Active learning narrows achievement gaps for underrepresented students in undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and math

Medical students' perception of online intensive pediatric review: an experimental cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Despite regular pediatric education, pediatric instructors regularly provide an on-site intensive pediatric review course (IPR) as per medical students (MS)' request, to summarize pediatric knowledge for fifth-year MS in preparation for their externship. However, considering the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic restrictions (e.g., social distancing), an online intensive pediatric review (OIPR) is required instead. Unfortunately, the relationship between MS' perception and outcome of OIPR remains unclear.

METHODS

We developed the OIPR and an online mock pediatric examination (OMPE), aligning it with the essential pediatric components of the Medical Council curriculum. The OIPR comprised of two parts: self-paced online learning and in-class online discussions. The self-paced online learning materials were electronically distributed via Google Classroom to MS ten days priors to the one-day course, which included a pretest, in-class online discussions, posttest, and satisfactory survey. The constructed and validated satisfactory survey was categorized into two parts: demographic data and self-perceived satisfaction with OIPR. For data collection, an anonymous self-administered survey was used and was distributed to MS in April 2022. These data were then analyzed by Wilcoxon signed rank test.

RESULTS

Of the 80 eligible fifth-year MS, 45 agreed to participate (56.3%), of which 24 (53.3%) were females. The mean ± standard deviation (SD) of MS' age was 23 ± 0.6 years. All (100%) concurred that OIPR is beneficial and recommended it to junior students who were planning to take the examination. The mean ± SD of OMPE significantly increased, from 20.9 ± 3.8 to 22.9 ± 3.3 (p = 0.001).

CONCLUSION

During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, which required social distancing, OIPR has helped MS summarize and enhance their knowledge in preparation for externship and the examination.

Preparing future STEM faculty through flexible teaching professional development

We have prepared thousands of future STEM faculty around the world to adopt evidence-based instructional practices through their participation in two massive open online courses (MOOCs) and facilitated in-person learning communities. Our novel combination of asynchronous online and coordinated, structured face-to-face learning community experiences provides flexible options for STEM graduate students and postdoctoral fellows to pursue teaching professional development. A total of 14,977 participants enrolled in seven offerings of the introductory course held 2014-2018, with 1,725 participants (11.5% of enrolled) completing the course. Our results of high levels of engagement and learning suggest that leveraging the affordances of educational technologies and the geographically clustered nature of this learner demographic in combination with online flexible learning could be a sustainable model for large scale professional development in higher education. The preparation of future STEM faculty makes an important difference in establishing high-quality instruction that meets the diverse needs of all undergraduate students, and the initiative described here can serve as a model for increasing access to such preparation.

Equivalent Performance of Exam Items Associated with Case-Based Learning, Flipped Classroom, and Lecture in a Pre-clerkship Medical Curriculum

The purpose of our study was to determine if knowledge acquisition, as measured by exam item performance, differed for active or passive learning activities in our medical curriculum. Additionally, we looked for differences in exam item performance in one second-year course that varies the method of an active learning activity, case-based collaborative learning (CBCL). Finally, we assessed whether item performance was impacted when small group activities were conducted online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Exam item difficulty values were collected for several years of lectures, flipped classroom, and CBCL. Statistical analysis and modeling of data were performed to identify differences in difficulty of exam items that assess content delivered by different learning activities. Our analysis revealed no differences in difficulty of exam items that assess content delivered by different learning activities. Similarly, we determined that varying the execution of CBCL in one course did not impact exam item performance. Finally, moving CBCL small group sessions online did not impact exam item difficulty. However, we did detect a minor reduction in overall exam scores for the period of online instruction. Our results indicate that knowledge acquisition, as assessed by our multiple-choice summative exams, was equivalent regardless of learning activity modality.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40670-023-01842-8.

Reflections on the Teaching Symposium at the Microbiology Society Annual Conference 2023

The Microbiology Society Education and Outreach Network (EON) recently hosted the Teaching Symposium at the Microbiology Society Annual Conference, sponsored by Access Microbiology. The presence of the Symposium as an established parallel session within the wider Annual Conference reflects the importance of high-quality, contemporary microbiology education and outreach delivered in an enthusiastic and inclusive manner. At the 2023 Symposium, a variety of pedagogical research projects in higher education learning, teaching and assessment, as well as public engagement projects, were showcased through invited talks, offered talks, flash talks and posters. The event was attended by up to 70 delegates. Several themes were noted throughout the day: engaging with Gen Z (Generation Z, those born between 1996 and 2010), active learning, art in science and engaging with non-higher education (HE) audiences. Inclusivity was a key driver in the organization of the Symposium; the room was set up to encourage discussion and participants could ask questions using an online platform as well as speaking in the room. We now encourage all speakers to consider publishing their work as a peer-reviewed article for further dissemination and impact.

Development of a Week-Long Mathematics Intervention for Incoming Chemistry Graduate Students

A student-led mathematics bootcamp has been designed and implemented to help foster community building, improve confidence in mathematical skills, and provide mathematical resources for incoming physical chemistry doctoral students. The bootcamp is held immediately before the start of the first semester of graduate school and uses an active learning approach to review and practice undergraduate-level mathematics problems over 5 days in small student groups. This work includes the development and presentation of a new, publicly available mathematics curriculum for the bootcamp on select mathematics topics, including calculus, linear algebra, functions, differential equations, statistics, and coding in Python, aiming at improving students' confidence and learning experiences in graduate quantum mechanics and statistical physics courses. Surveys before and after the bootcamp showed an increase in students' confidence in problem-solving in key mathematical areas and social aspects of peer-led group learning. Qualitative and quantitative analyses demonstrate that the bootcamp reduced prior inequities in students' confidence metrics based on gender and mathematical background.

Unigems: plasmids and parts to facilitate teaching on assembly, gene expression control and logic in E. coli

Synthetic biology enables the creative combination of engineering and molecular biology for exploration of fundamental aspects of biological phenomena. However, there are limited resources available for such applications in the educational context, where straightforward setup, easily measurable phenotypes and extensibility are of particular importance. We developed unigems, a set of ten plasmids that enable classroom-based investigation of gene-expression control and biological logic gates to facilitate teaching synthetic biology and genetic engineering. It is built on a high-copy plasmid backbone and is easily extensible thanks to a common primer set that facilitates Gibson assembly of PCR-generated or synthesized DNA parts into the target vector. It includes two reporter genes with either two constitutive (high- or low-level) or two inducible (lactose- or arabinose-) promoters, as well as a single-plasmid implementation of an AND logic gate. The set can readily be employed in undergraduate teaching settings, during outreach events and for training of iGEM teams. All plasmids have been deposited in Addgene.

