Biology Education Research Research Articles

Empowering Disabled Voices: A Practical Guide for Methodological Shifts in Biology Education Research.

Biology education research provides important guidance for educators aiming to ensure access for disabled students. However, there is still work to be done in developing similar guidelines for research settings. By using critical frameworks that amplify the voices of people facing multiple forms of marginalization, there is potential to transform current biology education research practices. Many biology education researchers are still in the early stages of understanding critical disability frameworks, such as Disability Critical Race Studies (DisCrit), which consists of seven tenets designed to explore the intersecting experiences of ableism and racism. Our Research Methods Essay uses DisCrit as a model framework and pulls from other related critical disability frameworks to empower disabled voices in biology education research. Drawing from existing scholarship, we discuss how biology education researchers can design, conduct, and share research findings. Additionally, we highlight strategies that biology education scholars can use in their research to support access for participants. We propose the creation and sharing of Access and Equity Maps to help plan-and make public-the steps researchers take to foster access in their research. We close by discussing frequently asked questions researchers may encounter in taking on critical frameworks, such as DisCrit.

Models of Disability as Research Frameworks in Biology Education Research.

Advancing equity and justice in undergraduate biology education requires research to address the experiences of disabled students. Scholars working in disability studies have developed models of disability that inform Discipline-Based Education Research (DBER). To date, DBER literature has been predominantly informed by the medical and social models of disability. The medical model focuses on challenges that affect people with disabilities on an individual basis, while the social model focuses on how one's surrounding environment contributes to the construction of disability. In this essay, we discuss past DBER research and opportunities for future research using each of these models. We will also discuss a third, less commonly used model that offers exciting opportunities to drive future research: complex embodiment. Complex embodiment positions disability as a social location that reflects a greater societal value structure. Further examining this value structure reveals how ability itself is constructed and conventionally understood to be hierarchical. Additionally, we explain epistemic injustice as it affects disabled people, and how future education research can both address and counteract this injustice. We discuss how expanding the frameworks that serve as lenses for DBER scholarship on disability will offer new research directions.

It's in the Syllabus: What Syllabi Tell us about Introductory Biology Courses.

Biology education researchers seek to improve biology education, particularly at the introductory level, yet there is little documentation about what is actually happening in introductory biology. To characterize the landscape of learning expectations for introductory biology, we analyzed course-level learning objectives (n = 1108) and course schedules from 188 nonmajor, mixed major, and major introductory biology syllabi. We analyzed syllabi collected from a diverse range of U.S. institution types to uncover insights about instructional design decisions for introductory biology. Our analysis revealed two distinct nonmajor course types: content and issues-based courses. We found syllabi tend to focus on low-cognitive skills and factual content that is essentially a march in step with a typical textbook table of contents, rarely including core competencies or socioscientific issues (SSIs) other than in nonscience major issues-based courses. Our work contributes more evidence that faculty struggle to write course-level learning objectives. Our findings suggest that there is much work to do if Vision and Change are to become more than simply a vision-to be actualized as change-including developing CLOs for introductory biology as a first step toward creating actionable instructional change.

Defining evolution: exploring students’ conceptions of evolution in introductory biology courses

BackgroundUnderstanding evolution is an important part of undergraduate biology education. Despite its importance, however, students often struggle to understand evolution, often holding preconceived notions of what evolution is. Here, we investigate how students in both majors and non-majors introductory biology define and conceive of evolution at the start of the semester for a two-year college and a four-year university near each other. We analyze open-ended responses to an in-class activity on the first day of the semester that asked students to define evolution, generating insight into how students are thinking of evolution prior to any formal instruction on evolution in college.ResultsOur analysis of over 300 student responses reveals that students hold diverse conceptions about evolution, with some students perceiving evolution in the context of evolutionary processes while other students define evolution by referring to perceived evolutionary consequences. In addition, we identify multiple non-normative conceptions about evolution, including students viewing evolution and natural selection as synonymous and not recognizing other evolutionary forces, and find that very few students likely have developed mental models linking evolution and genetics. In addition, we find few differences between how students at the two- and four-year institutions perceive evolution, and similarly few differences between students in a majors and non-majors introductory biology, suggesting that these conceptions of evolution are widespread at the beginning of introductory biology, regardless of major or institution.ConclusionsWe situate our results in the existing literature examining student conceptions of evolution, with our results extending past work that has primarily relied on more closed-ended questions or focused on specific evolutionary concepts (e.g., natural selection). Our results largely align with past work on student thinking of evolution but provide a broader, more holistic perspective at the ideas and framework that students are drawing upon when introductory biology instructors first introduce the term ‘evolution’. We conclude our paper by discussing implications for the biology education research community as well as instructors.

