Proceedings of the 2023 Faculty for Undergraduate Neuroscience Workshop at Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA, July 27-30, 2023.

In July of 2023, the Faculty for Undergraduate Neuroscience (FUN) held a Summer Workshop at Western Washington University. This workshop was the first in-person workshop since 2017. This article provides a brief account of the Workshop themes of inclusive pedagogy, student and faculty mindsets, integrative STEM, and decolonization of neuroscience. The presentations and events that took place were attended by a vibrant community of close to 100, who engaged fully in the discussions and social opportunities. In addition, we review the workshop planning process to guide future FUN Summer Workshop committees and hosts.

Of Chatbots and Colonizers: A FUN Workshop Mini Symposium.

Chatbots and related technologies are predicted to become fixtures in our teaching. These tools scan information from the web or other sources and deliver content in textual summaries. ChatGPT4 and other AI products are surprisingly good at summaries of information and simple analysis, similar to what we often ask students to do as part of our teaching. They are poor at evaluation of information and citation of sources at the moment, but these tools are advancing rapidly. Use of these tools in the classroom generate important questions about how we handle content, understanding and skill development in the classroom, how information is curated, and the structure of information in our discipline. Additionally, accessibility of these tools will be an issue moving forward since they have the potential to widen a technology divide even further. Through presentation and group discussion, this minisymposium highlighted how we might integrate these tools and craft new pedagogies that will continue to engage and challenge our students. We also discussed concerns about these tools in terms of inclusive pedagogy and decolonization of neuroscience.

Raising nurse educators' awareness regarding caring pedagogical relationships' barriers to foster inclusive simulation settings: Insights from a phenomenological study.

AIM: The purpose of this paper was to shed light on the main barriers to caring pedagogical relationships within simulation centers from the perspective of nursing students and offer targeted strategies to reduce these barriers. BACKGROUND: A caring pedagogical relationship is a powerful strategy to foster students' learning within simulation settings. However, the development of this relationship could be hindered if nurse educators are not aware of its barriers. Hence, this could affect students' learning and well-being within this academic context. According to our knowledge, no previous research has addressed the question of the barriers to caring pedagogical relationships within the context of simulation. DESIGN: This study employed a descriptive phenomenological method, entitled Relational Caring Inquiry, to collect and analyze data gathered from 19 students enrolled in an undergraduate nursing program. RESULTS: This paper focuses on one eidos-theme that emerged from our data analysis and interpretation entitled "Educator's conscientization regarding barriers to the development of a caring pedagogical relationship". According to data analysis and interpretation, this eidos-theme was the most emphasized by research participants. It emerged from the following themes: (a) educators' dehumanizing practices, (b) disruptive and stressful academic context, (c) lack of educators' experiences and (d) educators' disinterest in students' learning. CONCLUSIONS: Leaving caring pedagogical relationships' barriers unaddressed has shown adverse impacts on students' learning process and their mental and physical well-being. This paper brings to light the main barriers to caring pedagogical relationships and invites educators, managers and nurse leaders to be aware of these obstacles and collectively engage in humanizing nursing education. In other words, we emphasize the impact of these barriers on students' apprenticeship and suggest political actions to build caring and inclusive simulation environments. STUDY REGISTRATION NUMBER: CERSES-19-050-D.

Inclusive pedagogy in online simulation-based learning in undergraduate nursing education: A scoping review.

BACKGROUND: Equality, diversity and inclusion initiatives seek to embed the concept of inclusive pedagogy to promote inclusive educational environments. However, no evidence synthesis exists which examines whether and how the concept of inclusive pedagogy is addressed in online simulation-based learning in the undergraduate nursing education literature. AIMS: To map the evidence regarding the adoption of inclusive pedagogy in online simulation-based learning in undergraduate nursing education. DESIGN: A scoping review. METHODS: Data were extracted, synthesized and presented in narrative and table format. DATA SOURCES: A systematic search of five databases and five sources of grey literature was conducted to search literature published between 1st January 2010 to 1st June 2022. RESULTS: Thirty-eight papers published between 2011 and 2022 were included. The results are presented under three identified themes: (1) Learner diversity; (2) Theoretical frameworks promoting equality, diversity and inclusion in online simulation and (3) Online simulation feedback. CONCLUSION: Inclusive pedagogy has not been considered or embedded in its entirety in online simulation in undergraduate nursing education literature. IMPLICATIONS FOR THE PROFESSION AND/OR PATIENT CARE: Utilizing an inclusive pedagogy framework may prove advantageous in generating inclusive teaching approaches to support all students. IMPACT: This review will interest educators and managers that wish to incorporate equality, diversity and inclusion initiatives in nursing education. REPORTING METHOD: This scoping review has adhered to the EQUATOR guidelines: the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis extension for Scoping Reviews checklist. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: No Patient or Public Contribution.

