Continuous improvement of a bioengineering CURE: Preparing students for a changing world.

Based on recent education reform guidelines to prepare professionals who are able to handle new technological, economic, social, and environmental challenges, pedagogical modifications are deemed necessary by the educators. Specifically, in biology, the rapid changes in the content and biological products demand changes in the curriculum. We aim to address this current need by providing an example of a course that was redesigned to meet the current trends of biological engineering education. In this course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE), learning objectives and possible outcomes were developed and assessment mapping was performed to align the course objectives with the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) recommendations. A description of how one can assess authentic inquiry courses while adhering to the recommendations are discussed. For example, in this particular course, students completed weekly reflection assignments, maintained lab notebooks that were graded every week, presented their research to their peers at the end of the semester, and submitted a final paper to be graded. "Holistic" engineering is crucial for the all-around development of a 21st century engineer. Altering the traditional lecturing with more hands-on learning is crucial for the development of professional and communication skills of students. Such alterations could lead to the production of well-rounded life-long learners to serve the upcoming world.

Describing teacher conceptions of technology in authentic science inquiry using technological pedagogical content knowledge as a lens.

Technology has become an indispensable component of both modern life science and life science education. However, due to inadequate knowledge and experience, teachers are often unable to include technology essential for practicing science in their teaching. In this regard, professional development workshops for in-service and preservice teachers are beneficial. In this study, we described the role of a professional development workshop in enhancing teachers' technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge through the lens of Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge framework. Our study is also an example of how teachers can be informed about the current trends in modern research and technology and trained to bring similar research into their classroom. © 2019 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 47(4):380-387, 2019.