Introductory Science Courses Research Articles

Students priming students for success

Introductory science courses can be a struggle for instructors and students not only because of the challenging nature of the material, but also due to differences in the background knowledge of students. Provision of pre-lecture resources reviewing or introducing key concepts is recommended to support diverse students. In this paper, we describe the iterative design, implementation, and assessment of pre-lecture PRIMERs in a large, introductory genetics course. The development of PRIMERs was conceived, driven, and performed by a student-staff team. Data over 2 years demonstrate that most students considered that PRIMERs supported their learning of the lecture material. Student comments revealed that they found the summaries and practice problems useful, and that they used PRIMERs both as lecture preparation and examination review resources. These results suggest that the students-as-partners model is an effective way to create and refine course resources.

On the transfer of energy in the reflection of waves traveling in strings by a moving obstacle

In this work, we analyze the force exerted by a wave of finite duration on a moving obstacle. If the obstacle moves against the incident wave, the energy of the reflected pulse is greater than the energy of the incident pulse. This is not a violation of the principle of conservation of energy. We will show that the obstacle delivers energy to the wave in an amount equal to the difference between the energies of the incident and the reflected pulse. If we attribute an impulse to the wave, then the force exerted on the obstacle can be interpreted as being due to the change in momentum of the wave. Our discussion in the framework of waves on strings can serve to introduce this topic in introductory science courses. We can easily visualize these waves, and for this reason waves on strings are used to clarify wave motion in other media.

Student perspectives of online teaching: Lessons learned for the post-COVID classroom

As instructors return to in-person teaching and learning following online teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic, we can build from the experiences gained and incorporate various online resources into our campus-based classes. Drawing from student evaluations of teaching, a post-course student survey and learning management system (LMS) analytics, we documented students’ perspectives of online teaching and learning in a large introductory science course offered as a flipped classroom, and reflect on student and instructor perspectives as we return to campus-based teaching and learning. Results suggest that what students liked and what they perceived as effective often did not align, and that instructors need to consider good pedagogical practice when evaluating student comments. We identified strategies that we can carry forward to enhance our large introductory science course including a weekly course structure, synchronous classes and laboratories supported by asynchronous content, and taking advantage of recent advancements in online teaching and learning tools for discussion forums, practice exams and assessment.

Quantifying grade benefits of study: Practice makes better

Problem Roulette (PR), an online study service at the University of Michigan, offers points-free formative practice to students preparing for examinations in introductory science, technology, engineering, and mathematics courses. Using four years of PR data involving millions of problem attempts by thousands of students, we quantify the benefits of increased practice study volume in introductory physics. After conditioning the mean final grade on standardized (ACT and SAT) math test score, we analyze deviations based on student study volume. We find a strong effect; mean course grade rises quadratically with the logarithm of the total number of PR questions encountered over the term (NQ,tot), with an overall gain of 0.77±0.12 grade points between 1<NQ,tot<1000. The gains are persistent across the range of math test scores represented in our sample. While NQ,tot surely correlates with other study habits, the benefits of increased study in general still hold. A model for final grade using test score and study volume largely accounts for demographic stratification, including by sex, parental education level, number of parents at home, nationality or underrepresented minority status, and regional income level, with two significant exceptions: students whose parents did not earn a college degree, who earn −0.27±0.04 grade points (6.1σ) below expectations, and underrepresented minority students at −0.14±0.04 points (3.6σ). Residual scatter in final grade remains comparable to the maximal study gains, implying that the model is far from deterministic: individual variation trumps mean trends. Our findings can help motivate students to study more and help teachers to identify which types of students may especially need such encouragement.1 MoreReceived 20 December 2022Accepted 25 April 2023DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.19.010139Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article’s title, journal citation, and DOI.Published by the American Physical SocietyPhysics Subject Headings (PhySH)Research AreasInstructional materials developmentLearning environmentLearning theoryScientific reasoning & problem solvingStudent preparationTechnologyPhysics Education Research

A Guided-Inquiry Activity for Introducing Students to Figures from Primary Scientific Literature

Reading and understanding scientific literature is an essential skill for any scientist to learn. While students’ scientific literacy can be improved by reading research articles, an article’s technical language and structure can hinder students’ understanding of the scientific material. Furthermore, many students struggle with interpreting graphs and other models of data commonly found in scientific literature. To introduce students to scientific literature and promote improved understanding of data and graphs, we developed a guided-inquiry activity adapted from a research article on snow chemistry and implemented it in a general chemistry laboratory course. Here, we describe how we adapted figures from the primary literature source and developed questions to scaffold the guided-inquiry activity. Results from semi-structured qualitative interviews suggest that students learn about snow chemistry processes and engage in scientific practices, including data analysis and interpretation, through this activity. This activity is applicable in other introductory science courses as educators can adapt most scientific articles into a guided-inquiry activity.

