Course For Science Majors Research Articles

Cultivating Bioliteracy, Biodiscovery, Data Literacy, and Ecological Monitoring in Undergraduate Courses with iNaturalist

iNaturalist is a large and growing open-source online platform connecting a global community of users to the natural world and to each other. iNaturalist makes it simple for anyone to share observations, get identifications, and make identifications of any species. We demonstrate how iNaturalist can connect students to nature in undergraduate courses, simultaneously contributing to biodiversity knowledge. Our three case studies use iNaturalist to improve student bioliteracy (awareness and knowledge of biodiversity), to engage them in biodiscovery (discovering undocumented biodiversity occurrences, behaviors, and interactions), to introduce students to systematic ecological sampling (documenting biodiversity patterns and trends), and to improve their data literacy (by depositing and accessing open biodiversity data and by performing analyses). Included are examples from a variety of contexts—a required general science course, introductory courses for science majors, and more specialized electives. We discuss the rationale for iNaturalist inclusion, how iNaturalist inspires students and complements courses, and outputs of our students’ iNaturalist use. Introducing students to tools such as iNaturalist helps build the next generation of bioliterate and biocurious citizens and scientists, fluent in open collaborative research and learning. With wider uptake and coordination, iNaturalist has potential to connect undergraduate ecology courses to form a distributed virtual global biodiversity observatory.

Proof of Concept for a Thin-Layer Chromatography Digital Badge Assignment Within a Laboratory Practical Exam for a Nonchemistry Majors’ Organic Chemistry Lab

Digital badges are credentials earned via a digital presentation to demonstrate the mastery of a technique. They have been utilized in General Chemistry laboratory courses as an assessment tool and to document students’ development of a skill. A digital badge assignment was developed for thin layer chromatography (TLC) and integrated into a laboratory practical exam in a large-enrollment Organic Chemistry laboratory course for science majors. The students filmed themselves carrying out the TLC technique while explaining why specific steps were taken. After completing the filming, they applied the TLC technique off-camera to identify an unknown. Detailed directions, filming prompts, and rubrics are provided for this digital badge. The assignment was updated on the basis of the results from quantitative and qualitative data collected from around 800 students and a dozen GTAs. This data was also analyzed to explore the affordances and challenges of implementing a badge within a laboratory practical. Data included students’ pre- and post-perceptions of their knowledge, experience, and confidence, scores on the laboratory practical and written final exam, and student and GTA responses to short-answer survey questions. The most helpful resources for the badge were the directions, filming prompts, and rubrics, while the challenges included filming oneself, time limits, and uploading videos to the learning management system (LMS). Overall, we believe the challenges students faced with the digital badge assignment were outweighed by the positive cognitive, psychomotor, and affective learning outcomes resulting from coupling a digital badge assignment with the identification of an unknown as complementary components of a required laboratory practical.

Tools for identifying courses that support development of expertlike physics attitudes

Physics courses for science majors have the potential to improve multiple desired student outcomes by using evidence-based pedagogies that support the development of more expert-like student attitudes.

What do students know about evolution by natural selection after a non-majors geology course? An analysis of student responses to open-ended questions

Most of the research on student understanding of evolution by natural selection has focused on undergraduate biology courses for science majors. However, the majority of undergraduates in the United States will not enroll in a biology course for majors. In this study, we identify the extent of natural selection understanding that students acquire through an undergraduate, non-majors geology course. Using a pre/post assessment model, we administered open-response items from the Bishop and Anderson Diagnostic Instrument and a religiosity scale. Student responses were coded for inclusion and correctness of five key principles of natural selection: variation in a population, origin of variation, inheritance, fitness, and change in a population over time. The majority of students included few, if any, key principles of natural selection in their responses prior to instruction, and improvement after direct instruction in their geology course was minimal (cheetah: mean pre 1.01, mean post 1.37; salamander: mean pre 0.79, mean post 1.15). In most cases, students’ self-reported religiosity was unrelated to their knowledge of natural selection. Together, our results demonstrate that in spite of instruction, non-majors geology students struggle to describe the process of natural selection using foundational principles. We encourage the continued development of cross-disciplinary educational resources for this important population to help all students, regardless of major or career path, gain a more robust understanding of evolution by natural selection.

