College of Science selects recipients of grant to support innovative teaching ideas
(Back row, from left) Collegiate Assistant Professor Aparna Shah and students Hunter Dyche, Christian Burrell, Gwendolyn Swannell, (front row from left) Martha-Patience Taah, Katherine Jackson, and Nabiha Faisal. Photo by Spencer Coppage for Virginia Tech.When Aparna Shah saw that the Virginia Tech College of Science was offering grants for faculty to develop innovative teaching methods, the School of Neuroscience faculty member had an inescapable idea.
Shah knew that group work boosts student engagement, helps students build a community within the class, and refines teamwork skills that they’ll need throughout life. She remembered facilitating a science outreach event at Johns Hopkins University in which students worked together in a neuroscience-themed game. She knew gamification — creating educational games with computer interfaces — could make the material more memorable.
Shah decided to apply for an innovative teaching grant, sponsored by the College of Science in collaboration with the Virginia Tech Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning.