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Kattoum RN, Abbood I, Huff KE, Baillie MT. Perceived Barriers to Equitable Participation in the Learning Assistant Program. JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION 2023; 100:2495-2503. [PMID: 37455797 PMCID: PMC10340102 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jchemed.2c00635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2022] [Revised: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronia N. Kattoum
- Department
of Chemistry, the University of Arkansas
at Little Rock, Little
Rock, Arkansas 72022, United States
| | - Ibraheem Abbood
- Department
of Chemistry, the University of Arkansas
at Little Rock, Little
Rock, Arkansas 72022, United States
| | - Khristina E. Huff
- Department
of Chemistry, the University of Arkansas
at Little Rock, Little
Rock, Arkansas 72022, United States
| | - Mark T. Baillie
- Department
of Chemistry, the University of Arkansas
at Little Rock, Little
Rock, Arkansas 72022, United States
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Schmeltz MT, Ganesh C. Improving the capacity and diversity of local public health workforce to address climate impacts to health through community partnerships and problem-based learning. Front Public Health 2023; 10:1090129. [PMID: 36743166 PMCID: PMC9891370 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.1090129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2022] [Accepted: 12/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
All aspects of society are affected by our changing climate. Individuals and communities experience the health impacts associated with climate change most every day, whether or not they realize it. Increasing both the knowledge and capacity to respond to the health impacts of climate change will be imperative for future public health leaders. This manuscript will highlight three case studies in how problem-based learning was used by California State University, East Bay's Department of Public Health undergraduate students to address climate change issues for local community and government organizations. The results from problem-based learning collaborations between undergraduate students and community and government organizations have been mutually beneficial and increased the knowledge and workforce capacity of climate and health in the San Francisco Bay Area. The authors believe the use of problem-based learning is an effective model to achieve these goals. Both the students and the community benefit from these experiences and results of projects that enhance an organization's ability to prepare for and respond to climate change in their communities.
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Gin LE, Scott RA, Pfeiffer LD, Zheng Y, Cooper KM, Brownell SE. It's in the syllabus … or is it? How biology syllabi can serve as communication tools for creating inclusive classrooms at a large-enrollment research institution. ADVANCES IN PHYSIOLOGY EDUCATION 2021; 45:224-240. [PMID: 33825519 DOI: 10.1152/advan.00119.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Revised: 01/19/2021] [Accepted: 01/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Syllabi are usually required by institutions of higher education and often are the first exposure that students have to a particular course. Instructors can use syllabi as a mechanism to convey important information to students. Moreover, a syllabus can be considered a tool to create inclusive biology courses by transmitting information to all students equitably. In this study, we examined 75 biology course syllabi collected from a research-intensive institution to examine what content instructors include. We reviewed the syllabi to determine the presence or absence of elements and assessed to what extent there were differences in the presence or absence of certain syllabus elements based on course level and course size. We found that instructors are most likely to include content about course expectations and least likely to include content about creating positive classroom climate on their course syllabi. Despite university requirements, many instructors did not include the university-mandated criteria and they did not include elements that could increase how inclusive students perceive the course to be. However, instructors more often included inclusive content when it was required by the university. We also found that students enrolled in upper level courses and small enrollment courses are provided with less content on their syllabi, which we would then interpret as a less inclusive syllabus. We discuss the implications of how these results may differentially impact students in these courses and how the syllabus can be a tool for creating more inclusive college biology courses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Logan E Gin
- Research for Inclusive STEM Education Center, School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona
| | - Rachel A Scott
- Research for Inclusive STEM Education Center, School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona
| | - Leilani D Pfeiffer
- Research for Inclusive STEM Education Center, School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona
| | - Yi Zheng
- Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona
| | - Katelyn M Cooper
- Research for Inclusive STEM Education Center, School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona
| | - Sara E Brownell
- Research for Inclusive STEM Education Center, School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona
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Erickson MG, Ranathunga SD, Wattiaux MA. Animal sciences undergraduate education since the ASAS centennial: a national survey and scoping review. Transl Anim Sci 2020; 4:txaa202. [PMID: 33336155 PMCID: PMC7733322 DOI: 10.1093/tas/txaa202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2020] [Accepted: 11/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The rapid pace of advancement in animal sciences is drastically changing conditions for undergraduate teaching and learning in the discipline. Shortly after the American Society of Animal Science (ASAS) centennial, we conducted a national survey of 90 faculty instructors from 49 academic institutions to assess their perceptions of emerging teaching topics. Participants rated 18 learning outcomes (LO) and 16 types of courses and experiences (CE) with respect to their importance and the adequacy of available offerings. This study presents the results of the survey along with a scoping review of animal sciences teaching and learning publications since 2008 (n = 71). Results indicated that discipline-specific competencies and core experiential learning remain central to animal sciences teaching and identified several distinct needs for research. Namely, we suggest that future research in animal sciences teaching and learning 1) develop animal-science-specific expertise on a greater variety of pedagogies, 2) validate improved methods for assessing transferable skills, 3) expand pedagogical knowledge of emerging topics (e.g., sustainability, data science, welfare science, social science), and 4) deepen and broaden animal sciences’ teaching and learning identity through theory-building work and collaborations across instructors, disciplines, and institutions.
