October 23, 2025-11:00am
In classrooms across campus, University of Oregon College of Arts and Sciences STEM instructors are working to make the classroom more engaging and accessible for 21st century students.
During the summer, 25 faculty members from the college’s Division of Natural Sciences took part in the Mobile Summer Institute for Scientific Teaching. The weeklong workshop offered faculty members ways to transform traditional lectures to be more inclusive and hands on that puts students at the center of learning.
Hosted by the Division of Natural Sciences, the Mobile Summer Institute brought together instructors not only from disciplines such as biology, chemistry, and physics but also from the Clark Honors College, the Knight Campus Bioengineering Program, the UO libraries, and the College of Education. Brought together to rethink how science is taught.
Led by biology Associate Teaching Professor Nicola Barber and executive support coordinator Karli Farrimond (ASU6), the training introduced evidence-based, student-centered methods grounded in research on how people learn. Deb Pires and Elly Vandegrift, both members of the National Institute for Scientific Teaching, also played significant roles in leading workshop sessions.
With its goals of closing equity gaps, improving the student learning experience, and strengthening teaching in large STEM courses, Barber described the training as a “catalyst for change” across campus.
“If you think about 25 instructors, each teaching about 100 students a year, that’s a huge multiplier,” she said. “Anytime a faculty member applies what they learn, you have an exponential impact.”
Developed by the National Institute for Scientific Teaching, Mobile Summer Institute uses backward design, a process in which instructors start with clear learning goals and build assessments and activities to meet them. Participants practiced these techniques while revising lessons to be more active and inclusive for students.
“We know lectures alone aren’t very effective or equitable,” Barber said. “Students learn more, and gaps close, when they’re actively engaged.”
Farrimond said the program helps faculty navigate the shift toward interactive teaching.
“A lot of instructors in large lecture halls think active learning isn’t possible,” she said. “We showed them that even small changes such as polling, short discussions, or group work, can actually make a big difference.”
The workshop was funded through a Tykeson Excellence Award from CAS and builds on UO’s former Science Literacy Program, reflecting the College of Arts and Sciences’ commitment to inclusive, evidence-based instruction. MoSI is set to return next summer, aiming to engage even more instructors passionate about improving STEM teaching and student success.
“These are instructors who care deeply about their students,” Barber said. “Every year, they’ll keep getting better and better, and their students will benefit from that growth.”
— By Maria Soto Cuesta, College of Arts and Sciences