The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.
REVIEW article
Front. Educ.
Sec. STEM Education
Volume 9 - 2024 |
doi: 10.3389/feduc.2024.1454788
This article is part of the Research Topic Utilization of Neuroscience Core Concepts to Guide Programs, Curricula, Courses, and Assessment in Diverse Institutional Contexts View all articles
Incorporating Core Concepts into an Undergraduate Neuroscience Program in a Resource-Restricted Environment
Provisionally accepted- Minnesota State University Moorhead, Moorhead, United States
Recently, community-derived core concepts for neuroscience higher education were developed and published. These core concepts can serve as a valuable resource to ensure that a neuroscience-based educational program is not only concept-focused but also addresses the call for reform of higher education, as noted in the Vision and Change Report. The number of undergraduate neuroscience programs is expanding throughout the nation, but unfortunately, the existing blueprints to design and launch such programs do not incorporate these core concepts. Furthermore, unpacking these core concepts in a resource-limited setting is logistically challenging. We reflected on the coverage of these core concepts within our existing neuroscience minor at a medium-sized, primarily residential, high undergraduate, public 4-year institution. In addition to assessing the number of communityderived core concepts addressed in our courses, our reflection discusses strategies for addressing challenges associated with 1) a departmental home for the program, 2) a meaningful student experience with limited resources, and 3) growing and developing the program into a minor, or from a minor into a major. These strategies may provide a roadmap for other institutions to launch or grow their own neuroscience program.
Keywords: pedagogy, primary undergraduate institution (PUI), curriculum development, Interdisciplinary Collaboration, Biological principles, Post-secondary education, stem education, Curriculum assessment
Received: 26 Jun 2024; Accepted: 05 Aug 2024.
Copyright: © 2024 Stocker and Duncan. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Adam M. Stocker, Minnesota State University Moorhead, Moorhead, United States
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.