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Supriya K, Bang C, Ebie J, Pagliarulo C, Tucker D, Villegas K, Wright C, Brownell S. Optional Exam Retakes Reduce Anxiety but may Exacerbate Score Disparities Between Students with Different Social Identities. CBE LIFE SCIENCES EDUCATION 2024; 23:ar30. [PMID: 38900940 DOI: 10.1187/cbe.21-11-0320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/22/2024]
Abstract
Use of high-stakes exams in a course has been associated with gender, racial, and socioeconomic inequities. We investigated whether offering students the opportunity to retake an exam makes high-stakes exams more equitable. Following the control value theory of achievement emotions, we hypothesized that exam retakes would increase students' perceived control over their performance and decrease the value of a single exam attempt, thereby maximizing exam performance. We collected data on exam scores and experiences with retakes from three large introductory biology courses and assessed the effect of optional exam retakes on gender, racial/ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities in exam scores. We found that Black/African American students and those who worked more than 20 h a week were less likely to retake exams. While exam retakes significantly improved student scores, they slightly increased racial/ethnic and socioeconomic disparities in scores partly because of these differences in participation rates. Most students reported that retake opportunities reduced their anxiety on the initial exam attempt. Together our results suggest that optional exam retakes could be a useful tool to improve student performance and reduce anxiety associated with high-stakes exams. However, barriers to participation must be examined and reduced for retakes to reduce disparities in scores.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Supriya
- Research for Inclusive STEM Education Center, School of Life Sciences, and
- Center for Education Innovation and Learning in the Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | - Christofer Bang
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281
| | - Jessica Ebie
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281
| | | | - Derek Tucker
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281
| | - Kaela Villegas
- Research for Inclusive STEM Education Center, School of Life Sciences, and
| | - Christian Wright
- Research for Inclusive STEM Education Center, School of Life Sciences, and
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281
| | - Sara Brownell
- Research for Inclusive STEM Education Center, School of Life Sciences, and
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Farrar VS, Aguayo BYC, Caporale N. Gendered Performance Gaps in an Upper-Division Biology Course: Academic, Demographic, Environmental, and Affective Factors. CBE LIFE SCIENCES EDUCATION 2023; 22:ar52. [PMID: 37906692 PMCID: PMC10756041 DOI: 10.1187/cbe.23-03-0041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Revised: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/02/2023]
Abstract
Despite the existent gender parity in undergraduate biology degree attainment, gendered differences in outcomes are prevalent in introductory biology courses. Less is known about whether these disparities persist at the upper-division level, after most attrition is assumed to have occurred. Here, we report the consistent presence of gender equity gaps across 35 offerings (10 years) of a large-enrollment upper-division biology course at a research-intensive public university. Multilevel modeling showed that women's grades were lower than men's, regardless of prior GPA. These gender gaps were present even when controlling for students' race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, first-generation college-going status, international status, and transfer status. Class size, gender representation in the classroom, and instructor gender did not significantly relate to course grades. Student questionnaires in a subset of offerings indicated gendered differences in course anxiety, science identity, and science self-efficacy, which correlated with grade outcomes. These results suggest that women experience differential outcomes in upper-division biology, which may negatively influence their persistence in STEM fields postgraduation. Our findings suggest that gender disparities are a systemic problem throughout the undergraduate biology degree and underscore the need for further examination and transformation of upper-division courses to support all students, even at late stages of their degrees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria S. Farrar
- Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616
| | | | - Natalia Caporale
- Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616
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Hesse DW, Ramsey LM, Bruner LP, Vega-Castillo CS, Teshager D, Hill JR, Bond MT, Sperr EV, Baldwin A, Medlock AE. Exploring Academic Performance of Medical Students in an Integrated Hybrid Curriculum by Gender. MEDICAL SCIENCE EDUCATOR 2023; 33:353-357. [PMID: 37261018 PMCID: PMC10226948 DOI: 10.1007/s40670-023-01743-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Gender gaps in academic performance have been reported at a variety of educational levels including several national standardized exams for medical education, with men scoring higher than women. These gaps potentially impact medical school acceptance and residency matching and may be influenced by curricular design. Performance data for our 4-year integrated hybrid curriculum, which features a large proportion of active learning, revealed a gender gap with men performing better early in the curriculum and on the first national standardized exam. This gap in performance almost entirely disappeared for years 2-4 of the curriculum and the second national standardized exam.
