Undergraduate STEM Research Articles

ON DEMAND: Investigator: Facilitating Inquiry-based Teaching and Learning of Critical Thinking Skills (5 mins)

With support from the NSF’s “Improving Undergraduate STEM Education” program, we developed an artificial intelligence based cognitive assistant, called sInvestigator (science Investigator) that helps students develop critical thinking skills for addressing scientific problems, through an easy to employ inquiry-based approach. The instructor formulates an inquiry and the students hypothesize possible answers. Then they use sInvestigator to determine the hypothesized answer that is best supported by evidence. They form teams, each team developing an evidence-based argumentation for assessing the probability of their selected hypothesized answer. Using sInvestigator, they decompose their hypothesis into simpler and simpler hypotheses, until the top hypothesis is reduced to very simple (elementary) hypotheses, each showing clearly what evidence may favor or disfavor it. This guides the students to search for this evidence on the Internet, and assess its relevance and credibility by using fuzzy qualifiers, such as “likely” or “almost certain”. Based on these student assessments, sInvestigator determines the probabilities of the elementary hypotheses, and combines them to obtain the probability of the hypothesized answer. The students may be asked to perform deeper credibility analyses of the Internet articles found, by assessing lower-level credentials, such as author’s competence, conflicts of interest, and publication reputation. They may also be asked to justify their assessments. Once an analysis is complete, sInvestigator generates an analysis report that is finalized by the students and debated in class. sInvestigator was experimentally used in several GMU undergraduate science classes. Case studies for middle school and high school science classes have also been developed.

Evaluative Frameworks and Scientific Knowledge for Undergraduate STEM Students: An Illustrative Case Study Perspective

ABSTRACT COVID-19 gives an important focal point to the increasingly complex and overwhelming amounts, types, and availability of information undergraduate STEM students are faced with. The world at large is being asked to seek information around serious infectious diseases and find information that can help facilitate decision-making in both personal and academic settings. Much of the available information lacks a fundamental scientific basis but is often masquerading as ‘truth’. This is translated both into how society at large seeks information to make decisions, as well as how STEM undergraduate students are finding information to build their scientific skill set. This paper uses two case study examples of publications in scientific journals to examine the concept of using RADAR to determine validity. STEM librarians should focus on using evaluative frameworks as an initial launch point for critique, but a conversation must begin around how to encourage student realization of broader context and specifically awareness of what is still unknown.

Creative Anticipatory Ethical Reasoning with Scenario Analysis and Design Fiction.

This paper presents an experimental approach for engaging undergraduate STEM students in anticipatory ethical reasoning, or ethical reasoning applied to the analysis of potential mid- to long-term implications and outcomes of technological innovation. The authors implemented two variations of an approach that integrates three key components-scenario analysis, design fiction, and ethical frameworks-into five sections of an introductory course on the social contexts of science and technology that is required of STEM majors. The authors dub this approach Creative Anticipatory Ethical Reasoning, or CAER. Scenario analysis is a strategy emerging from business consulting for grounded analysis of plausible future trajectories to inform planning. Design fiction is a creative hands-on activity that blends science fiction and design prototyping to facilitate critical thinking with respect to the societal dimensions of a plausible future technology. The authors present the following findings: in each of the variations, students demonstrated significant engagement with CAER and a substantive shift in their conception of what constitutes responsible innovation and ethical conduct in science and technology. Specifically, their integration of ethical reasoning with stakeholder perspectives and scenario analysis reframed technologies, from unproblematic solutions for societal problems to socially-embedded forms of life that might diverge from designers' intentions. This suggests that CAER could be a useful pedagogical intervention for expanding students' ethical engagement to consider the potential unintended consequences of technological innovation.

