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Abstract Biology faculty have consensus-based guidelines based on Vision and Change principles about what to teach introductory biology majors. In contrast, faculty have not reached a consensus concerning the learning goals for introductory non-majors courses. Yet, more than 8 out of 10 undergraduates are not science majors. The goal of this study was to develop and evaluate learning objectives for non-majors introductory biology courses. We performed a modified-Delphi study of learning objectives (LOs) for non-majors biology. We engaged a total of 38 biology faculty experts from institutions across the US in three iterative rounds to identify, rate, discuss, and re-rate >300 LOs for non-majors biology courses. Faculty provided feedback to determine whether the LOs are critical for students to learn and if the LOs encompass what students need to learn about this issue, as well as if anything is missing. As a result of expert evaluation, 60.7% of LOs (164) were deemed critical. Experts also suggested 22 additional new LOs. 

Researchers characterized the landscape of student learning expectations for introductory biology using course level learning objectives ( N = 1,108) and course schedules ( N = 203) from non-major, mixed major, and major introductory biology syllabi. 

Introductory biology for majors is one of the most consequential courses in STEM, with annual enrollments of several hundred thousand students in the United States alone. To support increased student success and meet current and projected needs for qualified STEM professionals, it will be crucial to redesign majors biology by using explicit learning objectives (LOs) that can be aligned with assessments and active learning exercises. When a course is designed in this way, students have opportunities for the practice and support they need to learn, and instructors can collect the evidence they need to evaluate whether students have mastered key concepts and skills. Following an iterative process of review, revision, and evaluation, which included input from over 800 biology instructors around the country, we produced a nationally endorsed set of lesson-level LOs for a year-long introductory biology for major’s course. These LOs are granular enough to support individual class sessions and provide instructors with a framework for course design that is directly connected to the broad themes inVision and Changeand the general statements in the BioCore and BioSkills Guides. Instructors can implement backward course design by aligning these community endorsed LOs with daily and weekly learning activities and with formative and summative assessments. 

In this essay, we present a roadmap to help faculty who wish to learn how to use LOs to transform courses. We highlight the challenges faced when planning and undergoing a course transformation and present the lessons learned and common roadblocks that are reported in the literature. 

As college science educators, we must prepare all future college graduates to be engaged, science-literate citizens. Yet data suggest that most college biology classes as currently taught do little to make science truly useful for students’ lives and provide few opportunities for students to practice skills needed to be key decision makers in their communities. This is especially important for our non-science majors, as they represent the vast majority (82%) of college students. In this essay, we identify three critical aspects of useful college science education to prepare science literate non-science majors: prioritize local socioscientific issues; highlight communal opportunities in science that impact students’ communities; and provide students with opportunities to practice skills necessary to engage with science beyond the classroom. 

This essay introduces an evidence-based teaching guide that presents research and resources on the uses and benefits of learning objectives (LOs). It summarizes key articles and includes a checklist, with the goal of encouraging instructors to incorporate LOs into their teaching practice. Ideas for further research are also discussed.