Featured Resource
Best Practices for Clickers (10 minute video clip)
Regardless of your experience using clickers, this is a wonderful resource to help you employ best practices for using clickers to engage students, make class more active and learner-centered, and gather real-time feedback on student learning during lecture:

"Using Clickers Effectively" Evidence-based clicker practice in the Biology classroom. University of Washington. Dr. Scott Freeman Biology 180 

    Announcements
    Blaire Van Valkenburgh appointed inaugural Donald R. Dickey Chair
    in Vertebrate Biology

    Professor Blaire Van Valkenburgh, an internationally renowned vertebrate biologist and paleontologist, has been appointed the inaugural Donald R. Dickey chair in Vertebrate Biology in the UCLA Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. The chair, which was created through an endowment from Donald R. Dickey Jr. and Hisae Dickey, supports the professor who stewards the Donald R. Dickey Bird and Mammal Collection as well as the collection's curation and maintenance. The collection has been housed in UCLA's Hershey Hall, since 1986.

    Read more in UCLA Newsroom

    Blaire Van Valkenburgh
    Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
    Neil Garg wins 2016 Mitsui Chemicals Catalysis
    Science Award
    Neil Garg, professor and vice chair for education in the UCLA Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, has been selected as the winner of the 2016 Mitsui Chemicals Catalysis Science Award of Encouragement, an award that recognizes outstanding achievements in catalysis science. He will be honored at the Chemical Society of Japan Chemistry Festa on November 14 in Tokyo and will receive a cash prize.

    Read more in
    UCLA Newsroom
      Neil Garg
    Chemistry & Biochemistry


    Important Report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, Medicine: 
    Barriers and Opportunities for 2-Year and 4-Year STEM Degrees:  Systemic Change to Support Students' Diverse Pathways (2016)

    Nearly 40 percent of the students entering 2- and 4-year postsecondary institutions indicated their intention to major in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) in 2012. But the barriers to students realizing their ambitions are reflected in the fact that about half of those with the intention to earn a STEM bachelor’s degree and more than two-thirds intending to earn a STEM associate’s degree fail to earn these degrees 4 to 6 years after their initial enrollment. Many of those who do obtain a degree take longer than the advertised length of the programs, thus raising the cost of their education. Are the STEM educational pathways any less efficient than for other fields of study? How might the losses be “stemmed” and greater efficiencies realized? These questions and others are at the heart of this study. 

    Upcoming Events
    CEILS Journal Club for STEM Education Research 
    Fridays from 2:00 – 3:00 PM   Location:  1100 TSLB 
     

    Enjoy your summer - Journal Club will resume in Fall 2016!

    Higher Education Research Institute at UCLA (HERI): Summer Institutes 2016
    Institutes take place here at UCLA with presentations by faculty and researchers.

    Details and registration available at www.heri.ucla.edu under "Institutes".

    Society for the Advancement of Biology Education Research National Meeting 
    July 14-17, 2016University of Minnesota- Twin Cities

    SABER fosters Biology Education Research (BER) and its dissemination by defining the standards for BER practice, supporting the BER community through training and faculty development programs, and fostering collaborations among BER investigators.

    Coming Soon (Register Now, Save the Dates)...
    Problem-Based Learning (PBL) 2016 International Conference
    September 8-10, 2016, Sao Paulo, Brazil
    International Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research (BEERS)
    College of Charleston, North Carolina  Oct. 14-16, 2016
    John N. Gardner Institute 2017 Annual Gateway Course Experience Conference
    February 26-28, 2017 , The Westin Las Vegas Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada
    Learn more and register online.


    Newsworthy
    New Book Available: Quality in the Undergraduate Experience:
    What Is It? How Is It Measured? Who Decides? Summary of a Workshop
    (2016)
    Students, parents, and government agencies need as much information as possible about the outcomes of the higher education experience and the extent to which they can expect a fair return on their investment in higher education. In order to better understand the concept of quality - enabling students to acquire knowledge in a variety of disciplines and deep knowledge in at least one discipline, as well as to develop a range of skills and habits of mind that prepare them for career success, engaged citizenship, intercultural competence, social responsibility, and continued intellectual growth - an ad hoc planning committee of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Board on Higher Education and Workforce, with funding from the Lumina Foundation, organized a workshop in Washington, D.C., on December 14-15, 2015. This report summarizes the presentations and discussion of that event.

