Team-Based Learning in a Majors/Non-majors Neuroscience Course
Tested Studies in Laboratory Teaching, 2017, Volume 38
Greg Q. Butcher
Abstract
Neuroscience 101: The College Brain is designed as a bridge course to help students transition between high-school and college. The course has no prerequisites and is intended for first year college students. The course serves students majoring in Neuroscience (approximately 15% in the fall 2015 offering), other science majors (20%), and non-science majors seeking to fulfill their lab requirement (65%). The latter group typically consists of students from all academic levels (1st year to senior). Students completing earlier iterations of the course at Thiel College (2014) and Centenary College of Louisiana (2011-13; both taught by the author) demonstrated difficulty understanding readings and linking concepts from the readings to aspects of the course. To address this concern, in fall 2015 a new team-based learning approach was integrated into the class lecture and lab portion of the class. Here I report on this technique and present data from the pilot year.
