From BioSkills to LifeSkills--A Framework for Developing Life Skills for Non-Science Majors in Introductory Life Science Courses
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| Title: | From BioSkills to LifeSkills--A Framework for Developing Life Skills for Non-Science Majors in Introductory Life Science Courses |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Davida S. Smyth (ORCID |
| Source: | Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education. 2026 27(1). |
| Availability: | American Society for Microbiology. 1752 N Street NW, Washington, DC 20036. Tel: 202-737-3600; e-mail: journals@asmusa.org; Web site: https://journals.asm.org/journal/jmbe |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 11 |
| Publication Date: | 2026 |
| Sponsoring Agency: | National Science Foundation (NSF), Division of Undergraduate Education (DUE) |
| Contract Number: | 2126514 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Descriptive |
| Education Level: | Higher Education Postsecondary Education |
| Descriptors: | Nonmajors, Introductory Courses, Biological Sciences, Scientific Literacy, Undergraduate Students, College Science, General Education, Teaching Guides |
| ISSN: | 1935-7877 1935-7885 |
| Abstract: | Over a decade ago, the national "Vision and Change" report articulated the critical need to reform undergraduate biology education. Since its introduction, reform efforts guided by V&C have focused primarily on the biology major, with less attention to the distinct needs of non-major students in General Education (GenEd) life science courses. For most college students, a life science course represents the only opportunity to develop scientific literacy, a critical skill for making informed decisions in an increasingly complex and science-driven world. The Interactions in General Education Life Science Courses (IGELS) project was developed as a response to the challenges of aligning biology education reform policy with the needs of non-science majors. The goal of the project was to define a framework of core competencies, tailored specifically for the distinct needs of undergraduate non-major life science students. The IGELS team built upon the existing "BioSkills Guide" and developed a "LifeSkills Guide," featuring a new set of 39 learning outcomes organized into five themes. The LifeSkills Guide is intended to support instructors as they shift the emphasis of their instruction from content coverage to developing transferable skills relevant to students' daily lives. Examples of how to implement the guide are demonstrated through classroom activities, such as a "Fake News" exercise, and pedagogical approaches like Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs), which can be mapped to multiple learning outcomes. The LifeSkills Guide serves as a curated roadmap, providing resources to transform GenEd life science courses and empower our students, as members of society, to use evidence-based reasoning as they navigate personal, professional, and civic challenges. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1504792 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| FullText | Text: Availability: 0 CustomLinks: – Url: https://eric.ed.gov/contentdelivery/servlet/ERICServlet?accno=EJ1504792 Name: ERIC Full Text Category: fullText Text: Full Text from ERIC |
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| Header | DbId: eric DbLabel: ERIC An: EJ1504792 AccessLevel: 3 PubType: Academic Journal PubTypeId: academicJournal PreciseRelevancyScore: 0 |
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Goulet</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3883-6543">0000-0003-3883-6543</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Gabriela+Hamerlinck%22">Gabriela Hamerlinck</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5794-6516">0000-0001-5794-6516</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Elizabeth+Harrison%22">Elizabeth Harrison</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Jaclyn+Reeves-Pepin%22">Jaclyn Reeves-Pepin</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Heather+Rissler%22">Heather Rissler</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Gordon+Uno%22">Gordon Uno</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4121-4035">0000-0002-4121-4035</externalLink>) – Name: TitleSource Label: Source Group: Src Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Journal+of+Microbiology+%26+Biology+Education%22"><i>Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education</i></searchLink>. 2026 27(1). – Name: Avail Label: Availability Group: Avail Data: American Society for Microbiology. 1752 N Street NW, Washington, DC 20036. 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Since its introduction, reform efforts guided by V&C have focused primarily on the biology major, with less attention to the distinct needs of non-major students in General Education (GenEd) life science courses. For most college students, a life science course represents the only opportunity to develop scientific literacy, a critical skill for making informed decisions in an increasingly complex and science-driven world. The Interactions in General Education Life Science Courses (IGELS) project was developed as a response to the challenges of aligning biology education reform policy with the needs of non-science majors. The goal of the project was to define a framework of core competencies, tailored specifically for the distinct needs of undergraduate non-major life science students. The IGELS team built upon the existing "BioSkills Guide" and developed a "LifeSkills Guide," featuring a new set of 39 learning outcomes organized into five themes. The LifeSkills Guide is intended to support instructors as they shift the emphasis of their instruction from content coverage to developing transferable skills relevant to students' daily lives. Examples of how to implement the guide are demonstrated through classroom activities, such as a "Fake News" exercise, and pedagogical approaches like Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs), which can be mapped to multiple learning outcomes. The LifeSkills Guide serves as a curated roadmap, providing resources to transform GenEd life science courses and empower our students, as members of society, to use evidence-based reasoning as they navigate personal, professional, and civic challenges. – Name: AbstractInfo Label: Abstractor Group: Ab Data: As Provided – Name: DateEntry Label: Entry Date Group: Date Data: 2026 – Name: AN Label: Accession Number Group: ID Data: EJ1504792 |
| PLink | https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=EJ1504792 |
| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Languages: – Text: English PhysicalDescription: Pagination: PageCount: 11 Subjects: – SubjectFull: Nonmajors Type: general – SubjectFull: Introductory Courses Type: general – SubjectFull: Biological Sciences Type: general – SubjectFull: Scientific Literacy Type: general – SubjectFull: Undergraduate Students Type: general – SubjectFull: College Science Type: general – SubjectFull: General Education Type: general – SubjectFull: Teaching Guides Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: From BioSkills to LifeSkills--A Framework for Developing Life Skills for Non-Science Majors in Introductory Life Science Courses Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Davida S. Smyth – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Sam Donovan – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Melanie Lenahan – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Dayna DeFeo – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Karla Fuller – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Tamar L. Goulet – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Gabriela Hamerlinck – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Elizabeth Harrison – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Jaclyn Reeves-Pepin – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Heather Rissler – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Gordon Uno IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 01 M: 04 Type: published Y: 2026 Identifiers: – Type: issn-print Value: 1935-7877 – Type: issn-electronic Value: 1935-7885 Numbering: – Type: volume Value: 27 – Type: issue Value: 1 Titles: – TitleFull: Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education Type: main |
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