Mission

The Department of Teaching and Learning is a nexus for evidence-based teaching, research on effective pedagogies, and public engagement in biology.

The mission of the Department of Biology Teaching and Learning is to discover, adapt, apply, and disseminate innovative strategies that transform biology education.

To build on emerging research opportunities, enhance biology education, and increase biology-related outreach, the Department of Biology Teaching and Learning (BTL) will act as a University of Minnesota nexus for evidence-based teaching, research on effective pedagogies, and public engagement in biology.

The Department of Biology Teaching and Learning will:

  1. Conduct educational research that increases scientific understanding of learning, and reveals more effective teaching practices.
  2. Implement best practices of scientific teaching so that University of Minnesota undergraduates develop scientific literacy, critical thinking, and collaborative discovery.
  3. Attract students to and prepare them for careers in science and science education, including training the next generation of college teachers to effectively use and create evidence-based pedagogy.
  4. Participate at a high level in STEM activities that address the state’s educational priorities and achievement gaps.
  5. Provide a strong collaborative network of faculty, staff, departments, and colleges to enhance biology education across the University of Minnesota.
  6. Serve as a national model for discovery, application, and dissemination of evidence-based, transformative teaching strategies in STEM education.