Undergraduate Science Students Research Articles

Co‐created in vivo pharmacology practical classes using the novel organism Lumbriculus variegatus

AbstractCo‐creation within higher education emphasizes learner empowerment to promote collaboration between the students and staff, enabling students to become active participants in their learning process and the construction of resources with academic staff. Concurrently, a diminishing number of higher education institutions offer in vivo practical classes, resulting in an in vivo skills shortage. To address this, and to actively engage students in their own learning, we describe the co‐creation of a student‐led drug trial using Lumbriculus variegatus. Under blinded conditions, final‐year undergraduate biomedical science students, under the tutelage of academic staff and fellow students, were involved in the co‐creation of an in vivo practical class to determine the effects of histamine and histamine receptor inverse agonists mepyramine and loratadine. Throughout this process, undergraduate‐ and masters‐level students played key roles in every aspect of practical delivery and data analysis. Herein, students demonstrated the test compounds, both in isolation and in combination, resulted in reduced stereotypical movements of L. variegatus (p < .05, n ≥ 6). 15% of students in the class responded to a feedback survey (n = 8) after the class. Students reported the class provided “real life” insights into in vivo research and enabled the development of hands‐on skills which would be useful in applying in their future careers. All students reported that they enjoyed the class with 25% (n = 2) reporting concerns about animal use in research, enabling useful discussions about animals in research. Moreover, these student‐led in vivo trials add to the pharmacological knowledge of L. variegatus promoting education‐led research.

Exploring Black Undergraduate Students' Communication and Biology Education Experiences about COVID-19 and COVID-19 Vaccines During the Pandemic.

Effective communication about science is a core skill undergraduates should learn, but little research has explored how students communicate about culturally controversial science topics. In this study, we explored how Black undergraduate science students took on the role of science communicators in their communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. We interviewed 23 Black students about their experiences learning about COVID-19 vaccines and communicating about COVID-19 vaccines to their communities. We found that students' racial/ethnic and science backgrounds made them feel a responsibility to be effective communicators about COVID-19 vaccines as potential trusted messengers within their communities. However, students were using limited strategies when communicating and were unsure how to communicate about COVID-19 topics effectively to those who were vaccine-hesitant or doubted the severity of the pandemic. Finally, students described ways that their biology instructors could have helped them be more confident when communicating about COVID-19 vaccines with their communities. Findings suggest that biology instructors could teach science communication principles in addition to content knowledge about culturally controversial science topics in their undergraduate classes to build on students' developing science communication skills.

USING A MIDTERM WARNING SYSTEM TO IMPROVE STUDENT PERFORMANCE AND ENGAGEMENT IN AN INTRODUCTORY STATISTICS COURSE: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL

This article reports on an evaluation the effectiveness of e-mailed grade “nudges” on students’ performance and engagement in an introductory statistics course for undergraduate health science students. In 2020–2021, 358 students were randomized to an e-mail (n = 178) or no e-mail (n = 180) group. The intervention e-mail contained information on each student’s predicted final grade (grade nudge). Using two-sample t-tests, the statistical analysis of final grades in the course showed a higher compatibility with a model of no mean difference for students in the e-mail (73.5%) vs. no e-mail (72.1%) group. Comparison of the distributions of final grades between the two groups, however, suggested the e-mailed nudges may be related to slight improvements in final grades. Specifically, the median final grade was higher in the e-mail group (74.6 vs. 72.4); the Q1 value in the e-mail group was also higher, and the interquartile range was similar: no e-mail group (15.8) vs. e-mail group (14.2). Students also completed the Scale of Student Engagement in Statistics (SSE-S). Total engagement, affective and cognitive subscale scores of the SSE-S were higher in the e-mail group, resulting in low compatibility with a model of no difference in engagement scores. Overall, the results showed there is potential for our midterm warning system to be used to improve outcomes, particularly given that it is simple to implement, cost-effective, and easily scalable.