Teaching science with the "universal language" of music: alignment with the Universal Design for Learning framework

The idea of teaching science through music has undeniable appeal in implying that learning can be engaging and fun while also covering content efficiently. Indeed, there is little doubt that songs can be uniquely memorable, suggesting mnemonic options for core content. However, many classroom implementations of science music have limitations such as an overemphasis on rote memorization, rather than a constructivist building of understanding. In this brief review, we ask how music might facilitate the learning of science content in a manner consistent with the well-known pedagogical framework of Universal Design for Learning (UDL). In our view, UDL suggests certain distinct possible benefits of incorporating music into curricula, leading us to propose four models of practice. These four models are as follows: 1) students enjoy music together, 2) students critically analyze songs as texts, 3) students creatively augment existing songs, and 4) students create new songs. Model 1 can contribute to an inclusive learning environment, while models 2-4 can encourage cognitively rich active learning, and models 3-4 can additionally help students channel scientific understanding into the creation of authentic products. We conclude with comments on logistical issues that arise in implementing these four models, including the use of appropriate rubrics and the prioritization of artistic quality.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Instructors and students often find it fun to incorporate music into science classes. However, the casual usage of music in this context can unintentionally convey that science courses are mostly about memorizing scientific facts. In this article, the authors argue for a more nuanced approach to teaching science with music, rooted in Universal Design for Learning (UDL).

The future of the U.S. safety & health workforce: Opportunities for academic diversity, equity, and inclusion through a leak-proof career pathway

INTRODUCTION

In this commentary, we explore safety and health career pathways in the U.S. and discuss the future of work through the lens of diversity, equity, and inclusion. We address occupational safety and health inequities, including underrepresentation of racial and ethnic groups in academic disciplines, which impacts workers' safety and the future of work. We introduce the Accessibility, Sustainability, and Knowledge-Generation (ASK) framework to broaden minority participation in occupational safety and health (OSH) education.

METHOD

The ASK framework integrates insights from learned experiences, research literature, accreditation knowledge, and community feedback to identify strategies for dismantling barriers to workforce diversity and promoting equitable participation and access to opportunities in OSH education. We conducted a US based survey to gain insights into the minority experience and the role of students, faculty, and academia in mitigating disparities and creating pathways of opportunities.

RESULTS

The survey results highlight the need for pedagogic improvements in OSH academic programs to attract more minorities. The appreciation of cultural competence across universities and changes to current systemic funding mechanisms are identified as crucial factors. We acknowledge that existing interventions have been less effective due to a lack of tangible actions. However, we emphasize that solutions exist, and meaningful support is required to drive change.

CONCLUSIONS

The study underscores the importance of addressing occupational safety and health inequities and the underrepresentation of minority groups in OSH education. The ASK framework provides a comprehensive approach to broaden minority participation and promote diversity in the field. Pedagogic improvements, cultural competence, and changes to funding mechanisms are necessary steps to attract and retain underrepresented minorities in OSH academic programs.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

The findings of this study have practical implications for institutions and stakeholders involved in occupational safety and health education. It emphasizes the need for proactive strategies to attract and support underrepresented minority students and faculty. Promoting cultural competence and making changes to funding mechanisms can contribute to creating more equitable and inclusive pathways for diverse groups in OSH education. Tangible actions and meaningful support are essential for driving change and achieving workforce diversity and equity.

Teaching nature of science in introductory biology: Impacts on students' acceptance of biological evolution

The present study investigates the impact of explicit, reflective Nature of Science instruction on students' evolution acceptance, understanding of evolution as a theory, and understanding of Nature of Science in an introductory biology course. Results revealed similar improvement in evolution acceptance in both the treatment and control groups, but also that Nature of Science instruction had disproportionately large impacts on evolution acceptance for women and individuals who already had high acceptance. We also found evidence of relationships between understanding and acceptance of evolution and Nature of Science understanding, particularly the creativity aspect of Nature of Science. Together, these results suggest that targeted Nature of Science instruction can have differential impacts on students with particular characteristics, such as women and individuals with high acceptance, but also point to the need to consider additional interventions that can reach men and individuals with low acceptance.

Participation in a High-Structure General Chemistry Course Increases Student Sense of Belonging and Persistence to Organic Chemistry

A parallel series of general chemistry courses for Life Science Majors was created in an effort to support students and improve general chemistry outcomes. We created a two-quarter enhanced general chemistry course series that is not remedial, but instead implements several evidence-based teaching practices including Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning (POGIL), Peer-Led Team Learning (PLTL), and the Learning Assistant (LA) model. We found that students who took enhanced general chemistry had higher persistence to the subsequent first organic chemistry course, and performed equally well in the organic course compared to their peers who took standard general chemistry. Students in the first enhanced general chemistry course also reported significantly higher belonging, although we were unable to determine if increased belonging was associated with the increased persistence to organic chemistry. Rather we found that the positive association between taking the enhanced general chemistry course and persistence to organic chemistry was mediated by higher grades received in the enhanced general chemistry course. Our findings highlight the responsibility we have as educators to carefully consider the pedagogical practices we use, in addition to how we assign student grades.

Students Need More than Content Knowledge To Counter Vaccine Hesitancy

To better prepare undergraduate students as informed citizens, they need skills to evaluate and interpret scientific data that are relevant to real world scenarios. Socioscientific issues are typically complicated or debatable issues that require individuals to evaluate their background knowledge and make decisions with respect to social and cultural contexts. Incorporation of socioscientific issues into a course allows students opportunities to demonstrate their argumentation skills. In this study, we investigated the relationship between students' biological content knowledge and their argumentation skills. We evaluated students' content knowledge of primary research articles on mRNA vaccine development and clinical trials. There was no correlation of content knowledge and students' argumentation skills to counter vaccine hesitancy. While most students demonstrated understanding of the primary research articles, almost half the students did not include specific biological knowledge in their arguments, indicating they had difficulty in applying their knowledge to the real world. These results suggest there is a need to provide students with additional opportunities to practice and develop their argumentation skills with respect to socioscientific issues.

Women drive efforts to highlight concealable stigmatized identities in U.S. academic science and engineering

Concealable stigmatized identities (CSIs) are hidden identities that carry negative stereotypes and can result in a loss of social status if revealed. Instructors often choose to conceal these CSIs due to anticipated negative student reactions, yet revealing CSIs can have a positive impact on undergraduates. Women are generally more likely to reveal personal aspects about themselves in social situations, but may face greater consequences for revealing a stigmatized identity to students given their already marginalized position in academic science and engineering. Therefore, in this study, we were interested in understanding to what extent there are differences between men and women science and engineering instructors in (i) the representation of CSIs, (ii) their decisions to reveal CSIs to undergraduates in their classes, and (iii) their perceived stigma of CSIs. Based on a national survey of over 2,000 instructors in science and engineering from very high research activity doctoral institutions, we found that women were more likely than men to report having depression, anxiety, or a disability. Of instructors who held CSIs, women had 1.5x higher odds than men of revealing their CSIs to some undergraduates compared to no undergraduates and perceived greater stigma associated with all CSIs. Despite perceiving greater stigma associated with concealable stigmatized identities, women are more likely to reveal their CSIs to college science and engineering students, leading the way to a more diverse and inclusive scientific community by demonstrating themselves as role models for these identities.