Innovative strategies to strengthen teaching-researching skills in chemistry and biology education: a systematic literature review

The dynamic field of scientific education, particularly in chemistry and biology, demands the implementation of innovative teaching strategies, driving the need for continuous research to enhance skills in both educators and students. This systematic literature review (SLR) delves into the evolving landscape of chemistry and biology education research, shedding light on key trends, strategies, and skills. Employing the PRISMA methodology, we scrutinized 81 papers to assess the employment of resources, technologies, and methods conducive to effective learning and research. Searches were conducted in the Scopus and Google Scholar databases, with inclusion criteria spanning English and Spanish studies from the last five years. The analysis reveals a notable shift in recent years, emphasizing the diversification of instructional approaches, integration of sustainable practices, and a heightened focus on fostering essential research skills for both educators and students. The study underscores the significant adaptation to digital tools and virtual environments, potentially influenced by the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Remarkable findings include the growing importance of cognitive, social, and emotional competence in student development. This work provides valuable insights for educators, researchers, and policymakers cross-talking the dynamic intersection of teaching and research in chemistry and biology education.Systematic review registration: Identifier 001-RS-FCIC-PQB-UNACH-2023.

Broadening Participation in Biology Education Research: A role for affinity groups in promoting social connectivity, self-efficacy, and belonging.

Discipline-based education research (DBER) has experienced dramatic growth over recent years, but with growth comes concerns about whether DBER efforts accurately represent the education landscape. By many measures, DBER does not feature a representative range of institutional contexts or a diverse array of voices. Numerous professional development efforts have sought to broaden DBER participation. However, few studies investigate factors that increase engagement by individuals from underrepresented contexts. Drawing on theory related to belonging, self-efficacy, and social learning communities, we investigated persistence in an affinity group aimed at engaging community college faculty (CCF) in biology education research (BER). CCF and CC contexts are dramatically underrepresented in BER in comparison to their central positioning in higher education. We conducted a 4-y study of CCF participants' sense of belonging, self-efficacy, and network connectivity. Our results suggest a relationship between social connectivity, belonging, and persistence in the community, indicating an increase of either of these factors may increase persistence. Self-efficacy increased alongside belonging within the affinity group, which correlated with belonging in BER broadly. These results might inform efforts to engage underrepresented groups of DBER scholars and suggest that such efforts go beyond provision of resources and skills, to focus on building social connections.

Annotations of LSE Research: Enhancing Accessibility and Promoting High Quality Biology Education Research.

Annotations of LSE Research: Enhancing Accessibility and Promoting High Quality Biology Education Research.

The effectiveness of biology education research textbooks to train students' critical thinking skills

