Thinking Evolutionarily Evolution Education Across the Life Sciences: Summary of a Convocation (2012) / Chapter Skim
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6 Progress and Resources
6 Progress and Resources
Pages 43-62
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From page 43... ...
In addition, the resources available to make progress in teaching evolution across the curriculum -- a few examples of which are described in this chapter -- are continually expanding. CURRICULUM REFORM INITIATIVES The Biological Sciences Curriculum Study The idea of teaching evolution as a major theme in biology is not new, observed Paul Beardsley, formerly a Science Educator at the Biological Sciences Curriculum Study (BSCS)
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From page 44... ...
The resulting evolution and medicine curriculum, which was funded by 11 different offices and centers at NIH, is based on the idea that modern health research requires an understanding of evolution. One lesson, for example, discusses the evolution of lactose tolerance in evolution.
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From page 45... ...
Undergraduate Biology Education In 2007 the American Association for the Advancement of Science, with support from the National Science Foundation, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and the National Institutes of Health, launched a major initiative to develop a shared vision for undergraduate biology education and the changes needed to achieve that vision. As Celeste Carter, a pro gram director in the Division of Undergraduate Education at the National Science Foundation, observed at the convocation, the driving force of the initiative was, "how do you make the biology that we teach as exciting as the biology that we do in our laboratories?
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From page 46... ...
• he student is able to transfer knowledge across various scales, concepts, T and representations in and across domains. Here is an example of how questions on the AP Biology examination are likely to change.a The first question is typical of factual recall questions that are prevalent in current AP Biology tests.
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From page 48... ...
The report emerging from that partnership identified the most important scientific competencies required of students graduating from college prior to matriculating into medical school as well as the scientific competencies required of medical school graduates as they enter postgraduate training. One of the eight competencies identified as essen tial for premedical students is that they "demonstrate an understanding of how the organizing principle of evolution by natural selection explains the diversity of life on earth." The focus on competencies rather than courses has several beneficial consequences, said William Galey, director of graduate and medical edu cation programs at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, during his prepared remarks as a panelist.
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From page 49... ...
Medical schools have few prerequisites for admission reflecting evolutionary thinking. No North American medical schools require or develop these competencies.
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The working group will refine core competencies across the continuum of premedical to medical training with a focus on teachable moments, since there is not enough room in the medical school curriculum for a whole new course. It will seek to infuse evolutionary thinking into the basic science and clinical education of trainees, and model curricula and learning experiences will be open for all to use.
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From page 51... ...
It has partnered with multiple organizations, including NASA, BioQUEST, the Smithsonian Institution, and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute on evolution-related initiatives. It has organized talks across the country for parents, school boards, and the public by nationally recognized speakers on how to address controversy and science denialism in the classroom.
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From page 52... ...
The Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology The Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) is also an umbrella organization that represents 24 societies with about 100,000 members collectively, which are involved largely in medi cal research, said its president Joseph LaManna, professor of physiology and biophysics, neurology, neurosciences, and pathology at Case Western Reserve University.
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From page 53... ...
• FASEB opposes introducing false controversies regarding evolution or other accepted scientific theories into the curricula of science. • FASEB calls upon the scientific community and American citizens to defend science education by opposing initiatives to teach intelli gent design, creationism, and other non-scientific beliefs in science class.
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From page 54... ...
ASM has been developing "training materials and leadership to empower the members to do their jobs in explaining the theories of evolution or evolutionary science and bringing it to everyday life." Finally, ASM is involved in information dissemination through a variety of publications and other documents. RESOURCES FOR TEACHING EVOLUTION ACROSS THE CURRICULUM The Understanding Evolution Website7 The Understanding Evolution website, which was launched in January 2004 with support from the National Science Foundation, was designed to give K-12 teachers the content knowledge and resources to teach evo lution with confidence.
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From page 55... ...
But if we can encourage them to take baby steps and that first step is comfortable, they'll take another step." Another critical factor was the successful submission of a curriculum development grant to the National Science Foundation in 2009. The goals of the grant were to: • Encourage college biology instructors to integrate evolutionary concepts -- especially the applications and relevance of evolution -- throughout their biology teaching.
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From page 56... ...
Students peer review each other's creations, and their contributions are archived on the website so that the selection con tinues to grow. The take-home messages, said Scotchmoor, are to make information easy and accessible, provide appropriate packaging and guidelines for use, create modifiable formats for different teaching styles, provide resources that also target other content and skills that need to be taught, provide assessment and diagnostics whenever possible, engage students actively, provide resources that are relevant to students, and provide professional development for teachers.
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From page 57... ...
"Many of the students in introductory biology are not necessarily going to be biology majors," said Jenkins, "but having them pick up that way of thinking and being able to use that in their future careers, as well as being aware of how biology works, is very important to NESCent." NESCent also provides professional development so that teachers are knowledgeable and confident in teaching evolution. It works with NABT and AIBS to offer a symposium on evolution every year at the NABT annual meeting.9 And it partners with groups such as Understanding Evolution and BioQUEST to develop specific materials so that if faculty members want to try something novel, they have the support and the resources to do so.
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From page 58... ...
"Biologists haven't thought that for about 30, 35 years now. The problem is that most state standards still refer to the kingdom protista, and teachers are obliged to teach about that." The book emphasizes concepts rather than facts.
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From page 59... ...
First, implementing materials in K-12 education requires patience as teachers assimilate new material, a willingness to negotiate, and a major investment of time and energy in conceptualizing materials and making sure that they are used and have an effect. The book has many different kinds of ancillary materials, such as English language learner support and differentiated instruction.
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From page 60... ...
Undergraduate students work with original data from the finches Darwin studied in the Galapagos Islands on such characteristics as wing length, upper beak length, bird songs, and georeference maps. They also use modern data such as phylogenetic trees, protein sequences, and nucleic acid sequences.
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2011. Vision and Change in Undergraduate Biology Education: A Call to Action.
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