Transforming the content, pedagogy and structure of an introductory physics course for life sciences majors

In this paper, we describe how we transformed our large-enrollment introductory physics sequence for the life sciences to a Lecture/Studio format and aligned the physics concepts with authentic biological applications. We modified the pedagogy to include research-validated practices in interactive engagement, and accomplished our goals of enhanced learning gains and institutionalization of our course transformations. The active engagement at the heart of the Lecture/Studio format results in comparable or enhanced learning gains (as measured by validated concept surveys) when compared to traditional instruction. As a result of our efforts, the current format of these courses is sustainable, requiring no greater financial or human resources than does the traditional mode of teaching such courses. We developed a complete suite of active-engagement instructional materials and made them available to the physics education community for adoption outside our institution.In this paper, we describe how we transformed our large-enrollment introductory physics sequence for the life sciences to a Lecture/Studio format and aligned the physics concepts with authentic biological applications. We modified the pedagogy to include research-validated practices in interactive engagement, and accomplished our goals of enhanced learning gains and institutionalization of our course transformations. The active engagement at the heart of the Lecture/Studio format results in comparable or enhanced learning gains (as measured by validated concept surveys) when compared to traditional instruction. As a result of our efforts, the current format of these courses is sustainable, requiring no greater financial or human resources than does the traditional mode of teaching such courses. We developed a complete suite of active-engagement instructional materials and made them available to the physics ...