Using Research Focused Learning Modules as Outreach to High School Students (2012)

Undergraduates: Alli Sarfati, none none Justin Shaffer (postdoc) Jennifer Coble (professor, UNC BEST)

Faculty Advisor: Bill Kier
Department: Biology

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Non-scientists often lack an understanding of the nature of science and scientific research. To bridge the gap between scientific research and high school science classrooms, we created a learning module that explores an ongoing research project on cephalopod muscle diversity. The online learning module depicts the research project using photos, diagrams, interactive learning activities and non-technical language. Similar learning modules on other research topics were created by eight future teachers who participated in a summer research internship at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill funded by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. The learning modules will help high school science teachers incorporate scientific research in their curriculum and communicate university research to non-scientists. These modules also serve as an excellent outreach tool for university laboratories to make complex research accessible to students and community members. The learning modules can be viewed at http://www.unc.edu/depts/our/hhmi/ hhmi-ft_learning_modules/.