The Biology Education Research (BER) course in the 6th semester of S1 Biology Education FKIP Lambung Mangkurat University, discusses research methodology which includes types of research, methods, variables, theoretical foundations, and hypotheses. However, textbooks that are in accordance with the Semester Learning Plan (LP) and can develop students' critical thinking skills are needed. Based on these problems, the textbook is prepared in accordance with the textbook components in general and develops textbooks based on the State of The Art (SOTA) concept, namely renewal in improving cognitive understanding and obtaining the results of critical thinking by containing exercises in the form of questions based on Bloom's taxonomy ranging from C3-C5. This study aims to produce textbooks on BER that are effective to use and can train students' critical thinking skills. This type of research uses the Education Design Research (EDR) model through the Tessmer Formative Test. Testing the effectiveness of the textbook on BER was carried out to a small group evaluation totaling five students and a field test totaling 25 students. The test uses instruments in the form of working on evaluation questions and college student activity sheets (CSAS). The results of the study based on the expected effectiveness test of the textbook developed with an average value of 69.20 increased to 81.70. While the actual effectiveness tests got an average value of 71.36 increasing to 85.36. Then the average N-gain value is 0.5 which is in the moderate category. These results prove that the BER textbook is effective in learning.Abstrak. Mata kuliah Penelitian Pendidikan Biologi (P2BIO) pada semester 6 S1 Pendidikan Biologi FKIP Universitas Lambung Mangkurat, membahas metodologi penelitian yang meliputi jenis penelitian, metode, variabel, landasan teori, dan hipotesis. Namun, buku ajar yang sesuai dengan Rancangan Pembelajaran Semester (RPS) dan dapat mengembangkan keterampilan berpikir kritis mahasiswa diperlukan. Berdasarkan permasalahan tersebut, buku ajar tersebut disusun sesuai dengan komponen buku ajar pada umumnya dan mengembangkan buku ajar berdasarkan konsep State of The Art (SOTA) yaitu pembaharuan dalam meningkatkan pemahaman kognitif dan memperoleh hasil cara berpikir kritis dengan memuat latihan berupa pertanyaan-pertanyaan berdasarkan taksonomi bloom mulai dari C3–C5. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menghasilkan buku ajar tentang P2BIO yang efektif digunakan dan dapat melatihkan keterampilan berpikir kritis mahasiswa. Jenis penelitian ini menggunakan model Education Design Research (EDR) melalui Uji Formatif Tessmer. Pengujian keefektifan buku ajar tentang P2BIO tersebut dilakukan kepada kelompok kecil (small group evaluation) berjumlah lima mahasiswa dan uji lapangan (field test) berjumlah 25 mahasiswa. Pengujian tersebut dengan menggunakan instrumen berupa pengerjaan soal evaluasi dan lembar kegiatan mahasiswa (LKM). Hasil penelitian berdasarkan uji keefektifan harapan terhadap buku ajar yang dikembangkan dengan nilai rata-rata 69,20 meningkat menjadi 81,70. Sedangkan uji keefektifan aktual mendapatkan nilai rata-rata 71,36 meningkat menjadi 85,36. Maka nila rata-rata N-gain sebesar 0,5 yang berada pada kategori sedang. Hasil ini membuktikan buku ajar BER tersebut efektif dilaksanakan dalam pembelajaran.

"It let me merge my love of teaching with research": A qualitative investigation of the career pathways of biology education researchers.

Discipline-based education research-a field of research that investigates teaching and learning within STEM disciplines-has emerged over the last few decades to improve the quality of STEM education worldwide. Simple qualitative questions concerning the career backgrounds and motivations of the individuals who conduct this research have yet to be explored. Here, we surveyed and interviewed discipline-based education researchers about their career trajectories and motivations to pursue this field of research. We focused specifically on recruiting biology education research faculty members at colleges and universities. We used the Social Influence Model and Social Cognitive Career Theory to develop and analyze survey and semi-structured interview questions. Findings revealed participant career paths all began with disciplinary undergraduate and graduate-level biology education. We noticed participants began conducting biology education research due to their values and personal interests, while additionally being swayed by contextual factors. Specifically, participants valued biology education research because it allowed them to make a difference in the world and provided them with a community open to change and collaboration. Biology education research allowed them to explore their interests in teaching and evidence-based approaches to education. These values and interests were impacted by contextual factors, including discoveries of opportunities, positive (or negative) experiences with mentorship, exposure to evidence-based teaching literature, considerations of salary and job security, and experiences with gender-based discrimination. Our results underscore the importance of harnessing individual values and interests-especially those centered on evidence-based teaching practices and making a difference in the world-while fostering a positive and supportive academic environment. This research reveals pathways toward discipline-based education research careers. Additionally, this research can inform the development of graduate programs and funding opportunities.

Identification of Blood Types of Biology Education Students at Samudra University

There are differences on the surface of red blood cell membranes in the types of carbohydrates and proteins that make a person's blood unique, known as blood types. Blood grouping using the ABO system is determined by the absence of antigen A or antigen B in the blood. The presence of A antibodies or B antibodies in red blood cells and serum/plasma. This research was conducted at the Biology Education Research Program, FKIP, Samudra University. This research was conducted from 14 to 24 November 2023. This type of research was qualitative with the slide test method. The parameters observed were the types of blood groups in various samples of 30 students. The results of this study showed that there were more O+ blood types compared to the others, O+ got 46.6% while the others, such as blood type A, were only 16.6% of 30 samples, blood group B was only 33.3% of 30 samples and the last one was the highest. The small number, namely blood type AB+, only reached 3.33% of 30 samples.

