<p>From the HMMI profile:</p>
<p>[Swarthmore</a> College](<a href=“http://www.hhmi.org/news/popups/swarthmore_pop.html]Swarthmore ”>http://www.hhmi.org/news/popups/swarthmore_pop.html )</p>
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Four nights a week, teams of Swarthmore College students get together to puzzle over the scientific problems that their introductory biology professors have presented. Guided by juniors and seniors who’ve successfully navigated the introductory courses, these voluntary study groups have been wildly popular among students and faculty alike. </p>
<p>First offered in 2005, the study groups help students acquire crucial study skills, excel in class and learn to work together. At Swarthmore, the study groups have also increased the number of students who continue on to upper level science courses—particularly students from underrepresented minority groups. The program’s success in the biology department encouraged Swarthmore to expand; the college will use part of its $1.6 million HHMI grant to extend the program to introductory courses throughout the Division of Natural Sciences and Engineering. </p>
<p>“The study groups facilitate the kind of collaborative learning that is typically absent in a large lecture course,” says Kathleen King Siwicki, professor of biology and HHMI project director. “And, the program makes students feel like they have a home in the biology department.” </p>
<p>Siwicki says the program is successful, at least in part, because it is voluntary. Students attend the sessions to solve challenge problems—assignments given by professors to help students prepare for biweekly quizzes. Snacks sweeten the deal. The result is that more than half of the students in introductory biology choose to attend at least one of the study groups every two weeks. Many students attend more frequently.
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<p>I think this is important to highlight. The cooperative nature of learning at Swarthmore is a companion piece to the “academic intensity” plotline.</p>