Biology beyond the Classroom: Experiential Learning through Authentic Research, Design, and Community Engagement

Abstract

This paper introduces the collection of manuscripts fromthe symposium, "Biology Beyond the Classroom: Experiential Learning through Authentic Research, Design, and Community Engagement," presented at the 2021 annual meeting of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology. The following papers showcase innovative approaches for engaging undergraduate students in experiential science learning experiences. Specifically, we focus on three high-impact practices that allow students to take their learning outside of the classroomfor increased relevance and authenticity: (1) Course-BasedUndergraduate Research, (2) Digital Fabrication inMakerspaces, and (3) Service or Community-based Learning Opportunities. Although each topic is unique, all provide an alternative approach to the traditional lecture and have proven effective at appealing to diverse groups of students who are traditionally underrepresented in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics workforce.