Utilization Of Information Communication Technology By Library And Information Science Undergraduate Students In University Of Calabar, Calabar Nigeria

The main purpose of this study was to investigate the utilization of Information Communication Technology by library and information science undergraduate students in University of Calabar, Nigeria. To achieve this purpose, three research questions were generated to direct the study. Literature review was done according to the variables under study. Survey research design was used for the study. A sample of two hundred and forty-six (246) undergraduate students were selected for the study using accidental sampling techniques. The instrument for data collection was titled: “Utilization of Information Communication Technology Questionnaire (UICTQ)”. The reliability of the instrument was established through test retest method. Sample percentage was the statistical analysis techniques adopted to test the research questions under study. The results of the analysis revealed that consistencies in ICT, reasons for using ICT and availability of infrastructure significantly influence utilization of ICT by undergraduate students of LIS. Based on the findings of this study, it was recommended among others that government in conjunction with the school administrators should run a free and compulsory ICT services in order to provide practical and functional knowledge to students in tertiary institutions.
 
 

Empathy or Apathy? How Capital Constraints Mediate the Efficacy of Experiential Poverty Simulations in the Classroom

Background: University teachers in various fields have turned to the experiential tool of poverty simulations to help prepare students to work effectively and ethically with people living in poverty. Their efficacy is reportedly mixed. While several studies claim positive results on student knowledge, skills, and attitudes, others highlight risks of creating apathy and otherness. Purpose: This study explores why simulations run the risk of going wrong and what can be done to make them more effective. Methodology/Approach: To explore how student dispositions may have an important mediating effect, author 1 implemented a 6-week poverty simulation in her poverty course on five different cohorts of Liberal Arts and Science undergraduate students in the Netherlands. We study closely their experiences throughout the simulation through classroom observations and discussions, interviews, and questionnaires. Findings/Conclusions: We find that their heightened sense of agency and taken-for-granted economic, cultural, social, and human capital mediate their experience and learning. Implications: To be effective ethical learning tools, especially for students of privilege, poverty simulations should be designed so that students reflect on their privilege. This is best done when simulations are run in such a way that there is time to experience mistakes, and learn from peers/teachers.

Effect of Nutrition Education on Health Science University Students to Improve Cardiometabolic Profile and Inflammatory Status.

The inadequate lifestyle associated with university life may have a negative impact on various cardiometabolic factors. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a one-year nutrition education course on cardiometabolic parameters in undergraduate health science students. During the 2021-22 academic year, 1.30 h nutrition sessions were conducted twice a week. Capillary blood samples were collected and centrifuged to measure cardiometabolic and inflammatory biomarkers in serum. The sample studied consisted of 49 students: 20.4% male and 79.6% female. The nutritional intervention resulted in changes in dietary patterns, with increased consumption of vegetables, nuts and legumes. After the course, females showed an increase in HDL-cholesterol levels (p = 0.007) and no change in LDL-cholesterol levels (p = 0.189). On the other hand, males showed significant changes in HDL-cholesterol (p = 0.001) and LDL-cholesterol (p = 0.043) levels. The atherogenic index was also significantly reduced (p < 0.001) in both males (p = 0.009) and females (p = 0.002). Differences were also observed in the increase in vitamin D levels in both males and females, although the magnitude of the increase was greater in the men (Δ = 7.94, p = 0.016 in men vs. Δ = 4.96, p = 0.001 in women). The monocyte-to-HDL ratio (MHR) showed a significant reduction, although these differences were only significant in males. Students with low vitamin D levels had higher LDL-cholesterol values (p = 0.01) and atherogenic index (p = 0.029). Adjusted linear regression analysis showed a significant association between post-course vitamin D MHR (β = -0.42, IC: -0.29, -0.06, p < 0.01). These findings suggest the importance of including nutrition education programs during the university stage for the prevention of long-term health problems.

Security Measures in Meeting Information Needs and Seeking Behaviour of Agricultural Science Students in Nigerian Universities