Modified Method for Extraction of Photosynthetic Plant Pigments for Microcolumn Chromatography

Column chromatography of photosynthetic plant pigments is a common experiment in introductory laboratory courses for science majors and nonscience majors alike. We report a simple, rapid, reproducible, and small-scale solid–liquid extraction of photosynthetic pigments from inexpensive, store-bought dried herbs that affords a dark-green extract solution, all of which can be applied directly to a pipet microcolumn made from as little as 0.75 g of silica gel. Carotenes and chlorophylls are cleanly separated using standard steps in microcolumn chromatography: the former elute together within 20 min using gravity and 9:1 (v/v) heptane:EtOAc, and the latter elute together within seconds using air pressure and EtOAc.

Enhancing Motivation To Learn In A Biology Laboratory Course Through Gaming

In this design case, we describe our work to develop a gameful learning design for use in an introductory, undergraduate biology laboratory course for science majors. Our design team included three university-based mathematics and science educators and a biologist responsible for the management of curriculum and instruction in the course under study. The gameful learning design was employed during the four weeks of plant evolutionary life history instruction. Key challenges to the design and implementation of gameful learning included the adaptation of instruction from teacher-centered to student-centered and establishing novel learning conditions in the eight laboratory sections so as to determine the value of two different elements of game design, repeat-testing and leaderboard with badges.

Evaluation of the influence of wording changes and course type on motivation instrument functioning in chemistry

Increased understanding of the importance of the affective domain in chemistry education research has led to the development and adaptation of instruments to measure chemistry-specific affective traits, including motivation. Many of these instruments are adapted from other fields by using the word ‘chemistry’ in place of other disciplines or more general ‘science’ wording. Psychometric evidence is then provided for the functioning of the new adapted instrument. When an instrument is adapted from general language to specific (e.g.replacing ‘science’ with ‘chemistry’), an opportunity exists to compare the functioning of the original instrument in the same context as the adapted instrument. This information is important for understanding which types of modifications may have small or large impacts on instrument functioning and in which contexts these modifications may have more or less influence. In this study, data were collected from the online administration of scales from two science motivation instruments in chemistry courses for science majors and for non-science majors. Participants in each course were randomly assigned to view either the science version or chemistry version of the items. Response patterns indicated that students respond differently to different wordings of the items, with generally more favorable response to the science wording of items. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to investigate the internal structure of each instrument, however acceptable data-model fit was not obtained under any administration conditions. Additionally, no discernable pattern could be detected regarding the conditions showing better data-model fit. These results suggest that even seemingly small changes to item wording and administration context can affect instrument functioning, especially if the change in wording affects the construct measured by the instrument. This research further supports the need to provide psychometric evidence of instrument functioning each time an instrument is used and before any comparisons are made of responses to different versions of the instrument.

Service Learning as Inquiry in an Undergraduate Science Course

To engage students in applying scientific process skills to real-world issues, we implemented a service-learning project model in our undergraduate introductory biology course for science majors. This model illustrates how we integrate inquiry inside and outside of the classroom through four steps: service, learning, classroom, and community. Out-of-class activities engaged students in serving the community (Service step) while deepening their learning experience beyond what they would learn in a classroom (Learning step). To connect the service-learning project with scientific process skills, students were asked to identify problems that our community partners were trying to solve, identify proposed solutions, and design ways to evaluate those solutions (Classroom step). Additionally, students connected their service-learning topic with core concepts in Biology. After their service, students used metrics to analyze their impact. Students then synthesized the connection between their service, learning, and classroom projects by presenting their findings to the scientific and lay communities through a poster session (Community step). Here we provide details of the model, recommendations, and examples for others to execute an inquiry-based service-learning project.

Digital exhaust: an analysis of students’ interactions with online learning tools (618.42)

Learning management systems (LMS) such as Blackboard, Desire2Learn, and WebCT have become ubiquitous on college campuses. At a minimum, these platforms are an efficient way to provide access to course materials (e.g. course notes, syllabus, study guides) to all students. But the real power of LMS is in their potential to provide online tools to engage students outside of class in ways that support and reinforce the learning that occurs during class. When students interact with these online tools, they leave behind a digital “exhaust” that is collected in access logs. This clickstream data can be analyzed for patterns of student behavior from which we can make inferences about student learning. The overarching goal of this project was to analyze clickstream data associated with a large‐enrollment, introductory biochemistry course for science majors. Specifically, we analyzed students’ access logs related to their use of weekly Progress Checks. Progress checks are a series of online assessment tools released weekly to students that gauge their acquisition of key biochemical principles and skills as well as introducing them to upcoming material to be covered in class. We hypothesized that successful students would exhibit different clickstream patterns than non‐successful students. We gathered clickstream data, student performance data on in‐class activities, quizzes, and exams, incoming GPA, and pre/post assessment data. These data were analyzed for patterns of interaction that would help flag students who are not performing adequately within a course (i.e., an early warning system) to proactively target and support student learning.Grant Funding Source: Supported by the NSF