Predictors of Academic Success in First Semester Nursing Students

The anticipated nursing shortage requires a closer look at academic predictors of success for first-year nursing students. Literature shows that there is a significant shortage of students graduating from nursing programs to replace the nurses leaving the workforce. This study examined whether self-efficacy and self-esteem predict student success for first-year baccalaureate nursing students taking an introductory science course: Biology for Science Majors (BIO 130). Understanding the relationships between self-efficacy, self-esteem, and the end-of-course grade to measure academic success can inform future student success programming for undergraduate nursing students. The study used a correlation design to determine relationships between students’ self-efficacy, self-esteem, and academic success. The independent variables were self-efficacy and self-esteem. The dependent variable was student academic success measured by students’ final course grades. Pearson correlation and linear regression analysis indicated a weak relationship between scores on the General-Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES) and final course grades. Similarly, a weak relationship was found between scores on the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) and the final course grades. This finding remained consistent when controlling for each independent variable.

Improving introductory science courses using comparative assessment across multiple modalities

AbstractExploring the value of course assessment across multiple teaching modalities, this chapter provides a framework for improving introductory science courses by evaluating the impact of pedagogical modality on student learning.

Knowledge, Attitudes, and Awareness of New Jersey Public High School Students about Concepts of Climate Change, including Environmental Justice.

Increasing acknowledgement of climate change (CC) has encouraged various responses, such as education standard mandates. In 2021, New Jersey (NJ) became the first U.S. state to require K-12 CC education across subjects, effective fall 2022. This necessitated introductory science courses on CC to support high school (HS) curricula. Thus, NJ Safe Schools Program (NJSS) created a new course titled, "Introduction to HS Students to CC, Sustainability, and Environmental Justice (EJ)." Given that the COVID-19 pandemic continues (2020-2023 school years) and vaccination coverage varies, this course was developed and approved in an asynchronous online format. Its five modules cover environmental science, CC, natural disasters and extreme weather events, sustainability, including energy conservation and efficiency definitions, and EJ. A 20-question survey included at the end, modified/adapted from a larger nationwide U.S. Student Conservation Association (SCA) survey 2019-2020, examined the perspectives of HS students concerning CC. Selected volunteer NJ HS enlisted students (n = 82/128 finished) to pilot this course February-April 2022. Results such as average scores ≥90% suggested success regarding initial knowledge and awareness gained; for individual modules, two knowledge checks >80% and three knowledge checks >90%. The SCA survey results, overall and by region in NJ, highlighted how most students felt about CC and extreme weather events, plus issues such as EJ. This NJSS introductory course opened in July 2022 for NJ public county secondary school districts and comprehensive HS with approved career-technical education programs, and potentially elsewhere.

Active Learning Classrooms: Addressing Learning Differences in Large-Enrollment Introductory Science Courses

Active Learning Classrooms: Addressing Learning Differences in Large-Enrollment Introductory Science Courses

Hemp on the horizon: Understanding the influences on industrial hemp purchases

The industrial hemp market is expected to grow in upcoming years due to increased use in food, paper, and personal care products, opening new opportunities for farmers across the United States. An increase in hemp products provides an opportunity to better understand consumer preferences and to educate consumers on hemp. The purpose of this research was to understand what influences consumers’ purchases of hemp products. This study was guided by the spiral of silence theory, which proposed that people will conform their attitudes and behaviors to match the perceived majority’s opinion. Students in college-level introductory science courses were surveyed and their attitude toward industrial hemp, perceptions of others’ attitude toward industrial hemp, and knowledge on hemp were measured. Data were analyzed using means, frequencies, and logistic regression. Most respondents reported not having purchased a hemp product in the past six months. The only predictors of hemp purchases were gender and attitude. When accounting for spiral of silence variables and personal characteristics, females were more likely than males to purchase hemp products. Extension educators should partner with hemp growers and processors to discuss how people are commonly using hemp products and to communicate to producers how consumers are using the products.

