This is a visual summary of the Teaching Towards Discovery Symposium. See our written report for an analysis of the symposium content:
OVERVIEW
On the 23rd of February, from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM, Berkeley Discovery and the Center for Teaching & Learning co-hosted a symposium dedicated towards an exploration of what discovery means to students and teachers on campus. The core theme of the symposium was how Discovery centers the "student as creator", capable of applying their skills towards a long-term educational journey.
"Creativity does not happen inside people’s heads, but in the interaction between a person’s thoughts and a sociocultural context.” - Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
Who Attended, and Why?
Attendees of the event include undergraduate, graduate, and PhD students; UC Berkeley academic, LBNL, and lab faculty; visiting scholars and researchers; and community and organization partners such as librarians and CEOs.
Symposium Schedule
The half-day symposium was scheduled from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM on February 23rd, 2024. The morning section of the symposium was dedicated to both student and faculty panelists, which was followed by breakout sessions for attendees to discuss larger themes brought up during the morning session.
- 9-9:30am: Breakfast and Introductory Remarks by Discovery Faculty Director Alessandra Lanzara
- 9:30-10am: Student Panel
- 10-10:10 am: Break
- 10:10-10:30 am: Announcements and Framing of Symposium Theme
- 11:30-12:00 pm: Break for lunch
- 12:00-12:30 pm: Breakout Group Discussions
- 12:30-1pm: Reflection & Takeaways
Symposium Theme: Student as Creator
"We need educational systems to foster not only intellectual growth but also personal agency, enabling students to respond creatively and effectively to life’s challenges." - Teaching Towards Discovery Symposium Report
Symposium Panelists
We were honored to host faculty, staff and student panelists who discussed their experiences both undertaking and facilitating discovery.
Our student panelists, Cooper Hood Jacobus (Astrophysics '25), Miya Rosenthal (Media Studies '26), and Raksha Rajeshmohan (Public Health '24) were invited to talk about how they have engaged in Discovery projects within their fields represent successful students in the media studies, astrophysics, and public health domains.
Watch the recording of our student panel!
Our case study panelists, Glynda Hull (Professor of Education), Kosa Goucher Lambert (Professor of Mechanical Engineering), Pat Steenland (Lecturer of College Writing), Susan Moffat (Executive Director of Global Urban Humanities), and Eugene Chiang (Professor of Astronomy) demonstrated the importance of active learning and presented examples of how Discovery can be integrated into rigorous curricula to promote creativity, showcasing initiatives that foster agency and interdisciplinary learning.
Watch the recording of our case study panel!
Breakout Sessions
Breakout sessions facilitated deeper and more personal discussions on topics of 1) Tension of Academic Requirements and Discovery, 2) Student Journey of Discovery, 3) Equitable Access to Discovery Experiences, and 4) Co-creation in the Classroom. Insights that arose during round-table discussions included challenges such as balancing academic requirements with discovery, ensuring equitable access to discovery experiences, and the co-creation of knowledge in the classroom.
Ailsa Sun, one of two documentation assistants present at the Symposium documented the symposium through live sketching.
Tension of Academic Requirements and Discovery
Discussion centered around topics of scaffolding of learning material, imposter syndrome, and the educators’ role in the students Discovery journey.
Debate of whether the existing campus-wide requirements could be a good course for introducing students to Discovery-based learning.
Artist's Note: The scale is an important figure to me, since it represents the balance that educators are forced to strike between the specific requirements they are asked to meet and the opportunities for flexibility and discovery that they bring into the classroom
Student Journey of Discovery
The breakout session emphasized the importance of building connections across the student body to cultivate human creative skill sets. While mentorship plays a huge role in scaffolded learning, collaboration between peers would allow for interdisciplinary and multi-faceted learning and development, which could be hugely beneficial to undergraduate students still uncertain of their academic interests.
Artist's Note: This breakout session emphasized to me the importance of time. The figure on the left was a participant who continued to change her career path, demonstrating that uncertainty of discovery is ever present
Equitable Access to Discovery Experiences
Outlined barriers to equitable learning and transitioned to discussing how to foster belonging in students’ passion for Discovery on campus, including everyday issues like parking.
Discussed the question of how educators can accommodate the needs of certain students to explore equitably with their peers while maintaining written obligations to certain course materials.
Artist's Note: The moments depicted here were significant to me because they demonstrated the passion that participants felt when discussing the support (as demonstrated by flames backing the central figure) that students need to learn
Co-Creation in the Classroom
Discussion focused on co-creation with AI, particularly how AI technologies could potentially widen the digital divide and lead to an increase in the number of individuals who struggle with information literacy.
The group proposed restructuring the class curriculum and designing assignments that cannot be accomplished by AI alone. Through this model, the group hopes to teach students useful skills they would need in their later career, place students in the driving seat of their learning and exploring, and maintain a human-driven creative process from start to finish.
Artist's Note: The circuitry of the brain represents the physical and electronic origins of Artificial intelligence, which is juxtaposed by the fact that it still very much a voice and a force influencing our communities and education
What Does Discovery Mean To You?
In our Puzzle-Piece Activity, attendees of the Discovery Symposium answered the question "What does Discovery mean to you?" on a series of puzzle pieces - Alongside some pictures of our responses, below is a word cloud based on their content!
"When academic institutions break down silos, encourage cross-disciplinary collaboration, and make learning publicly relevant, they not only enhance educational outcomes but also prepare students to be thinkers and creators in a diverse and complex world." - Teaching Towards Discovery Symposium Report
Advocate for Discovery!
Read our brief Symposium conclusion with calls to action for students, faculty, staff and donors on how to advocate for and engage in high impact learning.
Keep Engaging with Us!
Your opportunity to explore Discovery-based teaching doesn't end here! Continue engaging with us through our Padlet, our symposium resources, and through our high-impact learning community!
The High Impact Learning Community is for UC Berkeley faculty, students, and staff interested in creative and high impact learning experiences.
About Us
Miranda is a fourth-year student with a major in Psychology and Media Studies and a minor in Education. She spearheaded the design of the Symposium program and is the author of the final report for the Symposium.
Ailsa is an Applied Math and Sociology Major. She supported the development of the Padlet, illustrated the visual aspect of the breakout session documentation, and is the primary contributor to the Symposium Website.