Introductory Biology Project: A Research Coordination Network

 

Gordon Uno, Todd Carter, Charlene D’Avanzo, Mark Walvoord, Susan Musante, & Sheri Potter

Tested Studies in Laboratory Teaching, 2011, Volume 32

Abstract

The Introductory Biology Project (IBP) is a five-year NSF funded Research Coordination Network project focusing on undergraduate biology education. The project will articulate a shared vision of introductory biology courses to prepare biology students and will develop a collaborative network of individuals, projects, and societies actively engaged in the reform of undergraduate introductory biology education. The project will transform courses from encyclopedic lists of facts into a rich array of experiences including the use of a thematic introduction to the study of life built around an evolutionary perspective and integrating current research opportunities across the curriculum. It will provide a strategy for helping faculty deal with the ever-increasing content of biology and for students to conduct authentic research, learn about careers related to biology, and improve their ability to apply their understanding of key biological concepts to novel situations. The project will bring together scientists, science educators, biology instructors, and members of biological professional societies in a series of meetings over five years and through an online network to connect existing projects and stimulate the broad scale implementation of innovative ideas. http://ibp.ou.edu

Keywords:  assessment

Dalhousie University (2010)