Background

The landscapes of both higher education and workforce development are changing rapidly and in multiple dimensions. The increasing diversity of student populations in the nation’s colleges and universities is more closely reflecting the changing demographics of the country.  Biology as a discipline is changing at an unprecedented rate and life sciences education must be continuously updated to remain current and relevant. Employers have expressed the importance of 21st century and higher order thinking skills that are well beyond basic disciplinary content.  Faculty and institutions of higher education are showing growing interest in using open education resources and practices. Technology presents new options for enhancing teaching and learning and delivering on-demand education. All of these changes lend urgency to increasing the use of effective pedagogical approaches that can promote deeper learning for all students and address issues of inclusivity and equity.  

Professional development (PD) is designed to provide faculty with new tools to address this expanding list of expectations. In the past thirty years, educational research, neuroscience and cognitive science have generated a great deal of new insights about how students learn, leading to the development of high impact educational practices.  Much has been learned about adult learners and effective methods for promoting lifelong learning practices as well. PD translates education research into applicable approaches for faculty. Disciplinary-focused PD delivers this information in contextually useful formats for faculty, reducing the time and effort required to implement these practices in the classroom. 

While research has provided useful information for improving teaching and learning in the classroom and other learning environments, research on effective approaches to PD and its impact on the pedagogical approaches and practices of faculty and on student outcomes is sparse.  This is in part due to the piecemeal and idiosyncratic approaches to providing PD to both current and future faculty. More rigorous study of professional development could lead to more effective education outcomes. 

Participants at this meeting will include professional developers and representatives from professional organizations (both disciplinary and educational), who are in a position to consider the broader community.  Faculty and administration from different institution types (e.g.,2- and 4-year research intensive, comprehensive, and liberal arts) will be asked to share insights about the utility and quality of the PD available to them through academic institutions, professional societies, and other sources.  Academic groups that have successfully built relationships with employers will be invited as well.

The product of this meeting will be a white paper or report providing 1) ideas for the professional development community about future practices and goals, given the changing demographics of both students and faculty and emerging needs of the workplace. 2) information to stakeholder communities about the kinds of PD that can help them reach their goals more effectively and efficiently, and 3) opportunities for improved communication and collaboration between professional development providers and stakeholders.  

About the Organizers

Kristin Jenkins, Executive Director of BioQUEST, and Jay Labov, recently retired from the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine, are the primary organizers for this meeting, assisted by Ginger White, BioQUEST's Administrative Assistant.  The members of the Advisory Committee for this meeting are Deborah Allen, Todd Carter, Bryan Dewsbury, Samuel Donovan, Gili Marbach-Ad and Gordon Uno,

Questions about the meeting may be directed to Kristin Jenkins (kristin'dot'jenkins'at'bioquest'dot'org), Jay Labov (jblabov'at'gmail'dot'com) or Ginger White (ginger'dot'white'at'bioquest'dot'org)

This meeting is funded through the NSF RCN-UBE: Faculty Development Network for Undergraduate Biology (PIs D. Allen, G. Uno, K. Sirum, A. Maskiewicz, and S. Elrod).