An interdisciplinary course on computer-aided drug discovery to broaden student participation in original scientific research.

We present a new highly interdisciplinary project-based course in computer aided drug discovery (CADD). This course was developed in response to a call for alternative pedagogical approaches during the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused the cancellation of a face-to-face summer research program sponsored by the Louisiana Biomedical Research Network (LBRN). The course integrates guided research and educational experiences for chemistry, biology, and computer science students. We implement research-based methods with publicly available tools in bioinformatics and molecular modeling to identify and prioritize promising antiviral drug candidates for COVID-19. The purpose of this course is three-fold: I. Implement an active learning and inclusive pedagogy that fosters student engagement and research mindset; II. Develop student interdisciplinary research skills that are highly beneficial in a broader scientific context; III. Demonstrate that pedagogical shifts (initially incurred during the COVID-19 pandemic) can furnish longer-term instructional benefits. The course, which has now been successfully taught a total of five times, incorporates four modules, including lectures/discussions, live demos, inquiry-based assignments, and science communication.

An online research immersion program to increase introductory science student confidence and science identity.

The number of undergraduate students from underrepresented backgrounds enrolled in science and technology-related courses has increased over the past 20 years, but these students' persistence in STEM majors until graduation still lags behind the overall college population. Interventions like exposure to independent research, instruction using active learning, and connection within a scientific community have been shown to increase persistence and the development of science identity, especially for underrepresented minority students (URM), students with high financial need, and first-generation college students. However, exposure to research for introductory students can be expensive or challenging for an institution to provide and for some students to access. We designed Wintersession Research Week as a remotely taught, collaborative introduction to independent research for beginning undergraduate students, prioritizing those traditionally underrepresented in STEM (low income, first generation, and URM students). Because this program utilized graduate students as research mentors, we also provided training and mentoring to develop the next generation of science faculty. We found that the program helped undergraduate student participants to develop a scientific identity and increase confidence in their skills, and that graduate students found the experience valuable for their future teaching. We believe that elements of this program are adaptable to both virtual and in-person settings as an introduction to research, mentorship, and teaching for students and mentors.

Student perceptions of inclusive pedagogy in undergraduate STEM classrooms.

In university STEM classrooms, the incorporation of inclusive practices improves student performance, decreases disparities in the academic success of underrepresented students, and increases student retention and persistence in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) programs. Inclusive pedagogical practices include effective instructional choices like active learning, providing rubrics, and other strategies that have been shown to support students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Additionally, explicitly inclusive practices such as addressing microaggressions and sharing pronouns can promote a sense of belonging for students. While a plethora of literature has shown these impacts and faculty have access to resources and training about inclusive pedagogy, we were interested in whether students are noticing these practices and how student identities impact their observations of instructional practices. We surveyed undergraduates (n = 74) from diverse STEM disciplines at a large land-grant university regarding their observation of 11 different inclusive pedagogical practices. Overall, students observed inclusive instructional practices more often than they observed explicitly diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)-related practices. For explicitly DEI-related practices, white students observed more practices than Students of Color. This suggests that more work needs to be done to train faculty in explicit DEI-related practices, especially with the goal of supporting Students of Color who have been historically excluded from STEM.

Interdisciplinary approaches to advancing anti-racist pedagogies in ecology, evolution, and conservation biology.

Racism permeates ecology, evolution, and conservation biology (EECB). Meaningfully advancing equity, inclusion, and belonging requires an interdisciplinary anti-racist pedagogical approach to educate our community in how racism shaped our field. Here, we apply this framework, highlight disparities and interdisciplinary practices across institutions globally, and emphasize that self-reflection is paramount before implementing anti-racist interventions.

Inclusion in global health professions education communities through many lenses.

In this paper, we reflect on what inclusion can mean to the global Health Professions Education (HPE) community, the impact of lack of inclusion, and offer suggestions on how to be inclusive. To illustrate the impact of inclusion, we offer perspectives from the lens of a medical student, junior doctor, educators, and educational leaders. The viewpoints offered in this communication can be useful to broaden and nurture inclusive pedagogy and scholarship. Furthermore, since the aim of HPE is high quality patient care and social advocacy, emphasising inclusion in HPE could enhance inclusion in patient care.

A systematic review of videoconferencing in health professions education: the digital divide revisited in the COVID-19 era.

OBJECTIVES: During the COVID-19 pandemic, educators shifted from traditional lectures to videoconferencing. This systematic review explored the use of videoconferencing as a teaching tool in response to the pandemic as well as issues related to digital equity and inclusion. CONTENT: The review was conducted using the Joanna Briggs Institute for Systematic Reviews methodology and reported using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses 2020 statement. SUMMARY: A total of nine studies met eligibility criteria. The participants in the included studies were medical students from various parts of the world. Technical difficulties and lack of human interactions were identified as barriers to learning through videoconferencing. OUTLOOK: To achieve full success, pedagogical videoconferencing must prioritize digital equity and a universal design for learning. Although useful for maintaining education during the pandemic, in the future, videoconferencing will present challenges related to the digital divide as well as opportunities as a teaching tool for nurse educators globally.

Using Drosophila Oogenesis in the Classroom to Increase Student Participation in Biomedical Research.

Students that participate in undergraduate research benefit in multiple ways, including improved learning outcomes, increased enthusiasm for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, and increased likelihood of continuation into a STEM career. These benefits are even more pronounced for students that are traditionally under-represented in STEM, although these students often face barriers to participation in traditional apprenticeship-style research experiences. Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) are a promising and increasingly popular approach to increase undergraduate participation in research in a way that is inclusive of all students. Here, we describe how Drosophila oogenesis can be used as the basis for CUREs in a wide variety of courses. We provide an overview of our own oogenesis-based CURE, as well as suggestions for how this CURE could be adapted to accommodate a variety of schedules, course sizes, and institution types. Our goal is to simplify the process for CURE implementation in the hopes that a greater number of instructors choose to implement a CURE in their own courses.

Overcoming mental health stigma through student's awareness and project-based inclusive pedagogy in English teaching colleges: Moderating role of institutional support in China.

Mental health stigma undermines collaborative work and creates communication breakdowns for students to face real-world challenges. Moreover, project-based English learning in East-Asian nations is a significant challenge for advancing students' effective learning, while students lack mental health self-awareness. Unawareness causes distractions and results in learning inefficiencies. Furthermore, without institutional support (IS) achieving effective learning could never be possible. Therefore, this study investigates the relationships between project-based learning (PBL) and mental health awareness (MHA) with effective English language teaching among university students in China. We also tested the moderation effect of IS in the relationships between PBL and MHA with effective English language learning (EEL). Using the purposive sampling technique, we collected valid responses from 713 students studying English as a foreign language in universities and colleges in Harbin, China. The findings interestingly supported the direct hypotheses between PBL and EEL, as well as MHA and EEL. Moreover, the moderating role of IS established a significant effect on both PBL and EEL, as well as MHA and EEL, respectively. Policymakers, practitioners, and academicians should understand that integrating PBL as an inclusive pedagogy method with proper IS may enhance effective learning; however, it will consume more time.

A framework for educating and empowering students by teaching about history and consequences of bias in STEM.

Racism and bias are pervasive in society-and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields are not immune to these issues. It is imperative that we educate ourselves and our students about the history and consequences of this bias in STEM, investigate the research showing bias toward marginalized groups, understand how to interpret misuses of science in perpetuating bias, and identify advances and solutions to overcome racism and bias throughout our professional and personal lives. Here, we present one model for teaching a universal course for participants of all professional stages to address these issues and initiate solutions. As very few institutions require students to enroll in courses on racism and bias in STEM or even offer such courses, our curriculum could be used as a blueprint for implementation across institutions. Ultimately, institutions and academic disciplines can incorporate this important material with more region and/or discipline specific studies of bias.

Closeness, Conflict, and Culturally Inclusive Pedagogy: Finnish Pre- and In-service Early Education Teachers' Perceptions.

