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IGELS Project Details

There is an urgency to the efforts to improve scientific literacy among the general public.  Science education should prepare more students to access and interpret scientific knowledge in the context of need, and to be able to express personal concerns in the form of questions that science can answer.

Mission

The national project for the Improvement of General Education Life Science courses (IGELS) is a collaborative network of life scientists and life science educators providing support and mentorship for “non-major biology” instructors.  IGELS promotes the use of evidence-based, equitable, and inclusive teaching and learning methods that focus on reasoning and relevance and that develop STEM-ready, scientifically literate students.  These students understand the nature of science, possess metacognitive, critical thinking, and science process skills, can apply essential content and evidence-based reasoning to their lives, and demonstrate civic responsibility as stakeholders in their community.

Vision

Project IGELS recognizes the importance of scientific literacy and science education reform in nonmajors, higher education courses, informed by principles and outcomes of Vision and Change. Project IGELS aims to determine the level of knowledge about science education reform efforts in the United States, especially Vision and Change (V&C) and principles of equity, diversity, and inclusion, found among the instructors of general education (nonmajor) undergraduate life science courses.  In collaboration with stakeholders, the project will recommend appropriate course goals and student outcomes for general education biology classes and determine professional development, mentoring, and educational resource needs of their instructors to help them move toward implementing appropriate components of V&C.

Major Goals

  1. Assess awareness and acceptance of the Vision and Change principles by instructors teaching general education life science courses.
  2. Investigate targeted research questions in order to facilitate adoption and adaptation of Vision and Change principles in general education life science courses.
  3. Identify, revise, and modify existing educational resources that address Vision and Change principles, and facilitate their implementation in general education life science courses.  Educational materials will promote scientific literacy, civic engagement, skills development, and understanding of applicable biological content.
  4. Facilitate adoption of Vision and Change principles in general education life science courses by
    • providing professional development and mentoring for instructors teaching these courses.
    • improving equity and inclusive teaching and learning to promote interest, relevance, and self-efficacy in students.
    • creating a collaborative network to address instructional issues, exchange best practices, and connect interested individuals and organizations.

“Teaching STEM with greater context is also a way to instill important principles needed for civic engagement.”

Jay Labov, 2021, former Senior Advisor of Education at the National Academy of Sciences

Project Logic Model