College of Science Faculty Scholar for Teaching Excellence

Course Coordinator and Senior Instructor I

Department of Integrative Biology

Oregon State University

 

Contact Information       Courses     Current Research     Course Coordination    Select Publications     Grants     CV     Students   Request Letter of Recommendation

 

Course Coordination

I am currently the Course Coordinator for Bi21x at Oregon State University.  I oversee all aspects of the instruction of Principles of Biology (BI21x), the life-science majors introductory biology course.  Some of my responsibilities include: preparing curricular materials, including the course laboratory manual; organizing and leading weekly GTA preparation sessions; mentoring GTAs in teaching; assist with GTA professional development program;  teaching the undergraduate teaching intern (UTI) course that accompanies BI 21X;  preparing and delivering lectures in BI213; designing and preparing Mastering Biology and laboratory assignment; preparing grading rubrics for GTAs; proofing and administring exams; compiling and managing grades; managing course Blackboard sites; developing and maintaining course policies; overseeing the Bi21x prep staff; and maintaining biology facilities and supplies.

 

Current Research

Biology Education Research/Best Practices in Teaching

I am interested in the way that we teach large lecture (500+) course and the challenges associate with our growing student body.  We have been examining the effectiveness of implementation of evidence-based teaching practices in large lecture classes. Some examples of this work and others:

1) With Krissi Hewitt (College of Education, Science College Teaching), we have been assessing the effectiveness of implementing inquiry-based and issues-based curriculum into lower-division biology laboratories with interest in student engagement and motivation.

2) With the Northwest Biosciences Consortium, we received an NSF – Research Coordination Network in Undergraduate Biology Education grant  with faculty from 6 different undergraduate institution across the Willamette Valley to work towards the implementation and integration of the AAAS Vision and Change in Undergraduate Biology Education across a board spectrum of institution types in the Pacific Northwest.  With this grant, we will create and expand the Northwest Biosciences Consortium to create a regional database of instructional, assessment, and pedagogical information.

3) As part of Oregon State's NSF WIDER grant (PI Milo Koretsky) together with Devon Quick and Dennis Bennet, we aim to increase the use of peer teaching to facilitate active learning activities  in the large lecture.  To accomplish this we are developing a Learning Assistant program to train successful undergraduate in peer facilitation and utilize them in our classroom.

4) Together with Adam Chouinard, we run a GTA development seminar to train the 29 GTAs (from Integrative Biology and many other departments across campus) per term that teach in our course about best practices in teaching. 

 

Forest Ecology Research

I am interested in how land management and anthropogenic based change effects native vegetation and plant communities.  Specifically, I am interested in how communities and speices change due to disturbance (fire and insect outbreaks).  I am also incorporating a study of invasive species removal effects on plant communities into our BI21x lab curriculum.

 

Contact Information

Office: 117 Weniger Hall

E-mail: Lori.kayes@oregonstate.edu

Phone: 541-737-1734

 

Mailing Address:

Lori Kayes

Department of Integrative Biology

Oregon State University

3029 Cordley Hall

Corvallis, Oregon 97331

 

Courses

Bi211 - I coordinate the fall and summer Bi211

Bi212 - I coordinate the fall and summer Bi212

Bi213 - I coordinate and co-instruct the spring Bi213 and coordinate the summer Bi213

Bi409 - I instruct the BI409 - BI21x Undergraduate Teaching Internship and Learning Assistant Program

IB512 - I assist with the planning of the GTA Teaching Professional Development Program that is associated with this course

GRAD561 - Course Design and Methods of College and University Teaching - I instruct winter term as part of the Graduate Certificate in College and University Teaching