Introducing societal issues in an upper level STEM course increases student engagement and knowledge transfer

Area of Science:

• Developmental Biology
• Science Education

Background:

• Effective education requires students to transfer knowledge to new contexts.
• Student engagement is crucial for deep learning, often fostered by connecting material to personal interests.
• Social justice issues can be powerful motivators for students in STEM fields.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a framework for integrating reproductive rights into an upper-level developmental biology course.
• To enhance student engagement and interdisciplinary thinking by connecting science content with societal issues.
• To improve students' science communication skills through project-based learning.

Main Methods:

• A three-step framework was implemented: 1) science content acquisition, 2) textbook chapter writing, and 3) public exhibit creation.
• Students learned the science of human reproduction and early development.
• Assignments included writing textbook sections and developing exhibits to debunk myths, alongside weekly blog posts for social learning.

Main Results:

• Student engagement with science content increased significantly when linked to current issues.
• Sustained engagement throughout the term was observed, attributed to social learning via blog assignments.
• Increased engagement correlated with enhanced interdisciplinary thinking by the end of the course.

Conclusions:

• Connecting developmental biology with high-interest topics like reproductive rights promotes deeper learning.
• Student motivation, driven by caring about the topic, led to persistence and skill development.
• This pedagogical approach is broadly applicable to other societal issues within STEM courses and various assignment types.