Vision

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Vision Change in Biology Undergraduate Education
Starting the Conversation
Penelope Firth and Linda Slakey National Science
Foundation
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NSF BIO-EHR Working Group charge
2006

• Examine and address key issues in biology
  undergraduate education
• Recommend strategy and actions

2007
2008
2009
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NSF BIO/EHR Working Group
Deborah Allen, EHR Peter Arzberger, BIO Dondra
Bailey, BIO J. Ellis Bell, BIO Celeste Carter,
EHR Mary Chamberlin, BIO James Collins,
BIO LaJoyce Debro, BIO Penelope Firth, BIO Linnea
Fletcher, EHR Catherine Fry, EHR Elizabeth Gaige,
BIO Brian Gates, EHR
Richard Inouye, BIO Gera Jochum, BIO Liz
Lawrence, BIO Emily Leichtman, BIO Dan Litynski,
EHR Wesley Lumpkin, EHR Rick McCourt, BIO Al
Savitzky, BIO Judy Skog, BIO Linda Slakey,
EHR Jessica Slater, EHR Dan Udovic, EHR Terry
Woodin, EHR Kasey Yturralde, BIO
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Strategy developed by BIO-EHR Working Group

• Conversations listen for shared vision and the
  changes needed to achieve it
• Big Conference crystallize initiative and
  partnerships
• Report articulate the vision, synthesize
  previous efforts recommend changes needed
  roles address sustainability
• Implementation make investments implement
  commitments improve communication leverage
  feedback loops

Approved by a joint meeting of the BIO Advisory
Committee and the EHR Advisory Committee in
November 2006
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NSF supported regional conversations during
2007-2008 AAAS facilitation
211 participants from community colleges, PUIs,
MSIs, major R1 universities, museums, science
centers, education organizations, other federal
agencies, National Academies, field stations,
professional societies
2006
2007
2008
2009
Chicago
Boston
Denver
Washington
San Francisco
Atlanta
Image created with Google Maps
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Professional societies organizations
represented at conversations
2006
American Association for the Advancement of
Science (AAAS) American Institute for Biological
Sciences (AIBS) American Physiological Society
(APS) American Society for Biochemistry and
Molecular Biology (ASBMB) American Society for
Cell Biology (ASCB) American Society for
Microbiology (ASM) American Society for Plant
Biologists (ASPB) Biophysical Society
2007
2008
Botanical Society of America (BSA) Ecological
Society of America (ESA) Genetics Society of
America (GSA) Howard Hughes Medical Institute
(HHMI) National Academies National Association of
Biology Teachers (NABT) Project Kaleidoscope
(PKAL) Society for Integrative and Comparative
Biology (SICB) Society for the Study of Evolution
(SSE)
2009
Photo Kathy Yturralde
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We listened to other inputs during 2007-2009
2006
2007

• AIBS Biology Education Summit (May 2008)
• HHMI Invitational Summit on Undergraduate
  Biology
• The Role of Disciplinary Societies (Nov 2008)
• NSF Advisory Committee meetings
• Biological Sciences
• Education Human Resources
• Environmental Research Education
• NRC reports
• National Science Board reports
• NSF merit review panel meetings
• Professional society meetings

2009
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Mini-conversations during 2009 with undergraduate
majors and non-majors to gauge importance of
issues to students, discuss potential approaches
2006
2007
231 student participants from 13 institutions.
Convened by participants from the regional
conversations. Some students are HERE!
MAJOR Biology 43 Other STEM 31 Humanities
15 Arts 3 Undecided 9
2008
2009
Image created with Google Maps
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We heard elements of an emerging shared vision
Concept Literacy
Experiential Learning
Broad Career Horizons
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We heard repeated calls for change
Curriculum
Faculty Development
Institutions
Reward systems
Concept Literacy
Tools Networks
Critical thinking Communication
Experiential Learning
Broad Career Horizons
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2006
2007
2008
Planning for Vision Change Conference
2009
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THANK YOU to the Steering Committee
Chairs Carol A. Brewer Univ of Montana Alan I.
Leshner AAAS Members Peter J. Bruns - HHMI
Ingrid C. Burke - Univ of Wyoming Alan P.
Covich Univ of Georgia Lynn W. Enquist
Princeton Neuroscience Inst Louis J. Gross -
Univ of Tennessee, Knoxville Felicia Keesing -
Bard College Jay B. Labov NAS National
Research Council Thomas Pollard Yale Univ Mary
Poss Pennsylvania State Univ Muriel E. Poston
Skidmore College Robert S. Seville Univ of
Wyoming Daniel Udovic - Univ of Oregon Thomas
A. Woolsey Washington Univ St. Louis Maria
Elena Zavala - California State Univ Northridge
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