How is GDCB working to improve recruitment and retention of students in our majors?

1. Science Education Reform and Outreach —GDCB, Biology, and Beyond— How is GDCB working to improve recruitment and retention of students in our majors?

2. A National Conversation aboutScience Education Reform • With the internet at their fingertips, students place little value on factsor definitions. • If we want to engage students, retain them in science majors, and prepare them to succeed, we must teach them to learn to understand, analyze and synthesize information, and enable them to apply that information to address real-world problems.

3. Record Enrollments Challenges Present Opportunities for Large Impacts • GDCB co-administers three undergraduate majors: • Biology Program (650+ majors; with the EEOB Dept); • Genetics Major (160 majors; with the EEOB and BBMB Depts); • Bioinformatics and Computational Biology undergraduate major (with the Computer Science and Math Depts). • Enrollment in introductory Biology courses increased over 14% in 2011. • 1200+ students per year in BIOL 212 (Cell and Molecular Biology) • >60 different undergraduate majors • In CY2012, over half of the GDCB faculty will teach to classes with enrollments greater than 150.

4. Science Education Reform Initiatives • Howard Hughes Medical Institute— • Engaging Young Scientists During Their First Two Years at College • http://www.las.iastate.edu/lasnews/HHMI12.shtml • http://www.las.iastate.edu/LASnews/hhmiogilvie.shtml • Active participation by faculty in: • BIOL 212-Faculty Learning Community-Innovations in Introductory Biology Courses—12 GDCB faculty • BIOL 256L-Barb Krumhardt – Physiology students develop hypotheses for further investigation of concepts covered in lab, propose experiments, conduct them and present results • BIOL 313L-Mike Muszynski, Alexis Campbell, Claudia Lemper • National Academies Summer Institute on Undergraduate Education in Biology • Phil Becraft-National Academies Education Fellow • Other fellows and attendees • David Oliver, Diane Bassham, Jeff Essner, Jim Colbert

5. Science Education Reform Initiatives • PULSE—Partnership for Undergraduate Life Science Education • Joint effort by NSF, HHMI, and NIH. • 40 Leadership Fellows charged with developing and implementing a framework for systematic change in undergraduate life science education. • SABER—Society for the Advancement of Biology Education Research • GDCB has sent 5 participants and posters to the 1st and 2nd National Meetings • LAS Computer Advisory Committee Grants • Leveraging Technological Innovations to Increase Student Engagement and Learning in Large Enrollment Introductory Biology Courses—Coffman and the Biology 212 Faculty Learning Community • Meta!Blastinteractive application for undergraduate teaching and learning of complex science concepts—Wurtele and Bassham

6. Meta!Blast-A 3D Action Adventure Game Exploring the Biology of a Cell • Funded by NSF and NIH • Honorable mention-2011 International SciViz contest • Currently being adapted to align with learning goals of BIOL 212. • Outreach to India • Posters on display in 8 science museums • Video exhibit at Science City, Calcutta (>1.5 million visitors per year), opens Nov. 2012. Eve Wurtele and Diane Bassham

7. Carolyn Lawrence-USDA-ARS, GDCB

8. Science Education Reform and Outreach —GDCB, Biology, and Beyond— Are these reforms making differences in student learning and retention in STEM majors? • NSF Transforming Undergraduate Education in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Proposal— • Improving Student Learning and STEM Retention: Implementation of Innovative Approaches that Engage and Train Life-Long Learners in Large Format Introductory Biology Classrooms—Coffman, Addis, Reason • Assessments of Student Learning • Long-term analysis of student retention in STEM majors • Determining student attitudes towards scientific disciplines • Tracking of student demographics may provide indications of effectiveness of recruitment efforts