Security measures play a significant role in the accessibility and use of agricultural information resources among undergraduate science students in Nigeria. This results in overcoming obstacles to valuable information required by agricultural students to cultivate their products that would replicate food substances in the Nigerian economy. Nonetheless, unauthorised individuals have pervaded access to information that is meant for agricultural science students due to a lack of security of such information. There are unlimited assets and products to which agricultural students have access; hence, this paper investigates security measures in meeting information needs and seeking behaviour of agricultural science students in Nigerian universities. The paper employed a qualitative research method based on the explanatory research method. In so doing, the use of a systematic literature review was adopted to examine the information needs and seeking behaviour of agricultural students in Nigeria and again to find out the security measures put in place to ensure valuable information and preventive approaches to unauthorised individuals are sustained. Using a purposive sampling technique, the authors collected articles published between 2015 and 2023 on databases of Emerald and ResearchGate for the review. Findings reveal that agricultural science students in Nigerian universities have a diverse range of preferred information sources. Findings further reveal that students engage in information-seeking behaviour for various purposes, such as course assignments, practical experiments, exam preparation, general reading, discussions, seminars, workshops, conferences, and research projects. Challenges in information-seeking behaviour include inadequate access to current information materials and uncooperative attitudes of librarians and lecturers. The study concludes that security measures are crucial in shaping how students access information. The study recommends that universities ensure a balance between print and electronic resources to cater to students’ varied preferences to accommodate comprehensive support for their research and studies in the university environment. This would enhance sustainable security measures and accessibility to varied information resources for the students.

A simple undergraduate laboratory exercise for teaching the role of sentinel-level clinical microbiology testing in biological threat identification.

Undergraduate students in the biomedical sciences are mostly unaware of how clinical microbiology laboratories handle suspected agents of bioterrorism or emerging infectious diseases. The Public Health Security Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002 requires the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to maintain a list of microbes that pose serious biological threats to human health and safety, including Tier 1 agents with the potential for use in bioterrorism. The Laboratory Response Network (LRN), founded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Association of Public Health Laboratories, coordinates the response of sentinel, reference, and national laboratories to these biothreats. The sentinel laboratories, which comprise most hospital-based and commercial laboratories, are the first to encounter a suspicious agent. For this reason, the LRN has published a series of testing guidelines to assist the sentinel laboratories in deciding whether a microbial isolate should be considered potentially hazardous and thus sent to a reference or national laboratory for further characterization. Here, we describe a simple laboratory exercise that teaches sentinel-level testing requirements in the context of an applied setting of a potential outbreak of anthrax that would require a sentinel laboratory to recognize a potential threat, attempt to rule it out, and refer to a national laboratory for identification.

Examining students’ course trajectories using data mining and visualization approaches

The heterogeneous data acquired by educational institutes about students’ careers (e.g., performance scores, course preferences, attendance record, demographics, etc.) has been a source of investigation for Educational Data Mining (EDM) researchers for over two decades. EDM researchers have primarily focused on course-specific data analyses of students’ performances, and rare attempts are made at the domain level that may benefit the educational institutes at large to gauge and improve their institutional effectiveness. Our work aims to fill this gap by examining students’ transcripts data for identifying similar groups of students and patterns that might associate with these different cohorts of students based on: (a) difficulty level of a course category, (b) formation of course trajectories, and, (c) transitioning of students between different performance groups. We have exploited descriptive data mining and visualization methods to analyze transcript data of 1398 undergraduate Computer Science students of a private university in Pakistan. The dataset includes students’ transcript data of 124 courses from nine distinct course categories. In the end, we have discussed our findings in detail, challenges, and, future work directions.

An innovative assessment tool for evaluating narrative feedback quality among Medicine and Biomedical Sciences students.

To develop a reliable instrument to objectively assess feedback quality, to use it for assessment of the quality of students' narrative feedback and to be used as a self-assessment instrument for students in their learning process. In a retrospective cohort study, 635 feedback narratives, provided by small groups of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences undergraduate students, have been extracted from available quarterly curriculum evaluation surveys. A rubric was developed based on literature and contents of our feedback education. It consists of seven subitems and has a maximum score of 20 points (sufficient score: >10 points). Rubric reliability was evaluated using intra-class correlation. The rubric was tested by analysing the feedback narratives. To test progression, we compared rubric scores between study years with a Kruskal-Wallis analysis and Dunn's post-hoc testing with Bonferroni correction. The rubric has an intra-class correlation of 0.894. First year students had a mean rubric score of 11.5 points (SD 3.6), second year students 12.4 (SD 3.4) and third year students 13.1 (SD 3.6). Kruskal-Wallis testing showed significant differences in feedback quality between study years (χ2(2, N=635) = 17.53, p<0.001). Dunn's post-hoc test revealed significant differences between study years one and two (p=0.012) and one and three (p<0.001). The developed rubric is a reliable instrument to assess narrative feedback quality. Students were able to provide feedback of sufficient quality and quality improved across study years. The instrument will allow students to assess themselves and learn where there is still room for improvement.

LANGUAGE LEARNING STRATEGIES AND ENGLISH PROFICIENCY OF SHIVAJI UNIVERSITY UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS

The present study aimed to investigate the use of language learning strategies (LLS) by undergraduate students, the degree of use of language learning strategy included in the Oxford Taxonomy, and the relationship between the use of language learning strategies and English language proficiency. One hundred and forty-eight arts, commerce, science undergraduate students studying at various colleges affiliated to Shivaji University were the participants of the study. The results indicated that these students used LLS moderately to less; meta-cognitive strategies, social strategies, cognitive strategies, and memory strategies moderately; and compensation strategies and affective strategies were used less. The same correlation was found between the use of language learning strategies and English proficiency, which was indicated by students’ grades in proficiency tests. Overall, the results demonstrate that the use of language learning strategies used by the selected students varies depending upon the proficiency level. It was observed that less proficient students used fewer strategies and proficient students used them more.

An Evaluation of Digital Information Literacy Skills among Undergraduate Students of Library and Information Science in Universities in Nigeria

The purpose of the study is to evaluate the digital information literacy skills among Library and Information Science (LIS) students in universities in Nigeria. The study adopted a survey research method, and a questionnaire was used to collect data from 279 final-year undergraduate students of Library and Information Science departments in six federal universities offering LIS in Nigeria. The study found that the final-year students of Library and Information Science trust their information search proficiency on the internet. The LIS students are aware of some information resources and not aware of others such as electronic theses and dissertations, e-reference books and e-books. The study revealed that the students frequently used online information resources such as online newspapers, online journal articles, online databases, and internet information. The majority of the students indicated that they do not trust and use information they find on the internet for their academic assignments. To search for information for academic assignments, the students try to use different subject terms on Boolean operators. The study discovered that students preferred digital sources of information, but still used the library to retrieve needed information. It also emerged that the students evaluate information resources by checking for currency, and the author’s name and expertise. The findings of the study may be critical for designing information systems that fit the information needs of students and support information management in developing countries. This could help educators in universities improve the learning experiences of their students and improve their competitiveness in the job market. Digital information literacy skills must become an integral part of higher education curricula in developing countries. Therefore, the study recommends that all students in universities need to take courses on digital information literacy irrespective of their field of study.

Promoting educational equity among health science students through a project-based learning writing course at a Hispanic Serving Institution

Background: Overall, high rates of American high school seniors lack writing proficiency (75%) and historically underrepresented minority (URM) populations fare even worse (91% of African American, 89% of Latinx) (U.S. Dept of Education, 2011), which suggests that URM college students enter college with lower writing abilities (Bracco et al., 2021). Co-curricular writing instruction could help eliminate writing skill disparities. The Health Science Intensive Writing Workshop (HSIWW) aimed to increase students’ perceived confidence in their writing abilities, encourage and increase academic help-seeking behaviors and networking skills.&#x0D; Description of Practice: A project-based learning methodology proved the best fit because of its focus on real-world problems and assessments, and emphasis on collaboration and revisions of personal work. &#x0D; Outcomes: Eight upper-division health science undergraduate students participated in the 5-day HSIWW. Descriptive statistics indicated increases in perceived ability, confidence in writing abilities, and academic help-seeking behaviors. &#x0D; Conclusion: To the study team’s knowledge, the HSIWW was unique as a co-curricular, project-based course that used high-impact practices to teach public health writing skills to URM students in higher education. HSIWW’s findings suggest a positive impact on student achievement by improving student performance and scaffolding the academic help-seeking behaviors that help keep students on the path to graduation.

A physical neuroscience-themed escape room: Design, implementation, and students’ perceptions

AbstractTeaching soft skills like team dynamics and critical thinking in content-heavy higher education curriculum can be challenging. Employing educational escape rooms is a novel game-based learning strategy in various disciplines, including health sciences. Escape rooms provide the opportunity for a group to work together as they solve puzzles within a limited time. The skills harnessed and developed within the game by participants are parallel to these soft skills. The present study sought to design a neuroscience-themed physical escape room for the purpose of soft skills development and obtain feedback from undergraduate biomedical or health science students following the completion of the room. Likert-type scale statements in the feedback survey regarding the enjoyability, teamwork development and critical thinking within the game scored positively. Unsurprisingly, the recurring positive theme in the qualitative responses collected revolved around how participants found the activity fun and how it encouraged them to think critically. The present findings suggest that this escape room can in a brief period encourage students to employ communication and teamwork skills and naturally comes with an element of fun, making the experience memorable and engaging.