Blended, active, and persistent: An investigative study of blended learning affordances for active learning and student persistence in university-level introductory science courses

Higher education has seen the accelerated development of blended learning (BL), active learning (AL), and STEM education. This study explores a proposed framework showing that BL affordances enable or constrain AL and that the relationship between BL affordances and AL influences student persistence in introductory science courses and the sciences. A multiple-case study examined an introductory physics course and an introductory chemistry course. Interviewed were two student volunteers from high-, average-, and low-performing groups from each course. Course documentations underwent content analysis, and in-class and online observations were evaluated using the practical observation rubric to assess active learning (PORTAAL). The researcher developed a survey instrument, blended learning for active learning (BL4AL), capturing students’ perspectives concerning AL through traditional and nontraditional learning methods for their persistence in the sciences. Findings indicated students from all levels had varying views of BL affordances. However, in-class clicker questions and a third-party tutoring service were discovered to consistently enable AL. Students’ perceptions of BL for AL had a medium effect on whether they would continue in the sciences.

Investigating Final Course Grades of Undergraduate Students with Disabilities in Large, Introductory STEM and Non‐STEM Courses

The main objective of this study was to compare trends in final course grades earned by undergraduate students with disabilities (DSS) with those earned by students without disabilities (non‐DSS) across various large enrollment, introductory science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses, and non‐STEM courses. It was hypothesized that a larger proportion of DSS students in both STEM and non‐STEM courses would earn lower grades compared to non‐DSS students. Furthermore, it was hypothesized that grades earned by DSS students between STEM and non‐STEM courses would be similar. Finally, it was hypothesized that a higher proportion of DSS students in anatomy would earn lower grades compared to non‐DSS students, and that the proportion of grades earned by DSS students in anatomy would be similar to DSS students in other STEM courses broadly.Quantitative analysis involved using learning analytics to examine trends in final course grades earned. Retrospective de‐identified data was obtained for undergraduate students enrolled at Indiana University – Bloomington between Fall 2014‐Spring 2020 who either had or had not identified to the university as having a disability. Final course grades were compared across twelve large, introductory STEM courses, and six large, introductory non‐STEM courses.The following results were observed:1) DSS students in both STEM and non‐STEM courses were less likely to earn an A compared to non‐DSS students. The proportion of DSS students earning other grades in STEM and non‐STEM courses were similar to non‐DSS students. However, DSS students in both types of courses were twice as likely to withdraw from a course.2) The proportion of DSS students enrolled in STEM courses who earned an A was less than half of that seen for DSS students enrolled in non‐STEM courses. DSS students enrolled in STEM courses were also less likely to earn a B, and approximately twice as likely to earn a C, D, F, or withdraw from a course compared to DSS students in non‐STEM courses.3) Compared to non‐DSS students, DSS students enrolled in anatomy were less likely to earn an A, less than half as likely to earn a B, and more likely to earn a C or D. The proportion of DSS students who withdrew from anatomy was more than twice that of non‐DSS students.4) Grades earned by DSS students in anatomy followed a bimodal distribution compared to a normal distribution across other STEM courses broadly. A greater proportion of DSS students enrolled in anatomy achieved an A compared to DSS students in other STEM courses broadly. They were also more likely to earn a C or D, but less than half as likely to earn a B. The proportion of DSS students earning an F or withdrawing from anatomy was similar to other STEM courses broadly.Altogether, these observations suggest that while DSS students are less likely to earn higher grades in both STEM and non‐STEM courses compared to non‐DSS students, the effect is exacerbated for DSS students enrolled in STEM courses and demands further attention. Potential reasons for the bimodal grade distribution seen for DSS students in anatomy compared to other STEM courses broadly should also be probed further in order to understand why these students are more likely to earn either a higher or lower grade.

Teaching Field Data Crowdsourcing Using a GPS-Enabled Cellphone Application: Soil Erosion by Water as a Case Study

Crowdsourcing is an important tool for collecting spatio-temporal data, which has various applications in education. The objectives of this study were to develop and test a laboratory exercise on soil erosion by water and field data crowdsourcing in an online introductory soil science course (FNR 2040: Soil Information Systems) at Clemson University. Students from different STEM disciplines (wildlife biology, forestry, and environmental and natural resources) participated in the study in the fall of 2021. They completed a sequence of self-contained digital teaching modules or reusable learning objects (RLOs), which are often used in online learning. The exercise included a field exercise and learning module to teach students about different types of water-based soil erosion as well as field data collection and crowdsourcing tools. As a result of this exercise, student familiarity with crowdsourcing was effectively increased, as shown by the post-assessment survey with a +31.2% increase in the “moderately familiar” category and a +28.3% increase in the “extremely familiar” category. The online quiz contained ten questions and was taken by 56 students with an average score of 9.5 (out of 10). A post-assessment survey found that most of the students indicated that the laboratory was an effective learning experience about field data crowdsourcing using a GPS-enabled cellphone application. Detailed students’ comments indicated enjoyment of learning (e.g., data collection, learning about different technologies), the value of multimedia (e.g., ArcGIS Survey123, cellphone), the flexibility of learning (e.g., field work), the content applicability (e.g., actual field examples of erosion by water), and criticism (e.g., technical issues). A word cloud derived from students’ comments about their laboratory exercise experience indicated the most frequent words used by students, such as “erosion”, “enjoyed”, and “different”, among others. Incorporating a learning module and field exercise using modern data collection technology into an undergraduate soil science education course enabled students to understand the value and methods for leveraging cellphone-based field collection methods to crowdsource data for environmental assessment. Practical recommendations for planning and executing future crowdsourcing exercises were developed using the current study as an example.

A Fresh Shot at Statistics in the Classroom: Three Perspectives Using World Cup Soccer Player Data

In this article, we outline several activities revolving around soccer players who participated in the 2018 FIFA World Cup and 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Classroom activities are described from different perspectives, useful for a range of different statistics courses. In a first semester probability theory course, students investigate the counter-intuitive birthday paradox empirically and theoretically. For an introductory data science course, students practice their data wrangling skills using the statistical software R. Additional activities are shared for those instructors interested in emphasizing multivariable thinking in a second semester applied statistical modeling course. The activities shared will provide a range of opportunities for instructors to incorporate the FIFA World Cup data in their own courses. Supplementary files for this article are available online.

Student Perspectives of Online Teaching: Lessons Learned for the Post-Covid Classroom

As instructors return to in-person teaching and learning following online teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic, we can build from the experiences gained and incorporate various online resources into our campus-based classes. Drawing from student evaluations of teaching, a post-course student survey and learning management system (LMS) analytics, we documented students’ perspectives of online teaching and learning in a large introductory science course offered as a flipped classroom, and reflect on student and instructor perspectives as we return to campus-based teaching and learning. Results suggest that what students liked and what they perceived as effective often did not align, and that instructors need to consider good pedagogical practice when evaluating student comments. We identified strategies that we can carry forward to enhance our large introductory science course including a weekly course structure, synchronous classes and laboratories supported by asynchronous content, and taking advantage of recent advancements in online teaching and learning tools for discussion forums, practice exams and assessment.

Question banks for effective online assessments in introductory science courses

AbstractThe transition of our large (∼300 student) introductory soil science course to the online setting created several challenges, including engaging first‐ and second‐year students, providing meaningful hands‐on learning activities, and setting up online exams. The objective of this paper is to describe the development and use of question banks for online exams and other forms of assessment in an introductory soil science course. Use of question banks for the development of the online exams, especially in large classes, may be advantageous due to time saving features such as automatic marking of quiz style questions, the ability to easily setup practice exams, and question randomization to reduce the risk of misconduct. Instructors should keep in mind that questions in the question banks should be aligned with course learning outcomes, and organized by theme and level of difficulty. Through a case study of this course, we hope to provide lessons learned which may be applicable to other large introductory science courses.

