Abstract Detail

Address of the BSA President-Elect - Gordon Uno

Uno, Gordon [1].

Convergent Evolution of National Science Education Projects: How BSA Can Influence Reform.

Several major projects have changed the national landscape of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) education in the United States. Among these efforts is the widely cited Vision and Change document from the AAAS and NSF that outlines a framework for teaching undergraduate science courses. The recently released Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) is used to inform pre-college curricula across America. The College Board revised its Advanced Placement (AP) science courses, which are equivalent to introductory-level undergraduate classes, and new versions of AP Physics, Chemistry, and Biology programs are now taught in thousands of high schools. The American Association of Colleges & Universities has identified several high-impact practices (HIPs) that are strategies for student engagement and success in STEM disciplines, strategies that are especially important for underrepresented students. All these projects have spurred reform on a widespread scale by emphasizing similar outcomes for students and science programs, outcomes that provide faculty members and departments with a roadmap for success. A growing body of literature identifies “what works” in an undergraduate science classroom—evidence-based, active learning methods. So, while we acknowledge barriers to improving science education, we have identified what students should be able to do by the end of our science programs and how to help them, and we know most faculty have heard about active learning. The problem arises in implementing what we know, which is where organizations, such as the BSA, can help members to improve their teaching through professional development activities. I will identify the common threads weaving through important national science education projects, outline strategies for student and faculty success in biology/botany classrooms, and suggest activities in which science and science education societies should engage to ramp up the use of active learning, improve the success rate of STEM students, and increase the science literacy of the general public.

1 - University of Oklahoma, Department of Microbiology and Plant Biology, 770 Van Vleet Oval, Norman, OK, 73019, USA

Keywords:
science education
student outcomes
professional development.

Presentation Type: Special Presentation
Session: S9, Address of the BSA President-Elect
Location: Oglethrope Auditorium/Savannah International Trade and Convention Center
Date: Wednesday, August 3rd, 2016
Time: 5:00 PM
Number: S9001
Abstract ID:347
Candidate for Awards:None