Discipline-based Educational Research Seminar Series

Discipline-Based Education Research (DBER) is a research field that emphasizes the development of evidence-based knowledge, pedagogical practices, and assessments that improve teaching and learning across disciplines. The goal of DBER is to test theory and produce generalizable findings focused on teaching, learning, and ways of thinking in a particular discipline. DBER may also include research into the development and nature of disciplinary expertise as well as strategies for making the discipline more inclusive. As a result, those who engage in this form of education research typically have expertise in the science of teaching and learning, social science research methods, and one or more areas of disciplinary content knowledge.

DBER scholars use common research methods and draw on common theories, but are influenced by the practices and history of their own disciplinary content area. While the nature of DBER may differ slightly between disciplines, all DBER researchers systematically gather data that lead to knowledge for improved teaching and student learning. As a result, the outcomes of this type of research are broadly applicable beyond a single course or instructional context, resulting in publications in peer-reviewed journals. 

As part of this Next Learns Here initiative, an Institute for Learning Research is proposed. This institute is designed to create a community of practice around the unique needs of DBER scholars in an effort to promote high quality, cross-disciplinary scholarly research that improves the teaching and learning across disciplines in higher education, while increasing the potential for external research funding. The purpose of the institute is to bring together like-minded education innovators and researchers for the exchange of ideas, research methodology, resources, and concerns related to education research at the undergraduate level, while providing a network for those who engage in this form of scholarly research or who have interest in implementing aspects of the research findings in their own teaching.

Session Date: Tuesday, Nov. 23
Session Time: 3:30pm (with Coffee/Tea and Cookies at 3:00pm)
Session Location: Faculty Enrichment Center (FEC), Langsam Library 540
Session Virtual (be sure to use passcode below) Link: https://ucincinnati.zoom.us/j/94456156440?pwd=Mjd0UDdKV3NvTXkwaGI4OGVUNG5SZz09 
Meeting Passcode for Zoom: 438992

For many faculty members, monitoring student success is nothing new. Professors routinely review course evaluations, conduct surveys of student feedback, and examine patterns of performance. This begs the question, “What do discipline-based education research (DBER) faculty contribute to existing departmental structures?” This talk focuses on two key elements of DBER research that uniquely position it to both complement traditional faculty profiles and establish new pathways to bolster student success, at scale. First, we will discuss how DBER focuses on expanding from classroom- to program-level research, while employing empirical research methods specifically designed to evaluate learning in the dynamic contexts of real classrooms. Next, we will see how studying the home institution’s students, instead of relying on results from external populations, leads to more targeted and effective solutions for student success and retention. Examples will draw from recent DBER research at the University of Cincinnati in the areas of active learning, metacognitive instruction, and intensive summer programs.

Session Date: Wednesday, Nov. 10th
Session Time: 3:30pm (with Coffee/Tea and Cookies at 3:00pm)
Session Location: Faculty Enrichment Center (FEC), Langsam Library 540
Session Virtual Link: https://ucincinnati.zoom.us/j/97254418130

Research on best practices in college teaching has expanded tremendously in the past decade, providing beneficial outcomes for students. This presentation will review some of these findings, such as the use of active learning to enhance student engagement in the learning process. This will be followed by selections from the work of two DBER Physics faculty to demonstrate the critical role their research plays in transforming education at the course level, with examples involving technology enhanced learning. The presentation will highlight how DBER involves the use of data to identify problems to address, followed by how innovative solutions are developed and evaluated for student impact. Details will also include how this work has impacted the teaching practices and instructional resources used by others in the department. This presentation serves as the first in a series of talks around efforts in DBER to improve student success at the college level.