This project adapts and implements the "New Pathway" case-studies model, developed for medical students at the Harvard Medical School (HMS), to the teaching and learning in undergraduate cell and molecular biology courses at a Minority-Serving Institution (MSI). To coordinate with the recent establishment of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine in San Francisco, this project aims to develop case-based modules centered on stem cell concepts and methodology.
INTELLECTUAL MERIT Several studies have demonstrated that underrepresented minority students are more engaged in the learning of science and mathematics when real-life scenarios are used to teach these disciplines. Similarly, medical students trained using the "New Pathway" case-study model expressed greater interest in the medical concepts due to the increased real-world relevance. This project examines the extent to which underrepresented minority students enrolled in "New Pathway"-type courses are more engaged in the learning of cell and molecular biology concepts and are better trained in the nature of science. Student attitudes and learning are assessed via pre- and post-semester surveys. The results obtained are compared to the outcomes found for medical students at HMS. In this way, the efficacy of the "New Pathway" case-study approach is measured for a student population significantly different from the one for which it was originally developed.
BROADER IMPACT The activities address a national need for greater diversity in the scientific work force by implementing curricular innovations that train undergraduate minority students in the nature of science using state-of-the-art technology. The project is designed to (1) integrate investigative case-based learning in undergraduate courses at an MSI and to test its efficacy; (2) incorporate research-based laboratory experiments that train undergraduate students in the actual practice of science; (3) conduct a workshop on the use of "Case Modules to Teach Biology" in consultation with one of the developers of the "New Pathway" model, giving other faculty members the necessary professional development in investigative case-based learning needed to broaden the impact of the proposed activities within the discipline; and (4) conduct formative and summative evaluations of the proposed activities as part of the thesis work for a Science Education Master's student.
