Easy to Prescribe But Difficult to Implement: A Discussion of Active Learning in STEM Education at the College Level

Abstract: Interest in active learning continues to grow worldwide. Although the large volume of active learning research has provided a myriad of ways to implement active learning in the classroom, the construct remains underdeveloped and difficult to operationalize. The purpose of this talk is is to articulate why active learning has the current status as a “curious construct” and what can be done to move the field forward.

Individual and Cultural Variation in Sympathy, Compassion, and Noticing Suffering

Although people across the globe suffer, sometimes we find it difficult to respond to another person’s suffering because we might not know what would be most helpful to them in that particular situation. For instance, should we focus on the silver lining or the distress? In my talk, I will demonstrate individual and cultural differences in how people express sympathy and what people consider to be compassionate. Moreover, I will present data suggesting individual and cultural variation in the degree to which people notice others’ suffering, the first step of a compassionate response.

[NAB Seminar] Great Apes as Models for Understanding Human Brain Evolution

The evolution of the human brain remains a challenging topic in the field of neuroscience. Studying the brains of our closest living relatives, the great apes, can provide specially informative insights into neuroanatomical diversity and how evolution has shaped the distinct features of the human brain. In this seminar, the similarities and differences in brain structure, function, development, and behavior between humans and great apes will be explored, with a particular focus on the origins of cognitive abilities related to language and cultural capacity.