How do we use research on teaching and learning to influence our teaching?
Diane M. Bunce – The Catholic University of America
October 4, 2016
This presentation is co-hosted by CSME and the Department of Chemistry.
Download the presentation slides here
View the presentation video, below.
There is a lot of professional buzz about adopting pedagogical approaches in our teaching that are based on research on teaching. But how do we do that? Research on teaching and learning usually investigates a limited number of variables and the jump from what we read in journals to how we implement it in our teaching can be formidable. The real answer is to back up and look at what cognitive psychology tells us about how the brain operates and then redefine the problems we see in our courses in light of this perspective. Based on that analysis and the research that has been done, we can make minor adjustments to our teaching that may result in significant changes in the quantity and quality of learning that takes place. The purpose of this presentation will be to present practical ways to use both cognitive psychology and research-based learning to develop or modify our own approaches to teaching.
Diane Bunce received a B.S. degree in chemistry from LeMoyne College, a masters of arts in science teaching from Cornell University and a PhD in chemical education from the University of Maryland, College Park. She has taught and done research at the US Naval Academy as the Kinnear Chair of Physical Science in 2013-14 and 2015-16. She is currently a Professor Emerita from The Catholic University of America where she was a professor of chemistry for 29 years. Diane has served as an original author on three of the American Chemical Society’s curricula projects (ChemCom for high school students; Chemistry in Context for college nonscience majors and Chemistry for college chemistry majors). She also served as the founding feature editor for the chemical education research feature of the Journal of Chemical Education and as the editor or co-editor of three books for the ACS on chemical education (Nuts and Bolts of Chemical Education Research, Investigating Classroom Myths through Research on Teaching and Learning, and Tools of Chemistry Education Research). Diane has received several national awards for both her teaching and research including the ACS George C. Pimentel Award for Chemical Education (2012), James Flack Norris Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Teaching of Chemistry (2007) and Helen Free Award for Public Outreach (August 2001). Her research focuses on understanding how student learning occurs and is affected by different teaching pedagogies in chemistry.
