Emily M. Wollmuth, Alberto Correa, Manuela Alvarado Obando, Michelle K. Smith, Daniel H. Buckley, Kathleen L. Hefferon, Esther R. Angert
ABSTRACT In the microbial world, cell size and shape impact physiology, but students struggle to visualize spatial relationships between cells and macromolecules. In prokaryotic cells, cell size is limited by reliance on diffusion for nutrient uptake and the transport of nutrients within the cell. Cells must also meet a minimum size threshold to accommodate essential cellular components such as ribosomes and DNA. Using 3D printing allows for the creation of custom models that can be influential teaching tools in the biology classroom. This lesson uses 3D cell models to teach students enrolled in an introductory microbiology course about bacterial cell size and the biological importance of surface-area-to-volume ratio. During the lesson, students interact with 3D cell models and discuss a series of questions in small groups. Student learning was assessed using quantitative and qualitative student response data collected pre- and post-lesson. Student achievement of learning objectives, and their confidence in their knowledge of these concepts, improved post-lesson, and these gains were statistically significant. Our findings suggest that interacting with 3D-printed cell models improves student understanding about bacterial cell size and diffusion.
{"title":"Helping students see bacteria in 3D: cellular models increase student learning about cell size and diffusion","authors":"Emily M. Wollmuth, Alberto Correa, Manuela Alvarado Obando, Michelle K. Smith, Daniel H. Buckley, Kathleen L. Hefferon, Esther R. Angert","doi":"10.1128/jmbe.00089-23","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1128/jmbe.00089-23","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT In the microbial world, cell size and shape impact physiology, but students struggle to visualize spatial relationships between cells and macromolecules. In prokaryotic cells, cell size is limited by reliance on diffusion for nutrient uptake and the transport of nutrients within the cell. Cells must also meet a minimum size threshold to accommodate essential cellular components such as ribosomes and DNA. Using 3D printing allows for the creation of custom models that can be influential teaching tools in the biology classroom. This lesson uses 3D cell models to teach students enrolled in an introductory microbiology course about bacterial cell size and the biological importance of surface-area-to-volume ratio. During the lesson, students interact with 3D cell models and discuss a series of questions in small groups. Student learning was assessed using quantitative and qualitative student response data collected pre- and post-lesson. Student achievement of learning objectives, and their confidence in their knowledge of these concepts, improved post-lesson, and these gains were statistically significant. Our findings suggest that interacting with 3D-printed cell models improves student understanding about bacterial cell size and diffusion.","PeriodicalId":46416,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135696633","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Shelby Chandar, Ryan Crum, Eric Pennino, Cathy Ishikawa, Sayonita Ghosh Hajra, Kelly McDonald
ABSTRACT In higher education, syllabi have traditionally served as written contracts between instructors and their students, providing first-hand information about the course and expectations. Reading the syllabus may provide students with first impressions or mental images of the instructor, thereby initiating a student-instructor relationship even before any interaction has occurred. Instructors can use syllabi to directly communicate values and practices of equity and inclusion, but students can perceive indirect messages through tone and language that may support or contradict stated values. Here, we share empirically derived recommendations for improving the tone of syllabi with inviting language and stylistic features that promote relationship-building with students.
{"title":"Ten tips for developing a more inviting syllabus","authors":"Shelby Chandar, Ryan Crum, Eric Pennino, Cathy Ishikawa, Sayonita Ghosh Hajra, Kelly McDonald","doi":"10.1128/jmbe.00032-23","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1128/jmbe.00032-23","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT In higher education, syllabi have traditionally served as written contracts between instructors and their students, providing first-hand information about the course and expectations. Reading the syllabus may provide students with first impressions or mental images of the instructor, thereby initiating a student-instructor relationship even before any interaction has occurred. Instructors can use syllabi to directly communicate values and practices of equity and inclusion, but students can perceive indirect messages through tone and language that may support or contradict stated values. Here, we share empirically derived recommendations for improving the tone of syllabi with inviting language and stylistic features that promote relationship-building with students.","PeriodicalId":46416,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135696643","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The landscape of higher education has changed significantly in recent years with a concomitant shift in the classroom. Science courses have historically been content-driven with the need to cover content driving curricular and pedagogical choices. However, educators are recognizing that the curricular approaches of years past no longer provide adequate support for students. A classroom that centers relationships—both among students as well as teachers and students—is one that is better positioned to foster a sense of belonging, science identity, and student success. Furthermore, an educator who builds a professional community and prioritizes self-care is the one who is better equipped to adapt to the ever-changing needs of students. Emphasizing the human component of education creates a classroom where students and teachers feel seen and valued and the educational experience is enriched for all.
