CREATING PATHWAYS The Science of Learning through these abstract challenges by analyzing classroom interactions and student thinking. Her work identifies where students struggle and which strategies improve understanding and confidence in mathematical reasoning. Her efforts earned the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government to outstanding early-career scientists and engineers. “I took a combinatorics class and was fascinated by these problems that were easy to state but kind of difficult to solve. I had a bad experience with them as an undergrad, and I realized I could study ways to improve how these problems are taught and understood by students. That became my passion,” she said. Unlike calculus problems that follow a clear path to a solution, combinatorics problems can feel open-ended and unfamiliar. Lockwood has found that students benefit from more structure and has accomplished this by helping them focus on what they are counting rather than relying on formulas. Alongside its leadership in scientific discovery, the College of Science has built a strong reputation for improving how science is taught. Faculty study how students learn and apply that evidence to transform teaching, redesign courses and strengthen student success. Solving the math puzzle In fields like data science, computer science and engineering, combinatorics — the mathematics of counting and arranging — is a foundational skill and often one of the most difficult to master. Mathematician Elise Lockwood studies how students reason eab eba eca eda efa eac ebc ecb edb efb ead ebd ecd edc efc eaf ebf ecf edf efd aeb bea cea dea fea aec bec ceb deb feb aed bed ced dec fec aef bef cef def fed abe bae cae dae fae ace bce cbe dbe fbe ade bde cde dce fce afe bfe cfe dfe fde The same research mindset that fuels discovery is also transforming classrooms through evidence-based teaching and learning. (Above) The math behind counting presents many pitfalls for students. Elise Lockwood studies learning in order to teach more effectively. (Below) Staci Bronson developed digital “hands-on” learning tools to make anatomy more accessible for online learners. 10 OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY / COLLEGE OF SCIENCE
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