Active Learning: Subtypes, Intra-Exam Comparison, and Student Survey in an Undergraduate Biology Course

Active learning improves undergraduate STEM course comprehension; however, student comprehension using different active learning methods and student perception of active learning have not been fully explored. We analyze ten semesters (six years) of an undergraduate biology course (honors and non-honors sections) to understand student comprehension and student satisfaction using a variety of active learning methods. First, we describe and introduce active learning subtypes. Second, we explore the efficacy of active learning subtypes. Third, we compare student comprehension between course material taught with active learning or lecturing within a course. Finally, we determine student satisfaction with active learning using a survey. We divide active learning into five subtypes based on established learning taxonomies and student engagement. We explore subtype comprehension efficacy (median % correct) compared to lecture learning (median 92% correct): Recognition (100%), Reflective (100%), Exchanging (94.1%), Constructive (93.8%), and Analytical (93.3%). A bivariate random intercept model adjusted by honors shows improved exam performance in subsequent exams and better course material comprehension when taught using active learning compared to lecture learning (2.2% versus 1.2%). The student survey reveals a positive trend over six years of teaching in the Perceived Individual Utility component of active learning (tau = 0.21, p = 0.014), but not for the other components (General Theoretical Utility, and Team Situation). We apply our findings to the COVID-19 pandemic and suggest active learning adaptations for newly modified online courses. Overall, our results suggest active learning subtypes may be useful for differentiating student comprehension, provide additional evidence that active learning is more beneficial to student comprehension, and show that student perceptions of active learning are positively changing.

Speaking up: a model of self-advocacy for STEM undergraduates with ADHD and/or specific learning disabilities

BackgroundStudents with disabilities are underrepresented in undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses. Students with disabilities who engage in self-advocacy earn higher GPAs and are more likely to graduate from college compared to students with disabilities who do not engage in self-advocacy. We utilized Test’s conceptual framework of self-advocacy, which breaks self-advocacy into four components: knowledge of self, knowledge of rights, communication, and leadership to investigate how students with invisible disabilities practice self-advocacy in undergraduate STEM courses. Through a partnership with a disability resource center (DRC), we recruited and interviewed 25 STEM majors who received accommodations for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and/or a specific learning disorder (SLD). Data were collected using semi-structured interviews and analyzed using content analysis.ResultsWe found evidence of all components of Test’s conceptual framework of self-advocacy and operationalize each based on our participants’ experiences. We identified novel components of self-advocacy for students with ADHD/SLD in undergraduate STEM courses, including knowledge of STEM learning contexts and knowledge of accommodations and the process to obtain them, as well as, a novel self-advocacy behavior, filling gaps. Filling gaps involved participants taking action to mitigate a perceived limitation in either their formal accommodations from the DRC or a perceived limitation in the instructional practices used in a STEM course. We also identified beliefs, such as view of disability and agency, which influenced the self-advocacy of our participants. We incorporated the emergent forms of self-advocacy into Test’s conceptual framework to propose a revised model of self-advocacy for students with ADHD/SLD in undergraduate STEM courses.ConclusionsWe developed a revised conceptual model of self-advocacy for students with ADHD/SLD in undergraduate STEM courses. This conceptual model provides a foundation for researchers who wish to study self-advocacy in undergraduate STEM courses for students with ADHD/SLD in the future. It also offers insights for STEM instructors and service providers about the self-advocacy experiences of students with ADHD/SLD in undergraduate STEM courses. We propose hypotheses for additional study based on our conceptual model of self-advocacy. Implications for research and teaching are discussed.

