As we approach the 21st century, we are moving into a new phase in undergraduate science educational reform with a different framework, different context, and different goals and, consequently, with a need to ask new questions, recognize new realities, and invent new approaches. What follows are four important lessons on the nature of reform to guide us on our journey. Though learned in the context of reforming undergraduate science education, like all good lessons, these can be applied equally well to other reform movements. The questions are always changing.
Collaboration is required for real educational reform.
We must get educational reform to spiral. The questions are always changing. Initial efforts to improve science and mathematics education were focused on encouraging more students to major and pursue graduate study in the sciences and math. Recent estimates of needs for mathematicians and scientists in the work force and academy are lower than those of the mid-1980s. Therefore the need to produce more professional scientists and mathematicians is no longer paramount.