What will XULA-MOLE do?
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An inquiry-based research experience for high school students, where XULA students will visit to demonstrate experiments. Using guided inquiry-based modules to impact the high school students gain of fundamental scientific content in order to influence student interest in STEM projects that ultimately evolve into an increased career interest in a STEM field or the biomedical sciences.
Professional development opportunities for high school teachers in classroom pedagogy as well as training in research project design. Conducting an annual weeklong professional development workshop during summer for high school science teachers. These workshops will provide opportunities for teachers to update their pedagogical knowledge and acquire new teaching skills.
Field trips to Xavier research labs to expose high school students to research in the biomedical sciences and health disparities.
By organizing high school field trips to the XULA campus to visit research labs carrying out work in the biomedical sciences and health disparities which will serve as a mechanism to
- expose high school students to research labs that are staffed with their college age peer groups
- provide a near-peer discussion session for high school students with participating XULA-MOLE undergraduate students.
Why is XULA-MOLE needed?
- Enhance student interest and learning in science activities and directly increase student career interest for the biomedical sciences and STEM fields.
- Augment science teaching for high school teachers and provide training in designing a research project to extend their scientific research skills and applied STEM knowledge base in the classroom.
- Train XULA undergraduate students to serve as near peer mentors
What are XULA-MOLE goals?
- Development of a mobile laboratory model that can be applied to other schools and grade levels.
- 10 inquiry based laboratory modules that can be made available to schools following the NGSS science processes.
- Numerous units of dissemination in the form of publications and poster presentations.
- Professional development workshop for teachers which addresses both pedagogical and research project design.
- Development of teacher designed classroom research projects that will be disseminated and thus available for other STEM education entities.