Science identity and metacognitive development in undergraduate mentor-teachers

BackgroundA growing part of the efforts to promote student engagement and success in undergraduate STEM are the family of Student Support and Outreach Programs (SSOPs), which task undergraduate students with providing support and mentoring to their peers and near-peers. Research has shown that these programs can provide a variety of benefits for the programs’ recipients, including increased academic achievement, satisfaction, retention, and entry into STEM careers. This paper extends this line of inquiry to investigate how participation in these programs impacts the undergraduate STEM students that provide the mentoring (defined here as undergraduate mentor-teachers or UMTs). We use activity theory to explore the nature of metacognition and identity development in UMTs engaged in two programs at a public urban-serving university in the western USA: a STEM Learning Assistant program and a program to organize middle and high school STEM clubs. Constructs of metacognition and identity development are seen as critical outcomes of experiential STEM inreach and outreach programs.ResultsWritten reflections were collected throughout implementation of two experiential STEM inreach and outreach programs. A thematic analysis of the reflections revealed UMTs using metacognitive strategies including content reflection and reinforcement and goal setting for themselves and the students they were supporting. Participants also showed metacognitive awareness of the barriers and challenges related to their role in the program. In addition to these metacognitive processes, the UMTs developed their science identities by attaching different meanings to their role as a mentor in their respective programs and setting performance expectations for their roles. Performance expectations were contingent on pedagogical skills and the amount and type of content knowledge needed to effectively address student needs. The ability to meet students’ needs served to validate and verify UMTs’ role in the program, and ultimately their own science identities.ConclusionFindings from this study suggest that metacognitive and identity developments are outcomes shaped not only by undergraduate students’ experiences, but also by their perceptions of what it means to learn and teach STEM. Experiential STEM inreach and outreach programs with structured opportunities for guided and open reflections can contribute to building participants’ metacognition and enhancing their science identities.

Characterizing science graduate teaching assistants\u2019 instructional practices in reformed laboratories and tutorials

BackgroundGraduate teaching assistants (GTAs) often lead laboratory and tutorial sections in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), especially at large, research-intensive universities. GTAs’ performance as instructors can impact student learning experience as well as learning outcomes. In this study, we observed 11 chemistry GTAs and 11 physics GTAs in a research-intensive institution in the southeastern USA. We observed the GTAs over two consecutive semesters in one academic year, resulting in a total of 58 chemistry lab observations and 72 physics combined tutorial and lab observations. We used a classroom observation protocol adapted from the Laboratory Observation Protocol for Undergraduate STEM (LOPUS) to document both GTA and student behaviors. We applied cluster analysis separately to the chemistry lab observations and to the physics combined tutorial and lab observations. The goals of this study are to classify and characterize GTAs’ instructional styles in reformed introductory laboratories and tutorials, to explore the relationship between GTA instructional style and student behavior, and to explore the relationship between GTA instructional style and the nature of laboratory activity.ResultsWe identified three instructional styles among chemistry GTAs and three different instructional styles among physics GTAs. The characteristics of GTA instructional styles we identified in our samples are different from those previously identified in a study of a traditional general chemistry laboratory. In contrast to the findings in the same prior study, we found a relationship between GTAs’ instructional styles and student behaviors: when GTAs use more interactive instructional styles, students appear to be more engaged. In addition, our results suggest that the nature of laboratory activities may influence GTAs’ use of instructional styles and student behaviors. Furthermore, we found that new GTAs appear to behave more interactively than experienced GTAs.ConclusionGTAs use a variety of instructional styles when teaching in the reformed laboratories and tutorials. Also, compared to traditional laboratory and tutorial sections, reformed sections appear to allow for more interaction between the nature of lab activities, GTA instructional styles, and student behaviors. This implies that high-quality teaching in reformed laboratories and tutorials may improve student learning experiences substantially, which could then lead to increased learning outcomes. Therefore, effective GTA professional development is particularly critical in reformed instructional environments.

Using the Reasoned Action Approach to Predict Active Teaching Behaviors in College STEM Courses

Active learning can have a substantial impact on STEM student learning outcomes. This study used the reasoned action approach to predict the presence of active teaching techniques. Instructor attitudes, perceived social norms, perceived behavioral control and intentions concerning active learning strategies were assessed before and after a teaching workshop, in addition to retrospectively. Behavioral teaching practices were recorded using the Classroom Observation Protocol for Undergraduate STEM (COPUS). Results indicated that instructor attitudes toward and perceived behavioral control over implementing active learning significantly contributed to STEM instructor intentions to use active learning. Further, instructor intentions assessed after the workshop and retrospectively were predictive of instructor behavior. Instructors with high intentions exhibited an increase in ‘active’ instructor behavior (group work) and a decrease in ‘passive’ instructor behavior (lecture). These results suggest that whether instructors view active learning as favorable or unfavorable, and whether instructors feel they have control over implementing active learning strategies, is critical to increasing the presence of active teaching intentions and behaviors. Professional development programs wishing to create instructional change should target instructor attitude and control beliefs, as well as discuss normative teaching practices in aim of contributing to instructors’ understanding of and future intentions to implement active learning.

Modern Tesla Coil as a Multidisciplinary Example in STEM Teaching

A modern Tesla coil is an excellent multidisciplinary example in undergraduate STEM teaching. It incorporates several concepts from physics and electrical engineering. For example, Ampere’s law and Faraday’s law are concepts in physics while an LC circuit, an RLC circuit, and the properties of a transistor are concepts in electrical engineering. A Tesla coil shows the intimate relationship between electricity and magnetism. Ampere’s law states that a current induces a magnetic field and Faraday’s law states that a changing magnetic flux induces a voltage. In a classical Tesla coil, a spark gap switches the current on and off flowing through the primary coil. Meanwhile, in many modern Tesla coils, a transistor is used instead of a spark gap, since it can switch on and off very quickly using a lower voltage. Several papers described how modern tesla coils work. However, the designs of modern Tesla coils were complicated and the mathematical descriptions for Tesla coils were beyond undergraduate students’ level. This paper describes a modern Tesla coil by providing mathematical details that are appropriate for undergraduate students’ level. To satisfy the educational purpose of this paper, we also choose the simplest design for a modern Tesla coil. The primary circuit in a modern Tesla coil used here is a parallel RLC circuit. We show that it can play the same role as the series RLC circuit of the primary circuit in the classical Tesla coil.

Using Algae in Undergraduate STEM Education: A Flexible Inquiry-based Investigation at Scale

Using Algae in Undergraduate STEM Education: A Flexible Inquiry-based Investigation at Scale

Teaching ERPP to undergraduate STEM students in Chinese universities?

Teaching ERPP to undergraduate STEM students in Chinese universities?

The Role of a Summer Field Experience in Fostering STEM Students' Socioemotional Perceptions and Social Justice Awareness as Preparation for a Science Teaching Career

Author(s): Liu, Amy; Toma, Shannon; Levis-Fitzgerald, Marc; Russell, Arlene A. | Abstract: This study aims to better understand the role that teacher exploration programs play in supporting science teacher education recruitment and retention in ways that are consistent with social justice goals. Utilizing reflective and descriptive journal data from 126 STEM undergraduate students engaged in an intensive and immersive four-day internship that took place in summer 2015 and summer 2016, this study examines how a well-integrated field experience prepares students to consider a possible future science teaching career in high needs schools. Findings indicate that students who participated in this summer field experience program developed classroom pedagogical knowledge and skills, as well as heightened interpersonal, socioemotional understanding with respect to students. As preparation for the possibility of entering a social-justice focused credential teaching program, the internships also exposed the STEM undergraduates to high-need schools, fostered interns' social justice awareness, and provided an opportunity for them to reflect experientially – in terms of their own educational privileges and from their field time in the classrooms – on educational inequities confronting schools and students. These experiences allowed the STEM interns to more deeply appreciate the importance of connecting with students and developing positive and constructive relationships with them, a valuable foundation for those who may choose to pursue a formal social-justice oriented teacher education program.

An Investigation of University Students and Professionals’ Professional STEM Identity Status

Set amidst the backdrop of concerns related to the entry of students to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) careers, this study seeks to understand the Professional STEM Identity status of STEM undergraduate students and STEM professionals. This study utilizes a cross-sectional research design to compare participant scores in the categories of affirmation, in-depth exploration, practices, commitment, and reconsideration of commitment in the Professional Identity Status Questionnaire (PISQ-5d). Cluster analysis was performed on the scores to indicate five Professional STEM Identity statuses: achievement status, foreclosure status, moratorium status, searching moratorium status, and diffused status. We initially envisaged that those in STEM careers would have more established STEM identities reflected in higher numbers in an achievement status category; however, this was not the case. These findings raise questions about the dominant approaches used in career guidance for STEM. We conclude that a more fluid and less fixed understanding of Professional STEM Identity may better guide research in the area of STEM and inform institutions that encourage strong affinities to particular STEM careers.

