The implementation of Discovery practices across the Integrative Biology curriculum has been one of the largest rollouts of the Trailblazer’s program, infusing Discovery practices across several courses and even recruiting a dedicated postdoc whose work focused on this curricular innovation. The IB Discovery Project had extensive reach to 18 courses and over 5,500 students.
-
Reach: 5,686 students, with continued impact each year to 2,435 students through 18 courses.
-
Models on-ramping that presents guidance on skills such as use of equipment, experimental design, and writing and presentation of scientific papers, that are not traditionally taught in “cook-book” style courses
-
Institutionalized anti-racist research and pedagogy through the implementation of a new course and cross-curriculum reform.
-
Apprenticeship learning through structured laboratory experiences was exemplified, accelerating the path to the production of original discoveries.
-
Bi-directional feedback through student “Lecture Question” submissions (student to mentor) and situated learning assessment techniques (mentor to student) where students take the position of a scientist defending their own research.
-
Large scale assessment of teaching practices and student learning outcomes.
