STEM Educator | Chemistry & Scientific Literacy Advocate | Graduate Student Mentor
Contemporary Issues in Science
a new approach to science curriculum for non-majors
About CISC
Contemporary Issues in Science Courses (CISC)
The CISC series consists of two interdisciplinary, team-taught courses designed for non-science majors to explore fundamental scientific concepts and their societal impacts. These courses aim to enhance scientific literacy, critical thinking, and evidence-based reasoning among students.
Team-Taught Format: Faculty from different disciplines collaborate to present a broad, interdisciplinary perspective on scientific topics. Each lecture is led by an expert in a relevant field, ensuring content is both accurate and engaging.
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Lecture & Discussion Format: Classes incorporate a mix of lecture-based content, active learning exercises, and student discussions to encourage critical thinking. Guest lecturers provide real-world context for the topics covered in the courses.
Course Offerings & Resources
Check out the CISC websites and NSF Funded Resource Projects
Contemporary Issues in Science: Cosmos, Earth, & Humanity
In small groups, students create case studies that are published as OER content.
Contemporary Issues in Science: The Environment
At the end of each course, students participate in an in-class debate, where they are assigned a specific perspective and must argue their position on a socioscientific issue.
NSF-funded stories illustrating scientific work, bias mitigation, knowledge development, and detection of misinformation.
Students create content maps that organize scientific practices, evidence, and sources of knowledge, visually showing how concepts connect (or conflict) to build understanding of the nature of science and its communication.
Course Statistics
Course Coordinator
My name is Dr. Tamara Powers
I am an Instructional Associate Professor at Texas A&M University, dedicated to transforming science education for non-majors. My vision is to cultivate scientifically literate Aggies, regardless of their field of study.
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I lead efforts to innovate the science curriculum by collaborating with faculty to develop interdisciplinary courses that bridge science and the liberal arts. These courses emphasize critical thinking, evidence-based reasoning, and the ability to analyze complex socio-scientific issues. My goal is to empower students to become informed, engaged citizens who can confidently navigate scientific topics that impact their health, society, and the world around them.