This study explored the factorial and concurrent validity of a scale developed for assessing teachers' self-efficacy beliefs in engaging with diversity in early childhood education settings. According to tests of measurement invariance, the conceptualization of the constructs varied to some extent between Finnish student teachers and qualified teachers. Qualified teachers reported, at the item level, higher confidence in engaging with diversity in mainstream early childhood classrooms than student teachers. Structural equation modeling demonstrated that for both groups, higher levels of reported confidence in planning and implementing inclusive teaching-learning interactions were related to a higher level of closeness during interactions with children. The evidence for concurrent validity may imply beneficial and reciprocal influences between teachers' confidence in their professional competence and close teacher-child relationships. The implications of the study are discussed from the perspective of teacher training and professional development in the early childhood education context.

Inclusive pedagogy in online simulation-based learning in undergraduate nursing education: A scoping review protocol.

Background: Education is recognised as a constitutional right, however, access to and participation in higher education can be challenging for some students. This has led to the development of various international and local initiatives promoting inclusion, which has increased student representation from marginalised groups. In order to support growing student diversity, teaching and learning (T&L) strategies must encompass inclusive pedagogical principles. Technological advancements have improved opportunities for online T&L strategies and these are becoming an integral component of curricula in undergraduate nursing programmes. Online simulation-based learning (SBL) has gathered momentum in nursing education over the past twenty years. However, it is unclear from the evidence-base how inclusive this educational approach is, and how it can best support the growing diversity among nursing students. This paper outlines the protocol for a scoping review that aims to systematically and comprehensively map the available published and unpublished literature on inclusive pedagogy in online SBL in undergraduate nursing education.  Methods: The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses Extension for systematic review protocols (PRISMA-P) guided this protocol. Arksey and O'Malley (2005) six-stage methodology framework, the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) guidelines (Peters et al., 2020) and the PRISMA extension for scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR) will guide the proposed scoping review (Tricco et al., 2018). Conclusion: It is envisaged that this scoping review will give a broad overview of the evidence for inclusive pedagogy in online SBL at this point. The findings of this review will be used to inform future policy and the pedagogical and technological design of online SBL activities and assist nurse educators to meet the current requirement of inclusive practice.

PROJECT DiViNe: DIVERSE VOICES IN NEUROSCIENCE: Profiles of Rita Levi-Montalcini, Ricardo Miledi, Simon LeVay, Erich Jarvis, and Steve Ramirez.

In this paper we share the first five of what we hope will be many profiles of neuroscientists from historically underrepresented or marginalized groups. This initial collection of profiles, meant to stake out the general territory for future offerings, takes as its subjects a fairly broad range of individuals from Nobel laureates to early career scientists and educators. The goal of this project is to facilitate the dissemination of materials neuroscience educators can use to highlight the scientific contributions and personal stories of scientists from historically marginalized groups, and has been developed more extensively in the Editorial that accompanies this collection (Frenzel and Harrington, 2021). We believe that by sharing these stories, and highlighting the diversity of those who have and will continue to contribute to the field of neuroscience, we can help to foster a more inclusive discipline for our undergraduate students. Each of these profiles is a testament to the respect these contributors hold for their subjects. We hope that others might see this new feature as an opportunity to share the admiration they have for those who have impacted them as colleagues, mentors, and role models.

Digital Timeline Assignment of Key Opioid Research Articles Spanning Five Decades.

Learning to read scientific literature is a crucial component of an undergraduate science education. Undergraduate science students learn to analyze data, read primary literature, and integrate knowledge across articles into a cohesive understanding of a field of study. Often, a class includes students with varying experience reading primary literature, making it difficult to develop assignments that are adequately approachable yet challenging for every student. Here I describe a three-part assignment for an intermediate level neurobiology course that seeks to address this concern. Each student was first assigned a single article in the field of opioid research, which they summarized in an entry for a digital timeline. Second, students presented their timeline entries to the class, and the compiled digital timeline was made publicly available online. In the third part of the assignment, students wrote a brief perspective paper. Here, students explained how their assigned article fit into the field of study using their classmates' timeline entries, along with the option to include additional references outside of the timeline. This three-part assignment sought to provide a supportive yet challenging project for students at all levels. The project was designed as a non-disposable assignment, aligned with additional learning goals and pedagogical practices, including interdisciplinary awareness, writing-to-learn, and inclusive pedagogy. Versions of this assignment have been used for both in-person and remote instruction.

Integrative STEM education for undergraduate neuroscience: Design and implementation.

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.