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Affiliation(s)
- DeLoris Wenzel Hesse
- Augusta University/University of Georgia Medical Partnership, Athens, GA USA
- Department of Cellular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA USA
| | - Lynn M. Ramsey
- Augusta University/University of Georgia Medical Partnership, Athens, GA USA
| | - Lia Pierson Bruner
- Augusta University/University of Georgia Medical Partnership, Athens, GA USA
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA USA
| | | | - Dina Teshager
- Augusta University/University of Georgia Medical Partnership, Athens, GA USA
| | - Janette R. Hill
- College of Education, Learning, Design, & Technology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA USA
| | - Mary T. Bond
- Augusta University/University of Georgia Medical Partnership, Athens, GA USA
- Department of Medicine: General Internal Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA USA
| | - Edwin V. Sperr
- Augusta University/University of Georgia Medical Partnership, Athens, GA USA
| | - Amy Baldwin
- Augusta University/University of Georgia Medical Partnership, Athens, GA USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA USA
| | - Amy E. Medlock
- Augusta University/University of Georgia Medical Partnership, Athens, GA USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA USA
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García-Ojeda ME, Nishiguchi MK. The Metamorphosing Professor: Adapting Teaching to Fulfill the Promise of Biology Education. Integr Comp Biol 2022; 62:1519-1527. [PMID: 36175168 PMCID: PMC9801978 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icac149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Revised: 09/17/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Teaching students at all levels of education has undergone extensive changes, particularly in the past decade. Our present student population has transformed dramatically in the 21st century due to the changing demographics of the nation, an increasing use of technology both inside and outside the classroom, along with an expectation to have information instantaneously available to peruse and utilize as a source of material. Today's instructors also need to adapt to these changes by assessing how well students are learning new concepts, as well as how much material students retain for future coursework. Here, we explore the recent history of science education, and the progress that has been made to overcome multiple learning obstacles, particularly relevant to PEERs (persons excluded because of their ethnicity or race) in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). We hope to provide insight into how educators are restructuring the way they design their teaching portfolios to provide better outcomes for the students of today's educational system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcos E García-Ojeda
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, 5200 Lake Rd, Merced, CA 95343, USA
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Nichols SC, Xia YY, Parco M, Bailey EG. Participation and Performance by Gender in Synchronous Online Lectures: Three Unique Case Studies during Emergency Remote Teaching. JOURNAL OF MICROBIOLOGY & BIOLOGY EDUCATION 2022; 23:00281-21. [PMID: 35496681 PMCID: PMC9053025 DOI: 10.1128/jmbe.00281-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Studies have documented that men's voices are generally heard more than women's voices in face-to-face undergraduate biology classes, and some performance gaps have also been documented. Some of the few studies on gender equity in traditional online biology education suggest that women participate more and perform better in asynchronous online courses compared to men. While much is known about emergency remote teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbating existing inequities generally, studies are needed about the impact of specific emergency remote teaching practices on specific groups such as women. In this study, we performed an in-depth investigation of three life sciences classrooms that utilized synchronous online lectures during the pandemic. We observed each class throughout the semester, quantified participation behaviors, and investigated the role of student gender. We also compared final course grades by gender. On average, we found that men participated more than women both verbally and by chat. These differences were not significant for each class individually, but the differences align with the face-to-face patterns seen in this population previously. Our results also hint that men's chat comments may be more likely to be acknowledged than women's chats by peers. We found evidence of greater performance disparities favoring men than seen previously before the pandemic, but not in all classes. We discuss implications for instructors conducting emergency remote teaching as well as the need for larger studies to test the replicability of our results.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yongyong Y. Xia
- Department of Biology, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, USA
| | - Mikaylie Parco
- Department of Biology, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, USA
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Kay AD, Chapman EJ, Cheruiyot JD, Lowery S, Singer SR, Small G, Stone AM, Warthen R, Westbroek W. Potential for urban agriculture to support accessible and impactful undergraduate biology education. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8721. [PMID: 35342576 PMCID: PMC8928874 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8721] [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: 11/28/2021] [Revised: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Active learning in STEM education is essential for engaging the diverse pool of scholars needed to address pressing environmental and social challenges. However, active learning formats are difficult to scale and their incorporation into STEM teaching at U.S. universities varies widely. Here, we argue that urban agriculture as a theme can significantly increase active learning in undergraduate biology education by facilitating outdoor fieldwork and community-engaged education. We begin by reviewing benefits of field courses and community engagement activities for undergraduate biology and discuss constraints to their broader implementation. We then describe how urban agriculture can connect biology concepts to pressing global changes, provide field research opportunities, and connect students to communities. Next, we assess the extent to which urban agriculture and related themes have already been incorporated into biology-related programs in the United States using a review of major programs, reports on how campus gardens are used, and case studies from five higher education institutions (HEIs) engaging with this issue. We found that while field experiences are fairly common in major biology programs, community engagement opportunities are rare, and urban agriculture is almost nonexistent in course descriptions. We also found that many U.S. HEIs have campus gardens, but evidence suggests that they are rarely used in biology courses. Finally, case studies of five HEIs highlight innovative programming but also significant opportunities for further implementation. Together, our results suggest that urban agriculture is rarely incorporated into undergraduate biology in the United States, but there are significant prospects for doing so. We end with recommendations for integrating urban agriculture into undergraduate biology, including the development of campus gardens, research programs, community engagement partnerships, and collaborative networks. If done with care, this integration could help students make community contributions within required coursework, and help instructors feel a greater sense of accomplishment in an era of uncertainty.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam D Kay
- Biology Department University of St. Thomas St. Paul Minnesota USA
| | - Eric J Chapman
- Biology Department University of St. Thomas St. Paul Minnesota USA
| | - Jelagat D Cheruiyot
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department Tulane University New Orleans Louisiana USA
| | - Sue Lowery
- Biology Department University of San Diego San Diego California USA
| | - Susan R Singer
- Office of the Provost Rollins College Winter Park Florida USA
| | - Gaston Small
- Biology Department University of St. Thomas St. Paul Minnesota USA
| | - Anne M Stone
- Social Impact Hub Rollins College Winter Park Florida USA
| | | | - Wendy Westbroek
- Salish Kootenai College Pablo Montana USA.,Flathead Valley Community College Kalispell Montana USA
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