Events

Dr. Anuttama Kulkarni will be delivering two seminars, on September 18, 2023 first seminar at 11 AM and second at 2:30 PM both in Room G1 (M.B.), HBCSE. The details of which are as follows:

About the Speaker: Dr. Anuttama Kulkarni is a Biology educator and researcher. She has just finished her tenure as a DST-INSPIRE Faculty Fellow at the Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (HBCSE).

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Seminar 1:

Time: 11:00 AM

Title of the talk: Approaches to inculcate research and inquiry in biology education

Abstract of the talk: I have extensively worked for the NIUS (Biology) program of HBCSE in the past five years. In the process, I took varied approaches to engage undergraduate students in research and scientific inquiry. In my first year at the biology cell, we developed a structured module to read primary literature with the students. Later, we developed and executed multiple inquiry-based laboratory modules for the students. I have also mentored three undergraduate students for their research projects using green Hydra as a model system. In this seminar, I will elaborate on the motivation, design, and outcomes of our approaches. There is no need for high-end infrastructure for the execution of any of these modules. Regular undergraduate biology courses can adapt these approaches. I will also briefly discuss my involvement in other programs of HBCSE, particularly various school science initiatives, the Olympiad program and graduate school.

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Seminar 2:

Time: 2:30 PM

Title of the talk: Building faculty development programs for undergraduate biology

Abstract of the talk: The laboratory environment of Indian UG colleges varies widely. Only a few colleges have excellent infrastructure and access to high-end research. Hence, for many colleges, there is a need to modify instructional practices and include research in laboratory pedagogy. A substantial number of Indian undergraduate courses are also struggling with the inclusion of hands-on demonstrations for many sub-disciplines of biology. Biology is primarily an experimental science. Therefore, the limitations of laboratory environments can impact the learning outcomes of undergraduate biology courses. With this perspective, I will share the experience of organizing faculty development programs for zoology teachers of local undergraduate colleges conducted in 2022 and 2023. I will focus on the design of the programs conducted so far, including experiments and activities incorporated to advance laboratory teaching-learning practices and the feedback received. We need to build strategies for diversifying content and extending the reach of our programs to have a wider impact. Lastly, I will discuss the possibilities and challenges ahead of building programs that integrate research in regular coursework (globally appreciated as course-based research experiences or CUREs) for Indian colleges.

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All are welcome to attend.