A Narrative Pedagogy to Teach Biology to Engineering Students

Le résumé fourni par la source

This full, innovative practice paper explores the use of narrative pedagogy for effectively teaching biology to engineering students. Biology is often seen as a fact-heavy, memorization-intensive subject, making it unappealing to many Indian engineering undergraduates, especially those who opted out of biology in high school. However, as biological solutions gain prominence in technology, engineers must engage with biological concepts. To bridge this gap, innovative pedagogical approaches are needed. We argue that narrative pedagogy, which aligns with engineers' problem-solving mindset, can enhance their engagement with biology. Narratives also offer the scope of creating an emotional connection. A biology course titled Nature's Machines was taught to Freshmore engineering students using a narrative-based approach. Both in-person sessions and take-home assignments incorporated various aspects of a narrative pedagogy such as storytelling, designing lesson plans with a plot structure as well as enacting real-world scenarios. Performance data and student feedback indicated high engagement with the subject. Students found that linking biology to real-world problems made learning more enjoyable and relevant. Narrative-driven teaching and case studies were highlighted as making the learning process more effective. Two key pedagogical insights emerged: (1) Engineering students' problem-solving tendencies could be effectively leveraged for pedagogical design, and (2) fact-heavy subjects like biology can be successfully taught using a narrative approach. This method offers a compelling way to bridge the gap between engineering and biology, making biological concepts more intuitive and applicable for future engineers.

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