    Intensive Faculty Development Programs Afford the "Opportunity for Improvement"
    Published in Inside Higher Education

    Multi-day faculty development institutes prepare small numbers of faculty to design and lead online and blended courses. Such programs offer an intimate atmosphere, hands-on experiences, and dedicated time for faculty to rethink their approach to teaching.

    Note: CEILS will be offering a week-long Summer Institute in 2017. Stay tuned for additional details this Fall and Winter.   

    Dissecting One (Extremely Boring) College Lecture

    Three experts in education analyze a video clip of a class lecture, discussing the legacy, problems, and potential of the lecture format in college teaching.
    What Makes a Good Teacher?
    Published in the Chronicle of Higher Education

    A professor describes the personality traits that many "high quality" teachers share, based on his experiences as a student, teacher, and administrator. He argues that even those who are not "born teachers" can improve their teaching by attending to these qualities.
    A Conceptual Framework for Graduate Teaching Assistant Professional Development Evaluation and Research
    Research paper published in CBE Life Science Education. Summer 2016.

    The authors propose  a conceptual model for researching and evaluating professional development programs for graduate teaching assistants in biology. The framework centers on three sets of variables: outcome variables, contextual variables, and moderating variables.

    Professional Development
    Post-Docs & Graduate Students
    Two Great Resources for Learning About Opportunities in Science
    Science.gov has recently created a new pair of web-based portals to help undergraduates and graduate students alike search for Federally-sponsored opportunities in STEM. If you are interested, please see the links below.
    The O*NET program is the nation's primary source of occupational information, containing information on hundreds of standardized and occupation-specific descriptors. The database provides the basis for the Career Exploration Tools, a set of assessment instruments for workers and students looking to find or change careers.

    Job Opportunities

    Instructor Pool 2016-2017 Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
    University of California, Los Angeles
    [Open Until Filled]
    https://recruit.apo.ucla.edu/apply/JPF02343

    Quarterly Contract Instructor - MIMG XL 6 
    UCLA Extension 
    [Open Until Filled]
    ► http://unexit.applicantstack.com/x/detail/a2k9db28nzkp

    Associate Director, Teaching and Learning Research Center
    University of California, Irvine

    [Application Deadline: July 13, 2016]
    https://recruit.ap.uci.edu/apply/JPF03479

    Associate/Professor in STEM Education
    The College of Education, College of Natural Science, College of Engineering, and the Lyman Briggs College at Michigan State University
    [Application Review begins August 1st, 2016]
    https://jobs.msu.edu/applicants/jsp/shared/frameset/Frameset.jsp?time=1466702664993

    Education Scientific Training Fellow
    American Society for Microbiology
    [Application Deadline: August 1st, 2016 or until position is filled]
    www.asmcareerconnections.org/jobseeker/job/29000337/

    Program Development Specialist
    Learning Resource Centers, Rutgers University
    ► https://jobs.rutgers.edu/postings/26944

    Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Biology Education
    Michigan State University, Plant Biology Department
    [Application Review begins June 20, 2016 and continues until the position is filled]
    ► http://www.cirtl.net/JobPosting-MSU-PostdoctoralResearchFellow

    Director for Educational Effectiveness
    University of Rochester
    http://www.cirtl.net/DirectorofAssessment-URochester

    Instructional Consultant for Diversity and Inclusive Teaching
    University of Michigan
    http://http://umjobs.org/job_detail/125905

     
    Center for Education Innovation & Learning in the Sciences | UCLA

    For more information about CEILS events and resources, including a list of STEM education events from previous mailers, please visit the CEILS website at  www.ceils.ucla.edu  or stop by the CEILS office in Hershey Hall (Rooms 122 & 126).

      If you wish to be added to the CEILS mailing list, please send your request to  media@ceils.ucla.edu .

    Please note, this Bi-Monthly Newsletter is circulated through many departmental listservs. Most other CEILS correspondence, including special event announcements and reminders, are sent to CEILS mailing list recipients only. Thanks!