Advancing the Introductory Biology Experience

在NSF改进本科STEM教育计划：教育和人力资源（IUSE：EHR）的支持下，该项目旨在为支持改进生物学入门课程的教学和学习的国家利益服务。 该项目旨在支持为期3天的会议，汇集关键决策者，利益相关者和本科生生物学导论教师。 它旨在促进合作关系，并采取必要的行动，以推进所有本科生的生物学入门经验。 最近的一项调查结果发现，即使在全国生物教师协会（NABT）成员中，也严重缺乏促进三维学习的政策和实践。此外，大学预科学生参加生物学入门（如先进的安置）课程更有可能接触到当代的生物学比当前的本科生，这表明大学准备和大学现实之间的脱节。 拟议的会议旨在确定如何缓解这些问题，并通过专注于本科生物学导论经验的共同愿景来推进生物学导论课程。本次会议将有目的地包括来自所有环境，机构，相关组织和其他利益相关者的教师，以创建将服务于多种目的的合作。 会议旨在产生研究实践伙伴关系，通过培养新的伙伴关系，利用资源，并在从业人员，研究人员和其他利益相关者之间创造共享经验，加强所有学生的生物学入门经验。该项目将纳入已被证明可促进学习、自信和对科学的兴趣的具体战略，特别是在科学代表性不足的学生中。这些措施包括高影响力的做法（美国学院和大学协会）以及内容和技能的整合和干预措施，以处理误解。 项目领导团队代表了内布拉斯加大学林肯分校、俄克拉荷马州大学、NABT和康涅狄格州西北社区学院的合作。 此外，该项目还包括生物学教育中其他几个利益攸关方的代表，如本科生生命科学教育伙伴关系（PULSE）和新公民参与和责任科学教育（SENCER）。 NABT介绍生物学工作组，一个植根于介绍生物学项目RCN-UBE的小组，担任会议组委会。 它包括来自其他高等教育机构、一个学区和教育考试服务机构的利益攸关方。会议将根据会前调查数据将与会者分成工作组。 这些小组将得到指导，以制定行动计划，其总体目标是增加成功实施标准，提高生物学入门科学实践技能。 该项目旨在吸引60名参与者参加在霍华德休斯医学研究所会议中心举办的为期三天的会议。 预计这项工作将导致未来的生物学导论课程，在任何教室实施和设计这门课程的战略计划，以及教师，研究人员和其他利益相关者之间的网络和合作的形成更加统一的愿景。 最终，该项目旨在实施一个项目，阐明未来生物学教育的共同愿景，概述一个以研究为基础的生物学入门经验模型，重点是如何最好地为生物学学生做好准备，以满足未来，并建立一个永久的通信网络，连接并增加个人，项目，积极参与生物学导论课程的改革。 NSF IUSE：EHR计划支持研究和开发项目，以提高所有学生的STEM教育的有效性。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

With support from the NSF Improving Undergraduate STEM Education Program: Education and Human Resources (IUSE: EHR), this project aims to serve the national interest of supporting improved teaching and learning in Introductory Biology courses. This project intends to support a 3-day conference to bring together key decision-makers, stakeholders, and undergraduate introductory biology instructors. It aims to foster collaborative relationships and take actions necessary to advance the introductory biology experience for all undergraduate students. Results from a recent survey found that even among National Association of Biology Teachers (NABT) membership, adoption of policies and practices that promote three-dimensional learning are severely lacking. In addition, precollege students taking introductory biology (e.g. Advanced Placement) courses are more likely to be exposed to contemporary pedagogies than current undergraduates, suggesting a disconnect between college-readiness and college reality. The proposed conference seeks to identify ways to mitigate these issues and advance the introductory biology curriculum by focusing on a shared vision of the undergraduate introductory biology experience. This conference will purposefully include instructors from all settings, institutions, relevant organizations, and other stakeholders to create collaborations that will serve multiple purposes. The conference is intended to generate Research-Practice Partnerships to strengthen the introductory biology experience for all students by fostering new partnerships, leveraging resources, and creating shared experiences among practitioners, researchers, and other stakeholders. The project will incorporate specific strategies that have been demonstrated to promote learning, self-confidence, and interest in the sciences, especially among those students who are underrepresented in the sciences. These include High-Impact Practices (Association of American Colleges and Universities) as well as the integration of content and skills and interventions to deal with misconceptions. The project leadership team represents collaboration from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the University of Oklahoma, the NABT, and Northwestern Connecticut Community College. In addition, the project includes representatives of several additional stakeholder efforts in biology education, such as the Partnership for Undergraduate Life Science Education (PULSE) and the Science Education for New Civic Engagements and Responsibilities (SENCER). The NABT Introductory Biology Task Force, a group with roots in the Introductory Biology Project RCN-UBE, serves as the conference organizing committee. It includes stakeholders from additional institutions of higher education, a school district, and the Educational Testing Service. The conference will place participants into working groups based on pre-conference survey data. The groups will be given guidance for creating action plans with the overall goal of increasing successful implementation of standards that improve science practice skills in introductory biology. The project aims to engage 60 participants in the three-day conference hosted at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Conference Center. It is expected that this work will result in a more unified vision for the Introductory Biology curriculum of the future, a strategic plan for implementing and designing this curriculum in any classroom and the formation of networks and collaborations among instructors, researchers, and other stakeholders. Ultimately, this project intends to implement a project that articulates a shared vision of biology education for the future, to outline a research-based model of Introductory Biology experiences focusing on how best to prepare biology students to meet that future, and to build a permanent communication network that connects and increases the number of individuals, projects, and organizations actively engaged in the reform of the Introductory Biology course. The NSF IUSE: EHR Program supports research and development projects to improve the effectiveness of STEM education for all students.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.