Undergraduate Biology Courses Research Articles

Connecting Activity Implementation Characteristics to Student Buy-In Toward and Utilization of Formative Assessments Within Undergraduate Biology Courses

While formative assessments (FAs) can facilitate learning within undergraduate STEM courses, their impact likely depends on many factors, including how instructors implement them, whether students buy-in to them, and how students utilize them. FAs have many different implementation characteristics, including what kinds of questions are asked, whether questions are asked before or after covering the material in class, how feedback is provided, how students are graded, and other logistical considerations. We conducted 38 semi-structured interviews with students from eight undergraduate biology courses to explore how various implementation characteristics of in-class and out-of-class FAs can influence student perceptions and behaviors. We also interviewed course instructors to provide context for understanding student experiences. Using thematic analysis, we outlined various FA implementation characteristics, characterized the range of FA utilization behaviors reported by students, and identified emergent themes regarding the impact of certain implementation characteristics on student buy-in and utilization. Furthermore, we found that implementation characteristics have combined effects on student engagement and that students will tolerate a degree of “acceptable discomfort” with implementation features that contradict their learning preferences. These results can aid instructor reflection and guide future research on the complex connections between activity implementation and student engagement within STEM disciplines.

Assessing quantitative modelling practices, metamodelling, and capability confidence of biology undergraduate students

ABSTRACT Quantitative modelling plays an important role as biology increasingly deals with big data sets, relies on modelling to understand system dynamics, makes predictions about impacts of changes, and revises our understanding of system interactions. An assessment of quantitative modelling in biology was administered to students (n = 612) in undergraduate biology courses at two universities to provide a picture of student ability in quantitative reasoning within biology and to determine how capable those students felt about this ability. A Rasch analysis was used to construct linear measures and provide validity evidence for the assessment and to examine item statistics on the same scale as student ability measures. Students overall had greater ability in quantitative literacy than in quantitative interpretation of models or modelling. There was no effect of class standing (Freshmen, Sophomore, etc.) on student performance. The assessment showed that students who participated felt confidence in their ability to quantitatively model biological phenomena, even while their performance on ability questions were low. Collectively modelling practices were correlated with students’ metamodelling knowledge and not correlated with students’ modelling capability confidence. Biology instructors who incorporate the process of modelling into their courses may see improved abilities of students to perform on quantitative modelling tasks.

Extracting and Quantifying Deuterated Bisphenol A from Planaria Using Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry: An Integrative Laboratory Experiment

With the enormous reliance on plastics in the world today, bisphenol A, an additive used in the synthesis of many plastics, such as polycarbonate, has been found almost everywhere in our environment including in soil, in natural waters, and inside organisms including humans. A multidisciplinary experiment is presented that involves using flatworms (Planaria), which are model organisms common to undergraduate biology courses, to study the extent of retention or absorption of bisphenol A following exposure. Planaria were exposed to micromolar concentrations of deuterated bisphenol A in order to distinguish the amount of the compound retained from the (undeuterated) bisphenol A that is present as a contaminant in the environment. Liquid extraction was used to remove retained deuterated BPA from Planaria, and the extract was derivatized and quantified using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. This experiment is geared toward students in a laboratory research course or independent study experience. It would also be appropriate in analytical or environmental chemistry courses to help students understand how contaminants in our environment brought about from manufacturing processes can be measured and quantified. Students will learn standard techniques in extraction and analysis to quantify their findings.

Active Drawing of Mechanisms of Genetics and Molecular Biology as an Undergraduate Learning Tool

Many students navigate undergraduate biology courses through passive learning, relying on memorization techniques to study content. This may not be the most effective strategy for meaningful comprehension of multipart and unfamiliar or new concepts. Can instruction by engaging students in active drawing and diagramming be an effective learning strategy? This pedagogical design unites the minds of students in the classroom by encouraging participation and inquiry. Our strategy maximizes active drawing of the mechanisms of genetics and molecular biology during lecture and instructor-led collaborative drawing sessions. The goal is to increase student learning and success in undergraduate genetics coursework based on the fundamental concepts recommended by the Genetics Society of America. Topics are covered in three main sections - nature of genetic material and gene expression, transmission and genetic variation, and patterns of inheritance integrated with evolution and population genetics. Students are assigned pre-lecture concept questions with reading assignments and illustrative videos. In lecture, students are led in active stepwise drawing and discussion of concepts. Strategies include the reductionist point of view from theoretical and macroscopic down to molecular mechanisms. Concepts are related to modern research and human health and disease. Student learning is reinforced through weekly drawing and recitation group sessions led by lecture coordinators. Meaningful learning and level of comprehension is measured through concept inventory assessments and student feedback. Concept-based hand drawings serve as a learning tool for the genetics and molecular biology community.

