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STEM Curriculum Design

Disease Diagnosis Project

Introduction

As an 11th grade STEM teacher, I designed, developed, implemented, and evaluated a course in which students acted as scientists in order to diagnose a the disease of a patient from a case study using cell biology and fractal geometry.

Tools: This course utilizes a variety of tools, including Microsoft Powerpoint, Microsoft Office, Google Suites, Padlet, Screencastify, Gizmos, and Nearpod and includes both eLearning and Instructor-Led Training resources.

Audience: English Language Learner students in the Bronx between 16-20 years old.

Learning Theories: This course incorporates Project-Based Learning and Inquiry-Based Learning theories in order to support learners with developing their own understanding of complex subjects in STEM. Backwards design and Bloom's taxonomy were also incorporated into the design of this course.

Additional Details: English Language supports are also provided, such as graphic organizers, image analysis, sentence frames, modeling, and chunking texts.

Design Process:

1. Needs Analysis & Curriculum Map

First, I conducted a Needs Analysis in the form of a pre-assessment. Based on the results (and required NGSS and Common Core Standards), I created a year-long course curriculum map.

2. Unit Map

Next, I designed the unit map for the disease diagnosis course. This includes a project description, learning outcomes, assessments, key content, vocabulary, and NGSS and Common Core Standards. I edited my work based on key stakeholder and SME feedback.

4. Course Draft

Next, I created a draft of the course, including an Interactive Slide Deck, series of screencast videos posted directly to Google Classroom, synchronous virtual and in-person lab activities, "STEM Notebook" Learner Guide, asynchronous Nearpod lessons, and Padlet discussion questions.

3. Outline

I created an outline for the course with a list of all activities that would be completed. I obtained feedback from SMEs and key stakeholders, and made edits based on this feedback.

5. Feedback
& Iterations

I received several rounds of feedback on my course draft from key stakeholders and SMEs. I edited my course based on this feedback.

6. Final Course

After several project iterations, I created my final course utilizing a blended learning approach including Instructor-Led Training and eLearning.

7. Implementation

I uploaded the course onto Google Classroom, implemented the learning activities with my students, and continued making edits based on their assessment data and survey feedback.