Workshop to Revise the Liberal Art of Science

1990年，美国科学促进会（AAAS）发表了开创性的文件《科学的文科》（the Liberal Art of Science），建议所有的大学生都应该学习更多的科学课程。这本书和相关节目认为，科学渗透到当代人类生活的方方面面，我们国家未来的经济、安全以及个人生活的质量取决于公众对科学发展的理解。科学对所有人的重要性在今天仍然是真实的。然而，自1990年以来，科学界和科学教育界在学生如何学习、如何让更广泛的学生参与科学、教授科学的有效教学方法是什么以及有科学素养的公民和未来的科学家应该知道和能够做什么方面取得了重大发现。1990年，很多美国人对科学知之甚少，也不知道科学如何影响他们的生活，许多学生，尤其是来自代表性不足的群体的学生，接触科学的机会有限，也没有动力把科学作为学位或职业来追求。这些重大问题在2018年依然存在。因此，修订《人文科学》是一项重要而及时的努力，在解决持续存在的问题的同时，利用最近的突破。研讨会将汇集科学家和科学教育工作者，概述并开始编写更新的“科学文科”，并计划通过改进现有的科学课程，而不是简单地试图在学生已经拥挤的课程中增加更多的课程，广泛实施当代教学和学习科学的建议。研讨会参与者将在科学、科学教育、教师专业发展和科学素养方面有不同的研究兴趣。他们还将代表积极参与其成员专业发展的主要科学和科学教育组织和机构协会。研讨会的参与者在参加在华盛顿特区美国科学促进会总部举行的会议之前，将有重要的义务。每个人将被要求起草新书一章的大纲，或者根据他们的兴趣和专业知识为研讨会本身准备一份报告。此外，每个人将确定一个或两个模范的个人或项目，使用积极的学习方法，提高学生的科学素养，或专注于学习成果，使学生为一个日益受科学和技术影响的世界做好准备。该讲习班将分三天的部分时间进行，将包括一系列介绍、讨论和小型工作组，并将形成整个新文件的大纲以及传播和实施新的变革建议的计划。该项目由生物基础设施司的生物科学理事会和本科教育司的教育和人力资源理事会共同资助。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

In 1990, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) published the groundbreaking document, "The Liberal Art of Science," which recommended that all college students should take more science courses. This book and associated program argued that science pervades all aspects of contemporary human existence and that our nation's future economy and security and the quality of individual lives depend on the public's understanding of scientific developments. The importance of science for all remains true today. Since 1990, however, the science and science education communities have made significant discoveries about how students learn, how to engage a broader spectrum of students in science, what are effective pedagogical methods to teach science, and what scientifically literate citizens and future scientists should know and be able to do. In 1990, many Americans were noted to have little understanding of science or how it affected their lives, and many students, especially from underrepresented groups, had limited access to or incentives to pursue science as a degree or career. These major issues still hold true in 2018. Thus, the revision of "The Liberal Art of Science" is an important and timely endeavor, capitalizing on recent breakthroughs while addressing continuing problems. The workshop will bring together scientists and science educators to outline and begin writing an updated "Liberal Art of Science" and to plan for the widespread implementation of contemporary recommendations for teaching and learning science by improving existing science courses and not simply trying to add more courses to a students' already crowded curriculum. Workshop participants will have diverse research interests in science, science education, faculty professional development, and science literacy. They will also represent major scientific and science education organizations and institutional associations actively engaged in professional development of their members. Participants at the workshop will have significant obligations before attending the meeting at the headquarters of the AAAS in Washington, D.C. Each person will be asked either to draft an outline of a chapter in the new book or prepare a presentation for the workshop itself based on their interests and expertise. In addition, each person will identify one or two exemplary individuals or programs that use active learning methods, increase scientific literacy of students, or focus on learning outcomes that prepare students for a world that is increasingly influenced by science and technology. The workshop, which will extend over parts of three days, will be a series of presentations, discussions, and small working groups and will result in an outline of the entire new document and a plan to disseminate and implement new recommendations for change. This project is being jointly funded by the Directorate for Biological Sciences, Division of Biological Infrastructure, and the Directorate for Education and Human Resources, Division of Undergraduate Education.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.