Biology curriculum adventure

The way we were….

CONTENT FOCUS
BIOL21 BIOL22 BIOL24
BIOL23 BIOL25
LEC + LEC + LEC + BREADTH
Lab int. Lab int
DISC DISC DISC
LITTLE SCAFFOLDING

7 UD COURSES, 5 WITH LAB 5 COURSES IN THE EMPHASIS

DEPTH
ECOLOGY AND
BIOMEDICAL CELL MOLECULAR
EVOLUTION
PROBLEMS
● TOO MUCH CONTENT TO COVER IN THE LOWER DIVISION

● LACK OF SCAFFOLDING DUE TO INCREASE IN DIVSERSITY OF LIFE

SCIENCE MAJORS PUT NEARLY ALL PRESSURE FOR SKILLSAND
COMPETANCIES IN ONE COURSE- BIOL 25

● UNEVEN STUDENT DISTRIBUTION IN EMPHASES LED TO

OVERSUBSCRIBED CLASSES IN BIOMED, CANCELLING OF ECO/EVO
COURSES.

● MARGINALIZES FACULTY IN CERTAIN AREAS OF CURRICULUM

● REINFORCES A MODEL OF BIOLOGY FROM THE 20TH CENTURY

(SILOED) RATHER THAN THE MODERN SYNTHESIS (MOLECULES TO
ECOSYSTEMS; CROSS-DICIPLINARY).

● INFLEXIBLE
WHAT WE DID/ARE DOING

● STARTED WITH PROGRAM REVIEW (4 YEARS AGO) AND FOLLOWED

REVEWERS ADVICE

● FOCUSED ON BEST PRACTICES, RECENT INNOVATIONS IN BIOLOGY

CURRICULUM

● SPENT A LOT OF TIME TOGETHER, IN SMALL AND OFTEN LARGE

GROUPS, ITERATING OUR IDEAS FOR NEW CURRICULUM

● USED DIFFERENT APPROACHES FOR MAKING PEOPLE FEEL HEARD

AND COMFORTABLE WITH CHANGE

● SPENT TIME AND RESOURCES FIGURING OUT BEST PRACTICES IN

ASSESSMENT (RUSCETTI)

● VOTED TO LOCK DECISIONS IN PLACE, THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS

● PILOTED OUR NEW IBE MODEL (SABATIER)

USED VISION AND CHANGE IN
UNDERGRADUATE BIOLOGY EDUCATION TO
MODEL NEW CURRICULUM
Core Concepts
● Evolution
● Structure and Function
● Flow of Information, Exchange, and Storage
● Pathways and Transformations of Energy & Matter
● Systems
Core Competencies
● Process of Science
● Quantitative Reasoning
● Modeling and Simulation
● Interdisciplinary Nature of Science
● Communication and Collaboration
● Science and Society
American Association for the Advancement of Science. "Vision and change in undergraduate biology
education: a call to action: a summary of recommendations made at a national conference organized by
the American Association for the Advancement of Science, July 15–17, 2009." Washington, DC (2011).

Brownell, S.E., Freeman, S., Wenderoth, M.P., and Crowe, A.J. (2014). BioCore Guide: A Tool for
Interpreting the Core Concepts of Vision and Change for Biology Majors. Cell Biology Education 13, 200–
211.
 USING INNOVATIONS IN ASSESSMENT TO SEE
WHERE THE HOLES ARE!

Systems

Energy
transformation

Information
flow

Structure
Function

Evolution
ss
ce
ro

n y/
on nd
ap

tio ar

n
ati a

ra lin
he e

tio
as

ac v

ul ling
ro tati

bo cip

ica
M s
e

ics
nc

Sim ode

lla rdis
pp anti

un

h
ie

Et
m
Sc

te
Qu

om
In
THE NEW MODEL: ROLLING OUT THIS YEAR

Introductory
Upper Division
Biology
Experience
Experience

BIOL1 BIOL1 BIOL1 BIOL101

A B C seminar

UD BIOL
UD BIOL
BIOL
UD BIOL
UD BIOL
L+L L+L Lab int.

UD
Across scales
Competencies
CONCEPTS AND
COMPETANCIES
ASSESSED BY COURSE