September 27, 2000
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Related Link To view the Science Education Task Force report in its entirety, visit the Web site.
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This time last year, Kansas was thrust into an unflattering spotlight when the state board of education chose to de-emphasize the teaching of evolution.
Just one year later, a task force started by University of Kansas Chancellor Robert Hemenway has outlined several recommendations that should position both the university and the state as major supporters of science education.
"I did not want people to think that the University of Kansas was not going to be a part of the cutting edge of science education," Hemenway said in his convocation speech earlier this month.
Among the recommendations that should put both KU and the state on that cutting edge are a new campus building for undergraduate research labs, a call to hire more science education faculty, and the establishment of a Center for Science Education to catalyze improvements in science education throughout the state.
The Science Education Task Force, consisting of 16 prominent KU scientists, considered issues such as revitalizing the science curriculum, examining the current infrastructure, developing a science education center, and creating outreach methods to help K-12 teachers better teach math and science.
"There was a real need to look at science education at KU, as well as how KU accomplishes its mission in terms of public education and outreach around the state," said Joe Heppert, KU associate professor of chemistry and vice chair of the task force.
Perhaps the most compelling recommendation calls for the construction of a new building for undergraduate science laboratories. The proposed six-story building would be situated behind Wescoe Hall, just east of Malott Hall. With an unofficial estimated cost of $60 million, the building would feature state-of-the-art lab facilities for a variety of disciplines, computer labs, and additional office and storage space.
"One of the things that constrains us right now is, in fact, facilities," said task force member Sally Frost Mason, dean of liberal arts and sciences. "While that isn't the only recommendation that came from this task force, it is a significant one."
Frost Mason said plans for the building predated the task force. However, the findings of the task force reiterated the need for the facilities and helped place it among the chancellor's top fund-raising priorities.
Heppert, who heads KU's new Center for Science Education, said he is eager to help current and future educators improve the way they teach math and science.
"If we're expecting science teachers in the public schools to implement real experimental science with their students, then it falls under KU's mission to make sure those teachers are trained properly," he said.
Heppert also said that he is excited about the recommended changes in the undergraduate science curriculum. These changes should improve science literacy - not just among science majors, but among all undergraduates at KU.
"Even if KU students don't get a degree in the sciences, they are going to have to make informed decisions about science policy, as well as a number of personal issues, including health and the environment," he said.
Among the other recommendations handed down by the task force were:
* Revising the undergraduate science curriculum to emphasize the process of science inquiry. This includes adding more philosophical and historical approaches to teaching. The reforms would also include providing a research experience for all undergraduate science students.
* Providing more support for faculty who teach large lecture classes. This ties in with the need for more science faculty. "We need more faculty if we hope to reach the critical mass of individuals needed to address issues of curriculum reform for the entire undergraduate population, teacher preparation and professional development of school teachers," Heppert said.
* Developing closer ties with regional two-year and four-year colleges, as well as with school districts, to encourage them to provide active learning and inquiry-based approaches to teach the sciences.
* Participating actively in increasing the diversity of students entering science and science education.
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