Biographical Feature: Karen C. Carroll, M.D.

The following passage is an unofficial transcript from an early 1970s post-lecture exchange between a freshman college student and a Roman Catholic nun teaching an undergraduate biology course at a small liberal arts college in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States.….

Supporting Student Visualization of Molecular Processes Through Diagram Drawing

Historically, scientists and researchers have accompanied their observations with drawings, indicating that visual models are an effective way of communicating science. Studies have shown that students should draw images that are either interpretational or transformative, and artistic ability is irrelevant as they still help improve learning. However, many educators do not utilize this practice in their courses. In this study, we investigated if practising making simple and schematic drawings can help students understand complex molecular processes, and to use that tool to contextualize complex plant biology processes in an undergraduate plant biology course. When students were introduced to a complex plant process, the instructor accompanied their explanation with a simple schematic drawing. Students were told by the instructor that 1-2 drawing questions would appear on the midterm. For the final exam, no questions explicitly asked students to include a schematic drawing. Students who drew often scored higher on questions related to the topics where drawings were introduced in the course and the lab. Students who drew on the final exam did 12.3% better on the exam than those who didn’t draw. Students who had continuous exposure to drawing style questions during the midterms, did 6% better in the course compared to students who did not write the midterms. Students also gave an overwhelmingly positive response towards drawing, and 94% of the surveyors believed that making simple drawings helped with their learning of complex molecular processes. This could indicate that exposure to drawing style questions helped reinforce the learning of complex molecular processes.

Learning from error episodes in dialogue-videos: The influence of prior knowledge

In laboratory study environments, dialogue-videos, or videos of a tutor and a tutee solving problems together, have been shown to more effectively improve student learning than monologue-videos, or videos of tutors solving problems alone. Yet, few studies have replicated these findings in the context of authentic university classrooms. Here, we investigate the impact of dialogue-videos, and more specifically the effect of errors made by tutees in dialogue-videos, on student learning in the context of an undergraduate biology course. To understand why, we investigated students’ effort spent on watching videos, perceived influence of dialogue-videos, and worksheet completion rates. We found that higher-performing students perceived that they used the dialogue-videos to review content. We also found that higher-performing, but not lower-performing, students learned better from dialogue videos where tutees made errors. We also discuss the complexities of replicating laboratory studies in the classroom and implications of our findings.
 Implications for practice or policy:
 
 Tutee errors can be intentionally included in dialogue-videos to promote student learning.
 When students lack the necessary prior knowledge, monologue-videos may be more effective in presenting the course content.
 When using dialogue-videos, instructors can encourage students to collaborate to resolve any confusion in time to maximise the benefit of dialogue-videos in teaching and learning.

A mobile technology‐based cooperative learning platform for undergraduate biology courses in common college classrooms

As a high‐impact educational practice, cooperative learning uses a structured group study to promote students' active learning. Currently, it lacks economical yet effective tools to facilitate the interactive nature of structured cooperative learning in regular classrooms. Here, we have established a mobile technology‐based cooperative learning (MBCL) platform that comprises the 2018 iPad, Apple Pencil, LiveBoard, Google Forms, and Google Drive. We tested the MBCL platform in multiple undergraduate biology courses. During semester‐long MBCL studies, the students engaged in cooperative learning to discuss a real‐life issue or chapter‐based contents. With the MBCL platform, the students' group study processes were shown on shared, visible electronic whiteboards that were updated in real‐time, generating visible thinking and instant, interactive communication. The instructor was able to guide the students promptly to conduct knowledge integration and knowledge synthesis using tables and diagrams. The deep learning outcome was evident in the examples and quantitative analyses of students' whiteboard study results and team presentations. Thus, integrating innovative mobile technologies into high‐impact teaching practices, exemplified by the MBCL platform, promotes deep learning in higher education.

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.

Mediating Students\u2019 Fixation with Grades in an Inquiry-Based Undergraduate Biology Course

The paper analyzes focus group data to explore student perceptions of an inquiry-based undergraduate biology course. Though the course was designed to mimic the scientific process by incorporating uncertainty, peer review, and self-reflection, students came to class focused on getting As and with a developed schema for didactic instruction and passive learning. They perceived the autonomy and self-directedness of the learning experience as a threat to their grades, and responded with strategies that protected their grades and ego, but were deleterious to learning. Students could identify merits of the inquiry-based approach; however, they made clear: they prioritized grades, and were unwilling to trust an unfamiliar pedagogy if they perceived it jeopardized their grades. In the framework of self-regulated learning, the discussion considers how to scaffold students to foreground learning over achievement.

