“Know the facts, learn the algorithms, and employ the problem-solving strategy.” This approach is a common characteristic of college math and science courses; when students work hard and follow this method, they learn that they will get “the right answer.” But this pedagogical framework can also hinder science students, particularly when they wrestle with questions of purpose and calling, or encounter challenges and obstacles in their early years of college. Led by educators in natural and applied sciences, this workshop invites participants to engage in activities aimed at: (1) thinking deeply about who our students are; (2) developing classroom practices that engage both the cognitive and affective domains of our students; and (3) creating opportunities to bridge the classroom with the co-curricular lives and communities of our students, as they discern not only their academic majors but also the persons they are called to be.
Lindsey R. Bosko-Dunbar, Associate Professor of Mathematics, St Norbert College (WI)
Jeff R. Brown, Professor of Civil Engineering, Director of the Honors Program, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (FL)
Leah A. Martin-Visscher, Associate Professor of Chemistry, The King’s University (AB, Canada)