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Davida Smyth
The New School
Davida Smyth is an Associate Professor of Natural Sciences at Eugene Lang College, and conducts research with her undergraduate team in the area of comparative microbial genomics and evolution, studying Staphylococcus aureus from animals and from humans and researches the role of the built environment and anthropogenic activity in driving antibiotic resistance, a major global health threat. She also engages in pedagogical research on improving civic and scientific literacy in biology and integrating authentic research into the curriculum to improve student engagement and success in science. She is a Senior SENCER Leadership Fellow and PULSE Fellow. She is Deputy Director of the National Center for Science and Civic Engagement.
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Science Education as Civic Education: The Future of STEM Learning part of Accelerating Systemic Change Network:Events:Meetings and Conferences:Transforming Institutions Conference 2021:Program:Presentations:Session IX
Spurred by twin crises of COVID-19 and climate change, and an uncertain employment horizon, the goals for STEM education have shifted from developing a STEM capable workforce to broader and more durable ...
Course Design Template for Module Two of our Certificate in STEM in the Public Interest part of STEM Futures:Product Elements
This product element will focus on Module 2, the Creation of a course or Module that exemplifies the SENCER "systems" approach of teaching foundational (STEM disciplinary) knowledge "through" unsolved and pressing civic problems that require exploration of all the "domains" (humanistic, meta). The full 4 module certificate curriculum is on the "final product" page for Team 13, but Module 2, which focuses on creating a SENCER course, module, or learning experience, is the lynchpin of the certificate.
Educators Certificate: STEM in the Public Interest part of STEM Futures:Products
Our team aims to create a certification for STEM educators that applies the ideals and strategies of SENCER (Science Education for New Civic Engagements and Responsibilities) and adds practical professional development in pedagogy, science communication, and community collaboration. SENCER courses and programs use civic problems and big interdisciplinary public challenges (e.g. infectious disease, climate change, etc) with student-centered pedagogy to teach rigorous foundational knowledge while building civic awareness. Because SENCER courses take a problem-based, systems approach to learning, they inevitably engage the humanistic and social science knowledge, as well as meta-knowledge and skills, that learners need to be scientifically informed civic agents in their communities. The certificate program will help instructors teach STEM content "through" pressing social and civic problems of direct relevance to local communities by providing: course/program design guides, student-centered pedagogical training, grounding in principles of effective science communication and informal science learning, and the development of collaborative opportunities with community-based STEM educators.