H. R. Fidiastuti, Sri Rahayu Lestari, Suhadi , S. Prabaningtyas
ABSTRACT Recently, several articles have reflected on the existence of microorganisms in supporting the life and health of living creatures as the beginning of the emergence of microbiology literacy. In the curriculum, understanding the activity of microorganisms has been studied from pre-school, elementary school, and middle school to college. The presence of microorganisms is often associated as a cause of disease. As a result, most students know the negative impact of microorganisms but have not discovered the fundamental role of microorganisms in their lives. Special attention needs to be given as a form of effort to strengthen microbiology literacy. Several studies state that students have an important role in disseminating the concept of sterilization, maintaining a safe distance, and using masks as generally applicable protocols during the pandemic. Therefore, with the aim that microorganisms have an important role, both directly and indirectly and to curb negative perceptions of microorganisms, we propose microbiology competencies among biology education students, who are future teaching candidates. This article identifies the complex challenges of 21st-century microbiology learning and the OECD framework. This approach includes the use of pedagogical interventions with the main objectives: (i) knowledge (to teach fundamental microbiology knowledge, (ii) skills (to increase awareness in recognizing and solving real-life problems), and (iii) attitudes and values (to explain the contribution of microbiology in supporting life).
{"title":"Developing microbiology literacy in biology education college: future teacher candidates","authors":"H. R. Fidiastuti, Sri Rahayu Lestari, Suhadi , S. Prabaningtyas","doi":"10.1128/jmbe.00035-24","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1128/jmbe.00035-24","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Recently, several articles have reflected on the existence of microorganisms in supporting the life and health of living creatures as the beginning of the emergence of microbiology literacy. In the curriculum, understanding the activity of microorganisms has been studied from pre-school, elementary school, and middle school to college. The presence of microorganisms is often associated as a cause of disease. As a result, most students know the negative impact of microorganisms but have not discovered the fundamental role of microorganisms in their lives. Special attention needs to be given as a form of effort to strengthen microbiology literacy. Several studies state that students have an important role in disseminating the concept of sterilization, maintaining a safe distance, and using masks as generally applicable protocols during the pandemic. Therefore, with the aim that microorganisms have an important role, both directly and indirectly and to curb negative perceptions of microorganisms, we propose microbiology competencies among biology education students, who are future teaching candidates. This article identifies the complex challenges of 21st-century microbiology learning and the OECD framework. This approach includes the use of pedagogical interventions with the main objectives: (i) knowledge (to teach fundamental microbiology knowledge, (ii) skills (to increase awareness in recognizing and solving real-life problems), and (iii) attitudes and values (to explain the contribution of microbiology in supporting life).","PeriodicalId":502898,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Microbiology and Biology Education","volume":" 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141668616","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 With a primary objective to engage students in the process of science online, we transformed a long-standing laboratory course for first-year science students into a more accessible, immersive experience of current biological research using a narrow and focused set of primary literature and the Consider, Read, Elucidate a hypothesis, Analyze and interpret data, Think of the next Experiment (CREATE) pedagogy. The efficacy of the CREATE approach has been demonstrated in a diversity of higher education settings and courses. It is, however, not yet known if CREATE can be successfully implemented online with a large, diverse team of faculty untrained in the CREATE pedagogy. Here, we present the transformation of a large-enrollment, multi-section, multi-instructor course for first-year students in which the instructors follow different biological research questions but work together to reach shared goals and outcomes. We assessed students’ (i) science self-efficacy and (ii) epistemological beliefs about science throughout an academic year of instruction fully administered online as a result of ongoing threats posed by COVID-19. Our findings demonstrate that novice CREATE instructors with varying levels of teaching experience and ranks can achieve comparable outcomes and improvements in students’ science efficacy in the virtual classroom as a teaching team. This study extends the use of the CREATE pedagogy to large, team-taught, multi-section courses and shows its utility in the online teaching and learning environment.
