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Professor of Plant Biology Ph.D.(University of Colorado)
Department of Plant Biology
Plant Biology Department Selected Recent Publications; Publication List; Current Funding; Teaching; Current Lab Members; Past Lab Members |
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Research
As a plant ecologist, I conduct long-term ecological research (LTER) on alpine tundra plant communities on Niwot Ridge, Colorado. My interest in the complex interactions occurring in alpine plant communities in response to global change combined with my commitment to undergraduate biology education, lead to the expansion of my research program to include questions about the teaching and learning of biology. The research our group pursues requires linking the concepts and processes of biology to theories and processes of cognitive science with emphasis on how students construct understanding of the discipline. We use the methods of discipline-based science research that allow for investigating course and curriculum development, assessment, pedagogy.
Specifically, we are
•developing and testing a model for graduate student, postdoc, and faculty change in teaching undergraduate science
•investigating the impact of students’ design and use of models to build conceptual connections
•constructing a database to support research on undergraduate STEM education. The database will support storing, searching and analyzing assessment data from undergraduate STEM courses. It will facilitate both data-driven instructional decision making and research in science education.
My recent book, Pathways to Scientific Teaching, is based on active learning, inquiry-based instructional strategies, assessment and research.
I recruit and mentors science postdoctoral fellows and graduate students in teaching and learning research and teaches a graduate-level seminar on scientific teaching. Her plant ecology research continues on Niwot Ridge, Colorado, where she has conducted long-term ecological research on alpine tundra plant communities since 1971.
Ebert-May D and, Hodder J. eds. 2008. Pathways to Scientific Teaching. Sunderland CT: Sinauer Associates, Inc.
Ebert-May D, Batzli J, and Weber EP. 2006. Designing research to investigate student learning. Front Ecol Environ 4(3): 218-219.
Batzli JM, Ebert-May D, and Hodder J. 2006. Bridging the pathway from instruction to research. Front Ecol Environ 4(2):105-107.
Ebert-May D, Weber R, Hodder J, Batzli JM. 2006. Analyzing results: the tip of the iceberg. Front Ecol Environ 4(5):274-275.
Handelsman J, Ebert-May D, Beichner R, Bruins P, Chang A, DeHaan R, Gentile J, Lauffer S, Steward J, Tilghman S, Wood W. 2004. Scientific teaching. Science 304:521-522.
FIRST III: Faculty Institutes for Reforming Science Teaching: Assessment Database. NSF CCLI – Phase III (DUE 618501), 2007-2009. D. Ebert-May (PI). This database will support storing, searching and analyzing assessment data from undergraduate STEM courses. This database will facilitate both data-driven instructional decision making and research in science education. http://first.ecoinformatics.org/
Reforming Introductory Biology at Michigan State University – Does it make a difference? National Science Foundation CCLI (0736928). 2008-2010. Co-PI with Tammy Long – PI. Reform of class meetings and laboratories of the first course in the introductory biology sequence for majors. Longititudinal study of the impact of the curricular change on students in upper division majors courses.
FIRST II: Faculty Institutes for Reforming Science Teaching Through Field Stations, National Science Foundation CCLI – National Dissemination Model (DUE 0088847) 2001-2008. http://www.first2.org/. Co-PI with Jan Hodder, University of Oregon. Research on two long-term faculty professional development programs, FIRST and Summer Institutues at UW Madison (Jo Handelsman/Bill Wood PIs) www.first2.org
BioSci 110: Organisms and Populations (majors) http://msu.edu/course/bs/110/ebertmay/
PLB 203: Biology of Plants (majors)
http://www.plantbiology.msu.edu/
PLB 802: Pathways to Scientific Teaching (graduate/postdoctoral) http://www.msu.edu/course/plb/802/home.html
Jenni Momsen
Elena Bray Speth
Sara Wyse
Tammy Long
Janet Batzli
http://biocore.wisc.edu/biocore/
Debra Linton
Holly Bevsek
Everett Weber