Investigating the Influence of Assessment Question Framing on Undergraduate Biology Student Preference and Affect.

Nearly all undergraduate biology courses rely on quizzes and exams. Despite their prevalence, very little work has been done to explore how the framing of assessment questions may influence student performance and affect. Here, we conduct a quasi-random experimental study where students in different sections of the same course were given isomorphic questions that varied in their framing of experimental scenarios. One section was provided a description using the self-referential term "you", placing the student in the experiment; another section received the same scenario that used classmate names; while a third section's scenario integrated counterstereotypical scientist names. Our results demonstrate that there was no difference in performance throughout the semester between the sections, nor were there differences in students' self-reported stress and identity. However, students in all three sections indicated that they most preferred the self-referential framing, providing a variety of reasons that suggest that these variants may influence how well a student reads and processes the question. In addition, our results also indicate that the framing of these scenarios can also have a large impact on some students' affect and attitude toward the question. We conclude by discussing implications for the biology education research community and biology instructors.

A Digital Single-Session Intervention (Project Engage) to Address Fear of Negative Evaluation Among College Students: Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.

Increasingly, college science courses are transitioning from a traditional lecture format to active learning because students learn more and fail less frequently when they engage in their learning through activities and discussions in class. Fear of negative evaluation (FNE), defined as a student's sense of dread associated with being unfavorably evaluated while participating in a social situation, discourages undergraduates from participating in small group discussions, whole class discussions, and conversing one-on-one with instructors. This study aims to evaluate the acceptability of a novel digital single-session intervention and to assess the feasibility of implementing it in a large enrollment college science course taught in an active learning way. To equip undergraduates with skills to cope with FNE and bolster their confidence, clinical psychologists and biology education researchers developed Project Engage, a digital, self-guided single-session intervention for college students. It teaches students strategies for coping with FNE to bolster their confidence. Project Engage provides biologically informed psychoeducation, uses interactive elements for engagement, and helps generate a personalized action plan. We conducted a 2-armed randomized controlled trial to evaluate the acceptability and the preliminary effectiveness of Project Engage compared with an active control condition that provides information on available resources on the college campus. In a study of 282 upper-level physiology students, participants randomized to complete Project Engage reported a greater increase in overall confidence in engaging in small group discussions (P=.01) and whole class discussions (P<.001), but not in one-on-one interactions with instructors (P=.05), from baseline to immediately after intervention outcomes, compared with participants in an active control condition. Project Engage received a good acceptability rating (1.22 on a scale of -2 to +2) and had a high completion rate (>97%). This study provides a foundation for a freely available, easily accessible intervention to bolster student confidence for contributing in class. OSF Registries osf.io/4ca68 http://osf.io/4ca68.

Divulging two decades of multimedia applications in biology education

Biology is an indispensable component of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education. Accordingly, effective biology teaching necessitates multimedia to assist students in fathoming complex scientific themes. This study aims to scrutinise the bibliometrics of preceding publications on multimedia applications in biology education from the Scopus and Web of Science databases. This study explores descriptive publishing patterns and the emergence of academic discourse about multimedia applications in biology education using ScientoPy and VOSviewer. The results reveal publications on this topic have been volatile, with less than ten publications in both databases. The United States has bested others as the most noteworthy multimedia applications in biology education publication hubs. The top three keywords yielded by ScientoPy were “biology education”, “visual literacy”, and “science education”. The keywords “active learning,” “science education,” “visual literacy,” and “anatomy diagrams” generated by VOSviewer have been among the most employed keywords since 2016. In the abstract’s content analysis, the keywords “visual representation” and “image” have often been utilised. This study provides an overview of the applications of multimedia in biology education. It will aid researchers interested in advancing or discovering new knowledge in this domain and developing splendid biology education research ideas and practices.