Co-creation of knowledge using mobile technologies and digital media as pedagogical devices in undergraduate STEM education

Digital media assignments are a widely used method of assessing student learning in higher education. Despite their common use, the literature on digital media assignments has many gaps regarding theoretical frameworks to guide their design, implementation and evaluation. This research paper focuses on student attitudes towards the use of mobile technology and digital media assignments in undergraduate STEM education. The study used a set of novel theoretical frameworks to identify training needs in digital media production, development of assessment weightings, marking rubrics and student training and resources. Longitudinal data were captured over a period of 4 years (n = 1724) using a mixed-methods approach. Validated questionnaires measured student attitudes to digital media support and attitudes to technology, understanding of the assignment, knowledge construction and digital media for learning and career development. Open-ended questions helped gather suggestions from students for improving the assessment task. Questionnaire data were analysed by using descriptive statistics and qualitative data with thematic analysis. The results suggested that students enjoyed group work, found learning with digital media to be engaging and developed critical thinking and digital media skills. In conclusion, STEM students had a positive learning experience repurposing mobile technology as pedagogical devices that present knowledge by using a multi-modal approach mediated by digital media.

Motivation States among STEM and Non-STEM Undergraduates

Motivation States among STEM and Non-STEM Undergraduates

Physics from an Underrepresented Lens: What I Wish Others Knew

In this paper, I (SH) will apply a counter-storytelling method to highlight a perspective that is not often present in the physics culture. The counter-storytelling (or counter-narrative) method gives voice to people from traditionally marginalized groups to share their untold experiences. Counter-storytelling, as the name implies, challenges common social views and ideas, and, in this paper, highlights the need for changes in the current physics culture. At a young age, I was never encouraged to go into a STEM field. I have always leaned more towards math and science, but I never thought of a science-related career until my sister inspired me in high school. I later realized that in STEM fields, people can let their imaginations run wild, making new observations and discoveries every day. And yet, amid pursuing these wonderful opportunities, individuals from groups underrepresented in STEM fields face challenging situations imposed by those surrounding them in the field. My physics instructor once told me that some people have their lives set on a more difficult mode than others because of their background and identities. As a Latina student whose family is from México, I have come to know an unfortunate truth: my gender, ethnicity, cultural background, and status create barriers for me. This has been the case throughout my life, but most especially in my journey pursuing an undergraduate STEM degree. Because of this, I want others to know my challenging experiences in education and how they have affected me. By sharing my story, I hope to encourage others to work for change in the STEM fields and in the classroom.

Can a brief, digital skill training intervention help undergraduates “learn to learn” and improve their STEM achievement?

Students who drop out of their science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) majors commonly report that they lack skills critical to STEM learning and career pursuits. Many training programs exist to develop students’ learning skills and they typically achieve small to medium effects on behaviors and performance. However, these programs require large investments of students’ and instructors’ time and effort, which limits their applicability to large lecture course formats commonly employed in early undergraduate STEM coursework. This study examined whether brief, digital training modules designed to help students apply learning strategies and self-regulated learning principles effectively in their STEM courses can impact students’ behaviors and performance in a large biology lecture course. Results indicate that a 2-hr Science of Learning to Learn training had significant effects on students’ use of resources for planning, monitoring, and strategy use, and improved scores on quizzes and exams. These findings indicate that a brief, self-guided, online training can increase desirable learning behaviors and improve STEM performance with minimal cost to learners or instructors. Implications for future design of interventions and their provision to students in need of support are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved)

Correlations between modes of student cognitive engagement and instructional practices in undergraduate STEM courses

