Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education最新文献

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, misconceptions about antimicrobial resistance (AMR) were widespread among undergraduates. Since then, few studies have reexamined students' thinking about AMR, and even fewer have offered strategies for educators to address these misconceptions. In this study, we assessed undergraduate conceptions of AMR using an adapted Cognitive Construal Framework. We then examined two pedagogical strategies for addressing students' AMR misconceptions. Inquiry-based learning positioned students at the center of the process, giving them flexibility to analyze data from communities beyond their own, while community-based learning (CBL) required students to identify issues within their own communities and engage directly with the problems shaping them. We hypothesized that CBL would best prepare students for taking action to correct misconceptions outside the classroom. We found that both student-centered approaches significantly improved students' conceptual understanding of AMR, but CBL marginally increased a student's likelihood of engaging with misconceptions beyond the classroom. Notably, the incorporation of CBL (i.e., connecting AMR concepts to students' own communities) increased student engagement and promoted students' sense of responsibility to act on public health issues outside the classroom. These findings highlight the importance of contextualizing microbiology curricula in ways that are personally meaningful to students and provide a foundation for future research on post-pandemic science education and the enduring impact of COVID-19 on student thinking.

Science communication is a powerful tool for disseminating scientific concepts to both STEM and non-STEM audiences. However, undergraduate students are rarely presented with opportunities to practice this skill with non-STEM audiences in their STEM courses. Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) allow students to engage in authentic research projects in the context of a structured course. CURE courses have been shown to increase numerous psychosocial benchmarks, including science identity and science self-efficacy. We describe the integration of intergenerational partnerships, in which undergraduate students enrolled in CURE courses were paired with older adult community members. We studied these partnerships within three different CUREs. Undergraduate students discussed their CURE research project and formed relationships with older adults from the community during biweekly meetings. As the semester progressed, undergraduate students self-reported gains in their ability to communicate science information to older adults and to the broader community, their understanding of their CURE research projects, and their science identity. Additionally, both science identity and science self-efficacy increased, while science value orientation had a negligible decrease. Here, we provide evidence that incorporating older adult community members can be easily adapted to other STEM classrooms or laboratory courses, providing a meaningful platform for undergraduate students to practice science communication.

We provide a framework for the implementation of ungrading in course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) and a case example of ungrading in an advanced laboratory course. Although assessments should measure and reflect learning, grades typically make students focus on the evaluation of their work, often limiting the learning process. Grades represent a difficult extrinsic motivator for students to overcome as they distract from students' learning progress and engagement. Ungrading increases the focus on feedback and growth by eliminating the emphasis on "points," fostering a collaborative environment where students are encouraged to learn. Student learning is assessed using qualitative approaches with an emphasis on quality feedback from the instructor and student self-reflection-students do not get letter or number grades for individual assignments. In addition to the course learning goals, each student sets individual goals for the course at the beginning of the semester, discusses their progress with the instructor, and shares evidence of their learning throughout the semester. At the middle and at the end of the semester, students suggest a course grade and explain how they arrived at that grade. With ungrading, students are more engaged during class and seem less stressed because they are not worried about earning as many points as possible for each assignment. Adoption of this alternative assessment strategy promotes student engagement and self-motivated learning and, while presented here in a format suited to adoption into CUREs, can be adapted to any level of laboratory or lecture-based instruction.

Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) have well-documented benefits, including increasing students' access to research, fostering science identity, and improving retention in STEM. However, CUREs in biotechnology education remain underexplored, despite the field's strong focus on real-world research applications and career pathways. This study examines the impact of an upper-division Molecular Biotechnology CURE offered at a diverse, primarily undergraduate institution. We assessed changes in students' self-efficacy as a scientist, gains in scientific thinking, and future educational and career aspirations using pre- and post-CURE course assessments over a 3 year period (n = 92 students). To contextualize these findings and explore students' experiences in greater depth, we also conducted focus groups (n = 20 students). The Molecular Biotechnology CURE led to significant increases in students' self-efficacy and gains in scientific thinking across all demographic groups. Although we did not detect shifts in students' future educational aspirations, we found a significant increase in their interest in pursuing careers in the biotechnology industry. Focus groups revealed that students perceived the lab as strengthening their practical research skills and expanding their career aspirations to include biotechnology careers. Students also described an appreciation for the collaborative, scaffolded learning environment the course provided, where mistakes were seen as a natural and valuable part of the research process. Our findings demonstrate that CUREs can support student development in biotechnology education and might also help to broaden participation in biotechnology careers.

Undergraduate learning assistants (ULAs) are a tool to help increase the inclusivity and success of large-enrollment STEM courses for all students. ULAs are trained in inclusive pedagogy but are generally not trained in inclusive approaches to science communication with the students they are teaching. In this study, we interviewed ULAs regarding their science teaching and science communication approaches and thematically analyzed those interviews using deductive thematic analysis based on theories in science communication and discourse analysis. We found that ULAs are generally using inclusive communication tactics such as connection with their students but using deficit-based rather than asset-based perspectives and goals toward their students. This highlights the opportunity to train ULAs in deficit versus inclusive science communication as a tool to increase their ability to utilize inclusive, asset-based perspectives and approaches with their students.