The Biology and Chemistry of Brewing: An Interdisciplinary Course

For the past nine years, we have been offering an interdisciplinary course for science majors: The Biology and Chemistry of Brewing. This course is primarily laboratory- and inquiry-based; from a total of 24 h of student/instructor contact time, approximately 6 h are devoted to lecture, and the other 18 h are divided between laboratory exercises, research, and field trips. Here, we describe course development as well as a summary of the laboratory assignments, with complete details of laboratory exercises available in the supporting information. This course is appropriate for students who have one year of general chemistry and general biology.

Learning Science by Engaging Religion: A Novel Two-Course Approach for Biology Majors

Many issues in science create individual and societal tensions with important implications outside the classroom. We describe one model that directly addresses such tensions by integrating science and religion in two parallel, integrated courses for science majors. Evaluation of the goals of the project—(1) providing students with strategies to identify and work through complex societal issues and their relation to science and (2) improving science knowledge and critical thinking skills—is presented.

Exploring diverse students' trends in chemistry self-efficacy throughout a semester of college-level preparatory chemistry

Chemistry self-efficacy has been defined as a student's beliefs about his or her own capability to perform a given chemistry task. These chemistry self-efficacy beliefs can be influenced by students' experiences in a course, and eventually, these beliefs could affect students' decisions to continue into STEM related-careers. In this study, we examined students' chemistry self-efficacy throughout a semester in a college preparatory chemistry course for science majors. Students' chemistry self-efficacy was measured five times during a semester using items from the Chemistry Attitudes and Experiences Questionnaire (CAEQ). A multilevel modeling analysis was performed with a growth curve model to examine changes in self-efficacy across the term, including the potential for differences by sex and race/ethnicity. Differences in expected CSE scores were noticeable at the beginning of the semester, but this gap was smaller by the end of the semester. Higher initial CSE scores and a negative trend as the term continued were observed for Black and Hispanic males when compared with White males. In contrast, the CSE trend for Hispanic females was found to be positive. The findings in this study showed the importance of measuring CSE beliefs at multiple time points and for students from demographic groups underrepresented in STEM fields, being alert to the potential for different CSE trajectories.

Seeing Chemistry through the Eyes of the Blind: A Case Study Examining Multiple Gas Law Representations

Adequately accommodating students who are blind or low-vision (BLV) in the sciences has been a focus of recent inquiry, but much of the research to date has addressed broad accommodations rather than devising and testing specific teaching strategies that respond to the unique challenges of BLV students learning chemistry. This case study seeks to identify instructional techniques that support or impede the representation of information for BLV students in the context of a typical gas laws unit in a college chemistry course for science majors. Desimone’s framework on selection and attention informed the analysis. A blind student participated in five interviews to provide insights on how symbols, equations, and concepts were communicated and interpreted. Findings identified in the analysis of transcripts pertain to three communication modalities of interest: verbal, written, and tactile representations of information to aid learning. Using the results generated for practitioners, the authors generated guidelines for faculty, teaching assistants, and university administrators to improve the teaching and learning chemistry for BLV students.

Geometric constructions for image formation by a converging lens

Light rays emerge from an object in all directions. In introductory texts, three ‘special’ rays are selected to draw the image produced by lenses and mirrors. This presentation may suggest to students that these three rays are necessary for the formation of an image. We discuss that the three rays attain their ‘special status’ from the geometric solution of the equation of a hyperbola x−1 + y−1 = c−1 (mirror/lens equation). The material is suitable for use in introductory courses for science majors.

Comparison of the effectiveness of collaborative groups and peer instruction in a large introductory physics course for science majors

We report on an experiment comparing examinations of concepts using slightly modified peer instruction (MPI) interventions with a conceptual conflict strategy based on collaborative groups (CG). Four interventions were utilized in two sections of an introductory physics course for science students. Both instructors and strategies were alternated in the two classes so that instructor dependence could be factored out and so that each class could serve as both an experimental and a control group. The gain on the Force Concept Inventory (FCI) used as a pre- and post-test is essentially the same in both classes. The instructors were experienced in use of MPI, but this was the first time that these instructors had used a collaborative group activity in their classes and only used it for the two interventions in each class described in this paper. CG appears to be more effective as a teaching method than PI. It also should be noted that the effectiveness of both teaching methods seems to be instructor independent as long as the instructors followed the same protocol.

