The combination of coursework with opportunities to design and teach will develop gradually over the course of the Certificate. Design and presentation of a single module in the initial course will be followed by a mentored course-design team-taught undergraduate course in the second and third courses; the individualized internship component will complete the evolution to greater levels of responsibility as a capstone experience.
Science Teaching Seminar (BIOL 810, 2 cu) – Over the semester, students will work in small groups with the course instructor and another UNC instructor to design an active learning session that they will implement in an undergraduate science class. Students will also explore the variety of college science teaching positions available via Skype with science instructors from a diverse set of colleges and universities. Finally, students will use their new understanding and experience with teaching to draft a teaching statement for future job searches. Practical activities will also include teaching observations, tutoring, and/or curriculum design each week.
Curriculum Design Seminar (EDUC 890, 2 cu) – Seminar in Education – Required preparation, permission of the instructor (Prerequisite BIOL 810). Provides for seminar treatment of appropriate topics. Repeat rules: May be repeated for credit; may be repeated in the same term for different topics.
Students will extend design principles learned in BIOL 810 to design an undergraduate course that they will later teach. Course design will include creation of learning objectives and syllabus; lesson plans; assessments; and all necessary materials to team-teach the newly developed course, which will typically be taught the following fall. Each team member will be individually responsible for developing and presenting one unit of course material in addition to all team members participation in co-designing the course as a whole.
College Teaching Internship (EDUC 865, 2 cu) – College Teaching Internship – 1-3 Credits. Open to graduate students only. Permission of the instructor (Prerequisite BIOL 810 & EDUC 890). This course is designed to give doctoral and masters’ students experience at college teaching prior to taking on full responsibility for a class of her/his own. The student will fully participate as a teaching assistant in the class of an experienced tenured, tenure track, or clinical professor. Repeat rules: May be repeated for credit.
Students will apply design principles learned in BIOL 810 to team-teach an undergraduate course. Application will include delivering all lectures, assignments, and assessments, for the newly developed course. Each team member will be individually responsible for developing and presenting one unit of course material in addition to all team members participation in co-designing the course as a whole. The course design and topics will be chosen by the team in collaboration with the teaching mentor for each group, as appropriate to the students’ scientific expertise and interests. This course will typically be an undergraduate course on campus at UNC Chapel Hill (e.g., Biology, Chemistry, Pharmacy courses) and would be coordinated with the appropriate department.