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Affiliation(s)
- M G Erickson
- Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, WI
| | - S D Ranathunga
- Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, WI
| | - M A Wattiaux
- Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, WI
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Herrera J, Haskew-Layton RE, Narayanan M, Porras-Alfaro A, Jumpponen A, Chung YA, Rudgers JA. Improving Instructional Fitness Requires Change. Bioscience 2020; 70:1027-1035. [PMID: 33273892 DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biaa111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Transmission of information has benefitted from a breathtaking level of innovation and change over the past 20 years; however, instructional methods within colleges and universities have been slow to change. In the article, we present a novel framework to structure conversations that encourage innovation, change, and improvement in our system of higher education, in general, and our system of biology education, specifically. In particular, we propose that a conceptual model based on evolutionary landscapes in which fitness is replaced by educational effectiveness would encourage educational improvement by helping to visualize the multidimensional nature of education and learning, acknowledge the complexity and dynamism of the educational landscape, encourage collaboration, and stimulate experimental thinking about how new approaches and methodology could take various fields associated with learning, to more universal fitness optima. The framework also would encourage development and implementation of new techniques and persistence through less efficient or effective valleys of death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose Herrera
- Department of Natural Sciences, Mercy College, Dobbs Ferry, New York
| | | | | | | | - Ari Jumpponen
- Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas
| | - Y Anny Chung
- Department of Natural Sciences, Mercy College, Dobbs Ferry, New York
| | - Jennifer A Rudgers
- Jennifer A. Rudgers is a professor in the Department of Biology at the University of New Mexico, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Figures 2 and 3 were created by Daisy Chung (copyright, daisychung.com)
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Clemmons AW, Timbrook J, Herron JC, Crowe AJ. BioSkills Guide: Development and National Validation of a Tool for Interpreting the Vision and Change Core Competencies. CBE LIFE SCIENCES EDUCATION 2020; 19:ar53. [PMID: 33001766 PMCID: PMC8693931 DOI: 10.1187/cbe.19-11-0259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2019] [Revised: 08/11/2020] [Accepted: 08/15/2020] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
To excel in modern science, technology, engineering, and mathematics careers, biology majors need a range of transferable skills, yet competency development is often a relatively underdeveloped facet of the undergraduate curriculum. We have elaborated the Vision and Change core competency framework into a resource called the BioSkills Guide, a set of measurable learning outcomes that can be more readily implemented by faculty. Following an iterative review process including more than 200 educators, we gathered evidence of the BioSkills Guide's content validity using a national survey of more than 400 educators. Rates of respondent support were high (74.3-99.6%) across the 77 outcomes in the final draft. Our national sample during the development and validation phases included college biology educators representing more than 250 institutions, including 73 community colleges, and a range of course levels and biology subdisciplines. Comparison of the BioSkills Guide with other science competency frameworks reveals significant overlap but some gaps and ambiguities. These differences may reflect areas where understandings of competencies are still evolving in the undergraduate biology community, warranting future research. We envision the BioSkills Guide supporting a variety of applications in undergraduate biology, including backward design of individual lessons and courses, competency assessment development, and curriculum mapping and planning.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jerry Timbrook
- Department of Sociology, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588
| | - Jon C. Herron
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
| | - Alison J. Crowe
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
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Are scientists biased against Christians? Exploring real and perceived bias against Christians in academic biology. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0226826. [PMID: 31995573 PMCID: PMC6988906 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0226826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2019] [Accepted: 12/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Christians are one of the most underrepresented groups in science, and one potential explanation is that scientists have a bias against Christian students, which could discourage and actively prevent Christian students from becoming scientists. Although there is a general perception in society that there is bias against Christians in science, we do not know whether science students, who frequently interact with scientists, perceive this bias. Further, no researchers have attempted to experimentally document the existence of bias against Christians in science. To address these gaps in the literature, we designed three studies. In the first study, we found that college science students report a perceived bias against Christians in science and that evangelical Christians perceive greater bias than Catholic and non-Christian students. Then in two studies, biology professors evaluated Ph.D. program applicants and we examined whether the professors rated a student less favorably when the student revealed a Christian religious identity. We found no statistically significant differences in how biology professors rated a student who was President of the Christian Association compared to a student who was President of the Atheist Association or a student who was President of the Activities Association. However, in Study 3, biology professors did rate a Christian student who went on a mission trip with Campus Crusade for Christ as less hireable, less competent, and less likeable than a student who did not reveal a Christian identity. Taken together, these studies indicate that perceived bias against Christians in science may contribute to underrepresentation of Christians but actual bias against Christians in science may be restricted to a specific type of Christianity that scientists call fundamentalist and/or evangelical.
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