Constructing biology education research identities: a duoethnography

An emerging theme that has gained traction across science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) classrooms in recent decades is acknowledgingwhois responsible for the discoveries and content that we teach. Centering the human aspect of who the researchers are and how their identities intersect with perspectives in research impacts the lens through which the work is done but also shapes the community of practice in our classrooms and the evolving ecosystem of research communities that contribute to STEM education. In particular, discipline-based education research (DBER) is an emerging interdisciplinary field aimed at understanding and improving discipline-specific learning and teaching. Entering and establishing oneself in a new research field can be a daunting process. For many DBER scholars who began their careers in another discipline, their career trajectories have necessitated this challenge. Here, we focus on our experiences in Biology Education Research (BER). We use duoethnography to explore our overlapping trajectories into and engagements with BER, allowing for the juxtaposition of our experiences to give meanings to and build new understandings of our pathways in BER, which include entry points, reasons for persistence, and identity navigation. Through collaborative reflections, we formulated novel insights that we experienced BER as a community of practice that values the participation of emerging scholars and arrived at a transformed understanding that our educator identities were important driving factors for our continuing pursuit of BER. Results from this duoethnography not only provide insights into how BER faculty may navigate multiple professional identities but can also shed light on potential opportunities and challenges for research and practice partnerships connecting science and education faculty where such identities reside not in single individuals but with multiple persons in a cross-disciplinary collaboration. We see parallels between this work considering faculty identity and pathways into BER with work considering student identity and pathways into STEM, and we hope that these results also highlight the value of utilizing qualitative methodologies that may be novel to both the BER and more broadly, DBER, communities as a tool for centering the human experience that can spark future work and applications within STEM education.

A classroom station work on the Wadden Sea and its influence on the motivation and interest

Modern, student-oriented teaching can be characterized by the promotion of autonomy and interest. In the school subject of biology, it is necessary to focus on different ecosystems from different aspects. One ecosystem that has hardly been considered in biology didactics so far is the UNESCO World Heritage Wadden Sea. Therefore, this study implemented station work in a biology class as a method of teaching educational content on the Wadden Sea to determine the effects on the learners’ intrinsic motivation as well as on their situational and individual interest. A total of 157 students from secondary schools (age: M = 14.4 years, SD = 0.5) participated in the study. The results indicate that station work has a statistically significant positive effect on the aforementioned constructs. To clarify the relationship between the two constructs from the literature, the scales used were related to each other in a correlation analysis, revealing a significant correlation between interest and motivation. The findings of this study lay an important foundation for the school-based consideration of the Wadden Sea in biology education research and also provide important implications for related studies.

A brief online single session intervention increases undergraduate confidence speaking out in an active learning physiology course

Increasingly, college physiology courses are transitioning from traditional lecture to active learning because students learn more and fail less when they engage in their learning through activities and discussions in class. Fear of negative evaluation (FNE), defined as a student’s sense of dread associated with being unfavorably evaluated while participating in a social situation, discourages undergraduates from participating in small group discussions, whole class discussions, and conversing one-on-one with instructors. FNE disproportionately impacts women, persons excluded because of their ethnicity or race (PEERs), LGBTQ+ individuals, and those coming from low socioeconomic backgrounds. To equip undergraduates with skills to cope with fear of negative evaluation and bolster their confidence, clinical psychologists and biology education researchers developed Project Engage, a digital, self-guided single-session intervention for college students. It teaches students strategies for coping with and reducing fear of negative evaluation by providing biologically-informed psychoeducation, utilizing interactive elements for engagement, and generating a personalized action plan. In a study of 300 upper-level physiology students, participants randomized to complete Project Engage reported greater increases in overall confidence in engaging in small group discussions (p &lt; 0.01), whole class discussions (p &lt; 0.001) and one-on-one interactions with instructors (p&lt;0.05), from baseline to immediate post-intervention, compared to participants in an active control condition. This work provides a foundation for a freely-available, easily accessible intervention to bolster student confidence contributing in class, with the hope of creating more equitable active learning physiology courses. NSF grant #2141681 This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2023 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

Trends in Use of the Computer Assisted Instruction in Biological Sciences Education: A Systematic Literature Review

The usage of computers is gaining popularity in science education specifically in biology education. The topic concerning Computer Assisted Instruction (CAI) materials is one of the topics covered in biology education research. Where they are reportedly to have an impact on the academic achievement of the students. In this review, published peer reviewed scientific literature on computer usage in biological science instruction was analyzed to answer the questions relating to the kind of computer applications commonly used as computer assisted instruction in biological science education. Biological topics mostly taught using computer assisted instruction. As well, as the learning outcomes commonly measured when studying computer applications in biological science education. The results from the analyzed literature show that web applications are the most used computer technologies. These applications are mostly designed and developed by researchers. The visual displays mostly used are computer-based animation, while Biochemistry and Photosynthesis specifically are biology topics covered. The learning outcome targeted is academic achievement. Though these reports showed a positive impact on learning outcomes, many works are still needed specifically the use of modern technologies such as virtual reality (AR) and augmented reality (AR), in the biology teaching and learning process.

