Many studies illustrate the positive influences of undergraduate research experiences on student learning, attitudes, and retention in the sciences. At our institution, over 90% of the biology majors surveyed reported a desire to participate in undergraduate research, but only 3% per year have the opportunity to work in a traditional…

Funded by innovative programs at the National Science Foundation and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Richmond faculty in biology, chemistry, mathematics, physics, and computer science teamed up to offer first- and second-year students the opportunity to contribute to vibrant, interdisciplinary research projects. The result was…

Describes the revision of a college biology sequence, and outlines the content of some courses in the core. (AL)

This newsletter is directed at providing assistance in keeping up with curriculum changes at the college level in the biological sciences. Provided are summaries of the biology programs of 47 colleges and universities. The summaries were invited from institutions where curriculum revision was known to be underway. The summaries are arranged…

Article provides brief description of two microbiology courses at the college level which have multiple characteristics. Course I provides instruction based on papers in biology and in a special subject. Course II is devoted entirely to the special subject. (PS)

Origins, philosophy, goals, textbook formulation, guidelines, other publications, and measurement of success for the Biological Sciences Curriculum Study program are discussed. (DF)

A new biology syllabus in Denmark to better prepare students for university entrance is described. The proposed biology syllabus is designed for drop-outs of the normal system with very little educational background and of below average academic ability. The new course concerns the biology of man at population level, with social aspects being…

The history of a Biological Sciences Curriculum Study project which developed procedures for producing instructional modules is outlined, the 33 critical steps in the developmental sequence are shown diagrammatically, and some steps are described in the text. The relationship of these tasks to the theoretical curriculum development literature is…

Describes a high school biology program based on student investigations. The comparative study of different topics in plants and animals is stressed. First phase of the course centers around relationships between the ecosphere and the individual; the second phase considers the molecules and the individual. (PS)

Presents an analysis of the conceptual demands of Nuffield O-level biology, outlines the teaching strategy of the course, describes the population for whom the course is suited, and relates possible instructional modifications for those pupils not ideally suited for the course. (GS)

A one-semester Principles of Biology course designed for non-majors was developed to utilize the audio-tutorial method combined with the "mini-course" or concept pak approach. A total of 54 concept paks was developed, along with 12 basic lessons. Students were permitted to choose the specific concept paks that interested them most, to complete the…

Seventy-five of the most common questions concerning the Biological Sciences Curriculum Study (BSCS) are answered in this publication. Questions range from fundamental ones concerning the history of the project, objectives, and availability of materials to those of a more singular interest such as the distribution of the royalties from the sale of…