecular models of biomolecules, such as proteins and nucleic acids, and study them to gain insight into why they function the way they do. Students will have the chance to devise their own research questions and generate original data while gaining skills that will prepare them to pursue different research directions in the future.
“The course-based undergraduate research experience aims to address multiple needs,” Okafor said. “In addition to providing another avenue to introduce undergrads to research, there is a need for emerging researchers to be trained in quantitative research methods that do not require a physical laboratory. This need became extremely evident during the pandemic when several wet-lab researchers were unable to access their facilities for a period of time.”
CCEDIR faculty team
A team of faculty are working on piloting their new tool for classroom feedback, the Capturing Classroom Engagement Data for Instructor Reflection app. Observers in the classroom use CCEDIR to record what is happening — instructor and student engagement — in the classroom. CCEDIR will be an option faculty can choose to use that will allow them to capture a detailed picture of their teaching so they can continue to improve and better serve their students. Led by Jackie Bortiatynski, director of the Grove Center, the team of five faculty spanning three departments in the college will pilot using CCEDIR to obtain detailed information about their teaching that will then be used for their self-reflection.
"One question we asked ourselves is, 'How do we create a culture in which people are excited about receiving feedback on their teaching?'” Bortiatynski said. “As scientists, we don't necessarily experience that culture from day one, and we are not always taught how to teach from day one. My goal for CCEDIR is that faculty feel that they can use the data to inform their practice and help them improve."
About the awards
The Teaching Innovation Awards provide an opportunity for instructors in the Eberly College of Science to request support to accomplish innovative ideas for their science and math courses, programs, and teaching-related activities.
Projects might include adoption of new pedagogies; design of new materials, modules, technology, or assessments; using or trying tools and interventions for improving student success; science education research design or study; or development of a new course.