MedEdPORTAL for Undergraduate Science (uScience)
MedEdPORTAL for Undergraduate Science (www.mededportal.org/uscience) is a new repository that is geared towards classroom tested and peer-reviewed instructional resources for undergraduate-level science courses - which will primarily focus on human health issues. The uScience site is an expansion of MedEdPORTAL, which is sponsored by the Association of American Medical Colleges. The new uScience collection will begin with a focus on the natural sciences (biology, chemistry, and physics) and potentially expand to include the social and behavioral sciences.
Introducing the uScience Pilot Collection! In October 2009, a competitive call went out to a targeted group of undergraduate science faculty inviting them to share their best teaching materials related to human health. Eleven were selected to be a part of the inaugural group to submit their teaching resources for peer review. Those that passed peer review are now available! uScience Promotes Innovation in the Classroom Calls for reform to undergraduate science are many, but how does one translate these broad principles into changes in the courses being taught right now? uScience helps by giving faculty easy access to innovative resources that can be immediately put to use in the classroom. uScience makes it easy for faculty to try out innovative instructional strategies or incorporate new content in the existing curriculum. Each resource found in the uScience collection is a complete learning unit, including activities, presentation, data, resources, instructor guide and often assessment - everything needed! And quality is assured as every resource is peer-reviewed for content and instructional effectiveness. How Does uScience Help Faculty? Faculty teaching introductory natural science courses are expected to meet the varied needs of students -- non-majors, aspiring scientists, pre-meds -- all with different goals. Even armed with the department curriculum, textbooks, and lecture notes, how can one expect to meet these diverse needs? How can one inspire transformative learning, let alone teach basic knowledge of facts, not to mention involving students in the scientific process?
What are the Benefits of uScience? The promise of MEP for uScience as the pilot collection grows is to provide faculty free access to quality science education materials that they can use to introduce innovations in the curriculum today.
What's Next? We are seeking partners and funding to further develop the collection. A growing and vibrant uScience collection will make it easier for undergraduate science faculty bring innovation into the undergraduate science classroom and improve learning outcomes for their students. Stay tuned for more... Join the Mailing List
Additional Information About MedEdPORTAL: Questions? Contact: Jen Page | uScience Pilot Collection Below are the first peer-reviewed resources to help undergraduate science faculty incorporate human health topics into the curriculum and to try out innovative teaching strategies. |
