Although guest speakers have been a part of our curriculum for several decades, in recent years we have adopted a system that allows us to maximize the benefit of these speakers for our students. We provide learning opportunities before, during, and after a seminar to enhance students' scientific comprehension. Our system begins with students reading peer-reviewed literature relevant to a future seminar. In class, students work cooperatively to answer guided questions about the article, which serves as a basis for a discussion of the article among the entire class. This preparation facilitates students' understanding, their engagement, and their awareness of effective presentation techniques. Finally, small-group discussions with the speaker can provide students knowledge about their curriculum, awareness of additional opportunities, and insight into the nature of science. Our system thus provides a series of learning opportunities that ensure student engagement with the material multiple times, resulting in a deeper understanding of scientific research and effective mechanisms to communicate it.
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October 2019
Research Article|
October 01 2019
Making the Most of Science Seminars
Sara R. Morris,
Sara R. Morris
3SARA R. MORRIS is the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs and a Professor of Biology at Canisius College, Buffalo, NY 14208; e-mail: morriss@canisius.edu.
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Hannah M. Elsinghorst,
Hannah M. Elsinghorst
2HANNAH M. ELSINGHORST is a graduate of the undergraduate biology program at Canisius College and is currently in medical school at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences in Buffalo, NY; e-mail: helsingh@buffalo.edu.
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Susan M. Aronica
Susan M. Aronica
1SUSAN M. ARONICA was a Professor and Chair of the Biology Department at Canisius College. She died in February 2016 after teaching physiology and endocrinology courses for 19 years at Canisius.
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The American Biology Teacher (2019) 81 (8): 585–588.
Citation
Sara R. Morris, Hannah M. Elsinghorst, Susan M. Aronica; Making the Most of Science Seminars. The American Biology Teacher 1 October 2019; 81 (8): 585–588. doi: https://doi.org/10.1525/abt.2019.81.8.585
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