1. NW BIO 2014
Using Assessment to Initiate Change Toward our Vision of Biology Education
Pacific University, Forest Grove, OR
Stacey Halpern, Györgyi Nyerges, Katie Clark, Liesl McCormick
VISION: Create a curriculum informed by assessment that serves all our students well:
1) Develop assessment for Pacific University’s biology program. 2) Revise curriculum
Photos should be at least 300dpi, but not more than 5-12 mgs each. Your poster is set to be enlarged 200% so do not change the page size to fit another poster size. Posters (3’ x 4’) will be printed at WWU or WSU using the same purchase order at the same time. Please your poster as a PPT file to Joann Otto by April 25. Please contact Joann with questions about poster printing.
Please note that this template is provided to simplify your effort to prepare a poster for NWBio. You can change the font size, colors, column widths, add photos, institutional logos, graphics, etc. This template can also be used as a starting point and you can be as creative as you want in your poster. However, we would like to have all of the posters the same size and they will be printed at the same time, at the same print shop in order to easily pay for printing with one purchase order.
MAIN GOAL: 1) Develop learning objectives for Introductory Biology 2) Approve timeline and tasks to develop assessment tools in 2014/15
ACTIONS
ACCOUNTABILITY
BARRIERS & CHALLENGES
Winter retreat to discuss curricular changes in the spirit of Vision & Change
External review to assess department and its program
Initiated senior survey (ETS major field test in biology)
Developing learning objectives/outcomes for Introductory Biology (in progress)
Summer retreat to work on new curriculum scheduled
Products:
Learning objectives for introductory biology will be drafted for our summer retreat
Assessments:
Self-study for external review
External reviewers’ document
Senior survey results
Fiscal environment – live with it!
Facilities – plans for small renovations
Retirements in the department – identify fields of biology that would be a great addition
Finding time and energy to working on implementing Vision&Change – just keep going…
STRENGTHS
RESOURCES & ALLIES
SUSTAINABILITY
Department recognizes the need for change.
Support from administration (although without money)
Future faculty with fresh ideas
Resources:
External reviewers
NW Pulse
Allies:
Our colleagues in the department
Director of School of Natural Sciences
Develop systems of accountability (in progress)
departmental subcommittees?
Regular meetings and workshops
to engage more faculty
to sustain the community of visionaries
to network
This work was supported in part by NSF EAGER #51588