{"title":"Centering relationships in the biology classroom","authors":"Amy Siegesmund","doi":"10.1128/jmbe.00124-23","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1128/jmbe.00124-23","url":null,"abstract":"The landscape of higher education has changed significantly in recent years with a concomitant shift in the classroom. Science courses have historically been content-driven with the need to cover content driving curricular and pedagogical choices. However, educators are recognizing that the curricular approaches of years past no longer provide adequate support for students. A classroom that centers relationships—both among students as well as teachers and students—is one that is better positioned to foster a sense of belonging, science identity, and student success. Furthermore, an educator who builds a professional community and prioritizes self-care is the one who is better equipped to adapt to the ever-changing needs of students. Emphasizing the human component of education creates a classroom where students and teachers feel seen and valued and the educational experience is enriched for all.","PeriodicalId":46416,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135388415","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Macy J. L. Rennpferd, Madeline V. Schroeder, Jonathan J. Nguyen, Marley A. Lund-Peterson, Onora Lancaster, Danielle L. Jessen Condry
ABSTRACT The Microbiology Concept Inventory is an assessment tool derived from the fundamental statements created by the American Society for Microbiology. This two-tier, multiple-choice question inventory requires students to choose the most correct answer for each question and provide a brief justification of their reasoning. Educators can utilize this tool to identify common misconceptions held by students and adjust curriculum to address and prevent the persistence of student misconceptions. Over the course of 5 years, the Microbiology Concept Inventory was annually administered to undergraduate students enrolled in entry-level, mid-level, and senior capstone microbiology courses at a mid-western rural university. Analysis was completed to compare course, year, majors and minors, gender, ethnicity, and cumulative GPA. Results of this study showed a significant difference in Microbiology Concept Inventory scores between students with high cumulative GPAs (3.5–4.0) and students with comparatively lower cumulative GPAs (2.5–2.99, 3.0–3.49). Results between the other demographic categories revealed statistically different scores in favor of white students, but no differences in scores between genders. The results suggest evidence of ethnic bias, but no gender bias as measured by the Microbiology Concept Inventory. Additionally, significant differences in scores across cohorts are indicative of improvements in the curricula due to prior targeted changes. Analysis of concept inventory results can guide curriculum changes for course instructors. Implementation of curriculum changes can enrich students’ academic success.
{"title":"Application of the Microbiology Concept Inventory to improve programmatic curriculum","authors":"Macy J. L. Rennpferd, Madeline V. Schroeder, Jonathan J. Nguyen, Marley A. Lund-Peterson, Onora Lancaster, Danielle L. Jessen Condry","doi":"10.1128/jmbe.00110-22","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1128/jmbe.00110-22","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT The Microbiology Concept Inventory is an assessment tool derived from the fundamental statements created by the American Society for Microbiology. This two-tier, multiple-choice question inventory requires students to choose the most correct answer for each question and provide a brief justification of their reasoning. Educators can utilize this tool to identify common misconceptions held by students and adjust curriculum to address and prevent the persistence of student misconceptions. Over the course of 5 years, the Microbiology Concept Inventory was annually administered to undergraduate students enrolled in entry-level, mid-level, and senior capstone microbiology courses at a mid-western rural university. Analysis was completed to compare course, year, majors and minors, gender, ethnicity, and cumulative GPA. Results of this study showed a significant difference in Microbiology Concept Inventory scores between students with high cumulative GPAs (3.5–4.0) and students with comparatively lower cumulative GPAs (2.5–2.99, 3.0–3.49). Results between the other demographic categories revealed statistically different scores in favor of white students, but no differences in scores between genders. The results suggest evidence of ethnic bias, but no gender bias as measured by the Microbiology Concept Inventory. Additionally, significant differences in scores across cohorts are indicative of improvements in the curricula due to prior targeted changes. Analysis of concept inventory results can guide curriculum changes for course instructors. Implementation of curriculum changes can enrich students’ academic success.","PeriodicalId":46416,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135815644","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Madhavan Narayanan, Kasey Powers, Dhananjaya Premawardena, Kelly Colby, Janet Liou Mark, Nagaraj Rao, Davida S. Smyth, Mary Knopp-Kelly
