We had three speakers our November DOLCE: Dr. Dina Zhabinskaya,
Lecturer in the Department of Physics; Dr. James Carey, Distinguished
Professor of Entomology from the Department of Entomology and
Nematology; and Dr. Arnold J. Bloom, Distinguished Professor and John B.
Orr Endowed Professor in the Department of Plant Sciences.
Dr. Dina Zhabinskaya from
the Physics Department introduced DOLCE attendees to the Physics 7,
a one-year introductory and laboratory physics course intended for
students majoring in the biological sciences. With the course
structure’s emphasis on active learning, Dr. Zhabinskaya explained
how the instructors and TA have maintained the focus on engagement and
discovery. Dr. James Carey from
the Department of Entomology and Nematology presented on “A bonus
point gamification concept to incentivize subject mastery,” an approach
that Professor Carey developed last summer to incentivize students to
master several different technical skill sets or substantive areas
covered in his courses. Finally, Dr. Arnold J. Bloom from
the Department of Plant Sciences reflected on the connections
between his hybrid and online teaching and years-long experiences
finding a publisher for a multimedia textbook, emphasizing the
importance of technology in the design of course materials in this day
and age.
