SEAS LInc ~ Innovating Pedagogy in Engineering and the Sciences

  • Hanspeter Pfister, An Wang Professor of Computer Science
  • Yiling Chen, Gordon McKay Professor of Computer Science
  • Robert Howe, PhD attending the SEAS LInc Faculty Luncheon- 11/15/18 - Speaker Peter Dourmashkin, PhD - Blended Learning in a TEAL classroom
  • Stuart Shieber,ames O. Welch, Jr. and Virginia B. Welch Professor of Computer Science
  • Na Li, PhD
  • Kelly Miller, Lecturer of Applied Physics and Ruth Graham, Guest Speaker LInc
  • Todd Zickler, PhD
  • Elena Glassman, Assistant Professor of Computer Science
  • Tim Kaxiras. John Hasbrouck Van Vleck Professor of Pure and Applied Physics. Director of the Institute for Applied Computational Science.
  • Rob Wood,Charles River Professor of Engineering and Applied Sciences and Rob Howe,Abbott and James Lawrence Professor of Engineering. Co-director, Harvard MS/MBA Program
  • Eric Mazur, PhD October 2017 SEAS LInc Science of Learning Speakers Series
  • Greg Tucci, PhD - attending the Allen Downey, PhD Workshop -Eight Ways to Use Computation to Teach Everything Else
  • Hanspeter Pfister,An Wang Professor of Computer Science
  • Pia Sorensen, PhD attending the SEAS LInc Science of Learning Speaker Series:  Encouraging Great Questions: An Invitation to Deep Scientific Understanding- James Ryan, JD -

Welcome

The Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences has established The Learning Incubator (LInc), whose mission is innovation of pedagogy in engineering and science. More

Call for Proposals: LInc Faculty Fellowships 2024-2025

Submission Deadline: 2/5/24
The Learning Incubator (LInc)  is pleased to announce a Call for Proposals for LInc Faculty Fellowships for the 2024-2025 Academic Year.  A LInc Faculty Fellowship permits faculty to dedicate time normally devoted to teaching a course to the (re)-design of an existing course to implement new research-based pedagogies and improve learning gains.  More 

LInc Announces Recipients of 2023-2024 Faculty Fellowships

Congratulations to Petros Koumoutsakos, PhD; Yue Lu, PhD; Linsey Moyer, PhD; Michael Mitzenmacher, PhD, Rebecca Nesson, PhD, JD and  who have each been awarded the LInc Faculty Fellowship for the academic year 2023-2024 - and to Patrick Slade, PhD who will be a LInc Associate for the academic year 2023-2024. 

2023-2024
koumoutsakos-petrosPetros Koumoutsakos, PhD 
LInc Faculty Fellow
Herbert S. Winokur, Jr. Professor of Engineering and Applied Sciences; Area Chair for Applied Mathematics
Course: General Education course in Computational Thinking
Course Design: Spring 2024
Course Implementation: Fall 2024 / Spring 2025


Yue LuYue Lu, PhD
LInc Faculty Fellow 

Gordon McKay Professor of Electrical Engineering and of Applied Mathematics
Course: ES 150: Introduction to Probability with Engineering Applications
Course Re-Design: Fall 2023
Course Implementation: Spring 2024

linsey moyerLinsey Moyer, PhD 
LInc Faculy Fellow 
Associate Director of Undergraduate Studies in Biomedical Engineering; Lecturer on Biomedical Engineering
Course: ES 53: Quantitative Physiology as a Basis for Bioengineering
Course Re-Design: Spring 2024
Course Implementation: Fall 2024


michael MMichael Mitzenmacher, PhD 
LInc Faculty Fellow 
Thomas J. Watson, Sr. Professor of Computer Science CS 20: Discrete Mathematics for Computer Science
Course: CS 20: Discrete Mathematics for Computer Science
Course Re-Design: Fall 2023
Course Implementation: Co-teaching Spring 2024; offering it both semesters 2024-2025 onwards

