Scientists have the reputation of being terrible instructors, but in my time in college-level teaching, I've met few who did not deeply care about what and how their students learned. The real problem may be that few graduate students in the sciences are ever taught about teaching and learning – as is true in much of graduate education, we are tossed into the deep end to swim as best we can. We end up re-inventing many of education's wheels through this process, missing out on the wonderful tools that are available.
In seeking to improve my instructional techniques and thus provide better opportunities for students, I've done my share of re-invention. In completing a masters in educational leadership, I accelerated my learning by discovering the world of K-12 educational research. I learned many new techniques and approaches to learning as well as the correct implementation - and names - of techniques I'd discovered on my own. On my education web pages I provide some ideas and data demonstrating the efficacy of these techniques; click on the links below to learn more about my philosophy and research in education.
Consulting: Education for Critical Thinking
Using formative assessments in a large lecture setting
On-line quizzes to teach problem-solving
Quizzes improve student outcomes: a test
Other links:
Nephila life cycle and natural history
Studying Nephila clavipes in Mexico
Student projects using Nephila