Coliforms Everywhere! Using Microbiology to Teach the Scientific Method

The scientific method is a fundamental concept in science. In this exercise the scientific method is taught as a hands-on investigative laboratory experience. Students generate a hypothesis concerning the environmental distribution of coliforms, design and execute an experimental test of that hypothesis, and analyze the resulting data. The exercise is safe and straightforward. It is appropriate for use in undergraduate laboratory courses for science majors and secondary school students and undergraduate non-majors with the appropriate mathematical backgrounds. Students learn both the process by which science progresses, as well as more advanced concepts in microbiology and statistics.

Gender and Spatial Ability and the Use of Specific Labels and Diagrammatic Arrows in a Micro-Level Chemistry Animation

This study investigates the effects of using both specific labels and diagrammatic arrows in the animation of salt dissolution. Four different versions of the animation served as treatments that were developed based upon principles of educational technology and cognitive psychology. The researchers studied the effects of spatial ability (high or low) and gender in terms of interaction with the treatments and control using ANCOVA statistical procedure. The dependent variable was posttest knowledge conveyed in the animation. Participants were drawn from a college chemistry course for science majors. Overall, high spatial ability students performed better on the post-test than the low spatial ability students ( p = .001). In terms of gender, females outperformed males on the post-test ( p = .009). Students in the “arrows-only” treatment group tended to score lower on the post-test that the other groups ( p = .083). In the article the authors discuss how the principles of educational technology might account for these findings.

Can an Inquiry Approach Improve College Student Learning in a Teaching Laboratory?

We present an inquiry-based, hands-on laboratory exercise on enzyme activity for an introductory college biology course for science majors. We measure student performance on a series of objective and subjective questions before and after completion of this exercise; we also measure performance of a similar cohort of students before and after completion of an existing, standard, "direct" exercise over the same topics. Although student performance on these questions increased significantly after completion of the inquiry exercise, it did not increase after completion of the control, standard exercise. Pressure to "cover" many complex topics as preparation for high-stakes examinations such as the Medical College Admissions Test may account for persistence of highly efficient, yet dubiously effective "cookbook" laboratory exercises in many science classes.

General Chemistry: Expanding the Learning Outcomes and Promoting Interdisciplinary Connections through the Use of a Semester-long Project

The laboratory component of a first-semester general chemistry course for science majors is described. The laboratory involves a semester-long project undertaken in a small-group format. Students are asked to examine whether plants grown in soil contaminated with lead take up more lead than those grown in uncontaminated soil. They are also asked to examine whether the acidity of the rainwater affects the amount of lead taken up by the plants. Groups are then given considerable independence in the design and implementation of the experiment. Once the seeds are planted, which takes about 4 wk into the term, several shorter experiments are integrated in before it is time to harvest and analyze the plants. The use of a project and small working groups allows for the development of a broader range of learning outcomes than occurs in a "traditional" general chemistry laboratory. The nature of these outcomes and some of the student responses to the laboratory experience are described. This particular project also works well at demonstrating the connections among chemistry, biology, geology, and environmental studies.

Chemiluminescent Oscillating Demonstrations: The Chemical Buoy, the Lighting Wave, and the Ghostly Cylinder

Oscillating reactions have been extensively used in chemical demonstrations. They involve several chemical concepts about kinetics, catalysts, and thermodynamics. The spontaneous cyclic color change of a solution is an attraction in any educational-level course. Chemiluminescent reactions are also among the most fascinating demonstrations and have been successfully used as a pedagogical tool. In this article, a chemiluminescent oscillating reaction is presented in which a chemiluminescent substance (luminol) interacts with a chemical oscillator producing an oscillating chemiluminescence. This demonstration has been successfully performed in basic chemistry courses to arouse interest and curiosity in students. This demonstration fascinates audiences and in courses for science majors it is an excellent way to introduce complex concepts such as far-from-equilibrium conditions, nonlinear dynamics and bifurcation, and chaos theories.Find this demonstration and others in the DigiDemos area of the JCE Digital Li...