US lacks science graduates - New Web site hopes to help

June 6, 11:47 AMScience ExaminerTrina Hoaks

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It has been a concern for some time... the US isn't producing enough science college graduates. But a new Web site, Scitable, which is "a collaborative learning space for science," has been designed to change that by addressing some of the factors that lead to this problem.

This is a considerable problem in light of the fact that the US how vowed to create more green jobs than ever. When I reported about this problem back in February, I mentioned that "'...[t]he field is expected to grow 25% in response to new federal regulations and funding, as well as private investment. A bachelor's degree in earth sciences will get you started in this fascinating and important field.'"

Of course, the problem with that is that we are not ready and if things don't change, we won't be. As I pointed out back then:

AGI said in their February, 2009, Status of the Geoscience Workforce that there are '...approximately 1,500 geoscience graduate students transitioning into the professional workplace each year' and that '...falls short of geoscience workforce demand and replacement needs.'

AGI estimates that '[b]y 2030, the unmet demand for geoscientists in the petroleum industry [alone] will be approximately 30,000 workers.'

So why is it that we are so lacking in the field of science? There has been much speculation. Of course, the lack of science education classes (or the inadequacy of those that exist) at the pre-college level is a concern. Subsequently, students struggle when they reach college. As reported earlier this week by the Associated Press, "[s]tudents are showing less interest in taking life sciences and science courses, and high schools are doing a poor job of preparing students for college-level science." In fact, according to one report, "[o]nly 28 percent of high school students taking the ACT reached a score indicating college readiness for biology."

Considering that many people who are teaching science aren't qualified to do so, it makes sense that student would be behind in the area. The same report said that there is "a deficiency in the number of well-qualified biology teachers available in high school, with one-in-eight biology teachers not certified to teach biology." Students are the ones who are suffering - they aren't being properly prepared to face college-level science classes.

As anyone who has been to a larger university knows, prerequisite biology classes can sometimes be tedious at best. Never mind the endless amount of information that is introduced such that student are not required to understand (never mind the fact that they aren't prepared to understand) the material so much as they are forced to employ memorization to "get by."

Compounding this is the fact that many of these classes are so large that the student is not afforded the opportunity to ask questions of the professor during class - or otherwise. If students have questions, they have to address them to a teaching assistant - in some instances having to make an appointment to do so. No wonder so many students shy away from the field of science.

According to Vikram Savkar of Nature Publishing Group, about 40% of students who enter college declaring a science major, change their minds after their freshman year. He agrees that part of the problem has to be that entry level college science classes are notorious for sucking the fun right out of science. The classes just aren't interesting. Student don't get a true sense of what science is about outside the classroom - they aren't familiarized with real world application thereof.

To combat this problem, Nature Publishing Group has created a great Web site called "Scitable." The name is a combination of "science" and "citable." Perhaps one could throw "excite" in there as well. Among other things, the site provides a great source of credible, citable science sources.

I liken the setup of the Scitable Web site to Yahoo! Groups with a science spin. People can form groups, share files, have discussions, and so on in their own private "classrooms." According to Vikram, it is a great place for people to come together to explore "what we know, how we know, and why we care."

The site is designed to get people excited about science by showing that science isn't about memorization. Vikram said that they are trying to "shift the idea of what science is - a never ending creative endeavor." They hope to show that "science is not static." They want students to understand "how science impacts the world and how students can impact the world by extension." They hope to show that science is "a living, evolving process."

Toward this end, Nature Publishing, the world's leading publisher of science, has filled the Web site with peer reviewed articles that are not just meant to help teach science but to teach people how to think scientifically. In addition, they have a staff of scientists that allow for mentorships as well as the "ask the expert" feature of the site.

According to the Web site, "Scitable currently concentrates on genetics, the study of evolution, variation, and the rich complexity of living organisms. As you cultivate your understanding of modern genetics on Scitable, you will explore not only what we know about genetics and the ways it impacts our society, but also the data and evidence that supports our knowledge." The site, though currently focused on genetics, will be expanded into other areas of science over the next two to three years.

Currently, the topics that can be explored on Scitable are Chromosomes and Cytogenetics, Evolutionary Genetics, Gene Expression and Regulation, Gene Inheritance and Transmission, Genes and Disease, Genetics and Society, Genomics, Nucleic Acid Structure and Function, and Population and Quantitative Genetics.

On the Scitable site, users can access evidence-based articles that explain the science of genetics, connect with a global community of faculty, researchers, and students, and contribute by uploading articles, video and audio. Scitable is a wonderful, growing community that holds a great deal of promise toward helping us become better prepared to face the future.