Sally Hoskins

Sally G. Hoskins

Sally G. Hoskins is Professor of Biology at the City College of the City University of New York, and originally a developmental biologist with particular interest in the embryonic nervous system.  With collaborators Dr. Leslie M. Stevens, (University of Texas—Austin TX) and Dr. Kristy Kenyon (Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Geneva NY)  she developed and extended the CREATE strategy--using intensive analysis of primary literature to demystify science research and provide unusual insight into the people who do it.

Continuous support from the NSF CCLI/TUES program since 2003 allowed the initial development and piloting of CREATE at the City College of New York and the project’s subsequent expansion to student cohorts at additional colleges and universities in the New York area.  Success of this method in the hands of a variety of teachers, studying diverse topics in biology, psychology and chemistry, has spurred ongoing expansion of the project and an ongoing NSF-supported project aimed at testing CREATE in a nationally distributed cohort of biology faculty.

Many faculty who participated in intensive CREATE faculty development workhsops have subsequently implemented CREATE on their home campuses.   Students on diverse campuses (2yr and 4yr) made cognitive and affective gains in CREATE courses, and were enthusiastic about adopting the new learning strategy.  CREATE courses are adaptable for any content area, are low-cost, and  have potential for substantial impact on teaching/learning of science.

The CREATE project has been featured in New York Teacher (2006), Interventions that Encourage Minorities to Seek Research Careers (ASCB, 2008); the 2011 Vision and Change in Undergraduate Science Education document from the American Association for the Advancement of Science,  the CCNY Alumnus magazine (2011),and Microbe magazine (2015).

Recent Papers:

Hoskins, S.G., Stevens, L., and Nehm, R., (2007) Selective Use of Primary Literature Transforms the Classroom into a Virtual Laboratory.  Genetics, 176 1381-1389.

Hoskins, S.G., (2008) Using a Paradigm Shift to Teach Neurobiology and the Nature of Science—a C.R.E.A.T.E.-based Approach.  Journal of Undergraduate Neuroscience Education 6(2):A40-A52.

Hoskins, S. G., Stevens, L. M.  (2009) Learning our L.I.M.I.T.S.  Less is more in teaching science. Advan. Physiol. Edu. 33: 17-20.

Hoskins, S. G., (2010) Developing critical reading and analysis skills by analyzing newspaper science using C.R.E.A.T.E. The American Biology Teacher, 72(7), 415-420

Hoskins, S. G., (2011) Teaching science for understanding. Chapter 8, pp. 151-179 in: Science and the Educated American: A core component of liberal education. American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Cambridge, MA.

O’Connor, C., Withers, M. (co heads);  Donovan, S., Hoskins, S.G., Lopatto, D., Varma-Nelson, P., White, H. (2011) Contributing authors for AAAS Vision and Change in Undergraduate Science Education science education reform document, Cultivating Scientific Thinking section ; Carol Brewer, Diane Smith, co-editors; American Association for the Advancement of Science 2011.

Hoskins, SG, Lopatto D, Stevens LM (2011). The CREATE Approach to Primary Literature Shifts Undergraduates’ Self-Assessed Ability to Read and Analyze Journal Articles, Attitudes about Science, and Epistemological Beliefs. CBE Life Sci Educ; 10 (4), 368-378.

Gottesman AJ, Hoskins SG (2013). CREATE Cornerstone: Introduction to Scientific Thinking, a New Course for STEM-Interested Freshmen, Demystifies Scientific Thinking through Analysis of Scientific Literature. CBE Life Sci Educ 12,159-72

Stevens, LM. Hoskins, SG (2014). The CREATE Strategy for Intensive Analysis of Primary Literature Can Be Used Effectively by Newly Trained Faculty to Produce Multiple Gains in Diverse Students. CBE Life Sci Educ 13, 224-242.

Hoskins, SG and Krufka A (2015). The CREATE strategy benefits students and is a natural fit for faculty. Microbe 10 (3), 108-112.

Kenyon, K., Onorato, M., Gottesman, A., Hoque, J., and Hoskins, SG. Testing CREATE at Community Colleges: An Examination of Faculty Perspectives and Diverse Student Gains In press, Cell Biology Education--Life Science Education; accepted Dec 2015

Awards:

National Science Foundation Presidential Young Investigator Award, 1989

CCNY CCAPP Teacher of the Year Award, 2001, 2008, 2009

CCNY Provost's Prize for Curricular Innovation, 2012

National Association of Biology Teachers  four-year college/university section Research in Biology Education award, 2013

Current grants: