OPA Program

Evidence-based teaching strategies that foster inclusion, promote active learning, and enable assessment are highly applicable beyond classrooms and are relevant in most professional settings, including every career type in the sciences. In this interactive workshop, participants will engage in a series of small group conversations with multiple scientific professionals pursuing a variety of science careers.

Evidence suggests that learning is enhanced when instructors accurately anticipate learners' misconceptions. In this interactive workshop, participants will examine the broad impacts of a common misconception in the sciences. Participants will then collaborate to construct a bank of misconceptions to assist them in anticipating alternative ideas about their fields that they might encounter during classes, scientific presentations, and job talks.

There’s no substitute for practice when it comes to developing teaching skills. The Microteaching Symposium is your chance to learn evidence-based, inclusive teaching strategies and get practice and feedback running a classroom activity. Gain insights into how people learn and how to design activities accordingly during this special event.

**This is a two part workshop, taking place on April 6th and April 8th**

Microteaching Symposium - Part I: Tuesday, April 6, 4:00pm –5:30pm PT

There’s no substitute for practice when it comes to developing teaching skills. The Microteaching Symposium is your chance to learn evidence-based, inclusive teaching strategies and get practice and feedback running a classroom activity. Gain insights into how people learn and how to design activities accordingly during this special event.

**This is a two part workshop, taking place on April 6th and April 8th**

Microteaching Symposium - Part I: Tuesday, April 6, 4:00pm –5:30pm PT

Your postdoc training is more than just research! Apply design thinking to the wicked problem of a comprehensive postdoctoral training plan and make a bold plan that amplifies your interests and values as you transition to your career of choice. The work we do together will support new perspectives, identify mentoring needs, and ensure that your individual development plan is thoughtful and balanced.

Note: there is approximately an hour of required prework for this session. You will receive details for the prework upon registration.

Your postdoc training is more than just research! Apply design thinking to the wicked problem of a comprehensive postdoctoral training plan and make a bold plan that amplifies your interests and values as you transition to your career of choice. The work we do together will support new perspectives, identify mentoring needs, and ensure that your individual development plan is thoughtful and balanced.

Note: there is approximately an hour of required prework for this session. You will receive details for the prework upon registration.

Topic: Increasing Student Engagement in Chemistry

Required Readings:

Dietrich, N., Jimenez, M., Souto, M., Harrison, A.W., Coudret, C., Olmos, E. (2021). Using Pop-Culture to Engage Students in the Classroom. Journal of Chemical Education,98(2). DOI: 10.1021/acs.jchemed.0c00233 -- LINK

Required Readings:

Keller, A.S., Davidesco, I., & Tanner, K.D. (2020). Attention Matters: How Orchestrating Attention May Relate to Classroom Learning. CBE - Life Sciences Education,19(3); pp. 1-9. DOI: 10.1187/cbe.20-05-0106 -- LINK

Recommended Readings:

In this interactive workshop, participants will experience multiple examples of how active learning can work in undergraduate courses, with a particular emphasis on biology and chemistry. Attendees will experience examples of how to integrate active learning in 1-minute, 5-minutes, 10-minutes, and 20-minutes that highlight common teaching strategies. In addition, participants will explore how student work produced during active learning can be systematically analyzed quickly to guide teaching decisions.

What teaching choices are we making as instructors, and why? How do we as instructors decide how to spend in-class time with students? To what extent do our teaching plans align with what is known about how the brain learns? What tools are available to become more analytical about our teaching choices and strategize for change? In this interactive workshop, participants will explore their current approaches to planning and reflecting on their teaching, as well as explore the 5E learning cycle model as an analytical tool for understanding teaching choices.