ERIC Number: EJ1315292
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2021
Pages: 11
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1470-8175
EISSN: N/A
A Fully Integrated Undergraduate Introductory Biology and Chemistry Course with a Community-Based Focus I: Vision, Design, Implementation, and Development
Beers, Melissa A.; Hall, Mona L.; Matthews, Adam G. W.; Elmore, Donald E.; Oakes, Elizabeth S. C.; Goss, John W.; Radhakrishnan, Mala L.
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education, v49 n6 p859-869 Nov-Dec 2021
We describe a first-semester, integrated, introductory biology and chemistry course for undergraduates at Wellesley College in Wellesley, MA, USA. Our vision was to create a supportive learning community in which students could comfortably make connections between scientific disciplines as they learned necessary content for subsequent courses, further developed problem solving, communication, and laboratory skills, and meaningfully connected with other students and with faculty during their first semester in college. Through highlighting five guiding principles that are central to the course, we describe the integrated course structure and content as well as our efforts to build community, provide support, and engage students in building skills crucial to scientists. We also highlight features of this course and institutional policies that facilitated its logistical and collaborative implementation that can be adapted to fit the needs, goals, and constraints of a diverse range of institutions. A companion article describes an assessment of our course in achieving academic and community building goals. [For "A Fully Integrated Undergraduate Introductory Biology and Chemistry Course with a Community-Based Focus II: Assessment of Course Effectiveness," see EJ1310252.]
Descriptors: Introductory Courses, Biology, Chemistry, Undergraduate Students, Integrated Curriculum, College Science, Communities of Practice, College Freshmen, Educational Principles, Course Content, Course Organization, School Policy
Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2191/en-us
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Massachusetts
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A