My name is Sigrunn Eliassen and I am associate professor at the Department of Biological Sciences. In my research, I am particularly interested in the evolution of mating systems, and I spend a lot time wondering about why birds stray.
In bioCEED I lead the work package on learning environments and I am involved in lots of interesting projects, including bioSKILL, TE2LE, video tutorials projects, student active research etc. …..on top of that I am the leader for educational development at BIO.
In my own teaching, I have been experimenting with different formats to engage students actively in class, giving them research experiences, and making them think critically. I have set up two systems; one nest box study and a bean beetle lab where BSc and MSc students can do “real” research.
For me, it is important to expose students to the challenge of asking good research questions, designing experiments and interpret their results. In my behavioral ecology class (BIO241), I supervise groups of students in how to design an experiment, without any “recipe” or set questions. This has been a very rewarding process, especially when the students proudly present their projects on the course poster session.
Through bioCEED I have been challenged to think in new ways about teaching. In particular, this has given me many local, national and international colleagues to discuss ideas, learning methods and teaching practice with.