Workshop Biology is a project at the University of Oregon designed to improve biology teaching for non-biology majors. From 1991-1994, the project was funded by FIPSE (Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education, U.S. Department of Education) and NSF (National Science Foundation) to develop a new general biology course at the UO. From 1994 to 1998, again with FIPSE and NSF funding, the project focused on developing a nationwide network of college biology teachers and providing resources and assistance for curriculum development and assessment.



Curriculum development and assessment materials
Download materials from this site or order them via an on-line form


Biology Education Review
Quarterly newsletter on college biology education, including teaching ideas, resources, and upcoming events


Related Projects and Courses
Other biology education projects and courses using Workshop Biology teaching strategies


Biology Software Lab
Interactive computer simulations, designed to promote deep learning of concepts and investigative skills. Published by the BioQUEST project.


Project Staff
Feel free to contact any of the project faculty and staff!

Course Goals and Philosophy

The primary goal of the Workshop Biology course is to help students make informed, critical decisions, about important biological issues, that are consistent with their values.

Course Format and Activities:

Concept activities
Students gain a sound understanding of fundamental biological concepts, often by confronting their misconceptions, through active hypothesis-testing and modeling activities

Investigative activities
Students work together to design and conduct a complete scientific investigation, emphasizing the benefits and limitations of scientific inquiry and the persuasive aspects of scientific writing

Issue activities
Student groups investigate a scientifically-based social issue of their own choosing and prepare a poster for the end-of-term poster session, with an emphasis on critical reasoning and analysis

Assemblies
Taking the place of standard lectures, assemblies involve a variety of instructor and media presentations and small-group activities, including concept-oriented, investigative, and issue-oriented activities designed for large class settings

Assessment and Course Improvement:

Methods and Instruments
Describes the experimental design and data collection methods used during the first three years of the course's development

Results
Summarizes the evidence for the effectiveness of the workshop approach


Teaching and Course Improvement
Describes the continual, collaborative process used by the project faculty, teaching assistants, and other staff to improve the course and its teaching strategies

For more information, contact Dan Udovic, Project Director
Updated 8 August,1999