A part of 8.3 Inquiry on Teaching and Learning Poster + Talk

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Michelle French, Professor, Teaching Stream, Physiology
Helen Miliotis, Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream, Physiology
Rebecca Laposa, Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream, Pharmacology and Toxicology
Stavroula Andreopoulos, Professor, Teaching Stream, Biochemistry
Michelle Arnot, Associate Professor, Teaching Stream, Pharmacology and Toxicology

Many of our undergraduates have either a narrow or vague idea of their career path which often causes stress and feelings of isolation. To broaden student perspectives, promote adaptability and creativity, and build teamwork skills, we took a design thinking approach to develop a course: Research Readiness and Advancing Biomedical Discoveries (JPM300H). This flipped course features online pre-class modules and extensive in-class group work including design-your-life (http://lifedesignlab.stanford.edu/) team activities (DYL) such as brainstorming, articulating alternate life plans (Odyssey planning), and networking. To assess student perceptions of DYL vs other course components, we conducted student surveys and examined written responses in reflection assignments. DYL was well received: mean scores for these activities were similar to scores for other course components: 3.9 +/-0.2 vs 3.8 +/- 0.3, respectively (1-5 scale, where 5 = strongly agree). Reflection comments included: “This exercise [Odyssey planning] truly allowed me to appreciate the importance of recording my thoughts in a written format, as well as the communication with colleagues to foresee the future in different viewpoints.” and “. . . a great opportunity for students to develop and improve upon their teamwork, communication, and listening skills, while also encourages students to foster their own ideas . . .”. Upon course completion, 82% of students reported feeling better prepared for future studies/careers. Thus, DYL and collaboration builds adaptability and teamwork skills to create a caring community. In our session, we will discuss how other instructors could incorporate contextual DYL within courses and/or across the curriculum.