Redesigning a Large Foundational Biology Course Around Active Learning

ABSTRACT: In 2021, University of North Carolina instructor Dr. Mara Evan and her teaching team were tasked with redesigning a 40-year-old biology curriculum. The goals for the curriculum redesign were to incorporate more active learning into their large biology classes, use a data-driven approach to address their problem areas, and address the directives outlined in the American Association for the Advancement of Science’s (AAAS) call to action paper, Vision and Change in Undergraduate Biology, which seeks to better prepare students for the biology-related challenges of the 21st century. In this webinar, Dr. Evans will present the culmination of two years of planning, development, and implementation of their biology curriculum redesign and foundational organismal biology class.

“[SimBio’s modules] provide a powerful environment for hands-on, active learning in Ecology and Evolution. The depth, design, and pedagogical effectiveness of these packages is unequaled. They have greatly enriched student interest and understanding in all of my courses, from Introductory Biology to Advanced Population Biology”

— Dr. Brad Lister

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

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— Patti Fallest-Strobl

Neumann University

“I was amazed how quickly and effortlessly the simulation taught them a dynamic system.”

— Paula Philbrick

University of Connecticut

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— Paulette Bierzychudek

Lewis & Clark College

“Since we began using Simbio’s Ecology chapters our students consistently come to class better prepared. This is a key to the success of our hybrid flipped classroom approach.”

— Dr. Peter Curtis

Ohio State University

“That was the most fun I’ve had teaching ecology and, I would venture to guess, the most fun my students have had taking ecology from me.”

— Matt Orr

Oregon State University, Cascades

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— Emily Bernhardt

Duke University

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— Jeanette Williams

Community College of Vermont

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Rochester Community and Technical College

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— Richard Boone

Humboldt State University

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— Valerie Anderson

Marymount California University

Redesigning a Large Foundational Biology Course Around Active Learning

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Redesigning a Large Foundational Biology Course Around Active Learning

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