Peer‐Led Team Learning and Course‐based Undergraduate Research Experiences in General Biology and General Chemistry

Abstract

Lane College is a historically black college with a commitment to educating underserved minority students. Our overall goal for this project is to improve student learning of foundational concepts and retention in Biology and Chemistry through student‐centered activities within our first‐year courses. These approaches include implementation of peer‐led team learning strategies and course‐based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) within the General Biology and General Chemistry courses. Our peer‐mentors, who serve as supplemental instructors for our General Biology and Chemistry courses are an essential element for the success of the program. They receive leadership training, through a collaboration with the Office of the First Year Experience as well as mentored undergraduate research experiences before working with our first‐year students. We have redesigned our laboratory courses to implement CUREs. Biology projects include comparative genomics in collaboration with the Genomics Education Partnership, environmental surveys of antibiotic resistant bacteria or sequence analysis of GAPC from plants growing on campus. Chemistry projects include development of novel analytical methods to measure chemical components of household products, such as using the iodine‐clock reaction to determine the amount of starch in various foods. We are assessing student learning outcomes related to understanding the scientific method using the Experimental Design Ability Test and the CURE survey developed by the GEP. In addition, we are evaluating student learning outcomes of the process of science, such as development and testing of hypotheses, recording observations within a laboratory notebook, and communication of results through oral presentations and written reports.Support or Funding InformationNSF HRD1623340This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.