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A Student-Driven Assessment of an Undergraduate Biology Curriculum Using an Ecosystem Health Competency Framework

By Briar Q. Lenz, Shelby C. Suhr, Rachel M. Christenson, Katarina C. Anderson, Anna E. Haigh and Paul W. Bates

Abstract: Gen-Z students care deeply about sustainability in the face of anthropogenic climate change, and many undergraduates at college want to gather the knowledge, skills, and motivation to create a more sustainable future. Therefore, educational institutions must equip students with the tools to practice and enact sustainability. However, it is unclear if sustainability education provides students with the necessary competencies to enact change. Here, we employ a novel student-led approach to assess a department’s curriculum through a multi-domain Ecosystem Health Competency Framework (EHCF) lens to identify gaps in the curriculum that can be filled by making domain-based recommendations. Also, we analyzed the efficacy of undergraduates as curriculum assessors to determine the applicability of this model to future contexts. Overall, we identified multiple domain-based gaps across the Biology Department’s curriculum, including for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice in Ecosystem Health (Domain 2), Values, Morals, and Ethics (Domain 9), and others. Based on the identified gaps, we suggested potential courses to ensure that the Biology Department covers all EHCF domains across the entire curriculum. Based on the success at identifying EHCF domain-based gaps, generation of course recommendations, and the receptiveness and enthusiasm of faculty, we believe this unique approach to curriculum assessment can be a widely applicable model for future curriculum assessments.

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