Anni Moore, assistant professor of biology at Morningside College, and student Matthew Nieland recently led a workshop at the Canadian Society of Microbiologists conference in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Anni Moore, assistant professor of biology at Morningside College, and student Matthew Nieland recently led a workshop at the Canadian Society of Microbiologists conference in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Moore and Nieland led a microbiology teaching workshop titled “Using Common Read to Facilitate Common Interest: Strategies for Engaging Small, Medium, and Large Size Biology Classes in Book Discussions.”

They talked about how to find and choose the best books, how to hold students accountable for the readings, how to find questions that will get students actively involved in discussions, and how to use other activities – such as making infographics – to enhance the understanding of the material.

Using popular science nonfiction books to facilitate learning in science classes is something that the two explored together for the previous two years. The strategy not only enhanced classroom participation and comprehension of the material but also contributed to understanding the wider issues in science that reach far beyond the course materials.

Nieland graduated from Morningside in 2018. Now he is a Ph.D. student at Kansas State University, where he studies microbe-mediated nutrient cycling in prairie soils.

Moore joined the Morningside faculty in 2014. She teaches courses on microbiology and immunology. She has a Ph.D. from Northern Illinois University.