Deliberative Democracy: Investigating the Longitudinal Impacts of Democratic Activities in Introductory Biology Courses

There have been multiple national calls for curricular reform in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), including a need to instill democratic skills in students. Democratic skill building can be embedded in STEM classrooms through intentional “deliberative pedagogies” that include communication, collaboration, and application of information. We developed and implemented a deliberative pedagogy, Deliberative Democracy (DD), for introductory majors and nonmajors undergraduate biology courses and took a longitudinal, qualitative research approach to understand students' experiences and perceptions of DD. We asked students to respond to open-ended survey questions regarding DD at two time points and conducted semi-structured follow-up interviews. All data were iteratively open-coded using content analysis. Students' perceptions of DD were lasting and generally positive, including self-reported themes related to DD promoting their awareness of the “real-world applications of science,” and increased “scientific literacy.” Negative perceptions of DD were largely related to issues with “group dynamics.” We detected differences between majors' and nonmajors' perceptions of DD, including in regard to scientific literacy and class time use. DD is a replicable pedagogy that can assist in instilling democratic skills in biology students.

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.

Lessons from the unexpected adoption of online teaching for an undergraduate genetics course with lab classes.

In the spring semester of 2020, colleges and universities adopted online teaching as the primary modality due to campus closure for social distancing. While lectures could be more readily converted to online classes, biology labs were challenging to handle since students could not physically conduct experiments in lab classrooms. In the present report, various online teaching materials, including educational and research videos, simulation labs, and real research data, were utilized to achieve the learning objectives of the originally in‐person lab classes of an upper‐level undergraduate genetics course. Furthermore, certain advantages of online teaching, such as detailed and high‐quality annotation of lecture slides using the Apple Pencil and iPad, were observed. While online teaching has its unique strengths, it could not provide students with hands‐on experience in performing real biology experiments to master technical skills; the latter are essential for students to develop a career in conducting research in an academic or industrial laboratory setting. Hence, a well‐designed hybrid modality of using online teaching to complement conventional face‐to‐face instruction may allow for better teaching in undergraduate biology courses.

Signaling Inclusivity in Undergraduate Biology Courses through Deliberate Framing of Genetics Topics Relevant to Gender Identity, Disability, and Race.

The study of genetics centers on how encoded information in DNA underlies similarities and differences between individuals and how traits are inherited. Genetics topics covered in a wide variety of undergraduate biology classrooms can relate to various identities held by students such as gender identity, disability, and race/ethnicity, among others. An instructor’s sensitive approaches and deliberate language choices regarding these topics has the potential to make the critical difference between welcoming or alienating students and can set a tone that communicates to all students the importance of diversity. Separating the sperm/egg binary from gendered terms in coverage of inheritance patterns, along with inclusion of transgender people in pedigree charts, may make the classroom more welcoming for students of diverse gender identities. Choosing nonstigmatizing language and acknowledging disability identities in discussions of genetic conditions may help students with visible and invisible disabilities feel validated. Counteracting genetics-based pseudoscientific racism and the stereotype threat to which it contributes may be facilitated by more thorough integration of quantitative and population genetics topics. Instructors may thus potentially enhance retention of students of diverse backgrounds in biology through careful consideration and crafting of how human differences are described and connected with principles of genetics.

Teaching Biochemistry and Molecular Biology with Virtual Reality — Lesson Creation and Student Response

The commercialization of Virtual Reality (VR) hardware has enabled the use of VR as an educational tool. We describe how a VR platform was used to create molecular visualizations using standard PDB files with the purpose of delivering biochemistry and cellular biology lessons for undergraduates. Specifically, we describe two new software modules, one for rendering molecules generated from PDB files and one for creating interactive lectures. These modules were used to create two VR labs, one on DNA and collagen and the other on hemoglobin. We then describe how these labs were delivered, along with surveys and quizzes, to over 100 students in undergraduate biology courses. Student response to the labs are found to be extremely positive and the labs themselves are found to satisfy their educational objectives.

Undergraduate Quantitative Biology Impact on Biology Preservice Teachers.

