Integrative STEM education for undergraduate neuroscience: Design and implementation

• Published in: Neuroscience letters 2021-02, Vol.746, p.135660-135660, Article 135660
• Main Authors: Basu, Alo C., Hill, Alexis S., Isaacs, André K., Mondoux, Michelle A., Mruczek, Ryan E.B., Narita, Tomohiko
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Active learning; Anti-deficit; Curriculum - trends; Educational Status; Humans; Inclusive excellence; Inclusive pedagogy; Integrative thinking; Neurosciences - education; Neurosciences - trends; Program Development - methods; Spiral curriculum; Students; Universities - trends
• ISSN: 0304-3940; 1872-7972
• DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2021.135660

•Neuroscience curricula can promote integrative thinking and broad STEM proficiency.•Integrative neuroscience curricula can be developed with anti-deficit goals.•Integrative STEM curriculum development can promote faculty development.•Curriculum mapping can be used to assess STEM curricula from the student perspective.•Curriculum mapping can create an institutional locus of accountability for inclusion. As an integrative discipline, neuroscience can serve as a vehicle for the development of integrative thinking skills and broad-based scientific proficiency in undergraduate students. Undergraduate neuroscience curricula incorporate fundamental concepts from multiple disciplines. Deepening the explicit exploration of these connections in a neuroscience core curriculum has the potential to support more meaningful and successful undergraduate STEM learning for neuroscience students. Curriculum and faculty development activities related to an integrative core curriculum can provide opportunities for faculty across disciplines and departments to advance common goals of inclusive excellence in STEM. These efforts facilitate analysis of the institutional STEM curriculum from the student perspective, and assist in creating an internal locus of accountability for diversity, equity, and inclusion within the institution. Faculty at the College of the Holy Cross have undertaken the collaborative design and implementation of an integrative core curriculum for neuroscience that embraces principles of inclusive pedagogy, emphasizes the connections between neuroscience and other disciplines, and guides students to develop broad proficiency in fundamental STEM concepts and skills.