BIO2010: Transforming Undergraduate Education for Future Research Biologists docx

[...]... INTRODUCTION Major Changes in Research Compel Major Changes in Undergraduate Education, 10 Evidence that Interdisciplinary Education Is Necessary, 12 Research on Education Can Benefit the Teaching of Undergraduate Biology, 14 Case Study #1: Assessment of Undergraduate Research, 19 Statistics on Biology Students, 22 Origin of Bio2010, 23 10 2 A NEW BIOLOGY CURRICULUM Concepts and Skills for the New Curriculum,... IMPLEMENTATION The Evolving Role of Departments, 102 Faculty, 103 Reform Initiatives and Administrative Support, 104 Facilities, 105 National Networks for Reform, 106 Nurturing the Production of New Books and Other Teaching Materials, 107 Financial Support for Improving Undergraduate Biology Education, 108 Harmonizing the Undergraduate Science Education of Future Graduate Students and Medical Students, 111 The... transformations, which are driven by the accessibility of vast computing power and facile information exchange over the Internet In contrast to biological research, undergraduate biology education has changed relatively little during the past two decades The ways in which most future research biologists are educated are geared to the biology of the past, rather than to the biology of the present or future. .. to prepare a report addressing issues related to undergraduate education of future biomedical researchers The committee was charged with examining the formal undergraduate education, training, and experience required to prepare the next generation of life science majors, with a particular emphasis on the preparation of students for careers in biomedical research One goal of the project was to identify... of the overwhelming circumstantial evidence and broad-based agreement that undergraduate research is good pedagogy, the educational value of undergraduate research for students, and the impact of undergraduate research on faculty development as scholars and educators, has not been assessed in a systematic and intensive way The Research Corporation report mentioned above, Academic Excellence, does examine... preparing for careers in biomedical research The ideas presented here for transforming the undergraduate educa- EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 7 tion of life science majors are demanding, but the committee believes that significant change is realizable within this decade if these recommendations are acted upon Reform will require concerted action by faculty, administrators, professional societies and other educational... enhancing undergraduate education Departments and colleges must find new ways to help individual faculty and academic departments innovate and reward their efforts in creating, assessing, and sustaining new educational programs For example, faculty interested in adapting teaching approaches for their own use or in creating new teaching materials should have lighter than normal requirements for teaching, research, ... high-quality undergraduate student-faculty collaborative research and scholarship” (http://www.cur.org/) CUR focuses on primarily undergraduate institutions A recent report by the Research Corporation examines the role of research in the physical sciences at undergraduate institutions; it documents model programs and discusses financial support for that research (Research Corporation and Doyle, 2000) However,... Neurobiology Laboratory, 80 Case Study #8: Workshop Physics, 82 5 ENABLING UNDERGRADUATES TO EXPERIENCE THE EXCITEMENT OF BIOLOGY Incorporating Independent Undergraduate Research Experiences, 87 Seminars to Communicate the Excitement of Biology, 91 Case Study #9: Undergraduate Research Abroad, 92 Increasing the Diversity of Future Research Biologists, 94 Case Study #10: Integrated First-Year Science, 95 Case... report, Transforming Undergraduate Education in Science, Mathematics, Engineering, and Technology [NRC, 1999b].) Offering exciting introductory courses will help attract more students to enroll in biology courses, increasing the number who might consider biomedical research as a career Increasing the number of students who consider biology as a major may increase the quality of future biomedical researchers . support for the project. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Bio2010 : transforming undergraduate education for future research biologists / Committee on Undergraduate Biology Education. which most future research biologists are educated are geared to the biology of the past, rather than to the biology of the present or future. Like research in the life sciences, undergraduate education. reports are useful resources for college faculty. Science Teaching Reconsidered is a handbook for faculty to help them improve their teaching. Transforming Undergraduate Education in Science, Mathematics,