Instructional Assistant Professor Texas A&M University College Station, Texas
Accessibility in education comes in many forms and is a hot topic of concern in the college classroom. The pandemic started the race for educators and students to rapidly adapt their traditional in-person teaching and learning practices to a fully online format. In some cases, the instant change to online education may have left some educators and students at a greater disadvantage than others. This talk will highlight how changing a fixed mindset to a mindset of opportunity and exploration helped improve accessibility and engagement for entomology students in virtual classrooms and labs, as well as research and internships, and the impact this had on recruiting undergraduate entomology students. Through trial and error, assessments and projects were identified that could engage students and build community in a virtual format, as well as expose them to real-world experiences and opportunities that would direct them on their career paths. Discussion will touch on failures and successes, as well as changes made based on continual student feedback, that have helped to make online instruction and educational research and internships more engaging and accessible for future students. By taking the lessons we have learned about education in entomology we can continue to make entomology even more accessible for future generations.
