We are excited to announce 16 events this term that all focus on racial justice in biology. These events are open to the School of Life Sciences (SOLS) community.  Please join our suite of virtual workshops, seminars, and discussions to learn and become more self-aware of how we can become more inclusive.  The sessions are for faculty, staff, and students – all of the seminars will be recorded and posted on the  RISE Center website  for viewing afterwards.  For a full description of the events, click the links below: SABER events An initiative sponsored by the Society for the Advancement in Biology Education Research (SABER) focused on promoting awareness, understanding, and commitment to change academic biology environments to be more inclusive and strive for racial justice in STEM Education.  RISE Up events An initiative sponsored by ASU’s Research for Inclusive STEM Education (RISE) Center focused on enhancing awareness, understanding, and commitment to...

  Why do I keep seeing people list pronouns on their email signatures? Can I use the word queer? What’s a deadname? As ASU is defined by who we include and how they succeed , we need to make sure that this includes everyone in the classroom, including students with identities that are invisible. Even though society tends to assume that everyone is straight and cis-gender, current estimates of individuals who identify as members of the LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer) community range from 10-20% of the population. Specifically in biology classrooms at ASU, about 9-16% of undergraduates report having an LGBTQ+ identity on surveys. What challenges might a biology classroom present for LGBTQ+ students? Instructors and fellow students may inadvertently make incorrect assumptions that may cause some LGBTQ+ students to feel uncomfortable. For example, individuals may mis-gender transgender students and non-gender binary students in class. This could be done by using a...

Combining the C.R.E.A.T.E .method with an online annotation and discussion tool like Perusall can empower students to confidently participate in conversations and amplify more voices in the classroom. Together they may lead to deeper knowledge building and synthesis among communities of learners. Reading primary research literature is an important skill for understanding the generation and evaluation of ideas in the Life and Social Sciences. Typically as students advance into their upper division coursework, interactions with primary literature outside of curated textbooks become more common. Analysis of these papers can help students understand “who does science, how and why” (Hoskins, Lapatto, and Stevens, 2011) . However, for many students reading primary literature can be intimidating and confusing. Scientific research may seem like a recipe to which some have access and others do not. They may also feel like they are unable to ask questions or criticize the work being done by ...

The path to quality information is not straight.  A recent survey from Project Information Literacy  explored how college students engage with news . Most survey respondents encounter some news every day, but more found out about news and current events through conversations with peers, family and instructors than from professional news sources. Researchers found class conversation about world events can provide important context and practice for engaging with credible information sources. Further, students who discussed news and public issues in the classroom were more inclined to investigate the topics on their own.  Research and exploration are important components for any learning endeavor. Students dive deeper into a subject area to gain new knowledge, and instructors often help guide them toward credible, authoritative sources in their subject area. But what is often overlooked in most classrooms is the experience and habits students bring to the table for find...

The modern research university like Arizona State University has a multifaceted mission including research, education, and service to the community. The pressure on faculty to perform at high levels in the three areas can be daunting. Faculty positions require a diverse skill set to meet expectations in each critical job area. Additionally, given the mixed mission of the university faculty are frequently hired for their research expertise.   Arizona State University is uniquely positioned because the university is dedicated to accessibility for all students qualified to study at the university. The diversity and preparedness of students can create a complex teaching and learning environment which is further complicated by level of faculty preparedness to address the challenges of the diverse classroom. A collaborative relationship between faculty and instructional designers can produce positive outcomes for faculty and students (Richardson et al., 2018). It is imperative the u...

Today's blog is written by Logan Gin, PhD Student in Biology and Society, and member of Sara Brownell's Biology Education Research Lab What are bridge programs? The transition to college can be difficult for students from a variety of different backgrounds as they attempt to adjust to the rigor of college courses, adapt to a novel university setting, and become members of a university community. Summer bridge programs, sometimes called boot camps or early start programs, have been developed as a way to ease the academic and social transition to college. They are intensive experiences for incoming students that can provide early exposure to the opportunities, knowledge, and skills it takes to succeed in college. How can bridge programs help STEM students? Surprisingly, there is limited research on the goals and effectiveness of bridge programs. A recent review of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) bridge programs (Ashley, Cooper, Cala, and Brownell, 2017)...