The Grove Center for Excellence in Science Education strives to be the connecting hub for the science education community in the Eberly College of Science. Our current learning communities of practice (CoP) have emerged from our programming and by request from a small group of instructors. The Evidence Based Teaching Academy (EBTA), a weeklong experience to introduce and promote inclusive research-based teaching, has been one of our very successful catalysts for community connection. The Grove Center provides administrative support to reserve meeting space and share meeting information regarding group meeting time. If a group of instructors is interested in starting a learning community of practice, please contact us so we can work with you to help create your community.

Educational Communities of Practice

A Community of Practice is a group of people who share a common interest, profession, or passion and come together to learn, collaborate, and develop their expertise. All communities of practice have three vital elements: a domain or common focus for their work; practice or work that the community is doing in that domain; and the community itself which are the people in it.

Our Communities of Practice

The Grove Center communities of practice share the focus or domain of excellence in teaching and learning in STEM. The practice they are engaged in varies based on our educational community's interests. The communities of practice establish their own goals and schedule to fit the community members' needs. The Grove Center supports the communities in various ways that include leadership, administrative support for scheduling, getting the word out to support the membership, and more. Our current communities of practice are listed below with a short description of their goals, regular meeting cycle, and contact information to help new members join.

Brief descriptions of the communities and what they do:

Specification Grading | Mastery Grading

Russ deForest, an Assistant Teaching Professor in the Department of Mathematics, leads this community that is focused on sharing strategies to adapt Linda Nilson’s grading construct that relies on structuring course concepts into modules linked to learning outcomes and the bundling of assignments and assessments within those modules. Students focus their efforts on meeting learning targets rather than focusing all their efforts on grades. Members of the community discuss mastery-based grading and how to build in opportunities for revision and reassessment and the effect on student motivation.

Discipline-Based Educational Research (DBER) Community

Discipline-Based Education Research combines knowledge of teaching and learning with expertise in discipline-specific science content. It is the field of research that allows us to better help our students succeed through rigorous, data-driven inquiry. Our Discipline-Based Education group meets throughout the semester to explore recent advances in national STEM DBER work, support faculty members interested in starting or growing DBER work withing their own courses and build collaborations withing faculty members within this topic. Louis Leblond (Physics) and Jennelle Malcos (Biology) originally initiated the group that now consists of faculty members from diverse departments.

Graduate Professional Development Education Community

Our community provides a unique opportunity for graduate students from diverse fields to come together, share knowledge, and grow as educators. We support graduate students by providing a comprehensive range of resources and opportunities designed to enhance their teaching skills and professional development. Our key initiatives include:

• Workshops and Training Programs: Participate in regularly scheduled workshops and training sessions that cover essential teaching strategies, classroom management, curriculum design, and the latest in education technology.
• Peer Review and Observations: Experience opportunities for peer reviews and classroom observations that offer constructive feedback and foster a culture of continuous improvement and mutual support.
• Community and Networking: Join a vibrant community of like-minded graduate students and educators to share experiences, exchange ideas, and build professional networks.
• Education Research Opportunities: Engage in cutting-edge education research projects to contribute to the field and stay informed about the latest advancements and methodologies.
• Mentorship and Guidance: Connect with experienced educators and mentors who provide guidance, advice, and support throughout your teaching journey.

By participating in these initiatives, graduate students can develop their teaching abilities, gain valuable experience, and become confident, effective educators.

ECOS World Campus Instructor Community and Digital Innovation Group (DIG)

Led by the Office of Digital Learning, this is a community for instructors of World Campus College of Science courses and those interested in digital pedagogy. The group usually meets three times a semester to discuss current topics, share best practices, and stay on top of the continual evolution of digital teaching and learning.

Inclusive STEM

The Inclusive STEM community was started by members of the University wide Equity Pedagogy Network the Eberly College of Science. The community is led by the Eberly College of Science Equity Pedagogy Fellows. This community hosts book clubs and shares announcements regarding upcoming seminars, webinars and events that focus on inclusive pedagogies. The current Fellows are Russ deForest, Teaching Professor of Mathematics and Ana Matkovic, Teaching Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics.

Book Clubs

The Grove Center hosts book clubs each semester. The club typically meets biweekly until the desired chapters of the book have been discussed. The books are available online or supplied by the Center. Books selected for the club sessions can be requested by instructors, staff or administrators, and community members can attend any sessions for the books you are interested in reading.

Please contact us via email for more information regarding our book clubs.