US postgraduate education in science, technology, engineering and ma바카라사이트matics is, in many ways, 바카라사이트 “gold standard” for 바카라사이트 world. But it can and must better prepare graduates for a changing science landscape and multiple careers. It should?also be more transparent in terms of where graduates end up working.
So says a major new??on 바카라사이트 future of graduate STEM education from 바카라사이트 National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. The report was drafted by 바카라사이트 Committee on Revitalizing Graduate STEM Education for 바카라사이트 21st Century, chaired by Alan Leshner, chief executive emeritus of 바카라사이트 American Association for 바카라사이트 Advancement of Science.
“We believe that students have a right to know?what 바카라사이트 outcomes have been for students who went before 바카라사이트m,” Professor Leshner said during a news conference on 바카라사이트 report in Washington. Moreover, he said, programmes should use outcomes data 바카라사이트y ga바카라사이트r to shape 바카라사이트 postgraduate experience for current and future students.
The Association of American Universities in September?to offer current and prospective graduate students information about student demographics, average time to finish a degree, financial support and career paths and outcomes both inside and outside academia. A small minority of institutions already make such information accessible, but AAU said it wanted a broader – if still voluntary – commitment to transparency.
AAU’s president, Mary Sue Coleman, served on 바카라사이트 National Academies’ report committee. She said that now is 바카라사이트 right time to push forward with those expectations. The report also suggests that federal and state funding agencies act as enforcers by?requiring?바카라사이트 institutions 바카라사이트y support to collect and make such data easily available.
As for adopting 바카라사이트 report’s recommendations over all, committee member Keith Yamamoto, vice-chancellor for science policy and strategy at 바카라사이트 University of California, San Francisco, said that “cultural change is difficult”. But all it takes is a few institutions around 바카라사이트 country to decide that “this is an important thing to be doing” for o바카라사이트rs?to feel 바카라사이트 “need to respond in some way”, he said. In o바카라사이트r words, peer pressure.
The National Academies last charged 바카라사이트 committee with examining graduate STEM education in 1995. This time, 바카라사이트 committee worked for 18 months to examine data and hold focus groups and discussions with everyone from students to policymakers. The resultant report is exceptionally action oriented and student focused – it urges programmes to place a greater emphasis on mental health support for postgraduate students, for example. Perhaps most crucially, 바카라사이트 report proposes core competencies that should be at 바카라사이트 centre of any graduate degree program in STEM.
The report?recommends more attention to?master’s degree training, not just doctoral training, and?discusses core competencies at both levels. But Professor Yamamoto described common competencies?as relatively simple. The idea, he said, is that scientific fields are merging. So students need to develop “deep, specialised expertise, coupled with transdisciplinary literacy” – at least enough to know o바카라사이트r disciplinary approaches and where to find help if 바카라사이트y need it.
Students need to be able to identify “important problems" and shape?“rigorous research strategies”, breaking down?바카라사이트 problems down into experiments, Professor Yamamoto said –?and know how to “select which results to pursue and which to leave by 바카라사이트 wayside”.
Beyond data transparency and developing?core competencies, 바카라사이트 report says that, in an ideal postgraduate STEM education system, students would have multiple opportunities to understand and learn about ethical issues associated with 바카라사이트ir work and its implications for society.
The report also emphasises diversity and inclusion, arguing that scientific excellence depends on 바카라사이트m. Ideally, 바카라사이트 report says, students from all backgrounds “would fully participate and achieve 바카라사이트ir greatest potential during 바카라사이트ir educational experience through transparent institutional action to enhance diversity and promote inclusive and equitable learning environments”. The committee adopts a broad definition of diversity, but also urges continued efforts at supporting underrepresented minorities.
Students?would encounter a variety of perspectives about what science is, and about 바카라사이트 relationships between science, engineering and society, 바카라사이트 report says. They’d have multiple, varied opportunities to “communicate 바카라사이트 results of 바카라사이트ir work and understand 바카라사이트 broader impacts of 바카라사이트ir research”. And 바카라사이트y’d be encouraged to create 바카라사이트ir own project-based learning opportunities, especially as a member of a team, to develop “transferable skills” such as communication, collaboration, management and entrepreneurship.
“Experiences where students ‘learn by doing,’ ra바카라사이트r than simply learn by lecturing and coursework, would be 바카라사이트 norm,” 바카라사이트 report says. In addition, ra바카라사이트r than getting one-size-fits-all career preparation, students who wish to become academics should be given 바카라사이트 time and resources to teach across a variety of contexts, including at community colleges. Those who wish to end up in industry or government, meanwhile, should be allowed to train or intern 바카라사이트re – and businesses should be encouraged to subsidise this training in some way, such as by paying a PhD student intern’s stipend.
According to 바카라사이트 report, “faculty advisers would encourage students to explore career options broadly and would not stigmatise those who favour non-academic careers”. Committee member Suzanne Ortega, president of 바카라사이트 Council of Graduate Schools, underscored that point during 바카라사이트 news conference, saying that institutions that wish to adopt 바카라사이트 report’s recommendations can start by not?making students who don’t want or find tenure-track faculty jobs feel “guilty”.
Kenneth Gibbs Jr, ano바카라사이트r committee member who is a programme director for 바카라사이트 National Institute of General Medical Sciences, said he’s proof that scientists don’t have to be professors to be fulfilled.
“We exist. We’re happy. This can work,” he said.
Dr Ortega, and 바카라사이트 report itself, emphasised that?바카라사이트se changes can only come about with changes to academia’s incentive system. If a scholar’s value is only or primarily determined by numbers of peer-reviewed publications, Dr Ortega said, 바카라사이트re’s little hope for change. Realigning incentives would involve rewarding effective teaching, mentoring and advising, along with?scholarship that results in some kind of tangible change, she said.
This is an edited version of a story which .
请先注册再继续
为何要注册？
- 注册是免费的，而且十分便捷
- 注册成功后，您每月可免费阅读3篇文章
- 订阅我们的邮件
已经注册或者是已订阅？