Rebecca NessonRebecca Nesson, PhD, JD 
LInc Faculty Fellow 
Dean for Academic Programs; Associate Senior Lecturer on Computer Science CS 20: Discrete Mathematics for Computer Science
Course: CS 20: Discrete Mathematics for Computer Science
Course Re-Design: Fall 2023
Course Implementation: Co-teaching Spring 2024; offering it both semesters 2024-2025 onwards


patrick sladePatrick Slade, PhD 
LInc Associate
Assistant Professor of Bioengineering
Course: Biomechanics of Movement (ES 126/226)
 

Reflections from LInc Faculty Fellows

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Owning Participation

Michael D. Smith, PhDMichael D. Smith, John H. Finley, Jr. Professor of Engineering and Applied Sciences, LInc Faculty Fellow (2020-2021)

Many of us value student participation in our classes. It reflects student engagement with our course material, and it is a critical component of active learning—both of which we all know are fundamental to student learning and success. But how do we encourage students to participate meaningfully in our classes? How do we send the signal that participation matters without making it all about the grade or a game of guess-what-the-instructor-values? In answering these questions, I'll talk about a successful reboot of participation and participation grading in my discussion-focused course. Presentation - LInc Exchange - Reimagining Teaching and Learning at Harvard - View Video 

Leveraging asymmetry in student's prior knowledge through peer learning exercises

Salil Vadhan, PhDSalil Vadhan, Vicky Joseph Professor of Computer Science and Applied Mathematics, LInc Faculty Fellow (2020-2021) & Lead PI on Harvard’s Privacy Tools Project, teaches COMPSCI 120: Introduction to Algorithms and their Limitations, a new introductory course in theoretical computer science “aimed at giving students the power of using mathematical abstraction and rigorous proof to understand computation with confidence.” Many computer science students are “builders” who enjoy the creative aspect of the field, yet their mathematical backgrounds are often quite diverse; to some, mathematical theory is unfamiliar. In redesigning the undergraduate computer science curriculum, it was a priority to make this “new language, reasoning, and way of thinking” accessible to students early in the program. Read More 

Designing the classroom for deeper student engagement and feedback on learning 

MahadevanL Mahadevan, Lola England de Valpine Professor of Applied Mathematics in SEAS, and Professor of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, and of Physics in FAS used his SEAS Learning Incubator LInc Faculty Fellowship to emphasize active learning in his Mathematical Modeling course. He implemented a flipped classroom approach to enable students to come to class with problems and questions to collaborate on, time to develop their own problems from scratch, and work on modeling with peers.  - More

Instrumental Lessons in Engineering

Robert Wood, PhDRob Wood, SEAS LInc Faculty Fellow and Charles River Professor of Engineering and Applied Sciences has implemented his newly designed course, Engineering the Acoustical World.  Read More - Instrumental Lessons in Engineering. 

Study shows students in ‘active learning’ classrooms learn more than they think

Kelly Miller, PhDFor decades, there has been evidence that classroom techniques designed to get students to participate in the learning process produces better educational outcomes at virtually all levels. And a new Harvard study led by Louis Deslauriers, Logan McCarty, Kelly MillerGreg Kestin, and Kristina Callaghan, now a physics lecturer at the University of California, Merced.suggests it may be important to let students know it. Read More    

Linc Conversations

Ruth Graham, PhDLInc Conversations - Eric Mazur, Linc Faculty Director, engages educational leaders in conversation. Click here for more info. 

LInc Exchange: Reimagining teaching & learning at Harvard

Linc ExchangeWelcome to the LInc Exchange, an innovative conference where Harvard faculty reflect on the lessons learned from the pandemic disruption and invite you to reimagine education at Harvard moving forward. The unprecedented disruption to the educational landscape challenged us to transform the way we teach. As we head into the next school year, this is the time to reflect on the lessons learned and consider new modes of engagement and assessment for the next academic year. More Information 

SEAS LInc Activity Reports