ABSTRACT Peer-Led Team Learning (PLTL) is a pedagogical approach that has been shown to benefit all students, especially underrepresented minority students and peer leaders in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines. In this work, we present results from our study of the impact of PLTL on our peer leaders from a controlled implementation in general biology, general chemistry, and statistics courses at a Hispanic-serving, minority-serving institution. More specifically, we have measured our PLTL program’s impact on our peer leaders' skill development, engagement with the subject material, and sense of belonging as peer leaders. Weekly peer leader reflections analyzed using the Dreyfus model exhibited a consistent set of skills, while those analyzed using the Pazos model revealed a consistent type of student-peer leader interactions, allowing for peer leaders to be assigned to specific levels in the hierarchy of each of the models. Analysis of eight skill-based Likert-scale questions on the SALG survey showed an overall positive shift at the highest level. Independent of the skill or interaction level of the peer leader, we observed several instances of peer leaders acknowledging development in their communication skills, sincere attempts at creating an engaging classroom, and a deep investment in their student’s success. Peer leaders also reported improvements in understanding of the subjects they were teaching, wanting to persevere and solve problems independently, and feeling passionate about helping other students.
{"title":"Peer leader perspectives from a PLTL implementation in a Hispanic-serving institution","authors":"Madhavan Narayanan, Kasey Powers, Dhananjaya Premawardena, Kelly Colby, Janet Liou Mark, Nagaraj Rao, Davida S. Smyth, Mary Knopp-Kelly","doi":"10.1128/jmbe.00075-23","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1128/jmbe.00075-23","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Peer-Led Team Learning (PLTL) is a pedagogical approach that has been shown to benefit all students, especially underrepresented minority students and peer leaders in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines. In this work, we present results from our study of the impact of PLTL on our peer leaders from a controlled implementation in general biology, general chemistry, and statistics courses at a Hispanic-serving, minority-serving institution. More specifically, we have measured our PLTL program’s impact on our peer leaders' skill development, engagement with the subject material, and sense of belonging as peer leaders. Weekly peer leader reflections analyzed using the Dreyfus model exhibited a consistent set of skills, while those analyzed using the Pazos model revealed a consistent type of student-peer leader interactions, allowing for peer leaders to be assigned to specific levels in the hierarchy of each of the models. Analysis of eight skill-based Likert-scale questions on the SALG survey showed an overall positive shift at the highest level. Independent of the skill or interaction level of the peer leader, we observed several instances of peer leaders acknowledging development in their communication skills, sincere attempts at creating an engaging classroom, and a deep investment in their student’s success. Peer leaders also reported improvements in understanding of the subjects they were teaching, wanting to persevere and solve problems independently, and feeling passionate about helping other students.","PeriodicalId":46416,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135815764","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nivetha Sivarajah, Jenevan A. Irranious, Sivagini Krishnamoorthy, Thayaparan Kalaineethan, Deluxeani Kugathasan, Uventhikka Sivanantham, Mary E. McMillan, Natkunam Ketheesan
ABSTRACT Travel restrictions, pandemics, economic downturn, and increasing costs in organizing workshops all impact on face-to-face training of undergraduates planning to undertake research. The inability to obtain basic, first-hand information regarding research in practice causes undue stress for students and leads to unrealistic expectations regarding research projects. Here, we describe how a student initiated online workshop, co-designed by a group of undergraduate leaders in conjunction with a panel of international academic researchers, and enabled the delivery of an introductory workshop on research training to meet student needs. Post-workshop, over 80%–95% of the participants rated their understanding of different aspects of research in practice as either being good or excellent. The design of this workshop provides an innovative template, in particular for resource-restricted countries, on how student-initiated workshops with multi-institutional academic collaboration could enhance training in research practice.
