After years of designing and redesigning her introductory biology course for non-majors in order to better engage non-science students in science, Heidi Elmendorf had turned to Blackboard as the latest in a series of innovations. She hoped to draw in her liberal arts students by getting them to engage with the material before class to be able to participate more fully in class discussion.

The CNDLS team helped her continue using Blackboard to make her material more meaningful, as well as to redesign her curriculum in a manner that engaged even the least scientific student. Prof. Elmendorf decided to include the option of community teaching as an alternative to weekly lab work as an effort to reach different type of learners. Students in this teaching section develop and teach science modules at Bruce Munroe Elementary School, Ron Brown Middle School, and McKinley Technology High School-all underserved Washington, D.C. public schools that Georgetown's Center for Social Justice helped to identify. Students keep a journal of their experiences and submit lesson plans and a reflective paper on how the teaching experience enhances their knowledge of microbiology.

Prof. Elemendorf assessed the outcome of the new design, and discovered that the students in the teaching section perform as well as, or better than, their lab section peers on tests and assignments. These students also demonstrate a deeper engagement with and stronger commitment to science—all Elmendorf's teaching assistants have taken the community service sections. Dr. Elmendorf is continuing to explore teaching and learning possibilities through CNDLS' Visible Knowledge Project.