Teaching: Building Learning Communities

Barbara Oakley, PhD, PE, is a Professor of Engineering at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan, and Coursera’s first “Innovation Instructor.” Her research explores the intricate connections between neuroscience and social behavior and has been described as "revolutionary" by the Wall Street Journal. Dr. Oakley has published in prestigious outlets, including the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times. She has received multiple national teaching awards, including the American Society of Engineering Education’s Chester F. Carlson Award for technical innovation in engineering education.

Terrence Sejnowski is a pioneering figure in computational neuroscience, dedicated to uncovering the principles that connect brain activity to behavior. His laboratory employs experimental and modeling techniques to investigate the biophysical properties of synapses and neurons, as well as the population dynamics within large neural networks. He has developed innovative computational models and analytical tools to explore how the brain represents information and how new representations emerge through learning algorithms that modify synaptic strengths.

Beth Rogowsky is a distinguished educator and researcher who has successfully bridged the gap between neuroscience and practical classroom instruction. As co-author of the critically acclaimed "Uncommon Sense Teaching: Practical Insights in Brain Science to Help Students Learn," she combines 14 years of English language arts teaching experience with advanced research in neuroscience. Her unique expertise spans both K-12 and higher education, enhanced by three years of postdoctoral training at Rutgers University's Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience. Currently serving as an Associate Professor at Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania, she teaches methods courses in teaching principles, assessment, and adolescent literacy while conducting research that challenges traditional educational myths. Her work, published in prestigious journals and featured in Time Magazine, Discover, and the Washington Post, focuses on improving language and literacy skills across all age groups. As a first-generation college graduate and TRIO Upward Bound alumna, she has maintained her commitment to educational equity through service on the Pennsylvania Standard Validation Committee and the Board of Directors for the Pennsylvania Association of Colleges and Teacher Educators