1. Biology Education Reform and the Community College BRINGING SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH TO LIFE: A CASE-BASED MODEL FOR INTEGRATING PROJECT-BASED LEARNING INTO INTRODUCTORY SCIENCE COURSES

2. Rationale: Research and Reports Converge How people learn: Brain, mind, experience and school: Expanded edition Evaluating and Improving Undergraduate Teaching in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. Washington, DC: National Academy Press. BIO 2010: Transforming Undergraduate Education For Future Research Biologists..

3. Defining the Problem  11.6 million students  48% of all U.S. undergraduates  In 1999 and 2000, close to half of the more than 740,000 S&E graduates with bachelor ’ s degrees attended a community college  In 2000, 38% of U.S. jobs requiring a PhD in science filled by people born abroad (24% in 1990)  By the time U.S. students reach their senior year of high school, they rank below their counterparts in 17 other countries in math and science literacy

4. examining how professional societies can stimulate, support, and disseminate information about undergraduate biological sciences education reform. What are the main goals and learning outcomes for the 21st century undergraduate biological sciences curriculum? What changes need to take place in undergraduate biological sciences teaching and learning, including laboratories, pedagogy, and learning technologies strategies? How do we best prepare faculty and structure departments and institutions for changes in undergraduate biological sciences education? How can foundations and professional societies support efforts for change in undergraduate biological sciences? NSF Conversation in Undergraduate Biology May 15-16, 2008 Co-sponsored American Institute Biological Sciences and AAAS

5. Content delivered through process thinking (students explore their own questions) Research experience as early as possible in the educational pathway (for all students) Science studies should be interdisciplinary with math fully integrated Content delivered with inquiry-based methods (ex. PBL) – learn through exploration Teach science in a collaborative setting - students explore their questions with others. Multiple levels of mentorship What does the research say? Recommended Solutions - Reform

6. Used Root Cause Analysis to identify primary barriers Built a model that INTEGRATED solutions Initiated a Pilot program to test the model (Phase I) Submitted a proposal to expand the model (Phase II) Finger Lakes Community College

7. Pause for Discussion: Can we be part of the solution? What are the barriers in place at community colleges that will prevent this type of reform? How are community colleges uniquely positioned to take a lead in this kind of reform?

8.  Lack of financial resources  An Incompatible faculty model (ex. Teaching load)  Lack of faculty preparation (research and PBL)  Lack of access to a community of CC researchers  Lack of four-year school research collaborations  Support from administrators has been tied to a lack of administrator education on science education Reform efforts What emerged from our RCA?

9. What is needed?  A complete reform of freshman science courses (lecture and lab)  Credit bearing sophomore courses for undergraduate researchers  A model for integrating undergraduate research at a community college  Resources (human and financial) to test and assess solutions to reform

10. Model Elements Engage students with contextual labs and case studies as freshman Prepare Faculty with research skills and students with process thinking skills Opportunity to explore Sophomore-level research course with interdisciplinary connections Connect Transfer of experience to four-year school and “back” to freshman level (PLTL)

11. Peer-Led Team Learning - PLTL Case studies delivered using Peers as leaders of learning groups Peers are graduates of the course and/or graduates of the program (transfers) In Search of Synergy

12. Faculty Preparation and Training problem solving (teams). The delivery should create opportunities for students to generate, explore, and solve their own problems (not just the ones we give them).” Support for faculty to attend NCCSTS workshops Local and regional field methods workshops Training in PLTL for both faculty and peer leaders

13.  Annual reports demonstrate engagement in primary research.  Integrated into the freshman biology curriculum  Researcher instructs professional development to train faculty on how to run case study and lab associated with research  Demonstrates either an inter or intra-departmental collaboration  Participates in sophomore research course as instructor and student advisor  Demonstrates project includes math and a writing component.  Demonstrate assessment according to General Education Criteria for the Natural Sciences. Incompatible Faculty Model * Five Contact Hours *

14.  Experienced Case Study developers paired with active researchers  Cases aligned with Syllabus and current research projects to deliver content in freshman biology courses  Laboratory activity designed to introduce methods  Contextual Learning  Engage students with projects (future exploration)  Helps build “soft skills” required for research ◦ Communication skills ◦ Working with teams ◦ Critical Thinking ◦ Experimental Design Model Core: Case Studies

15. Core Deliverable 1 – freshman course modules DNA-based methods for studying population dynamics of eastern Red-Tail Hawks Alignment of research projects with freshman biology course outline Development of contextual case studies to deliver content in classroom Development of associated lab activities to teach methods / data collection CLASSROOM “DNA Is For The Birds” LABORATORY Purification of genomic DNA from whole blood Polymerase Chain Reaction

16. Core Deliverable 2 – Opportunities for advanced exploration BIO 291 – Research Methods in Biology

17. Natal Dispersal of the Eastern Red-tailed Hawk

18. HOW MANY ARE THERE ? The use of non-invasive DNA-based mark- recapture methods for studying Grizzly and Black Bear Populations in North America James A. Hewlett Department of Science and Technology Finger Lakes Community College

19. Research Networks - RIMES Experimental Site Control Site

20. Tompkins-Cortland Community College Monroe Community College Genesee Community College Jamestown Community College Delaware Technical and Comm College Mass Bay Community College Nassau Community College Project Partners CUNY - Brooklyn College Alabama A&M University Rochester Institute of Technology Harvard University University of California - LA University of Richmond UMASS - Lowell Council On Undergraduate Research (CUR) NYS Department of Conservation Braddock Bay Raptor Research Under The Sea - Nevis Reef Check RIMES

21.  Population Genetics (RTH and Black Bear) - RIT  Ecology of North American River Otters - RIT  GIS-based habitat suitability models - reintroduction of captive bred populations of spotted turtle - RIT  Determining the distribution of nonpoint source loadings of nutrients within the Allen Creek Watershed. – RIT  Watershed Env. Chemistry – Delaware Tech and Comm Coll.  Evolutionary ecology of sponges in temperate and tropical marine systems – U. of Richmond  A. tumefaciens transfer of virulence genes and proteins into host cells – CUNY Brooklyn  Evolutionary Ecology of Caribbean Anoles – Harvard  Soil Microbiology and Chemistry – UCLA, Alabama A&M Project Portfolio - Partners

22. PROJECT-BASED LEARNING INITIATIVES BEGAN IN 2001 Cost to college $16,950 (assuming grant funds not covering release time) Realized economic impact $1,214,000.00

23. PROJECT WEBSITE

24. Community colleges interested in reform Four-year institutions interested in collaborating Experienced case study writers to help develop the curriculum materials We are looking for partners