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Slideshow

Peggy Brickman

Blurred image of the arch used as background for stylistic purposes.
Professor
Research Interests:

Although I am a tenured professor in a plant biology department, my research focuses on developing and measuring the effectiveness of curriculum and instructional strategies utilized in college science classrooms. In particular, I have focused on examining the acquisition of scientific literacy skills in biology courses designed to fulfill general science graduation requirements. I am most interested in the following three questions:

  1. What motivates students to dig in to do the hard work of learning and how does collaboration influence student motivation? To address this, I have developed and utilized instruments designed to measure student motivation to learn science in different contexts.
  2. Do students actually make gains in scientific literacy skills as a result of taking a general education courses? I have developed an instrument called the TOSLS that is aligned with science policy recommendations to test scientific literacy skills, Using this instrument, i was able to show greater gains for students taking a project-based curriculum compared to students in more traditional courses. I am currently interested in how to best disseminate this curriculum to current and future faculty.
  3. What role does instructional feedback play in the willingness of faculty to change their teaching practices?

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Undergraduate Research in Biology

Undergraduates majoring in biology have the opportunity to enhance their learning through direct participation in research and scholarship. At UGA, these opportunities enable undergraduates to participate in ground-breaking research, often as part of a team of graduate students and faculty. In fact, many students can earn academic credit while working under an experienced faculty mentor by taking BIOL 4960R or working directly with the Center for Undergraduate Research Opportunities (CURO). The Biological Sciences Undergraduate Research Fellowship (BSURF) has been established to support undergraduate research opportunities in the Division of Biological Sciences within the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences. The Fellowship provides financial assistance to a student who has not had an opportunity to participate in a mentored research experience (paid, volunteer, or for credit) since matriculating to The University of Georgia.