Perceived Barriers to Equitable Participation in the Learning Assistant Program

To build a more diverse STEM workforce, institutions seek to increase the representation of diverse groups in faculty and mentoring positions. The Learning Assistant (LA) near-peer student support program has the potential to bring diverse students into highly visible and impactful mentoring roles early in their college careers, benefiting both LAs and students in LA-supported courses. However, the demographic characteristics of potential students interested in the LA Program and the subsequent barriers to entry have yet to be investigated. This short-term longitudinal case study revealed that even though students from historically underserved groups (HUGs) started the semester equally as likely as non-HUGs to see themselves as future chemistry LAs, an inequity developed later in the semester. Similar trends were not detected based on students' gender or age group (traditional/nontraditional). Qualitative data indicated that regardless of demographic group, the most prominent barriers to students seeing themselves as future LAs include a lack of time and self-efficacy in chemistry content knowledge/social skills. The trends observed at this diverse metropolitan research institution indicate that further research is needed to find and lower barriers for students to have the opportunity to become LAs, especially those from HUGs.

Breaking the mold: Study strategies of students who improve their achievement on introductory biology exams

Students' use of learning strategies (i.e., what students do when studying) is linked to their achievement in undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) courses, and several study strategies have been individually associated with course and exam grades in multiple contexts. In this study, we surveyed students in a learner-centered, large-enrollment introductory biology course about their study strategies. We aimed to identify groups of strategies that students often reported together, possibly reflecting broader approaches to studying. Exploratory factor analysis revealed three groups of study strategies frequently co-reported (which we named housekeeping strategies, use of course materials, and metacognitive strategies). These strategy groups map onto a model of learning that associates specific suites of strategies to phases of learning, which correspond to different levels of cognitive and metacognitive engagement. Consistent with previous work, only some study strategies were significantly associated with exam scores: students reporting higher use of course materials and of metacognitive strategies earned higher scores on the first course exam. Students who improved on the subsequent course exam reported increasing their use of housekeeping strategies and of course materials. Our findings contribute to a deeper understanding of students' approaches to studying in introductory college biology and of the relationships between study strategies and achievement. This work may support instructors in adopting intentional classroom practices to foster students' development as self-regulated learners, able to identify expectations and criteria for success and to implement appropriate and effective study strategies.

Improving models for student retention and graduation using Markov chains

Graduation rates are a key measure of the long-term efficacy of academic interventions. However, challenges to using traditional estimates of graduation rates for underrepresented students include inherently small sample sizes and high data requirements. Here, we show that a Markov model increases confidence and reduces biases in estimated graduation rates for underrepresented minority and first-generation students. We use a Learning Assistant program to demonstrate the Markov model's strength for assessing program efficacy. We find that Learning Assistants in gateway science courses are associated with a 9% increase in the six-year graduation rate. These gains are larger for underrepresented minority (21%) and first-generation students (18%). Our results indicate that Learning Assistants can improve overall graduation rates and address inequalities in graduation rates for underrepresented students.

Active Learning Among Health Professions' Educators: Perceptions, Barriers, and Use

Introduction

Active learning engages students in the learning process through meaningful learning activities. Despite evidence that active learning can improve student's comprehension and problem solving, many educators remain reluctant to adopt it. The goal of this study was to explore health professions' educators' perceptions of active learning and identify implementation barriers.

Materials and Methods

We developed a 25-question survey based on the Miller and Metz "perceptions of active learning" survey. We added 12 single-response demographics questions to the original 13 survey questions.

Results

One hundred three respondents completed the survey. We found positive perceptions of active learning significantly correlated with gender, rank, teaching FTE, and full-time employment. The use of specific active learning modalities significantly correlated with gender, terminal degree, institutional appointment, academic rank, and role. Lack of time to develop materials and lack of class time were the most common personal barriers identified, while being lecture-accustomed and lack of training were the most common perceived barriers to the implementation of active learning by their peers.

Conclusion

Despite overwhelmingly positive perceptions of active learning among US health professions' educators and desire to incorporate it, a gap still exists between institutional and educators' support of active learning due to implementation barriers for resource-intensive active learning.

The Aspects of Active-Learning Science Courses That Exacerbate and Alleviate Depression in Undergraduates

College science courses continue to transition from traditional lecture to active learning, which has been shown to have both alleviating and exacerbating effects on undergraduate mental health. Notably, existing studies have primarily examined the relationship between active learning and anxiety, and no studies have specifically assessed the relationship between active learning and depression. To address this gap, we conducted hourlong exploratory interviews with 29 undergraduates from six institutions who identify as having depression and who had been enrolled in at least one active-learning college science course. We probed how undergraduates' depression affects their experiences in active learning, and in turn, what aspects of active-learning practices exacerbate or alleviate students' depressive symptoms. Students described that their depression negatively impacted their cognitive domains, which could make learning and social interactions challenging. Additionally, we found that the underlying aspects of active-learning practices that impact students' depression fall into four overarching categories: opportunities to compare oneself with others, socializing with others while learning, frequent formative evaluation, and engagement in learning. Each of these aspects of active learning could alleviate and/or exacerbate depressive symptoms. This work supports recommendations to create more inclusive active-learning courses for students with depression.

Peer-led team learning in an undergraduate biology course: Impacts on recruitment, retention, and imposter phenomenon

OBJECTIVES

The data presented in this note were collected during a multi-year project conducted in the context of large-enrollment introductory biology course at a large private R-1 research institution in the Northeastern United States. The project aimed to examine the impact of Peer-Led Team Learning (PLTL) on the recruitment and retention of marginalized groups in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) majors. While several results from the project have been published, additional data of interest have yet to be reported. This data note reports on additional associations between PLTL participation and improved outcomes for students from groups that have historically been excluded in STEM. Additional data reported herein were collected to determine if students in the course experienced imposter phenomenon, and whether PLTL may be associated with reduced levels of imposter feelings.

DATA DESCRIPTION

The data in this note includes academic information such as final course grades and academic level; socio-demographic information such as gender identity, minority status, and first-generation status; and information on student recruitment, retention, imposter feelings, and participation in Peer-Led Team Learning (PLTL). These data might be useful and of value to education researchers and undergraduate STEM instructors who are interested in improving equity in STEM education.

Online Instructor Clusters: Implementation Frequency of Instructional Activities

The purpose of this study was to group instructors based on their patterns of implementing activities in their online courses, to examine factors that influenced differences within clusters, and to explore whether cluster membership affected instructor satisfaction. Data were collected from faculty at a university in the western United States with the use of three instruments that measure pedagogical beliefs, implementation of instructional activities, and instructor satisfaction. Latent class analysis method was used to identify instructor groups and examine how the groups differed in pedagogical beliefs, characteristics, and satisfaction. The resulting two-cluster solution includes two orientations: content and learner-centric. Of the covariates examined, constructivist pedagogical beliefs and gender were the significant predictors of cluster membership. Results also showed a significant difference between the predicted clusters pertaining to online instructor satisfaction.

Use of a Role-Playing Activity To Increase Student Understanding of Bacterial Gene Regulation

Undergraduate students often struggle to understand the basics of bacterial gene regulation, a key concept in microbiology. They find it hard to visualize the architecture of a bacterial operon or how the gene, RNA, and protein components interact with each other to regulate the operon. To better visualize the molecular interactions, students engaged in a role-playing exercise on bacterial gene regulation in the classroom. Before beginning the activity, they received a shortened, traditional lecture on the architecture and function of the lac operon under "on" and "off" conditions. Students chose one or more placards detailing a molecular role (such as promoter, repressor, RNA polymerase, gene X, gene Y, etc.). Upon receiving instructor prompts, they assembled in linear order to mimic correct genomic locations of genes and regulatory elements on the operon. When given a prompt for "operon on" or "operon off" condition, students identified all the necessary components (roles) for that condition, assembled in the correct order, and then moved through the assembled operon to mimic what happens inside the cell under that condition. Students were tested before and after the activity using a set of eight multiple-choice questions. Students showed significant gains in their ability to answer these questions correctly immediately after the activity. More importantly, the improved understanding was also reflected in a high median score on summative assessments given a few weeks after the completion of the activity. This activity can also be readily adapted to online or a hybrid mode of teaching to benefit larger student populations.

A Network Model for Connecting Mathematics Faculty in Communities of Practice: Where is the Value?

Creating sustained, transformative change within and across organizations is challenging, particularly when those undertaking change act as individuals. COMmunities of Practice (CoPs) are organically created collaborations among like-minded participants, working toward a common set of goals (Lave & Wenger, 1991; Wenger-Trayner & Wenger-Trayner, 2014). CoPs offer an avenue for members to connect individuals across various boundaries. In this paper, we investigate the ways in which regional CoP leaders experience value participating in their community, using the Communities for Mathematics Inquiry in Teaching (COMMIT) Network as our unit of study. The COMMIT Network is a grant funded project aimed at engaging mathematics faculty at institutions of higher education in regional CoPs around teaching with inquiry. In this study we examine the experiences of CoP leaders nested within this network setting. We interviewed 19 leaders from eight United States regions to understand their perceptions of individual and collective value participating in the regional CoP and COMMIT Network structures. We framed our study on Wenger et al. (2011). Promoting and assessing value creation in communities and networks: A conceptual framework. Open University of the Netherlands.) Value Framework. Our findings show that leaders found Immediate Value as individuals participating in a collaborative, supportive CoP environment and they found Realized Value in terms of the impact their CoP could make on instructional practices, both in their region and the network. An unexpected finding examines how future opportunities for value creation may influence long-term sustainability and transformation of college mathematics instruction. We provide implications for the ways that regional CoPs, along with CoP networks, can provide value for members through such communities.

Designing novel activities before instruction: Use of contrasting cases and a rich dataset

BACKGROUND

In exploratory learning, students first explore a new topic with an activity and then receive instruction. This inversion of the traditional tell-then-practice order typically benefits conceptual knowledge and transfer, but not always.

AIMS

The current work examines the impact of including contrasting cases in an exploration activity, which can enhance student perception of novel problem features.

SAMPLES

Undergraduate physics students (Experiment 1, N = 129; Experiment 2, N = 92) participated as part of their regular classroom instruction.

METHODS

Students completed an activity either before or after instruction (explore-first or instruct-first conditions). In Experiment 1, the activity included contrasting cases; in Experiment 2, the activity instead included a rich dataset. Students completed a post-test assessing procedural knowledge, conceptual knowledge and transfer.

RESULTS

In Experiment 1, students in the explore-first condition demonstrated similar procedural knowledge, higher conceptual knowledge and higher transfer than students in the instruct-first condition. In Experiment 2, there were no significant differences in learning outcomes between explore-first and instruct-first conditions. In both experiments, students in the explore-first and instruct-first conditions reported similar cognitive load and interest and enjoyment after the activity.

CONCLUSIONS

Contrasting cases may be important when designing exploratory learning activities, helping to improve both conceptual understanding and transfer to new topics.

What I Wish My Instructor Knew: How Active Learning Influences the Classroom Experiences and Self-Advocacy of STEM Majors with ADHD and Specific Learning Disabilities

Our understanding of how active learning affects different groups of students is still developing. One group often overlooked in higher education research is students with disabilities. Two of the most commonly occurring disabilities on college campuses are attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and specific learning disorders (SLD). We investigated how the incorporation of active-learning practices influences the learning and self-advocacy experiences of students with ADHD and/or SLD (ADHD/SLD) in undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 25 STEM majors with ADHD/SLD registered with a campus disability resource center at a single university, and data were analyzed using qualitative methods. Participants described how they perceived active learning in their STEM courses to support or hinder their learning and how active learning affected their self-advocacy. Many of the active-learning barriers could be attributed to issues related to fidelity of implementation of a particular active-learning strategy and limited awareness of universal design for learning. Active learning was also reported to influence self-advocacy for some participants, and examples of self-advocacy in active-learning STEM courses were identified. Defining the supports and barriers perceived by students with ADHD/SLD is a crucial first step in developing more-inclusive active-learning STEM courses. Suggestions for research and teaching are provided.

Let's go! The impact of mobile laboratory technology on STEM accessibility during National Biomechanics Day

National Biomechanics Day continues to expose thousands of youth to the biomechanics discipline each year. As part of the 2022 events, Seattle University used its Kinesiology Mobile Lab to host multiple National Biomechanics Day events across Washington state, engaging over 600 youth in a one-month period. This case study in hands-on experiential learning highlights the use of on-site demonstrations to increase accessibility to STEM education and educational resources.

Impact of social media distraction on student evaluation of teacher effectiveness

Purpose

The study examines the impact of social media distraction on the relationship between student engagement and student evaluations of teachers (SET) in management education, part of the STEM disciplines. While it is widely accepted that student engagement and evaluation of teachers are two important constructs of active learning systems, their links, especially in the context of management education, have not been explored. This study seeks to fill this research gap as teachers' appraisal and career growth greatly depend on SET across higher education institutes worldwide.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from 247 student participants from higher education institutes/universities using a questionnaire-based survey. Further, 15 students were interviewed to glean insights from their feelings regarding social media distractions and how it impacts their engagement and evaluation of teachers. For the quantitative and qualitative analyses, multiple regression and thematic analysis were applied, respectively. A word tree was developed to determine the association between experiences and contexts.

Findings

The results indicate that social media distraction moderates the relationship between students' cognitive engagement and their evaluation of teaching faculty. Social media distractions disrupt student engagement inside the classroom, leading to wrong/biased assessments of teachers' performance. Additionally, cognitive and emotional engagement significantly impacted student evaluations of the management college faculty.

Originality/value

The authors’ findings enable educators in higher education systems, specifically management education, to rethink the faculty feedback system and social media distractions impeding student engagement other than SET drawbacks.

Integrating remote international experience and community engagement into course-based animal behavior research

Human-centered, active-learning approaches can help students develop core competencies in biology and other STEM fields, including the ability to conduct research, use quantitative reasoning, communicate across disciplinary boundaries, and connect science education to pressing social and environmental challenges. Promising approaches for incorporating active learning into biology courses include the use of course-based research, community engagement, and international experiences. Disruption to higher education due to the COVID-19 pandemic made each of these approaches more challenging or impossible to execute. Here, we describe a scalable course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) for an animal behavior course that integrates research and community engagement in a remote international experience. Students in courses at two U.S. universities worked with community partners to analyze the behavior of African goats grazing near informal settlements in Western Cape, South Africa. Partners established a relationship with goat herders, and then created 2-min videos of individual goats that differed in criteria (goat sex and time of day) specified by students. Students worked in small groups to choose dependent variables, and then compared goat behavior across criteria using a factorial design. In postcourse surveys, students from both universities indicated overall enthusiasm for the experience. In general, students indicated that the laboratory provided them with "somewhat more" of a research-based experience compared with biology laboratories they had taken of similar length, and "somewhat more" to "much more" of a community-engagement and international experience. Educational benefits were complemented by the fact that international educational partners facing economic hardship due to the pandemic received payment for services. Future iterations of the CURE can focus on goat behavior differences across ecological conditions to help herders increase production in the face of continued environmental and social challenges. More generally, applying the structure of this CURE could facilitate mutually beneficial collaborations with residents of under-resourced areas around the world.

The increasing relevance of immunobiology within a connected animal science curriculum

Modern technological agriculture emerged in the 20th century and has expanded into a global enterprise occupying approximately 38% of the Earth's land area and accounting for over 40% of the world's workforce. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that to feed a world population of 9-billion people in 2050 will require an almost doubling of overall food production, including meat, dairy, and egg production over 2010 levels. However, our collective ability to meet this demand cannot be taken for granted. Despite many successes, global agricultural systems now face multiple unprecedented challenges including a dearth of new treatments for livestock diseases. The discovery of antibiotics led to a complacency now reflected in a dependency on exogenous antimicrobials and a growing threat of antimicrobial resistance. Developments within the field of immunobiology had led to significant breakthroughs in understanding of human health and disease. However, despite over 60% of infectious diseases being zoonotic in nature and nonhuman animals acting as an important disease reservoir, research in livestock immunobiology has not been as resourced. As a direct result, recalcitrant animal diseases continue to threaten sustainability of animal production systems, security of the food chain and human health. It is within the context of collective One Health action that ambitious innovation in the connectivity of animal science undergraduate curricula is urgently required, specifically to include threshold concepts in immunobiology. Fostering transformative learning is critical to equip future generations of animal scientists with the knowledge and interdisciplinary skills to counter these existential challenges of our time.

A gut microbiome tactile teaching tool and guided-inquiry activity promotes student learning

The gut microbiome and its physiological impacts on human and animal health is an area of research emphasis. Microbes themselves are invisible and may therefore be abstract and challenging to understand. It is therefore important to infuse this topic into undergraduate curricula, including Anatomy and Physiology courses, ideally through an active learning approach. To accomplish this, we developed a novel tactile teaching tool with guided-inquiry (TTT-GI) activity where students explored how the gut microbiome ferments carbohydrates to produce short chain fatty acids (SCFAs). This activity was implemented in two sections of a large-enrollment Human Anatomy and Physiology course at a research intensive (R1) university in the Spring of 2022 that was taught using a hyflex format. Students who attended class in person used commonly available building toys to assemble representative carbohydrates of varying structural complexity, whereas students who attended class virtually made these carbohydrate structures using a digital learning tool. Students then predicted how microbes within the gut would ferment different carbohydrates into SCFAs, as well as the physiological implications of the SCFAs. We assessed this activity to address three research questions, with 182 students comprising our sample. First, we evaluated if the activity learning objectives were achieved through implementation of a pre-and post-assessment schema. Our results revealed that all three learning objectives of this activity were attained. Next, we evaluated if the format in which this TTT-GI activity was implemented impacted student learning. While we found minimal and nonsignificant differences in student learning between those who attended in-person and those who attended remotely, we did find significant differences between the two course sections, which differed in length and spacing of the activity. Finally, we evaluated if this TTT-GI approach was impactful for diverse students. We observed modest and nonsignificant positive learning gains for some populations of students traditionally underrepresented in STEM (first-generation students and students with one or more disabilities). That said, we found that the greatest learning gains associated with this TTT-GI activity were observed in students who had taken previous upper-level biology coursework.

A Novel Undergraduate Seminar Course Celebrating Scientific Contributions by Scientists from Historically Marginalized Communities

Scientific contributions by members from historically marginalized communities (HMCs) have been largely ignored, uncredited, and in some cases erased from history. This has contributed to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) curricula lacking diversity. In this study, we present an Honors seminar course aimed to highlight the discoveries of scientists from HMCs, centered around reading primary literature in a way that builds our students' research skills. The course provides students with opportunities for active learning, skill building, and mentorship that are key for persistence of students in the STEM "leaky pipeline." Students also read biographies of scientists from HMCs, interact with guest speakers, and choose scientists to highlight (in final papers and presentations) and publicize (through the creation of Wikipedia pages). Additionally, students use community-building methodologies to build a safe classroom and gain tools to have conversations about diversity, inequities, and intersectionality in STEM. In self-reporting surveys, 93.7% of students strongly agreed that their appreciation for marginalized scientists increased and 92.6% reported that the course met very well the goal of refining their research skills. These findings support the effectiveness of this novel course. We provide two lists (one of 137 scientists and one of 57 scientist biographies) that will allow faculty teaching a wide range of science classes to select examples of scientists and discoveries to highlight in their courses. This course represents a novel platform to diversify STEM curricula while engaging and empowering students from historically marginalized communities.

Collaborative Teaching plus (CT+): A Timely, Flexible, and Dynamic Course Design Implemented during Emergency Remote Teaching in an Introductory Biology Course

Student-centered pedagogies promote student learning in college science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) classrooms. However, transitioning to active learning from traditional lecturing may be challenging for both students and instructors. This case study presents the development, implementation, and assessment of a modified collaborative teaching (CT) and team-based learning (TBL) approach (CT plus TBL, or CT+) in an introductory biology course at a Minority-Serving Institution. A logic model was formulated depicting the various assessment practices with the culminating goal of improving the student learning experience. We analyzed qualitative and quantitative data based on students and instructors' behaviors and discourse, and student midsemester and end-of-semester surveys. Our findings revealed that the integration of multiple instructors allowed for knowledge exchange in blending complementary behaviors and discourse practices during class sessions. In addition, the frequent ongoing assessments and incorporation of student feedback informed the CT+ design during both in-person and emergency remote teaching. Furthermore, this course design could be easily adapted to a variety of STEM courses in higher education, including remote instruction.

Experience with Scientific Teaching in Face-to-Face Settings Promoted Usage of Evidence-Based Practices during Emergency Remote Teaching

During the Spring of 2020, instructors across the nation scrambled to transition their face-to-face courses to remote/online modalities. Necessarily, teaching practices adapted. This study investigated how the usage of evidence-based practices as defined by scientific teaching (ST) was impacted during this rapid transition. More than 130 science faculty teaching courses in biology, mostly from primarily undergraduate institutions in the U.S. Midwest, completed the Measurement Instrument of Scientific Teaching (MIST) for one course of their choosing (lecture portion only for laboratory-based courses). Participants compared how they taught the course in the face-to-face versus the remote setting. MIST scores declined in every category of ST. An instructor's face-to-face MIST score was the largest predictor for the remote MIST score. Fourteen representative participants completed a follow-up interview to discuss how and why they made the changes they did within each ST category. Interviews uncovered variation in how individual practices were emphasized, scheduled, and implemented in normal teaching environments, how access to resources changed in the Spring of 2020, and how all of these things impacted the way ST practices were adopted in emergency remote teaching. Recommendations for mitigating declines in the use of evidence-based teaching in response to future unexpected events are discussed.

An Instructor's Guide to Including Traditional Ecological Knowledge in the Undergraduate Biology Classroom

Indigenous students are underrepresented in science, and the exclusion of Indigenous knowledge from Western education may be a contributor. Recently, Indigenous and non-Indigenous researchers have called for a better integration of Indigenous knowledge systems into Western science. One suggestion from the literature is to integrate Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK), or the diverse intimate knowledges and practices that relate to the environment that are commonly held by Indigenous peoples around the world, into our classrooms. However, this approach can be daunting and unfamiliar for undergraduate biology instructors, and they may be hesitant to attempt to include TEK in their classrooms. In this essay, we summarize practical suggestions and caution from the literature on how to include TEK in biology courses for instructors who are interested in increasing Indigenous student belonging using this approach. Suggestions include exploring other ways of knowing, teaching holistically, establishing a classroom culture of respect, explicitly including TEK, consulting Indigenous experts, incorporating Indigenous languages, and using other evidence-based teaching practices. Implementing these practices in biology classrooms may be messy, but engaging in this difficult process is important as we strive for more inclusivity in biology education. We end the essay with suggestions for future research.

What College Biology Students Know about How Vaccines Work

Vaccines are an important and societally relevant biology topic, but it is unclear how much college biology students know about how vaccines work and what inaccurate ideas they have about that process. Therefore, we asked more than 600 college students taking biology courses at various levels to explain, "How does a vaccine work?" in a free-response format. Based on authoritative sources and responses from immunology and other biology faculty, we created a rubric to gauge the basic knowledge and accuracy present in student responses. Basic knowledge was defined as knowing that vaccines mimic the pathogen, elicit an active immune response, and provide protection against future infection. Accuracy was defined as the absence of scientifically inaccurate ideas. We found that advanced biology majors score significantly higher in basic knowledge and accuracy when compared with all other student groups, but there were no differences between entering biology majors, pre-health majors, and non-pre-health majors. We also uncovered a variety of inaccurate ideas, with the most common being that vaccines contain the original, unmodified pathogen. These results provide a new way to gauge college student understanding of how a vaccine works and enrich our understanding of what college students know about this process.

A systematic review of the 60 year literature: Effects of outreach programs in supporting historically marginalized and first-generation, low-income students in healthcare education

We have reviewed over 60 years of studies on healthcare education outreach programs that are aimed to support first-generation, low-income, as well as underrepresented racial and ethnic minority groups (historically marginalized students) to pursue pre-health professions. As a systematic literature review, we present the challenges studies on healthcare education outreach programs had as three main categories: 1) Design, 2) Evaluation, and 3) Analysis. 1) Designs of studies on healthcare education outreach programs often lacked theoretical foundations whereby a) the interventions did not present theories underlying a causal mechanism of inequity in health professions; and/or 1b) the defined outcome measures were not clearly aligned with the problem the intervention tried to address. 2) Evaluations of studies on healthcare education outreach programs were not always conducted effectively whereby: 2a) controlled groups were commonly absent for comparison with the intervention group; and/or 2b) post measures were solely used without pre-measures. 3) Analyses of studies on healthcare education outreach programs were not adequate whereby: 3a) the response rates and effect size were commonly low; and/or 3b) qualitative results commonly did not supplement quantitative results. Overall, our findings reveal studies on healthcare education outreach programs have common challenges that hinder the reliability of their effects supporting historically marginalized students in pursuing pre-health professions. To address such challenges with studies on healthcare education outreach programs aimed at supporting historically marginalized students, we created a decision flow chart for researchers to ask themselves: 1) how is the design guided by theoretical goals; 2) how are measurements used to evaluate success; and 3) how does the analysis lead to reliable results?

Gender representation and academic achievement among STEM-interested students in college STEM courses

Substantial gender equity gaps in postsecondary degree completion persist within many science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines, and these disparities have not narrowed during the 21st century. Various explanations of this phenomenon have been offered; one possibility that has received limited attention is that the sparse representation of women itself has adverse effects on the academic achievement-and ultimately the persistence and graduation-of women who take STEM courses. This study explored the relationship between two forms of gender representation (i.e., the proportion of female students within a course and the presence of a female instructor) and grades within a sample of 11,958 STEM-interested undergraduates enrolled in 8686 different STEM courses at 20 colleges and universities. Female student representation within a course predicted greater academic achievement in STEM for all students, and these findings were generally stronger among female students than male students. Female students also consistently benefitted more than male students from having a female STEM instructor. These findings were largely similar across a range of student and course characteristics and were robust to different analytic approaches; a notable exception was that female student representation had particularly favorable outcomes for female students (relative to male students) within mathematics/statistics and computer science courses.

The PULSE Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Rubric: a Tool To Help Assess Departmental DEI Efforts

In an attempt to redesign science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) departments to be more inclusive of all student populations, institutions of higher learning are reviewing their programs, policies, and the ways they engage students. The Partnership for Undergraduate Life Sciences Education (PULSE) has been working with STEM departments over the past 10 years to improve the student experience by incorporating evidence-based teaching practices and creating curricula with a deeper focus on conceptual understanding of scientific principles, competencies, and the process of science. PULSE created the PULSE rubrics, a set of five rubrics designed to assist life sciences departments in assessing their implementation of the recommendations of the American Association for the Advancement of Science Vision and Change report in the areas of curriculum, assessment, faculty practice and faculty support, infrastructure, and climate for change. An additional rubric, on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), is described in this paper. Each of the 13 criteria of the PULSE DEI rubric begins with a context section of background information with references and a scale of 0 to 4 (baseline to exemplar) with descriptors for each score. The PULSE DEI rubric has been added to allow departments to determine the starting point for their DEI work and reveal areas that require attention. All PULSE rubrics can be accessed from the PULSE Community website (https://www.pulse-community.org/rubrics).

A Longitudinal Study Identifying the Characteristics and Content Knowledge of Those Seeking Certification to Teach Secondary Biology in the United States

Teacher content knowledge has been identified as a key prerequisite to effective instruction, and current educational policies require measurement of teacher content knowledge to assess candidacy for licensure. The primary instruments used in the United States are the Praxis Subject Assessment exams, which are designed to measure the subject-specific content knowledge needed to be a teacher. The Praxis Biology Subject Assessment exam, used by 42 U.S. states in the past decade, is the most common national measure used to determine biology content knowledge for teacher certification. Demographic and performance data from examinees (N = 43,798) who took the Praxis Biology Subject Assessment from 2006 to 2015 were compared to present a much-needed picture of who is seeking certification to teach biology, how different groups of aspiring biology teachers have performed, and how demographic makeup of prospective biology teachers compares with reports in previous studies describing the composition of the biology teacher workforce. Results indicate the majority of students self-reported as White (76%), female (66%), having undergraduate grade point averages (GPAs) at or above a 3.0 (76%) and majoring in biology (45%). Additionally, the demographic data were included in a linear regression model to determine the factors that explained the most variance in performance of the examinee. The model revealed substantial differences in average performance and pass rates between examinees of different genders, races, undergraduate majors, undergraduate GPAs, and census regions. This suggests that if the examinee is a White science, technology, engineering, and mathematics major, man with a 3.5 or higher undergraduate GPA, resides in the western United States, or plans to teach in a suburban school, the examinee will on average outperform their counterparts on the exam. From our analyses, we suggest several measures for the improvement of the biology teaching workforce and establish potential issues in the teacher pipeline that may impact the quality and diversity of U.S. biology teachers.

Evaluating the Representation of Community Colleges in Biology Education Research Publications following a Call to Action

Interest in biology education research (BER) has been growing over the last two decades, yet few BER publications focus on community colleges, which serve a large percentage of the undergraduate student population and a majority of those students who identify with historically underserved groups. In this paper, we define community college biology education research (CC BER) as publications with a community college faculty member as an author, publications with a community college study context or a focus on community college biology teaching and learning, and publications that use community college students as a source of data. We conducted a literature review to quantify how CC BER has progressed since initial calls for broadening participation by recording the number of CC BER publications in seven prominent journals between 2016 and 2020. Our formal analysis of peer-reviewed BER literature indicates that there has been a statistically significant increase in CC BER publications from 3.2% to 5.9% of total BER publications since the last analysis in 2017. We conclude with a discussion of strategies for further broadening of participation in CC BER.

Relative Impact of Values-Oriented and Mindset-Oriented Interventions on Academic Success of Introductory Biology Students Attending 2-Year or 4-Year Institutions

Diversifying the STEM workforce is a national priority, yet white males continue to dominate the ranks of professional scientists and engineers in the United States. This is partly due to disparities in academic success for women and minoritized students in prerequisite introductory STEM courses, leading to higher attrition from B.S. degree programs. Past research has demonstrated that when social-psychological interventions targeting "stereotype threat" or "fixed" mindsets are implemented in STEM courses, equity gaps may be significantly reduced. We incorporated two such interventions into introductory biology courses for life science B.S. majors and Associate's degree allied health students taught at a regional research university and a community college. We observed no significant effects of the values-affirmation interventions on grade outcomes for students in any of the courses, regardless of students' gender identity, race/ethnicity, or first-generation status, suggesting that students, on average, were not experiencing stereotype threat on either campus. We found a significant positive association between completing more weekly reflective journal entries and higher mean content-based grades for students in the university majors course overall, especially first-generation students, although the association was significantly negative for women. Our results confirm that context matters when implementing interventions aimed at reducing achievement gaps, and we propose that educators assess their students' social-psychological characteristics and then select interventions accordingly.

A Half Century of Student Data Reveals the Professional Impacts of a Biology Field Course

Field courses provide learning experiences that diversify curricula and inspire students. Despite these benefits, we still have much to learn about field course impacts on student outcomes and career trajectories. We used a 50-year longitudinal data set to compare career outcomes for graduate students who participated in a biology field course with those of students who did not. More broadly, we surveyed students to identify graduate experiences most useful to advancing their careers. We found that field course attendees coauthored more scientific publications than did nonattendees. Although the students in both groups graduated and continued on to scientific careers at similar rates, the students attending the field course became faculty at a higher rate. Survey data showed that field courses provide valuable opportunities to graduate students, including student-led environments and mentor feedback. Our findings underscore the importance of field courses as effective tools to train the next generation of scientists.

Bullet screen in pre-clinical undergraduate pharmacology education: a survey study

BACKGROUND

The lack of interaction and communication in pharmacology courses, especially since the onset of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, which required a fast shift to remote learning at medical schools, leads to an unsatisfactory learning outcome. New interactive teaching approaches are required to improve pharmacology learning attention and interaction in remote education and traditional classrooms.

METHODS

We introduced bullet screens to pharmacology teaching. Then, a survey was distributed to first-, second- and third-year pre-clinical undergraduate medical and nursing students at the Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine from November 2020 to March 2022. We evaluated the essential features, instructional effectiveness, and entertainment value of bullet screens. Responses to structured and open-ended questions about the strengths and weaknesses of the bullet screen and overall thoughts were coded and compared between medical and nursing students.

