Biologists have long been concerned about the quality of undergraduate biology education. Over time, however, biology faculty members have begun to study increasingly sophisticated questions about teaching and learning in the discipline. These scholars, often called biology education researchers, are part of a growing field of inquiry called discipline-based education research (DBER). In this essay, the authors draw on the NRC report to highlight some of the insights that DBER in general and biology education research (BER) in particular have provided into effective instructional practices and undergraduate learning, and to point to some directions for the future. The views in this essay are the authors' as editors of the report and do not represent the official views of the Committee on the Status,Contributions, and Future Directions of Discipline-Based Education Research; the NRC; or the National Science Foundation (NSF). (Contains 1 footnote.)