Problematic Internet Use in Undergraduate Health Science Students at a Remote Place of Nepal: a Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Problematic internet use (PIU) is a growing concern among teenage and college students. Excessive internet use has detrimental effects on physical and mental health. This study aims to assess the computer usage pattern and calculate the frequency of PIU in undergraduate health science students at Karnali Academy of Health Sciences, Jumla, a remote place of Nepal. Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was conducted from October to November 2022. Data were collected from all the undergraduate students who consented to participate. The questionnaire included students’ computer-related behaviours. PIU was defined as a score of 42 or above on the PIU questionnaire. Data were analyzed by descriptive and analytical statistics, keeping p value &lt;0.05 as significant. Results: Among 127 students, majority used smartphones and laptops, primarily for social media. The mean duration of internet use was 6.09±2.63 years, with an average daily use of 2.54±2.05 hours on weekdays and 3.88±2.2 hours on weekends. The prevalence of PIU among the participants was 43.3%, which was not significantly different by gender (p=0.094). The PIU score was positively correlated with annual income of family, years of internet use, and daily screen and internet use time (p&lt;0.05). Conclusion: PIU is prevalent among undergraduate health science students at Karnali Academy. The findings emphasize the need for awareness, guidance, and proper planning to promote healthy internet usage habits among students. Educational institutions should play an active role in implementing strategies to address PIU and support students for a healthy internet use.

An investigation into effects of teacher mediation on students’ writing skills self-efficacy belief

This study investigated the effects of teacher mediation on students' writing skills self-efficacy beliefs. To achieve the purpose of the study, a quasi-experimental research design was used. The research was done at Hawassa University in the Institute of Technology, and Main Campus which were selected using available sampling technique. The research participants were two sections of first-year undergraduate Natural Science students enrolled in the 2022 academic year. Sections 18 (n=31) and 43 (n=31) were chosen at random among the 76 sections. Tests and questionnaires were employed to collect data. The results revealed that the experimental group outperformed the control groups in their levels of mastery experience, adult-based vicarious experience, social persuasion, and physiological and emotional state when they write essays and paragraphs. Cohen's d test results also showed that teacher mediation affected self-efficacy beliefs sources. The study indicated that employing teacher mediation would enhance students’ writing skills self-efficacy beliefs. Further studies on the applicability of the MLE approach in other language skills are needed.

Integrating digital literacies and scientific communication in a multimedia anatomy group assignment to advance contextual learning.

Anatomists are facing a new generation of learners who will study and work in a technology-rich environment. Indeed, digital technologies are tremendously changing how information and knowledge are communicated and retrieved. However, it remains unclear whether an anatomy assessment can be designed to promote contextual learning through integrating a digital communication strategy. To investigate this, assessment methods were diversified in the first-year neuroanatomy and third-year regional anatomy curricula through implementing a multimedia human anatomy group assignment integrating digital literacies and scientific communication. Through completing this multimedia assignment, students demonstrated their anatomy knowledge transfer using a range of approaches. The main mode of presentations chosen in the two anatomy units were non-animated video presentations (~50%), animated video presentations (~30%), storyboards (~10%), podcasts (~3%), and filmed videos (~3%). A 5-point Likert scale learning and teaching survey was conducted for a total of 195 undergraduate health science students to evaluate students' perception of this group assignment. The majority of students (70-80%) strongly agreed or agreed that the multimedia group assignment helped their teamwork skills. Students who produced animated videos significantly outperformed those who adopted the non-animated presentations during the end-of-semester theory examination (p < 0.05). This study demonstrates that an anatomy group assignment integrating digital literacy and scientific communication is an effective assessment strategy associated with a positive learning experience and outcome. This inquiry-based assignment promotes learning through assessment, allowing students to not only consolidate and extend anatomy knowledge but also developing effective digital communication skills, providing new insights into non-didactic anatomy assessments.

Readiness for interprofessional learning among health science students: a cross-sectional Q-methodology and likert-based study

BackgroundInterprofessional education (IPE) prepares healthcare students for collaboration in clinical practice, but the effectiveness of this teaching method depends on students’ readiness for and perceptions of IPE. Evaluating students’ readiness for and perceptions of IPE is challenging, due to the lack of comprehensive measures. This study characterized the level of IPE readiness and perspectives across first-year undergraduate and graduate health science students using the readiness for interprofessional learning Likert Scale (RIPLS) and Q-methodologies.MethodsThis is a cross-sectional, online study. Students were randomized to answer the Likert-scale version of RIPLS (80%) or a matched Q-methodology survey (20%). An ANCOVA compared RIPLS scores between students from different program levels (graduate/undergraduate) and specialization (health professional and general programs). The Q-data was analysed using a by-person factor analysis.ResultsThree hundred and four (33% response rate) and 71 (30% response rate) students completed the Likert scale and the Q-methodology surveys, respectively. Students from graduate programs demonstrated high readiness for IPE (higher total RIPLS scores p < 0.001) in comparison to undergraduates. Three factors, associated with program specialization (p = 0.04), emerged from the Q-methodology analysis characterizing students learning priorities. Students in undergraduate general programs were focused on IPE relevance and benefits to “the clinical team”, students in graduate programs focused on “the patient”, and those in undergraduate health professional programs focused on themselves (“me”).ConclusionsThis novel mixed-methods approach combining traditional Likert-scales with Q-methodology elucidated not only associations between program and specialization with readiness (Likert) but also which components of IPE were valued the most (Q-methodology) and by whom.

A critical issue: assessing the critical thinking skills and dispositions of undergraduate health science students

Critical thinking skills and dispositions are significantly important factors that aid in one’s ability to understand and solve complex problems. Within the field of higher education, critical thinking skills and dispositions are valued and encouraged but are not always fully developed at the completion of the undergraduate degree experience. Those students who are studying to enter the healthcare field are particularly in need of strong critical thinking skills and dispositions in order to provide patients and communities with effective, evidence-based care in the midst of an ever-increasingly complex environment. What program of study a student selects, and the unique curriculum design of that program, may impact the development of these skills and dispositions during undergraduate study. This quantitative study sought to explore and understand the critical thinking skills and dispositions of undergraduate students enrolled in a BS in Health Science (BSHS) degree program, and how these skills in particular compared to the national student population. During the Spring 2022 academic semester, 140 senior-level BSHS students were given the opportunity to complete the California Critical Thinking Skills Test and the California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory. Results show less development in critical thinking skills when compared to the national student population, with Numeracy skills being the most poorly developed, and Truth-Seeking being the most inconsistent disposition possessed by the student participants. The implications of these findings, particularly for faculty who teach students planning to enter the healthcare field, are offered, including recommendations for curricular design and modification.

Authentic Scientific Research through an Undergraduate Ecology Course

Undergraduate science students who volunteer within a research laboratory group, or participate in funded research opportunities, in general are those who have the opportunity to engage in authentic research. In this article, we report the findings from two different iterations of a semester-long collaboration between a biology faculty member and a science education faculty member at a major research institution in the Southeastern United States. Specifically, the faculty members designed an ecology laboratory course for upper-level undergraduate students (primarily biology majors) where they would engage in an original and highly authentic ecological research project. The goal of this course was to have students explicitly learn about the nature of science (NOS), and authentic scientific practices such as inquiry and experimentation in the context of their own research. In the second year of the course, the global COVID-19 pandemic forced us to modify our approach to accomplish the same goals, but now in a remote and online format. Using questionnaires, concept inventories, and semi-structured interviews, the impact of the course on students’ understandings of NOS, inquiry, and experimentation, in addition to their perspectives on the experience within the course compared to prior laboratory coursework, was investigated. We found that students showed modest gains in each of the aforementioned desirable outcomes. These gains were generally comparable in both face-to-face and remote course settings. Additionally, students shared with us their preference for authentic laboratory work as compared with the typical laboratory work with its given research question and step-by-step instructions. Our research demonstrates what is possible in both face-to-face and remote undergraduate laboratory courses in biology and the positive impact that was observed in our students. We hope it serves as a model for other scientists and science educators as they collaborate to design authentic research-based coursework for undergraduate biology students.