Abstract Detail

Osborn, Jeffrey M. [1].

Reforming undergraduate education in botany in light of the National Research Council’s Bio 2010 report.

In 2003 the National Research Council published a timely report focused on reforming undergraduate education. Bio 2010: Transforming Undergraduate Education for Future Research Biologists has received significant attention since its publication. The major recommendations of Bio 2010 include the following: 1) departments and institutions should re-examine courses and curricula given the profound changes in the way that modern biology is conducted and disseminated; 2) concepts, techniques, and examples from the physical, mathematical, and information sciences should be included in biology courses and those from biological sciences included in the courses of other disciplines; 3) institutions should support the new materials and approaches that will be required to meet the needs of holistic, multi-disciplinary research problems; 4) students should be encouraged and supported to engage in undergraduate research; 5) curricula should be enriched with seminar-type courses that focus on cutting-edge developments in biology; and 6) faculty development efforts that enable integrative, multi-disciplinary course development and research interactions should be supported. This session will focus on how the Bio 2010 report has been received by the botany community, as well as how courses and curricula in plant biology both have been and should be modified. The session will also provide the opportunity for all participants to discuss the changes that have occurred and/or are planned at their home campuses.

1 - Truman State University, Division of Science, 100 E. Normal Street, Kirksville, Missouri, 63501-4221, USA

Keywords:
none specified

Presentation Type: Education
Session: F1b-1
Location: Wasatch B (Cliff Lodge)
Date: Saturday, July 31st, 2004
Time: 8:15 AM
Abstract ID:1050