Evaluating the Representation of Community Colleges in Biology Education Research Publications following a Call to Action.

Interest in biology education research (BER) has been growing over the last two decades, yet few BER publications focus on community colleges, which serve a large percentage of the undergraduate student population and a majority of those students who identify with historically underserved groups. In this paper, we define community college biology education research (CC BER) as publications with a community college faculty member as an author, publications with a community college study context or a focus on community college biology teaching and learning, and publications that use community college students as a source of data. We conducted a literature review to quantify how CC BER has progressed since initial calls for broadening participation by recording the number of CC BER publications in seven prominent journals between 2016 and 2020. Our formal analysis of peer-reviewed BER literature indicates that there has been a statistically significant increase in CC BER publications from 3.2% to 5.9% of total BER publications since the last analysis in 2017. We conclude with a discussion of strategies for further broadening of participation in CC BER.

Teaching the process of science with primary literature: Usingthe CREATE pedagogy in ecological courses.

There have been numerous calls for improved pedagogical practices in biological education, and there is a clear need for such improvements in ecology and related curricula. Most ecology-related texts lack pedagogy and are designed to be content-rich. National initiatives, such as Vision & Change, provide guidance on undergraduate biology education, including increasing use of evidence-based active learning, and taking a more conceptual and science practice skills approach. Biology education research is rich with evidence-based teaching practices, which reveal that active learning approaches implemented in thoughtful ways lead to strong learning gains relative to lecture-based course delivery. CREATE (Consider, Read, Elucidate the hypothesis, Analyze and interpret data, Think of the next Experiment) integrates evidence-based active pedagogical practices into one approach to STEM education that focuses heavily on the process of science and science practice skills rather than content delivery by replacing the textbook with selected journal articles. The approach focuses on deep reading and analysis of primary literature; immersing students in the literature is an advantage of the pedagogy. CREATE was developed and tested in other biological disciplines (genetics and molecular biology) that have long been at the forefront of pedagogical best practices in biology. We transformed two upper-level undergraduate ecological courses (Conservation Biology, and Biodiversity and Ecology) into CREATE courses. We provide examples of assignments, student work, and assessments of the approach, illustrating the various ways CREATE can be successfully implemented. The approach can be adopted in part, to ease into it and test it out, or in whole. We recommend that ecology teachers consider making their courses more active, if they have not already done so; adopting pedagogical practices embedded within CREATE can be a way to achieve active learning. The CREATE approach and other evidence-based pedagogical best practices lead to strong learning gains and more inclusive learning environments.

Identification of Biology Education Research during The Covid-19 Pandemic

The Covid-19 pandemic has had an impact on various educational activities. Routine activities carried out were forced to switch digitally using internet facilities, including student research activities. Quality research affects the improvement of the quality of education.This study aims to determine the characteristics of biology education carried out by final year students during the Covid-19 pandemic. The survey method was used in the research with the instrument in the form of a questionnaire sheet with semi-open questions. The results showed that biology education research carried out during the pandemic mostly used descriptive and quasi-experimental methods. There are meta-analytical research methods from international journals with PRISMA guidelines and literature studies with scoping review techniques that are relatively new by students. A total of 71.9% of the study used a sample of students at the high school and college level. As many as 76% of research data were obtained online, 19% of research activities were blended, and only about 5% of students obtained research data offline. Constraints experienced by students during research are: 1) Internet network is not stable, 2) students are difficult to be asked to turn on the camera in the data collection process, 3) it is relatively difficult to collect respondent responses in online questionnaires, 4) constrained by research time due to the large number of school holidays, 5) online communication becomes an obstacle in conducting research guidance.