{"title":"Research Ready: a student-initiated workshop model for developing foundational research skills","authors":"Nivetha Sivarajah, Jenevan A. Irranious, Sivagini Krishnamoorthy, Thayaparan Kalaineethan, Deluxeani Kugathasan, Uventhikka Sivanantham, Mary E. McMillan, Natkunam Ketheesan","doi":"10.1128/jmbe.00091-23","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1128/jmbe.00091-23","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Travel restrictions, pandemics, economic downturn, and increasing costs in organizing workshops all impact on face-to-face training of undergraduates planning to undertake research. The inability to obtain basic, first-hand information regarding research in practice causes undue stress for students and leads to unrealistic expectations regarding research projects. Here, we describe how a student initiated online workshop, co-designed by a group of undergraduate leaders in conjunction with a panel of international academic researchers, and enabled the delivery of an introductory workshop on research training to meet student needs. Post-workshop, over 80%–95% of the participants rated their understanding of different aspects of research in practice as either being good or excellent. The design of this workshop provides an innovative template, in particular for resource-restricted countries, on how student-initiated workshops with multi-institutional academic collaboration could enhance training in research practice.","PeriodicalId":46416,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"136059312","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
David Lopatto, S. Catherine Silver Key, Melanie Van Stry, Jamie Siders, Wilson Leung, Katie M. Sandlin, Chinmay P. Rele, Laura K. Reed, Abby E. Hare-Harris, Adam Haberman, Adam J. Kleinschmit, Alder Yu, Alexa Sawa, Alexis Nagengast, Alisha Howard, E Alma, Rodriguez Estrada, Amy T. Hark, Ana Almeida, Andrew M. Arsham, Ann K. Corsi, Anna K. Allen, Anthony D. Aragon, Aparna Sreenivasan, Brian Yowler, Carina E. Howell, Catherine Reinke, Chelsey C. McKenna, Christine M. Fleet, Christopher J. Jones, Cindy Arrigo, Cindy Wolfe, Claudia Uhde-Stone, Daron Barnard, Enrique Rodriguez-Borrero Don Paetkau, Evan Merkhofer, Eve M. Mellgren, Farida Safadi-Chamberlain, Geoffrey D. Findlay, Gerard McNeil, Heidi S. Bretscher, Hemayet Ullah, Hemlata Mistry, H. Howard Xu, Indrani Bose, Jack Vincent, Jacob D. Kagey, Jacqueline K. Wittke-Thompson, James E. J. Bedard, James S. Godde, James V. Price, Jamie O. Dyer, Jennifer A. Roecklein-Canfield, Jennifer Jemc, Jennifer Kennell, Jeroen Gillard, John M. Braverman, John P. Stanga, Joyce Stamm, Juan C. Martínez-Cruzado, Judith Leatherman, Justin R. DiAngelo, Justin Thackeray, Karen L. Schmeichel, Katherine C. Teeter, Kayla Bieser, Kellie S. Agrimson, Kenneth Saville, Leocadia Paliulis, Lindsey J. Long, Lisa Kadlec, M. Logan Johnson, Maire K. Sustacek, Maria Santisteban, Marie Montes-Matias, Martin G. Burg, Mary Ann V. Smith, Matthew Skerritt, Matthew Wawersik, Melinda A. Yang, Michael R. Rubin, Michele Eller, Monica L. Hall-Woods, Natalie Minkovsky, Nicole Salazar Velmeshev, Nighat P. Kokan, Nikolaos Tsotakos, Norma Velazquez-Ulloa, Paula Croonquist, Rivka L. Glaser, Robert A. Drewell, Sarah C. R. Elgin, Sarah Justice, Scott Tanner, Shallee T. Page, Siaumin Fung
ABSTRACT The initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic changed the nature of course delivery from largely in-person to exclusively remote, thus disrupting the well-established pedagogy of the Genomics Education Partnership (GEP; https://www.thegep.org ). However, our web-based research adapted well to the remote learning environment. As usual, students who engaged in the GEP’s Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) received digital projects based on genetic information within assembled Drosophila genomes. Adaptations for remote implementation included moving new member faculty training and peer Teaching Assistant office hours from in-person to online. Surprisingly, our faculty membership significantly increased and, hence, the number of supported students. Furthermore, despite the mostly virtual instruction of the 2020–2021 academic year, there was no significant decline in student learning nor attitudes. Based on successfully expanding the GEP CURE within a virtual learning environment, we provide four strategic lessons we infer toward democratizing science education. First, it appears that increasing access to scientific research and professional development opportunities by supporting virtual, cost-free attendance at national conferences attracts more faculty members to educational initiatives. Second, we observed that transitioning new member training to an online platform removed geographical barriers, reducing time and travel demands, and increased access for diverse faculty to join. Third, developing a Virtual Teaching Assistant program increased the availability of peer support, thereby improving the opportunities for student success. Finally, increasing access to web-based technology is critical for providing equitable opportunities for marginalized students to fully participate in research courses. Online CUREs have great potential for democratizing science education.
