A Course Design for Remote Teaching Advanced Topics in Neuroscience

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic pushed educators to engage in remote teaching out of necessity, but as our relationship with teaching technology grows, remote teaching has emerged as a suitable substitute for in-person education. In this manuscript, we detail a course design for remote teaching advanced topics in neuroscience at the undergraduate level. The course and its different features were designed to fulfill a set of learning goals that closely align with those put forth by the Faculty for Undergraduate Neuroscience (FUN) and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Furthermore, these learning goals can be applied to any advanced neuroscience class, regardless of the topic material. To achieve these goals, we created a curriculum with distinct design features. These features included a synchronous lecture-discussion system, asynchronous lesson content videos, guest principal investigators, and deemphasized grading. Instead of traditional examination, the students participated in assignments designed to give them extensive science communication experience. At the end of the course, we indirectly assessed student outcomes using an Instructor Course Evaluation survey distributed by the university. From this survey, we were able to conclude that students’ perception of the final course outcome was highly satisfactory, with strong indications that the students believed we met our learning goals. Thus, the course design described herein represents a tool for others wishing to utilize it for remote teaching advanced topics in science.