Quantitative biology is a rapidly advancing field in the biological sciences, particularly given the rise of large datasets and computer processing capabilities that have continually expanded over the past 50years. Thus, the question arises, How should K-12 biology teachers incorporate quantitative biology skills into their biology curriculum? The teaching of quantitative biology has not been readily integrated into undergraduate biology curricula that impact preservice teachers. This has potential to cascade effects downward into the quality of learning about quantitative biology that can be expected in K-12 contexts. In this paper, we present the perspectives of a mathematics educator, a science educator, and two biologists, and discuss how we have personally incorporated aspects of quantitative reasoning into our courses. We identify some common challenges relevant to expanding implementation of quantitative reasoning in undergraduate biology courses in order to serve the needs of preservice teachers-both in their disciplinary courses and methods courses. For example, time constraints, math pedagogical content knowledge, and personal views about the relevance of quantitative principles in biology teaching and learning can impact how and to what extent they become implemented in curricula. In addition, although national standards at the K-12 level do address quantitative reasoning, the emphasis and guidance provided are sparser than for other content standards. We predict that both K-12 standards and guidelines for undergraduate education will only increase in their emphasis on quantitative skills as computation, "big data," and statistical modeling are increasingly becoming requisite skills for biologists.

An Analysis of Students' Makeup-Exam Results and Performance in Undergraduate Biology Courses

A consistent challenge for undergraduate instructors is how to properly and objectively assess students who cannot attend regularly scheduled exams. Though many alternatives exist, perhaps the most common strategy is to allow students to take a makeup exam at a different time. Many instructors avoid this option for fear of the students gaining an unfair advantage in their exam preparations. I assessed student performance on makeup exams in relation to their typical performance on other exams throughout the course, to determine if there was any signal of score improvement or decline on makeup exams. I analyzed the data in regard to when students took the makeup exam, what their excuse for missing the regularly scheduled exam was, and the type of course in which they took the makeup. Students' makeup-exam scores were not significantly different from their regular-exam scores, though students who took a makeup due to a school-sponsored activity scored worse than students taking a makeup due to family emergencies or illness. While this research cannot definitively state that makeup exams do not provide some sort of advantage to student scores, it suggests that if students are trying to “game the system,” at the very least, they aren't winning.

Hot- or Cold-Blooded? A Laboratory Activity That Uses Accessible Technology to Investigate Thermoregulation in Animals

Visualizing thermoregulation (endothermy vs. ectothermy) in animals can be challenging for students in undergraduate biology courses. Data-driven, hands-on laboratory activities can enhance student learning while reinforcing application of the scientific method. This article describes a visual-learning, inquiry-based activity that can be applied to introductory high school and college biology laboratories with the use of easily accessible technology (a smartphone and an inexpensive thermal camera attachment). Students generate hypotheses and qualitatively observe real-time thermal images of live endothermic and ectothermic animals. This activity is effective in engaging students by allowing them to visualize thermoregulation and body temperature. We provide suggestions for modifying the activity to further investigate animal behavior related to temperature regulation.

From DNA Extraction to Sequence Analysis: A Semester-Long Undergraduate Research Project on Fish Mislabeling

In recent years, providing authentic and unique research experiences for undergraduates has become increasingly important, yet many educational institutions struggle to provide their students with such experiences. Engaging students in hands-on research is meant to increase their problem-solving skills and help them learn how to work in a collaborative environment. Unfortunately, many students never receive a genuine research experience in their undergraduate biology courses. We developed a semester-long, laboratory-based research project in which students worked in groups to investigate the prevalence of fish mislabeling in local restaurants and grocery stores using DNA barcoding. During the experimental process, students learned fundamental molecular techniques like DNA extraction, polymerase chain reaction, gel electrophoresis, and DNA sequence analysis. Students also developed soft skills linked to working in teams and science communication. Over the course of the project, students collected their own fish samples and were responsible for their team's lab workflow throughout the semester. Some groups (12/25) identified instances of mislabeling on the basis of DNA evidence. Students synthesized their results in a full scientific manuscript and ended the semester by disseminating their results in a class-wide poster symposium. Collectively, the students documented that ~21% (26/123) of the fish samples they had collected from local restaurants and at grocery stores in the Greater Lansing area were mislabeled. This project gave students the time and space needed to master molecular techniques (often through trial and error), and it engaged them in a place-based learning setting as they investigated the incidence of fish mislabeling in their local community.

Using the FRAMER Scaffold Design Framework to Support Students in Learning & Understanding Biology

Students need support to learn the core ideas, practices, and crosscutting concepts that make up the field of biology so that they can both be successful as biologists and make informed decisions that require biological understanding. One way instructors can support students in these endeavors is to provide students with specific scaffolds the instructors design to structure students' performance on a task or engagement in a behavior. With the focus on both scientific concepts and practices, instructors may also need support to be able to develop scaffolds that align with suggested best practices. I offer a framework, referred to as FRAMER, and suggestions for instructors interested in developing scaffolds for biology courses, and provide an example of a successful scaffold implementation in an undergraduate biology course.