IB-103 Turns Plant Biologists into Makers

What happens when a plant biology course trades the lab bench for a makerspace? For students in Introduction to Plant Biology (IB 103) this spring, the answer took shape in clay, fabric, styrofoam, and pipe cleaners.

This semester, Assistant Professor Min Ya of the School of Integrative Biology partnered her introductory plant biology course with The Shop at Siebel Center for Design, bringing together two campus communities that don't always share a workspace. The collaboration is the centerpiece of a broader course redesign that Min Ya initiated when she took over as instructor of IB 103, a general education course with around 110 students.

“When I took over as the instructor of IB 103, I tried to modernize the course in several ways," she explained. "One of the main changes was introducing a final project that allows students to demonstrate their understanding of core concepts through art and design, with full creative freedom. ”

Min Ya, Assistant Professor, School of Integrative Biology

The project asks student groups to design an imaginary plant capable of thriving across two drastically different environmental conditions over the course of a year. Each group produces a physical, poster-based project alongside a one-to-two minute video explaining their concept and creative process. The premise is scientifically grounded and creatively wide open -- exactly the combination Min Ya was aiming for.

"Explaining scientific concepts to others is a powerful way to reinforce learning," she said. "By translating scientific ideas into alternative media, students are encouraged to internalize concepts, reflect on their meaning, and communicate them in more accessible and creative ways."

Getting students ready to make

Before students ever set foot in The Shop, the course built in deliberate preparation. Teaching staff received in-person training from Neil Pearse, Assistant Director of Lab and Equipment Operations at SCD, the week before labs began. Students completed required online SCD training and communicated with their TAs about which materials and techniques they hoped to use.

Over the weeks of April 13 and April 20, IB 103 lab sessions moved into The Shop entirely. Pearse provided in-person walkthroughs at the start of each session during the first week, helping students get oriented to the equipment and workflows available to them. Sessions were scheduled for nearly three hours, giving groups enough time to experiment and iterate.

The scale of the project, Min Ya noted, would not have been possible without SCD's support. "The Shop provided space, time, training, and an impressive collection of materials and facilities. With these resources, students in IB 103 are able to translate complex ideas related to plant evolution and adaptation clearly and creatively to diverse audiences."

A screening and a wider audience

On April 28 and 30, IB 103 held its final project screening in Burrill Hall. For many students, the collaboration also introduced them to a part of campus they hadn't encountered before. "Many students were not aware that these resources existed on campus," Min Ya said. "The environment at the Siebel Center is also very different from other science buildings, and students have shared that they feel excited and inspired to be creative when working in that space."

The highest-scoring projects from each theme will go on to a public exhibition at the Spurlock Museum this summer, giving student work a second life and a broader platform.

For SCD, the partnership with IB 103 reflects what The Shop makes possible when it opens its doors across disciplines, and for students in plant biology, it offered something less common in a science curriculum: the permission and tools to become makers.