Gamification has gained momentum in STEM education as a way to boost student engagement, motivation, and conceptual learning. A wide variety of games, from short in-class activities to long-format student-built projects, are used across disciplines. However, few studies have examined why different game formats succeed or fail across varying contexts. In this perspective piece, we examine how games have been used in higher education STEM classrooms and highlight key contrasts between game types, implementation goals, and learning outcomes. Building from this foundation, we explore the added value of combining game-based learning (GBL) with design-based learning (DBL), particularly through student-led game design. We suggest that student-led game design, which incorporates both GBL and DBL principles, provides instructors with a flexible way to align games with course content, promote systems thinking, and encourage collaboration. Student-led game design is also highly adaptable to online learning environments, offering a way to enhance community and communication, which are typically challenged in this instructional format. Overall, we found that gamification in STEM is most effective when instructors consider both the diversity of game structures and how these support specific learning outcomes. Student-led game design is a flexible, underused strategy that can engage and motivate college-level students across scientific disciplines.

As recent policy decisions in the United States threaten the infrastructure for educational data collection and analysis, evidence-based assessment of higher education outcomes is increasingly vital. This analysis evaluates progress in undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education against national priorities established in the 2012 President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) Engage to Excel report. Using data over the last decade, I examined outcomes related to three key goals of the report: producing one million additional STEM graduates, improving retention rates, and increasing demographic representation. Annual STEM degree production grew substantially, with cumulative totals exceeding PCAST's target of "one million more" by 16%. The proportion of STEM degrees among all degrees conferred increased over the decade, reversing previous declining trends. STEM employment expanded correspondingly, with growth surpassing the report's projections. Recent longitudinal cohort analyses demonstrate bachelor's-level STEM students now complete degrees at rates comparable to or higher than non-STEM peers. Demographic representation showed mixed progress, with substantial gains for Hispanic students and women, while representation gaps persist for Black and American Indian/Alaska Native students. These findings demonstrate successes in degree production, retention, and representation for several demographic groups, providing an evidence-based foundation for evaluating investments and guiding future strategies to strengthen America's STEM talent development. To maintain America's scientific leadership position in an increasingly competitive global landscape, continued collection of and access to robust national educational data remains essential for monitoring progress toward these critical national goals.

This paper conducts an in-depth investigation and analysis of 25 microbiology course outlines from 23 domestic universities in China, focusing on the structure of prerequisite courses. The study finds that microbiology course outlines typically include basic course information, objectives, content, teaching methods, resources, assessment, and scheduling. Reasonable prerequisite course settings are vital for clarifying logical relationships among courses in talent training programs, organizing key and challenging knowledge systems, and enhancing university course quality. The paper proposes recommendations for microbiology prerequisite course design, including identifying core prerequisites, ensuring logical sequence rationality, setting appropriate numbers of prerequisites, and considering professional specificities. These suggestions offer a reference for optimizing microbiology course outline design and improving biological talent cultivation quality. The paper also explores the selection frequency and number of prerequisite courses. The top three selected courses are biochemistry, general biology, and genetics, while the least selected are biostatistics, physiology, and ecology. It is recommended that universities carefully consider course logical sequences and students' actual learning needs when setting microbiology prerequisite courses to ensure students build a solid knowledge foundation and smoothly transition to microbiology learning.

DNA literacy is becoming increasingly essential for navigating healthcare, understanding pandemics, and engaging with biotechnology-yet genomics education remains limited at the secondary level of education. We present a modular, hands-on curriculum designed for high school and early undergraduate students (ages 14-21) that introduces key genomics concepts through an experiment on fermentation, a process that is key to food preservation and medicine. Students follow a complete scientific process: exploring what DNA is and how microbial succession works, analyzing real DNA sequencing data, and writing a formal scientific report. The course integrates molecular biology, bioinformatics, and data analysis obtained from portable nanopore sequencing technology (Oxford Nanopore MinION), giving students access to authentic data sets. Activities such as microbial species identification using taxonomic IDs foster skills in observation, experimental design, and quantitative reasoning. The curriculum aligns with Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and Vision and Change (V&C) frameworks, supporting interdisciplinary learning and scientific literacy. By making molecular biology visible and relatable, this curriculum equips diverse learners with the tools to engage meaningfully in a genomics-driven world.

In this study, we designed a novel undergraduate biology course centered entirely around reading memoirs of scientists, doctors, patients, and public health officials. Students in the course engaged in active learning and critical thinking-based activities and assessments, including writing analytical papers, delivering scientific presentations, writing personal reflections, performing data analysis, and engaging in group work and class discussions in every class period. The main learning goals of the course were for students to visualize the processes of science and medicine, to understand the interface of science and society, to gain awareness of a variety of career paths, to appreciate the humanity of scientists, and to build skills in critical thinking and scientific communication. We measured the high level of effectiveness of the course in meeting its learning goals through an analysis of the student assignments completed throughout the semester, post-course survey results, and post-course student outcomes. We found that the course model developed in this study-namely, a science course with a central focus on reading memoirs-is unique within the academic literature. Furthermore, this new model can be directly applied to courses in any scientific discipline through the instructor's ability to select a customized set of biographies of researchers working in any scientific field. We have therefore developed a course that can promote critical thinking skills and career awareness in any scientific field-along with a nuanced understanding of the process of research and the interplay between science, ethics, and society-in students very early on in their scientific training.