RESULTS

In terms of essential features, bullet screens have a high degree of acceptability among students, and this novel instructional style conveniently increased classroom interaction. Considering instructional effectiveness, bullet screen may stimulate students' in-depth thinking. Meanwhile, students tended to use bullet-screen comments as a way to express their support rather than to make additional comments or to express their different viewpoints. The entertainment value of bullet screen was noteworthy. The lack of ideas might lead to relative differences between medical and nursing students, indicating that guiding the appropriate use of bullet screen is necessary.

CONCLUSIONS

The bullet screen may be popularized as an auxiliary teaching approach to promote interaction between teachers and students in the classroom as well as during remote education. It is an interesting and beneficial tool in pharmacology courses, yet there are several aspects of this device that should be improved for popularization.

Sustainable education and training in laboratory animal science and ethics in low- and middle-income countries in Africa – challenges, successes, and the way forward

Despite the recognised need for education and training in laboratory animal science (LAS) and ethics in Africa, access to such opportunities has historically been limited. To address this, the Pan-African Network for Laboratory Animal Science and Ethics (PAN-LASE) was established to pioneer a support network for the development of education and training in LAS and ethics across the African continent.

In the 4.5 years since the establishment of PAN-LASE, 3635 individuals from 28 African countries have participated in our educational activities. Returning to their home institutions, they have both established and strengthened institutional and regional hubs of knowledge and competence across the continent. Additionally, PAN-LASE supported the development of guidelines for establishment of institutional Animal Ethics Committees, a critical step in the implementation of ethical review processes across the continent, and in enhancing animal welfare and scientific research standards.

Key challenges and opportunities for PAN-LASE going forward include the formalisation of the network; the sustainability of education and training programmes; implementation of effective hub-and-spoke models of educational provision; strengthening governance frameworks at institutional, national and regional levels; and the availability of Africa-centric open access educational resources.

Our activities are enhancing animal welfare and the quality of animal research undertaken across Africa, enabling African researchers to undertake world-leading research to offer solutions to the challenges facing the continent. The challenges, successes and the lessons learnt from PAN-LASE’s journey are applicable to other low- and middle-income countries across the world seeking to enhance animal welfare, research ethics and ethical review in their own country or region.

phylogatR: Phylogeographic data aggregation and repurposing

Patterns of genetic diversity within species contain information the history of that species, including how they have responded to historical climate change and how easily the organism is able to disperse across its habitat. More than 40,000 phylogeographic and population genetic investigations have been published to date, each collecting genetic data from hundreds of samples. Despite these millions of data points, meta-analyses are challenging because the synthesis of results across hundreds of studies, each using different methods and forms of analysis, is a daunting and time-consuming task. It is more efficient to proceed by repurposing existing data and using automated data analysis. To facilitate data repurposing, we created a database (phylogatR) that aggregates data from different sources and conducts automated multiple sequence alignments and data curation to provide users with nearly ready-to-analyse sets of data for thousands of species. Two types of scientific research will be made easier by phylogatR: large meta-analyses of thousands of species that can address classic questions in evolutionary biology and ecology, and student- or citizen- science based investigations that will introduce a broad range of people to the analysis of genetic data. phylogatR enhances the value of existing data via the creation of software and web-based tools that enable these data to be recycled and reanalysed and increase accessibility to big data for research laboratories and classroom instructors with limited computational expertise and resources.

Exploring the identity development of the budding neuroscientist at postgraduate level: a mixed-method study with perspectives from alumni and academics

INTRODUCTION

Neuroscience represents one of the most exciting frontiers in scientific research. However, given the recency of neuroscience as a discipline, its inter- and multi-disciplinary nature, the lack of educational research on brain science training, the absence of a national or global benchmark and the numerous neuroscience subfields, the development of the academic neuroscientist identity across career stages remains obfuscated. Neuroscience is not predominantly taught at the undergraduate level but presents as a postgraduate specialism, accepting graduates from a wide range of primary disciplines.

METHODS

This work represents the first mixed-method study exploring the development of the neuroscientist identity at the postgraduate level at a high-ranking, research-intensive UK University. It combines responses from standardised self-efficacy and professional identity questionnaires and qualitative data from nineteen semi-structured interviews with alumni and academics.

RESULTS

Key findings on influences, identity transitions, curricular skills and sense of belonging have been discussed. The results obtained can be mapped against the theoretical framework proposed by Laudel and Gläser in 2008, although some minor changes to the model have been suggested.

DISCUSSION

Implementing active learning strategies and experiential assessments, designing mentoring opportunities and creating spaces for interaction can favour the transition from students to neuroscientists and contribute to an inclusive and diverse neuroscientific community.

How proactive personality promotes online learning performance? Mediating role of multidimensional learning engagement

Research on online learning effectiveness has experienced a shift towards focusing on learner characteristics or differences. However, little attention has been paid to learners' personality traits, especially those that highly match with the environmental characteristics of online learning. Guided by recent active learning approach and Model of student differences for learning in online education, this study adopts proactive personality (a dispositional tendency to be active, goal-oriented, and not constrained by environmental forces) as a key predictor and examines whether its relationship with online learning performance is mediated by learning engagement as a multidimensional construct. Using a multi-method approach (including self-reports, log file analysis, and content analysis), this study collected both subjective and objective measures of learning engagement from a total of n = 322 undergraduates. Results showed that proactive personality was positively associated with online learning performance. In addition, this association was mediated by all subjective and certain objective measures of learning engagement. Findings contribute to understanding the impact of proactive personality on online learning performance and the interplay of learners' individual factors and learning engagement factors in online learning environments. This study recommends promoting learning engagement to realize learners' online success, especially for those with low levels of proactive personality.

Are synchronous chats a silver lining of emergency remote instruction? Text-based chatting is disproportionately favored by women in a non-majors introductory biology course

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has led to a reimagining of many aspects of higher education, including how instructors interact with their students and how they encourage student participation. Text-based chatting during synchronous remote instruction is a simple form of student-student and student-instructor interaction. The importance of student participation has been documented, as have clear disparities in participation between those well-represented and those under-represented in science disciplines. Thus, we conducted an investigation into who is texting, what students are texting, and how these texts align with course content. We focused on two sections of a large-enrollment, introductory biology class offered remotely during Fall 2020. Using an analysis of in-class chatting, in combination with student survey responses, we find that text-based chatting suggests not only a high level of student engagement, but a type of participation that is disproportionately favored by women. Given the multiple lines of evidence indicating that women typically under-participate in their science courses, any vehicle that counters this trend merits further exploration. We conclude with suggestions for further research, and ideas for carrying forward text-based chatting in the post-COVID-19, in-person classroom.