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Synopsis Plants are fundamental to life, providing oxygen, food, and climate regulation, while also offering solutions to global challenges. Integrating plant biology into an undergraduate curriculum, while supporting and nurturing students’ career interests present both opportunities and challenges. Undergraduate biology education often overlooks plants due to limited student interest and a strong focus on health professions, particularly among women and underrepresented minorities. Here, we describe how plants are incorporated in the Biology curriculum at Spelman College, a women’s liberal arts college and a Historically Black College and University where Biology is a popular major. The department has successfully embedded plant biology across its skills and competency-based curriculum, from the foundational introductory sequence to upper-level electives and research experiences. Students learn core biological concepts in the introductory core curriculum, consisting of four courses progressing from ecological to molecular levels, where plant-related content is integrated through inquiry driven, hands-on activities or field trips. In upper-level electives and research-based courses, faculty offer a robust program in plant biology that enables deeper understanding and integration across disciplines as they address real world problems that intersect with students’ diverse interests. Survey data indicate that students perceive a balanced exposure to plants and other organisms in introductory courses and recognize the importance of plants for understanding core biological principles. Although this exposure does not significantly shift their primary career interest in medicine, it contributes to a broad biology education, skill development, and an increased interest in research.
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Introductory quantum information science coursework at US institutions: content coverage
Abstract Despite rapid growth of quantum information science (QIS) workforce development initiatives, perceived lack of agreement among faculty on core content has made prior research-based curriculum and assessment development initiatives difficult to scale. To identify areas of consensus on content coverage, we report findings from a survey of N=63 instructors teaching introductory QIS courses at US institutions of higher learning. We identify a subset of content items common across a large fraction (≥ 80%) of introductory QIS courses that are potentially amenable to research-based curriculum development, with an emphasis on foundational skills in mathematics, physics, and engineering. As a further guide for curriculum development, we also examine differences in content coverage by level (undergraduate/graduate) and discipline. Finally, we briefly discuss the implications of our findings for the development of a research-based QIS assessment at the postsecondary level.
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- PAR ID:
- 10494534
- Publisher / Repository:
- Springer Science + Business Media
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- EPJ Quantum Technology
- Volume:
- 11
- Issue:
- 1
- ISSN:
- 2662-4400
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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