Planning will be supported for a Research Coordination Network centered on the use of music as a tool for engaging undergraduate student interest and learning in biology. Initial tests of having students write and perform songs to reinforce learning of science concepts were received enthusiastically by students. Results of these tests suggest that this may be an effective way of engaging students, including non-science majors, in science classes and of increasing retention of course content. Improving science literacy among non-science majors would be a significant broader impact and address an important national need.
This project will support communication among scientists, teachers, and songwriters with interests in developing this pedagogical approach. A project website, Undergraduate Biology Education - Songs for Teaching (UBEST), and a Facebook page will be created to support communication among participants and sharing of materials developed by the project. A key activity of this planning project will be to recruit experts in learning at the interface of arts and science. The goal of the project will be to develop a full RCN-UBE proposal that will support a broader network of scientists, teachers, and songwriters, and that will support testing of the most effective ways to use music to increase understanding of scientific concepts and natural history.
This project is supported jointly by the Biological Sciences Directorate and the Division of Undergraduate Education.
INTELLECTUAL CONTRIBUTION. This incubator project explored use of a curriculum that includes music in teaching university students to understand and appreciate biology and environmental science. Participants came from several organizational settings—large public research universities, a public teaching university, a private music college, and industry. We produced a website for networking, expansion of course offerings in Art-Science fusion, training of teaching assistants, an updated database of science songs for teaching, dissemination of some teaching materials, reports to professional societies, outreach publicizing and educating about nature preserves, and web-based dissemination of some student videos. Three scholarly articles were published. W. Silk, M. Thomas, and M. Goldberg collaborated to assess and improve student learning outcomes in Art-Science classes. Two networking meetings facilitated exchange of ideas and learning about experiences in teaching biology via music and enhancing science learning through the arts. BROADER IMPACT. The focus of this grant was the use of music to expand student access to biology and to magnify creative, collaborative and innovative thinking. Our participants found good evidence that arts can play a role in kinesthetic learning and thus improve general education (www.nctimes.com/news/local/san-marcos/san-marcos-arts-education-program-boosts-reading-scores/article_c5b0e886-ec82-57e1-b1a3-b70224839697.html), and student evaluations of ArtScience courses at the university confirmed that these are engaging their interest. By engaging students with arts-based methods, professors are utilizing a teaching method that is student-based, engages the student in active rather than passive learning, and contributes to learning outside of disciplinary boundaries. Arts- based methods require critical thinking, understanding, and application of knowledge. Furthermore, educational research has shown that the arts have power to engage students of underserved minorities and increase their understanding and confidence in the learning of science.
