Tuesday, August 5, 2008: 8:00 PM-10:00 PM
102 C, Midwest Airlines Center
Organizer:
Emily E. P. Leichtman
Co-organizer:
Penny L. Firth
The purpose of this session is to inform ESA about efforts at the National Science Foundation (NSF) to assess current undergraduate biology education and to help articulate a vision for the future, and the changes necessary to achieve that vision. Paralleling changes in the way biologists approach basic research in the 21st century, undergraduate STEM (
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education is also undergoing change. New approaches to teaching are evolving based on emerging theories of learning, increasing emphasis on research experiences at the undergraduate level, the empowering nature of new technologies, and changes in higher education institutions and the manner in which people pursue higher education. Working with several scientific societies, including the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the NSF Directorate of Biological Sciences and Division of Undergraduate Education are making plans for a large "Vision and Change" conference to occur in about a year. The conference will be the culmination of a year-long dialogue with people active in biology undergraduate education reform and the broader biological sciences community. Participants in this session will be asked to provide feedback on several topics of interest, including curriculum design, goals, and institutional levels of change.