About the

Biological Sciences Pathway

Goal of the NSDL Biological Sciences Pathway

The BiosciEdNet (BEN) Collaborative is working with the CI and other NSDL Pathways to expand its stewardship role for biological sciences professional societies and coalitions that provide resources, tools, and professional development for biological sciences educators in higher education institutions, including community colleges.

Some BEN resources are useful for use in high school biology classes

BiosciEdNet (BEN) Collaborative

BEN serves as a catalyst for professional societies or coalitions that seek to:

Build biological sciences education-focused digital libraries that include high quality, inquiry-driven, active, and engaging STEM education

Contribute resources to the BEN portal.

Collaborate in terms of pedagogy, authentic assessment, and development of multidisciplinary biological sciences resources.

Collaborators (*Founding Collaborators)

AAAS-American Association for the Advancement of Science (EHR, STKE, Science)* ABLE-Association of Biology Lab Educators AIBS-American Institute of Biological Sciences* APS-American Physiological Society* APS-American Phytopathological Society* ASBMB-American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology* ASCB-American Society for Cell Biology

ASHG-American Society of Human Genetics ASM-American Society for Microbiology* BCC-BioQUEST Curriculum Consortium Bio-Link-the NSF Advanced Technological Education Center for Biotechnology BSA-Botanical Society of America ESA-Ecological Society of America* EntDL-Entomology Digital Library FUN -Faculty for Undergraduate Neuroscience HAPS-Human Anatomy and Physiology Society MLER-Microbial Life Education Resources NABT-National Association of Biology Teachers* NAHSEP-National Association of Health Science Education Partnerships NLM-AE-National Library of Medicine-Access Excellence* SDB-Society for Developmental Biology SICB-Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology SOT-Society for Toxicology*

Roles of BEN Collaborators

Building biological sciences education digital libraries for use by faculty in higher education institutions

Converting e-resources to biological sciences education digital libraries

Cataloging e-resources that are useful in biological sciences education in higher education institutions

Conducting outreach workshops that foster student centered learning and use of digital libraries, particularly for faculty

Archiving and preservation of biological sciences education resources

Use of professional society services to foster cultural change in the teaching of biological sciences in higher education

BEN Inventory of Resources (4,589) (11-06)

AAAS (152 lesson plans and multimedia resources) ABLE (66 lab exercises and teaching strategies ) AIBS (255 teaching and learning resources) APS (501 teaching and learning resources) APSNet (56 plant disease lessons and phytopathological

career materials) ASM (1540 teaching and learning resources) BSA (948 annotated images) ESA (192 teaching and learning resources) FUN (28 journal articles) HAPS (266 journal and newsletter articles) NHM-Access Excellence (206 lesson plans and teaching

strategies) SOT (9 articles and toxicology career materials) STKE (370 reviews, perspectives, and multimedia resources)

Topics agriculture & aquaculture

anatomy

anthropology & archaeology

bacteriology

behavioral science

biochemistry

biocomplexity

biodiversity

bioengineering

bioethics

bioinformatics

biophysics

biostatistics

biotechnology

botany & plant science

cardiology

cell biology

conservation biology

cryobiology

developmental biology

ecology

education

endocrinology

entomology

environmental sciences

epidemiology

evolutionary biology

exercise & kinesiology

exobiology

forestry

gastroenterology

genetics & heredity

genomics

geography

glycobiology

hematology

histology

human biology

hydrology & water resources

immunology

invertebrate biology

marine biology

metabolism

microbiology

molecular biology

mycology

natural history

nephrology

neurobiology

nutrition & food sciences

oceanography

paleontology

parasitology

pathology

pharmacology

phylogeny

physiology

population biology

proteomics

psychology

public health

range science

reproductive biology

respiratory biology

sociobiology

soil biology

structural biology

systematics

taxonomy & classification

theoretical biology

toxicology

vertebrate biology

virology

wildlife science

zoology

Learning Resources Types

Animation Application Audio Diagram

Digital Presentation Discussion Group Graph/Chart Illustration

Image Map Online tool Photograph

Simulation Software Table Video

   

Abstract Book Book Chapter Journal

Journal Article Meeting Presentation Memo Newsletter

Non-journal Article Pamphlet/Brochure Proceedings Report

     

Bibliography Database Dataset Dictionary/Glossary

Discussion Archive Index Manual Review

   

Assessment: Exam Assessment Tool Assignment (non-lab) Career materials

Course Syllabus Education Standards Field Trip Guide Laboratory Manual

Lecture/Lecture Outline Lesson Plan Teaching Strategies  

BEN Outreach Strategies

BEN Scholars Program

Promotional Postcard

BEN Ads

About the BEN Scholars Program

The goal of the BEN Scholars Program is to promote the use of digital library resources and student-centered teaching and learning methods in higher education, specifically in biological sciences lecture and laboratory courses, and in research training programs.

The program works both directly with faculty, as BEN Scholars, and indirectly through outreach activities led by BEN Scholars.

Outreach activities are aimed at biological sciences faculty and are carried out on campus with departments, locally throughout the region, and nationally through professional societies.

Duties and Responsibilities of the BEN Scholars Program over the next 2 years:

A. Submit at least one or more learning resources to BEN Collaborator libraries or the BEN portal.

B. Encourage student centered teaching in biological sciences at the higher education level.

C. Encourage biological sciences faculty to use digital libraries to find teaching resources , specifically the use of:

The BEN portal and its resources;

The digital libraries and e-resources of BEN Collaborators;

The NSDL University Faculty Page, including the Expert Voices to biological science.

D. Encourage biological sciences faculty to submit learning resource to one of the BEN Collaborator libraries or the BEN Portal.

Recognition for Scholars

Science magazine ad with your names and institutions

Press release sent to your school and other places (might be contacted by AAAS Communications person)

Letters to Departments and others

Plaque Upon Completion of Program

Who Is Visiting BEN and Why?

7,441 Registered Users

6,807 teach (91%)

4,477 teach undergraduate, graduate, professional, or continuing education (60%)

1, 527 high school educators (20%)

September 2004 User Survey (550 Responses)

56% Downloaded Resources

67% Use Resources for Lectures

Challenges & Where We Need Your Help

A. Increasing Numbers of Biological Sciences Faculty that Use The BEN Portal from about 7,500 to 15,000 Users by December 2007.

B. Increasing Peer Reviewed Resources from about 4,600 to 27,000 by September of 2010

***Identifying collaborators that want to catalog resources

***Increasing submissions of new resources by faculty (2,700 new faculty submissions by 2010)

Challenges & Where We Need Your Help (Continued)

C. Fostering Departmental Involvement

***Student centered learning in the biological sciences

***Incentives for faculty that develop teaching & learning projects & resources, particularly e-resources

D. Improving Quality of BEN Portal Search – A Work in Progress (Community Building)

***Peer Reviewers

***Site Reviewers

***Metadata Reviewers

***Faculty on Sabbatical

Coordinating Council

AAAS

Yolanda S. George, Deputy Director

Kirstin Fearnley, Program Associate

Nancy Gough, Managing Editor/STKE

AIBS

Samantha Katz, Manager, Education Programs

ASM

Amy L. Chang, Director, Education Department

APS

Marsha Lakes Matyas, Education Officer

Melinda E. Lowy, Higher Education Programs Coordinator

ESA

Jason Taylor, Director of Education