December 1997
Transforming Science Education
is PKAL Goal
Over the past several years, more than 20 UMass Boston faculty members have attended workshops on topics such as revitalizing undergraduate biology, science for all students, interdisciplinary approaches to teaching undergraduate science and mathematics, revitalizing introductory chemistry, and teaching sciences on urban, commuter campuses.
The workshops were offered through Project Kaleidoscope (PKAL), an alliance of individuals and institutions nationwide engaged in the work of transforming undergraduate education in science, mathematics, engineering and technology (SME&T).
PKAL's goals are to build teams of faculty and administrators who will work to transform the environment for learning these disciplines on campuses throughout the country, increase public awareness of how strong undergraduate SME&T programs serve the national interest, and create a vision of SME&T education that truly serves the interests of students and society.
An active participant in PKAL activities since 1994, UMass Boston is one of 40 invited institutions participating in PKAL's Phase III as a "Core Institution," a designation that recognizes UMass Boston's efforts to transform the learning environment in SME&T for undergraduates, and the University's planning process for building and sustaining programs of excellence for all students in these fields.
As a core institution, UMass Boston will work closely with PKAL to document the process of changing policies, programs and practices that affect undergraduate SME&T.
One stage in this process of change was the proposal developed by the Science Working Group of the General Education Committee, which recommended a framework for new science requirements and curriculum reform, according to the Dean of Science Faculty, Christine Armett-Kibel.
"The working group proposed goals for a science component of general education, with emphasis on making courses less oriented to conveying information, and more oriented towards introducing students to science as a method of investigation," says Armett-Kibel. Some ideas for this proposal evolved from discussions held by faculty at PKAL workshops and meetings.
Faculty have also been involved in other aspects of PKAL's innovative work. Biology Professor Rachel Skvirsky is a member of the PKAL Faculty for the 21st Century Network, which is designed for faculty who are emerging as leaders in education reform within their institutions.
As part of PKAL's Keck Consulting Program, she took part in evaluating the biology curriculum at Bennett College in North Carolina, one of two historically black women's colleges in the United States. The teams provide advice and counsel to institutions as they proceed with curricular and other science reforms.
Skvirsky also was a member of the planning committee for a PKAL conference on the topic of science education at urban commuter institutions, held at the City College of New York (CUNY). "We talked about particular issues we see at commuter schools, like the need to create a sense of community, how to make the best use of students' time, and how to teach a diverse population of students," says Skvirsky.
This year, John Warner of the chemistry department joins Skvirsky as a new member of the PKAL faculty for the 21st Century Network.
In November, Warner, Skvirsky, Armett-Kibel and Fuad Safwat, professor emeritus of biology and campus liaison for PKAL's Phase III project, attended the 1997 Faculty for the 21st Century Network, held in Houston. The theme of the conference was "Thinking Outside the Box: Problem Solving and Problem Solvers."
Since 1989, PKAL has expanded its constituency from liberal arts colleges to include over 660 diverse institutions of higher education. Since 1992, nearly 3200 individuals have participated in PKAL activities developed by the organization's founder and director Jeanne L. Narum and her staff in Washington, D.C. PKAL receives funding from the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Education, and private foundations.