{"title":"Supporting the democratization of science during a pandemic: genomics Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs) as an effective remote learning strategy","authors":"David Lopatto, S. Catherine Silver Key, Melanie Van Stry, Jamie Siders, Wilson Leung, Katie M. Sandlin, Chinmay P. Rele, Laura K. Reed, Abby E. Hare-Harris, Adam Haberman, Adam J. Kleinschmit, Alder Yu, Alexa Sawa, Alexis Nagengast, Alisha Howard, E Alma, Rodriguez Estrada, Amy T. Hark, Ana Almeida, Andrew M. Arsham, Ann K. Corsi, Anna K. Allen, Anthony D. Aragon, Aparna Sreenivasan, Brian Yowler, Carina E. Howell, Catherine Reinke, Chelsey C. McKenna, Christine M. Fleet, Christopher J. Jones, Cindy Arrigo, Cindy Wolfe, Claudia Uhde-Stone, Daron Barnard, Enrique Rodriguez-Borrero Don Paetkau, Evan Merkhofer, Eve M. Mellgren, Farida Safadi-Chamberlain, Geoffrey D. Findlay, Gerard McNeil, Heidi S. Bretscher, Hemayet Ullah, Hemlata Mistry, H. Howard Xu, Indrani Bose, Jack Vincent, Jacob D. Kagey, Jacqueline K. Wittke-Thompson, James E. J. Bedard, James S. Godde, James V. Price, Jamie O. Dyer, Jennifer A. Roecklein-Canfield, Jennifer Jemc, Jennifer Kennell, Jeroen Gillard, John M. Braverman, John P. Stanga, Joyce Stamm, Juan C. Martínez-Cruzado, Judith Leatherman, Justin R. DiAngelo, Justin Thackeray, Karen L. Schmeichel, Katherine C. Teeter, Kayla Bieser, Kellie S. Agrimson, Kenneth Saville, Leocadia Paliulis, Lindsey J. Long, Lisa Kadlec, M. Logan Johnson, Maire K. Sustacek, Maria Santisteban, Marie Montes-Matias, Martin G. Burg, Mary Ann V. Smith, Matthew Skerritt, Matthew Wawersik, Melinda A. Yang, Michael R. Rubin, Michele Eller, Monica L. Hall-Woods, Natalie Minkovsky, Nicole Salazar Velmeshev, Nighat P. Kokan, Nikolaos Tsotakos, Norma Velazquez-Ulloa, Paula Croonquist, Rivka L. Glaser, Robert A. Drewell, Sarah C. R. Elgin, Sarah Justice, Scott Tanner, Shallee T. Page, Siaumin Fung","doi":"10.1128/jmbe.00039-23","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1128/jmbe.00039-23","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT The initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic changed the nature of course delivery from largely in-person to exclusively remote, thus disrupting the well-established pedagogy of the Genomics Education Partnership (GEP; https://www.thegep.org ). However, our web-based research adapted well to the remote learning environment. As usual, students who engaged in the GEP’s Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) received digital projects based on genetic information within assembled Drosophila genomes. Adaptations for remote implementation included moving new member faculty training and peer Teaching Assistant office hours from in-person to online. Surprisingly, our faculty membership significantly increased and, hence, the number of supported students. Furthermore, despite the mostly virtual instruction of the 2020–2021 academic year, there was no significant decline in student learning nor attitudes. Based on successfully expanding the GEP CURE within a virtual learning environment, we provide four strategic lessons we infer toward democratizing science education. First, it appears that increasing access to scientific research and professional development opportunities by supporting virtual, cost-free attendance at national conferences attracts more faculty members to educational initiatives. Second, we observed that transitioning new member training to an online platform removed geographical barriers, reducing time and travel demands, and increased access for diverse faculty to join. Third, developing a Virtual Teaching Assistant program increased the availability of peer support, thereby improving the opportunities for student success. Finally, increasing access to web-based technology is critical for providing equitable opportunities for marginalized students to fully participate in research courses. Online CUREs have great potential for democratizing science education.","PeriodicalId":46416,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"136058847","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Julie A. Merkle, Olivier Devergne, Seth M. Kelly, Paula A. Croonquist, Cory J. Evans, Melanie A. Hwalek, Victoria L. Straub, Danielle R. Hamill, Alexandra Peister, David P. Puthoff, Ken J. Saville, Jamie L. Siders, Zully J. Villanueva Gonzalez, Jacqueline K. Wittke-Thompson, Kayla L. Bieser, Joyce Stamm, Alysia D. Vrailas-Mortimer, Jacob D. Kagey
