Contemplating immunology: using contemplative pedagogy practices to build critical thinking skills and confidence in data analysis and interpretation.

Introduction/Rationale: Time is precious in immunology courses. With so much ground to cover in the span of only a few weeks, learners are expected to quickly absorb new knowledge with little time to process, much less be curious or dig deep into topics. Furthermore, in courses where building abilities in data analysis and interpretation are central learning goals, in-class activities designed to practice these skills are often rushed. Contemplative pedagogy (CP), teaching methods designed to deepen awareness, concentration, and insight, are one potential mechanism to help students access learning at a slower pace and greater depth. While CP approaches are commonly used in the humanities, they are rare in STEM.

Methods: Here I report on the development and use of contemplative practices in graduate Immunology and upper-level undergraduate/graduate Host-Pathogen Interactions courses. Following the style of a Lectio Devina, an ancient tool for deep understanding of religious texts, students were guided through close “readings” of data (in class) or journal articles (self-study). This STEM-adapted CP approach provides a framework for students to both practice and build confidence in their critical thinking, observational, and analytical skills.

Results: Students self-reported increased confidence in their ability to analyze and interpret data and to read and understand journal articles. Anecdotally, students report enhanced attention to detail, self-awareness, and confidence in being ablet to draw their own conclusions.

Conclusion: While not a common method in the STEM instructional playbook, CP approaches, like Lectio Devina, can provide a new tool to support the development of young scientists in the classroom.