Insight from Biology Program Learning Outcomes: Implications for Teaching, Learning, and Assessment

Autor/inn/en	Clark, Noelle; Hsu, Jeremy L.
Titel	Insight from Biology Program Learning Outcomes: Implications for Teaching, Learning, and Assessment
Quelle	In: CBE - Life Sciences Education, 22 (2023) 1, Artikel 5 (14 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
DOI	10.1187/cbe.22-09-0177
Schlagwörter	Biology; Outcomes of Education; Undergraduate Students; Skill Development; Program Evaluation; Identification; Competence; Information Dissemination + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Biologie; Lernleistung; Schulerfolg; Kompetenzentwicklung; Qualifikationsentwicklung; Programme evaluation; Programmevaluation; Identifikation; Identifizierung; Kompetenz; Informationsverbreitung
Abstract	Learning goals and objectives are a key part of instruction, informing curricular design, assessment, and learning. These goals and objectives are also applied at the programmatic level, with program learning outcomes (PLOs) providing insight into the skills that undergraduate biology programs intend for their students to master. PLOs are mandated by all major higher education accreditation agencies and play integral roles in programmatic assessment. Despite their importance, however, there have not been any prior attempts to characterize PLOs across undergraduate biology programs in the United States. Our study reveals that many programs may not be using PLOs to communicate learning goals with students. We also identify key themes across these PLOs and differences in skills listed between institution types. For example, some "Vision & Change" core competencies (e.g., interdisciplinary nature of science; connecting science to society; quantitative reasoning) are highlighted by a low percentage of programs, while others are shared more frequently between programs. Similarly, we find that biology programs at 4-year institutions likely emphasize PLOs relating to computational skills and research more than at 2-year institutions. We conclude by discussing implications for how to best use PLOs to support student learning, assessment, and curricular improvements. (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	American Society for Cell Biology. 8120 Woodmont Avenue Suite 750, Bethesda, MD 20814-2762. Tel: 301-347-9300; Fax: 301-347-9310; e-mail: ascbinfo@ascb.org; Website: https://www.lifescied.org/
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01