ABSTRACT The Fly-CURE is a genetics-focused multi-institutional Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) that provides undergraduate students with hands-on research experiences within a course. Through the Fly-CURE, undergraduate students at diverse types of higher education institutions across the United States map and characterize novel mutants isolated from a genetic screen in Drosophila melanogaster . To date, more than 20 mutants have been studied across 20 institutions, and our scientific data have led to eleven publications with more than 500 students as authors. To evaluate the impact of the Fly-CURE experience on students, we developed and validated assessment tools to identify students’ perceived research self-efficacy, sense of belonging in science, and intent to pursue additional research opportunities. Our data, collected over three academic years and involving 14 institutions and 480 students, show gains in these metrics after completion of the Fly-CURE across all student subgroups analyzed, including comparisons of gender, academic status, racial and ethnic groups, and parents’ educational background. Importantly, our data also show differential gains in the areas of self-efficacy and interest in seeking additional research opportunities between Fly-CURE students with and without prior research experience, illustrating the positive impact of research exposure (dosage) on student outcomes. Altogether, our data indicate that the Fly-CURE experience has a significant impact on students’ efficacy with research methods, sense of belonging to the scientific research community, and interest in pursuing additional research experiences.
{"title":"Fly-CURE, a multi-institutional CURE using <i>Drosophila</i> , increases students' confidence, sense of belonging, and persistence in research","authors":"Julie A. Merkle, Olivier Devergne, Seth M. Kelly, Paula A. Croonquist, Cory J. Evans, Melanie A. Hwalek, Victoria L. Straub, Danielle R. Hamill, Alexandra Peister, David P. Puthoff, Ken J. Saville, Jamie L. Siders, Zully J. Villanueva Gonzalez, Jacqueline K. Wittke-Thompson, Kayla L. Bieser, Joyce Stamm, Alysia D. Vrailas-Mortimer, Jacob D. Kagey","doi":"10.1128/jmbe.00245-22","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1128/jmbe.00245-22","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT The Fly-CURE is a genetics-focused multi-institutional Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) that provides undergraduate students with hands-on research experiences within a course. Through the Fly-CURE, undergraduate students at diverse types of higher education institutions across the United States map and characterize novel mutants isolated from a genetic screen in Drosophila melanogaster . To date, more than 20 mutants have been studied across 20 institutions, and our scientific data have led to eleven publications with more than 500 students as authors. To evaluate the impact of the Fly-CURE experience on students, we developed and validated assessment tools to identify students’ perceived research self-efficacy, sense of belonging in science, and intent to pursue additional research opportunities. Our data, collected over three academic years and involving 14 institutions and 480 students, show gains in these metrics after completion of the Fly-CURE across all student subgroups analyzed, including comparisons of gender, academic status, racial and ethnic groups, and parents’ educational background. Importantly, our data also show differential gains in the areas of self-efficacy and interest in seeking additional research opportunities between Fly-CURE students with and without prior research experience, illustrating the positive impact of research exposure (dosage) on student outcomes. Altogether, our data indicate that the Fly-CURE experience has a significant impact on students’ efficacy with research methods, sense of belonging to the scientific research community, and interest in pursuing additional research experiences.","PeriodicalId":46416,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"136136712","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ABSTRACT Shake flask cultivation is a routine technique in microbiology and biotechnology laboratories where cell growth can be affected by the hydrodynamic conditions, which depend on the agitation velocity, shaking diameter, and shake flask size. Liquid agitation is implemented inherently to increase aeration, substrate transfer to the cells, and prevent sedimentation, disregarding the role of hydrodynamics in microbial growth and metabolism. Here, we present a simple approach to help standardize the hydrodynamic forces in orbital shakers to increase the experimental accuracy and reproducibility and give students a better knowledge of the significance of the agitation process in microbial growth.