BackgroundWithin STEM education, research on instructional practices has focused on ways to increase student engagement and thereby reap the associated benefits of increased learning, persistence, and academic success. These meaningful-learning goals have been tied most specifically to cognitive engagement, a construct that is often difficult for instructors to assess on their own. While it has been shown that certain instructional practices are tied to higher cognitive engagement in students, tools to measure instructional practices and student engagement have remained largely isolated in their development and use.ResultsThis research uses previously developed instruments to simultaneously assess modes of cognitive engagement in students (Student Course Cognitive Engagement Instrument [SCCEI]) and instructional practices (Postsecondary Instructional Practices Survey [PIPS]) within a course. A sample of 19 STEM courses was recruited to participate in this study, with instructors and students each self-reporting data. Results from the instructor and students in each course were scored, and ANOVA and partial correlation analysis were conducted on the sample. ANOVA indicated the significance of and classroom structure on student engagement. From the correlation analysis, a significant relationship was found between four student-reported modes of cognitive engagement and instructor-reported teaching practices.ConclusionsWith an understanding of student engagement response to classroom structure, instructors may consider their teaching environment when implementing instructional practices. Moreover, Interactivity with Peers, the deepest mode of cognitive engagement suggested by previous research, was correlated with instructional practices in our study, suggesting that instructors may be able to shape their students’ learning by encouraging collaboration in the classroom. We also found that assessment played a role in students’ cognitive engagement; this indicates that instructors may wish to thoughtfully consider their methods of assessment to facilitate modes of cognitive engagement associated with deeper learning of course material. By understanding factor correlations, the PIPS and SCCEI can be used in tandem to understand impacts of instructional practices on student cognitive engagement within a course. We conclude that there is a need for ongoing research to study the interplay of instructional practices and student cognitive engagement as instruments are developed to measure such phenomena.

Comparison of Student Perceptions of Flipped Teaching in Undergraduate STEM Courses Across Two Institutions

Flipped teaching (FT) creates an environment to actively engage the learner as opposed to the often passive learning experience of traditional lecture‐based teaching (TT). Evidence has shown that FT can increase student engagement when lecture is shifted outside of the classroom through pre‐class activities while spending in‐class time working on activities at higher Bloom’s taxonomy levels. Research is lacking on which student population would benefit most from the FT. Six faculty from a four‐year institution and six faculty from a two‐year community college from STEM disciplines were selected to complete faculty development training on FT techniques. Upon completion of their training, faculty implemented FT in their classrooms the following semester. Student surveys were administered in each of these classes at the end of the semester. Students’ perception of engagement in the university STEM classes was significantly higher (p<0.0001) compared to community college STEM classes. Similarly, the university students’ level of confidence with the course material was significantly higher (p=0.0002) compared to the community college students. When overall attitude toward FT was assessed, the university students had a significantly more favorable attitude (p<0.0001) than the community college students. University students were significantly more likely to take another flipped course (p=0.0001) as well as recommend another student to take a flipped course (p<0.0001) than the community college students. Based on these results we conclude that students in the university setting have a more positive and receptive attitude toward FT compared to community college students.Support or Funding InformationNational Science Foundation

Team‐Based Learning (TBL) in upper‐division biochemistry: Identifying critical components for student learning

Team‐based Learning (TBL) is an evidence‐based instructional practice (EBIP) commonly used in medical biochemistry contexts that requires students to acquire basic content knowledge outside of class and then work in collaborative groups to apply, extend, and/or synthesize knowledge in class (Michaelsen et al. 2004). An instructional approach that can be traced back to the 1970s, the “key ingredients” of TBL are well established. TBL is comprised of a three‐step cycle beginning with an individual preparedness test, a collaborative group preparedness test, and application‐based team exercises. The instructional design is informed by several core principles that are used to prescribe how teams are formed, the readiness assurance process (i.e. individual and team readiness), provision of immediate feedback to teams, how to incentivize engagement, and the need for peer review. The efficacy of canonical TBL as compared to didactic instruction has been demonstrated in a variety of contexts (e.g. undergraduate STEM, medical school education). The fidelity with which instructors implement TBL as prescribed is variable (Haidet et al. 2014). Indeed, it is common, if not inevitable, for instructors to adapt instructional approaches in response to local contexts and conditions. Yet it is unclear from the literature how adaptations of canonical TBL affect learning outcomes. In this research, we adopt a fidelity of implementation (FOI) approach (Stains et al. 2017) to empirically determine the effects of adapting TBL on student learning in an upper‐division, two‐semester biochemistry course. Specifically, we report on the effects of adaptations of the team formation and readiness assurance processes on student performance as observed in a multi‐year study.