Yale Center for Teaching and Learning

STEM Education Seminar: Dr. Scot Gould

Event Series 

Audience 

Faculty, Staff, Graduate & Professional Students, Postdoctoral Fellows, Undergraduates

Event Time 

Thursday, March 9, 2017 - 2:45pm to 3:45pm

Location of Event: 

Interdisciplinary science education for science majors: Accelerated Integrated Science Sequence (AISS)

Event Description 

Dr. Scot Gould, Claremont McKenna College, W.K. Keck Science Department, Professor of Physics

Title: “Interdisciplinary science education for science majors: Accelerated Integrated Science Sequence (AISS)”

Abstract: For many years, science has become increasingly interdisciplinary. Fields such as nanotechnology, genetic engineering, and therapeutic drug design,requires us to stretch our thoughts across traditional disciplinary boundaries. Resolving problems associated with global warming, emergent epidemic diseases, and our heavy dependence on CO2 generated energy sources require good doses of interdisciplinary thought. So while our problems have become more interdisciplinary, in general, undergraduate science education has not.

In 2007, faculty from the W.M. Keck Science Department of Claremont McKenna, Pitzer and Scripps began teaching a novel course sequence for entering first year students jump start the process of interdisciplinary thinking. One year of introductory biology, of introductory chemistry and of introductory physics were combined t o form the year-long double-credit introductory course known as the Accelerated Integrated Science Sequence or AISS. After ten years, this sequence is still one of only a handful of introductory interdisciplinary science programs for science majors in the nation.

The talk will discuss the academic features, participants (faculty, staff and students), and current outcomes of AISS. The importance of the process of interdisciplinary thinking at an institutional level and the reduction of the necessity of content will be highlighted.

View the seminar recording.

View slides from the seminar.

The STEM Education Seminar & Journal Club Series is sponsored by the Helmsley Charitable Trust. 

203-432-6742