{"title":"A procedure to harmonize the hydrodynamic force during microbial cultivation in shaking flasks","authors":"Lúcia Chaves Simões, Isabel Oliveira, Anabela Borges, Inês Bezerra Gomes, Manuel Simões","doi":"10.1128/jmbe.00099-23","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1128/jmbe.00099-23","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Shake flask cultivation is a routine technique in microbiology and biotechnology laboratories where cell growth can be affected by the hydrodynamic conditions, which depend on the agitation velocity, shaking diameter, and shake flask size. Liquid agitation is implemented inherently to increase aeration, substrate transfer to the cells, and prevent sedimentation, disregarding the role of hydrodynamics in microbial growth and metabolism. Here, we present a simple approach to help standardize the hydrodynamic forces in orbital shakers to increase the experimental accuracy and reproducibility and give students a better knowledge of the significance of the agitation process in microbial growth.","PeriodicalId":46416,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135014134","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Lexi Wachtell, Amanda Gardiner, Matt Sievers, Katie Dickinson, Grace E. C. Dy, Elizabeth H. Glenski, Joya Mukerji, Elli Theobald, Elisa T. Tran, Vicente Velasco, Scott Freeman
ABSTRACT Researchers who work on course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) and issues related to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) retention have begun exploring changes in student thinking about what it means to be a scientist. To support this effort, we developed rubrics to score answers to three open-response prompts: What does it mean to think like a scientist? What does it mean to do science? and Did you do real research in your coursename labs? The rubric development process was iterative and was based on input from the literature, experienced researchers, and early-career undergraduates. A post hoc analysis showed that the rubric elements map to 27 of 31 statements in the Culture of Scientific Research (CSR) framework, suggesting that scored responses to the three prompts can assess how well students understand what being a science professional entails. Scores on responses from over 400 students who were starting an introductory biology course for majors furnish baseline data from the rubrics and suggest that (i) undergraduates at this level have, as expected, a novice-level understanding of CSR, and (ii) level of understanding in novice students does not vary as a function of demography or academic preparation. Researchers and instructors are encouraged to add CSR to their list of learning objectives for CUREs and consider assessing it using the rubrics provided here.
{"title":"Measuring undergraduates’ understanding of the culture of scientific research as an outcome variable in research on CUREs","authors":"Lexi Wachtell, Amanda Gardiner, Matt Sievers, Katie Dickinson, Grace E. C. Dy, Elizabeth H. Glenski, Joya Mukerji, Elli Theobald, Elisa T. Tran, Vicente Velasco, Scott Freeman","doi":"10.1128/jmbe.00187-22","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1128/jmbe.00187-22","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Researchers who work on course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) and issues related to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) retention have begun exploring changes in student thinking about what it means to be a scientist. To support this effort, we developed rubrics to score answers to three open-response prompts: What does it mean to think like a scientist? What does it mean to do science? and Did you do real research in your coursename labs? The rubric development process was iterative and was based on input from the literature, experienced researchers, and early-career undergraduates. A post hoc analysis showed that the rubric elements map to 27 of 31 statements in the Culture of Scientific Research (CSR) framework, suggesting that scored responses to the three prompts can assess how well students understand what being a science professional entails. Scores on responses from over 400 students who were starting an introductory biology course for majors furnish baseline data from the rubrics and suggest that (i) undergraduates at this level have, as expected, a novice-level understanding of CSR, and (ii) level of understanding in novice students does not vary as a function of demography or academic preparation. Researchers and instructors are encouraged to add CSR to their list of learning objectives for CUREs and consider assessing it using the rubrics provided here.","PeriodicalId":46416,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135396512","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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