1. VISION AND CHANGE IN UNDERGRADUATE BIOLOGY EDUCATION: A Call to Action
2009
2011
Carol Brewer
AAAS Annual Meeting
Feb 2011
2010
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2. Acknowledgments V&C Authors Funders: NSF, HHMI, NIH
Conference Advisory Board
Hundreds of faculty and administrators
Scores of students
AAAS staff, especially Yolanda George
C. Brewer, PERG, 2/2011

3. Biology is in transition Science education is in transition
WHY CHANGE? WHY NOW?
Biology is in transition
Science education is in transition
Society is in transition
Great need for biologically literate citizens
Education must change to meet the promise of science to society in the future
C. Brewer, PERG, 2/2011

4. Vision and Change Initiative
Seven conversations held around the nation in to identify issues and needs in undergraduate biology education
Nearly 600 biology faculty, researchers, administrators, and students from around the country attend July 2009 Vision and Change Conference
C. Brewer, PERG, 2/2011

5. Frederico Unglaub, Student, University of Colorado
Challenge us
Help us develop critical thinking, analytical and communication skills
Provide opportunities for research experiences and/or designing our own experiments
Use analogies, NOT jargon
Make it relevant
What Students Said…
Frederico Unglaub, Student, University of Colorado
… Tie what we’re learning into the Big Picture. Why is this important? Where did this come from (i.e., original literature)? Where does it fit in real life? And how does this relate to what we’re learning in other classes? ….
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6. Concepts and Competencies
Core Concepts
Overarching principles relevant throughout living world
Lend meaning and organize facts
Core Competencies
Relate to the practice of biology
Relevant skills
Core Concepts and Competencies Linked with Well-Defined learning Outcomes and Assessment
C. Brewer, PERG, 2/2011

7. Core Concepts for Biological Literacy
1. EVOLUTION: The diversity of life evolved over
time by processes of mutation, selection, and
genetic change.
2. STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION: Basic units of structure define the function of all living things.
3. INFORMATION FLOW, EXCHANGE, AND STORAGE: The growth and behavior of organisms are activated through the expression of genetic information in context.
4. PATHWAYS AND TRANSFORMATIONS OF ENERGY AND MATTER: Biological systems grow and change by processes based upon chemical transformation pathways and are governed by the laws of thermodynamics.
5. SYSTEMS: Living systems are interconnected and interacting.
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8. Disciplinary Practice
Core Competencies and
Disciplinary Practice
1. ABILITY TO APPLY THE PROCESS OF SCIENCE: Biology is evidence based and grounded in the formal practices of observation, experimentation, and hypothesis testing.
2. ABILITY TO USE QUANTITATIVE REASONING: Biology relies on applications of quantitative analysis and mathematical reasoning.
3. ABILITY TO USE MODELING AND SIMULATION: Biology focuses on the study of complex systems.
4. ABILITY TO TAP INTO THE INTERDISCIPLINARY NATURE OF SCIENCE: Biology is an interdisciplinary science.
5. ABILITY TO COMMUNICATE AND COLLABORATE WITH OTHER DISCIPLINES: Biology is a collaborative scientific discipline.
6. ABILITY TO UNDERSTAND THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SCIENCE AND SOCIETY: Biology is conducted in a societal context.
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9. Connecting Teaching with Learning
students as active participants, not passive recipients
multiple modes of instruction within a cooperative context
courses are active, outcome oriented, inquiry driven, and relevant
integrate research experiences as an integral component
ongoing, frequent, and multiple forms of feedback and multiple forms of assessment linked to predetermined learning outcomes
apply assessment data to improve and enhance the learning environment
encourage application of teaching and learning research when developing courses
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10. Key Messages from Vision and Change
Biology courses play critical role in undergraduate education for all students
Students must be active, engaged partners in the educational mission of their campus
Faculty need communities focused on teaching and learning
Administrators must emphasize demonstrable excellence in teaching and learning in their strategic plans and value, promote, and reward teaching excellence
Professional societies can increase awareness of the critical nature of undergraduate biology education, and contribute to the professional development of their members in this arena.
Funding agencies must be responsive to the needs of the community for developing tools and approaches to support these changes
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11. An Agenda
for Change
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12. An Agenda for Change If not now, when? If not us, then who?
C. Brewer, PERG, 2/2011