The greater accessibility of scientific information to the average citizen via the Internet requires a shift in science teaching to include an emphasis on evaluating and using information from varied sources.

In this research seminar, Prof. Brickman discusses how she developed a test to measure skills related to interpreting scientific information, and how she then redesigned her courses to provide opportunities for students to engage in scientific issues relevant to real-world situations. She describes the methods she uses to enact this type of teaching in very large enrollment (>300 students) sections of university courses, and how her research has evaluated the success of students coordinating and co-laboring to complete assignments. Specifically, she has examined whether collaboration benefits all students across a range from the highest to the lowest abilities, how students perceive the benefits of collaboration, and if groups that collaborate better exhibit better learning.