Inclusion in neuroscience through high impact courses

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience Education
• STEM Diversity

Background:

• STEM fields, including neuroscience, face challenges in attracting and retaining diverse talent.
• High-impact practices (HIPs) are active learning strategies shown to enhance student engagement and deep learning.
• HIPs have demonstrated a positive, differential impact on historically underserved student populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the characteristics of makerspace classes and course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) as types of HIPs.
• To provide strategies for structuring these courses to promote inclusive student engagement and learning.
• To offer insights from a campus-wide program on faculty experiences and assessment of HIPs.

Main Methods:

• Describing the features of makerspace classes and CUREs.
• Outlining pedagogical approaches for inclusive course design.
• Presenting findings from a program implementing these HIPs and assessing faculty experiences.

Main Results:

• Makerspace classes and CUREs are effective HIPs that can be structured for broad student engagement.
• Implementation of these courses can provide valuable insights into faculty experiences and effective assessment methods.
• These pedagogical strategies show promise for increasing the diversity of students pursuing neuroscience.

Conclusions:

• Integrating HIPs, specifically makerspaces and CUREs, into curricula can foster greater inclusion in STEM.
• Intentional course design and pedagogical strategies are crucial for attracting and retaining diverse students in neuroscience.
• These approaches can encourage more diverse students to major in neuroscience and pursue related careers.