Learning Goals

The department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology identified two sets of learning goals for the major. One set focuses on science process skills (also referred to as core competencies). These are goals that advance student’s critical and scientific thinking abilities. The second set encompasses a broad range of topics important for understanding the scope and real-world significance of ecology and evolutionary biology.

Each set of learning goals focuses on four central goals and each of the central goals connect to a larger number of more specific goals. These goals define the scope and focus of undergraduate education in EBIO.

Core Competencies

Design an experiment to test the predictioons of hypotheses
Develop different problem-solving strategies
Identify, describe and estimate relevant parameters
Confidently collect, organize and store data
Confidently use R (or another computational environment) to manipulate, visualize and analyze data
Develop lab and/or field skills
Use and interpret models, data or simulations to make predictions

Participate in department, college, local or regional scientific communities
Seek out the assistance of expert individuals
Effectively collaborate with others towards shared goals
Make and solidify interpersonal connections that stem from preparedness and participation in the sociology of science

Distinguish between claims based on scientific evidence and other types of claims
Judge and critique the reliability, sufficiency, and/or authenticity of information
Identify social influences on scientific pursuits or acceptance of science
Correctly interpret graphical, tabular, and text-based description of data

Construct logical-deductive arguments based on evidence
Communicate the applications of biology for social, ethical and environmental issues
Effectively argue the relevance of biology to diverse audiences
Demonstrate awareness of the ways context, audience, and purpose drive content, presentation, and stylistic choices

Scope and Real-World Significance

Explain how evolution happens (heritable variation, struggle for existence, natural selection, and drift)
Use phylogeny and fossils for inferring the history of life
Recognize taxa (species, genera, families, etc.) based on traits
Know a single taxon (or small set of taxa) well
Evaluate the human impact on the ecology and evolution of humans and other species

Describe the flow of nutrients (e.g. N, C and P) in an ecosystem
Predict temperature effects and global warming on populations, communities, ecosystems and/or landscapes
Diagram energy flow through food webs

Model or illustrate how life history traits, competition, predation, parasitism and niche effects can influence the abundance and distribution of species
Use data and theory to illustrate the influence of diversity on productivity and productivity on diversity
Show how organization and function of organisms emerges as a consequence of development
Illustrate how ancestry and mutation influence structure and function across different scales (from molecules to whole organisms)

Relate the biochemical and biophysical properties of biological structures to the functional properties
Describe the structure and function of molecules, cells, tissue, organs, individuals, and/or communities
Explain how genetic information is stored, processed, transmitted, expressed and manipulated

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Learning Goals

Core Competencies

Scope and Real-World Significance