Initiatives

Dr. Jay Labov

STEM Speaker, October 8, 2014: The Changing National Landscape of Undergraduate STEM Education

Senior Advisor for Education and Communication, National Academy of Sciences and National Research Council

Take-Home Lessons
• Higher education operates within a vast education "ecosystem" where every component has some influence over other components and is in turn influenced by those other sectors. Recognizing these connections and the barriers and opportunities they create can greatly enhance USF's efforts to improve undergraduate STEM education for all students.
• The STEM education ecosystem and policy related to STEM education are currently undergoing changes at the institutional, state, and national levels. Looking over the horizon to both recognize and anticipate these changes will be beneficial to USF's efforts to improve undergraduate STEM education for all students.
• The STEM education landscape for higher education will be increasingly influenced by changes that are occurring in K-12 education. Restructuring of Advanced Placement courses in science and what is likely to be widespread implementation of the Common Core State Standards and the Next Generation Science Standards will likely result in students who are educated differently with increased emphasis on conceptual understanding, the practice of science, and development of 21st century skills. Anticipating and preparing for these developments in K-12 will help USF restructure its own education offerings in STEM.