Development of the biotic impacts of climate change core concepts (BIC⁴) framework

Abstract

The ability of living organisms to respond and adapt to a changing climate is an urgent concern. However, current educational efforts aimed at increasing US undergraduate student climate literacy primarily focus on the causes of, and abiotic responses to, climate change, mostly neglecting the biotic impacts. Here, we present a new framework, the Biotic Impacts of Climate Change Core Concepts (BIC⁴), which provides context for addressing student understanding of how climate change will impact the living environment. The BIC⁴ consists of 7 Core Concepts arranged into 3 overarching themes: Species Outcomes, Systems Outcomes, and Scale of Outcomes. This framework was developed through literature review, expert and novice surveys and interviews, and expert review. We show how the BIC⁴ is well suited to support educational efforts developed with other frameworks (most notably the 4DEE), and we discuss future use of the BIC⁴ as an education research tool.

Keywords:

• Climate change
• education research
• education
• 4DEE
• framework

Acknowledgements

We thank Ash Heim and Alicia Romano for their early contributions, and all our interview participants and expert reviewers.

Disclosure statement

The authors report there are no competing interests to declare.

Data availability statement

Data sharing is not applicable to this article as no new data are reported directly as results in this study.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) Improving Undergraduate STEM Education (DUE-1836522). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the NSF.

Notes on contributors

Ryan Dunk

Ryan Dunk is a Postdoctoral Researcher in the School of Biological Sciences at University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, Colorado, USA. Julie Sexton is Research Associate in the Environmental Studies Department at University of Colorado Boulder in Boulder, Colorado, USA. Krystal Hinerman is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Educational Research for the Center for Doctoral Studies in the College of Education at Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas, USA. Emily Holt is an Associate Professor in the School of Biological Sciences at University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, Colorado, USA.