The Ten Percent Solution

The Fall 2020 semester for the University of Calgary's general chemistry course CHEM 201 was completely different from the previous year's Fall semester: student enrolment had increased, the number of lecture sections offered had decreased, and the course's lectures, labs, and tutorials were all held online. Planning for CHEM 201 during the summer of 2020 was therefore a completely new experience and the main concerns were the feasibility and accessibility of coursework, and the ever-present concern that the new online format would allow or even encourage students to engage in academic misconduct. Reflections about preparing for and offering an introductory science course (CHEM 201) to 800 students in an online setting will be presented and the efforts to make academic integrity part of the course design will also be discussed. In particular, a 10% final exam had an unexpected effect on the structure, management, and delivery of the course.

Sources of gender differences in competency beliefs and retention in an introductorypremedicalscience course

AbstractGender disparities in retention in pathways to science continue to vary widely by course. Undergraduates intending to study prehealth and premedicine often represent a majority of students enrolled in introductory science courses, contribute to a large number of eventual science degree earners, and are a population that typically includes a high number of women. However, gender differences in attrition, grades, and attitudes persist in the introductory science courses required by undergraduate preheath and premedical programs, particularly within the physical sciences (i.e., Chemistry and Physics). We use structural equation modeling to study 416 undergraduate students across multiple sections of an Algebra‐based Physics course, a common course on the prehealth and premedical track where large gender differences in grades, retention and competency beliefs have been documented. Our analysis focuses on identifying potential academic and attitudinal sources for gender differences in students' beliefs about their Physics abilities at the end of the course, and retention to the second physics course, which is often influenced by these competency beliefs. Results suggest that while men's ability beliefs in Physics are relatively stable and largely derived from early performance indicators, this is a smaller source of ability beliefs for women. Instead, women's ability beliefs are mediated during the course through their sense of belonging in Physics, and the extent to which they believe that Physics ability is fixed or malleable. These findings can inform the design of interventions in Physics courses that specifically target the development of ability beliefs for women intending medical careers.

Using the Controversy over Human Race to Introduce Students to the Identification and the Evaluation of Arguments.

The identification and the evaluation of arguments are fundamental elements of critical thinking. However, the explicit promotion of these elements is virtually absent from university science courses. Much of the reason for this is that in most universities, across nearly all disciplines, instructors are required to see the conceptual content coverage of the syllabus as a priority. Moreover, lack of preparation and the fact that critical thinking activities are time-consuming rapidly reduce the interest of many instructors to include them in their courses. Here, we describe the use of a dialogue-based critical thinking classroom scenario (CTCS). The study used a mixed-methods approach with both quantitative and qualitative analyses of questionnaire responses. One hundred and seventeen undergraduates (73 females; 44 males; ages 16–24 years), enrolled in an introductory science course in Colombia, were asked to identify and evaluate arguments regarding a dialogue between two scientists who explore the controversial question of whether or not the concept of race is applicable to humans. It was found that the dialogue-based CTCS provided students with opportunities to identify and evaluate arguments both for and against the question and to make informed decisions about whether or not the concept of race in humans is biologically meaningful. Moreover, analyses of responses to closed-ended and open-ended questions revealed that more than half the participants were able to evaluate arguments in a fair-minded way. Practical implications for the cultivation of critical thinking skills in higher education and further research are discussed.

An Examination of the Effects of a Research-Based Instructional Model on Students' Critical Thinking Abilities in an Introductory Science Course

The purpose of this research was to examine how well the RBL model is being used to teach science to high school students in order to foster critical thinking. The research strategy for this investigation was sequential and exploratory, using a combination of methods. Quantitative data were collected after initially focusing on qualitative information. Quantitative data was gathered using essay examinations, while qualitative data was gathered through observation and interviews. There was a sampling phase before the actual study began. Thirtyfive aspiring primary school teachers from throughout the nation served as samples. The investigation occurred during the spring 2019 semester. A quasi-experimental design with a preand post-test for a single group was used for the quantitative data analysis. The average rating for the research treatments across four separate observations was 5.625 (preliminary activities: 4.736, core activities: 4.625, and closing activities: 4.66; rating scale: very excellent; range: 1- 4). The N-gain score was 57.60% in the medium category, demonstrating that introducing the RBL model to the study of energy in the natural sciences might boost students' capacity for critical thought. The average of the pre- and post-test ratings (47.95 and 778.2) was used to calculate this improvement (0-100). The results of this study may help professors and researchers develop new ways of teaching about energy that are more effective in developing students' capacity for critical thinking and analysis.