Discipline: Biological Sciences
Subcategory: STEM Science and Mathematics Education
Raphael Isokpehi - Bethune-Cookman University, Daytona Beach, Florida
Co-Author(s): Katharina C. Wollenberg Valero, Kelly Carey, Shirma Ramroop Butts, Seenith Sivasundaram, Martine Levy Nelson, Sarah Johnson, Thomas Roper, Sunil David, Vivian Jones, Sulakshana Sen, Donald Spence, Yungkul Kim, Asia Anuwa, Sarah Krejci, Sidney Bolden, Baraka Mapp, Albert Hayward II, Irving Robinson, Danyell Wilson, Hector Torres, Allen Pelley, Christopher Davis, Masood Poorandi, Elizabeth Congdon, Herbert Thompson; College of Science, Engineering and Mathematics, Bethune-Cookman University, Daytona Beach, Florida
The study of life, biology, can contribute solutions to major societal challenges in food, environment, energy and health. Several national reports including “A New Biology for the 21st Century” as well as “Vision and Change in Undergraduate Biology Education” have recognized the continuous need to equip students with deep expertise in a specific discipline of biology and highly developed computational and quantitative skills. The National Science Foundation award to Bethune-Cookman University titled “Targeted Infusion Project: Developing Quantitative Expertise in the Undergraduate Biology Curriculum (QEUBiC)” from August 2014 to July 2018 was designed in response to the need to develop biology graduates who can address societal challenges using bio-based solutions. The project facilitated faculty collaboration to integrate evidence-based teaching and learning approaches to develop a new undergraduate biology curriculum at Bethune-Cookman University, Florida. The four-year 124 semester hours biology undergraduate curriculum at Bethune-Cookman University became effective in August 2018. The design of the curriculum promotes comprehensive student academic success. Students are supported to become expert learners and gain professional expertise in biology. In addition to the General Education courses, the new biology curriculum at Bethune-Cookman University includes: (1) Three-course series on fundamental principles of biology; (2) Four-course series of seminar courses to shape career intentions; (3) Second-year courses for entry into diverse sub-disciplines of biology; (4) Courses for biological research methods, internship in biology and biological research experiences; and (5) Third- and fourth- year courses for developing deep expertise in sub-disciplines of biology. Learning technologies including internet-based intelligent tutoring systems are now integral components of several courses to promote learning behaviors that ensure long-term retention of biological knowledge and the transfer of learning to career settings. Diverse types of faculty collaborations such as interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary collaborations were established and sustained. The Transdisciplinary Data Scholars Development Program (TDSDP https://bit.ly/tdsdp) was established and implemented with the goal to provide learning experiences that develop participants into professionals who are capable of working effectively with data.
Funder Acknowledgement(s): National Science Foundation HBCU-UP Award 1435186, 1623371; Department of Education Title III Program at Bethune-Cookman University; National Science Foundation IUSE Award 1626602; National Science Foundation CyberTraining Award 1829717; National Science Foundation REU Site Award 1755561.
Faculty Advisor: None Listed,