The story of biology is far more complex and fascinating than straightforward facts or neatly labeled diagrams of structures and systems. Although exams can motivate students, the key to using these extrinsic motivators to increase student understanding lies in the way the assessments are designed and what they measure. Those involved in…

General biology courses should be planned and taught in colleges according to widely accepted theories and laws of biology. A list of 24 such principles is provided around which general biology courses could be structured. (PS)

A level of organization schema is presented which uses the concept of the organism as the pivotal unit and emphasizes biological relationships. (BB)

Describes the NSF's "Science and Engineering Education for the 1980s and Beyond" report which concludes that the USA is lacking in scientific and technical knowledge and understanding. Also includes the report's suggestions for providing better support for teachers, integrated science and engineering educational systems, and organized…

Examines aspects of competitive exclusion, which develops when two species jointly utilize a vital resource that is in short supply. When this occurs, one of the species will eventually eliminate the other from the habitat where their distributions overlap, unless one or both species evolve differences that reduce competition. (JR)