{"title":"CREATE’ing improvements in first-year students’ science efficacy via an online introductory course experience","authors":"Jessica Garzke, Blaire J. Steinwand","doi":"10.1128/jmbe.00079-23","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1128/jmbe.00079-23","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT With a primary objective to engage students in the process of science online, we transformed a long-standing laboratory course for first-year science students into a more accessible, immersive experience of current biological research using a narrow and focused set of primary literature and the Consider, Read, Elucidate a hypothesis, Analyze and interpret data, Think of the next Experiment (CREATE) pedagogy. The efficacy of the CREATE approach has been demonstrated in a diversity of higher education settings and courses. It is, however, not yet known if CREATE can be successfully implemented online with a large, diverse team of faculty untrained in the CREATE pedagogy. Here, we present the transformation of a large-enrollment, multi-section, multi-instructor course for first-year students in which the instructors follow different biological research questions but work together to reach shared goals and outcomes. We assessed students’ (i) science self-efficacy and (ii) epistemological beliefs about science throughout an academic year of instruction fully administered online as a result of ongoing threats posed by COVID-19. Our findings demonstrate that novice CREATE instructors with varying levels of teaching experience and ranks can achieve comparable outcomes and improvements in students’ science efficacy in the virtual classroom as a teaching team. This study extends the use of the CREATE pedagogy to large, team-taught, multi-section courses and shows its utility in the online teaching and learning environment.","PeriodicalId":502898,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Microbiology and Biology Education","volume":"43 38","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139528110","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}
Stephanie Sorisho, Laura Matias-Gomez, Melissa A. Baithey, Vladimira Cechova, Fredrick Kyle Madrid, Drew A. Rholl
ABSTRACT Active learning has been shown to increase STEM student engagement and decrease the achievement gap among underrepresented students. As a parallel to the lack of equity in STEM education, BIPOC patients who require a life-saving hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) are much less likely—sometimes less than half as likely—than individuals of White-European descent to find a suitable donor when using the National Marrow Donation Program (NMDP). The Be the Match (BtM) Registry has made significant improvements in the likelihood of matching underrepresented patients, but the disparity persists. This activity uses a service-learning project to teach undergraduate students about stem cell donation and to add potential stem cell donors to the BtM Registry. A small data set of pre-/post-surveys from one cohort shows learning gains on the topic of HCT. The approach is flexible and scalable, and students overwhelmingly reported the project as a great use of class time and very rewarding.
ABSTRACT 主动学习已被证明可以提高 STEM 学生的参与度，缩小代表性不足的学生之间的成绩差距。与 STEM 教育缺乏公平性类似，需要进行造血细胞移植（HCT）以挽救生命的白种人后裔患者在使用国家骨髓捐献计划（NMDP）时，找到合适捐献者的可能性也比白种人后裔低得多，有时甚至不到一半。Be the Match（BtM）登记处在为代表性不足的患者配型的可能性方面取得了重大改进，但差距依然存在。这项活动利用服务学习项目向本科生传授干细胞捐献知识，并将潜在的干细胞捐献者纳入 BtM 登记册。一个小组的前后调查小数据集显示，学生在造血干细胞移植方面的学习有所收获。该方法灵活且可扩展，学生们普遍认为该项目很好地利用了课堂时间，收获颇丰。
{"title":"An undergraduate service-learning project to teach immunology concepts while increasing healthcare equity by enhancing access to stem cell donors among underrepresented populations","authors":"Stephanie Sorisho, Laura Matias-Gomez, Melissa A. Baithey, Vladimira Cechova, Fredrick Kyle Madrid, Drew A. Rholl","doi":"10.1128/jmbe.00157-23","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1128/jmbe.00157-23","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Active learning has been shown to increase STEM student engagement and decrease the achievement gap among underrepresented students. As a parallel to the lack of equity in STEM education, BIPOC patients who require a life-saving hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) are much less likely—sometimes less than half as likely—than individuals of White-European descent to find a suitable donor when using the National Marrow Donation Program (NMDP). The Be the Match (BtM) Registry has made significant improvements in the likelihood of matching underrepresented patients, but the disparity persists. This activity uses a service-learning project to teach undergraduate students about stem cell donation and to add potential stem cell donors to the BtM Registry. A small data set of pre-/post-surveys from one cohort shows learning gains on the topic of HCT. The approach is flexible and scalable, and students overwhelmingly reported the project as a great use of class time and very rewarding.","PeriodicalId":502898,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Microbiology and Biology Education","volume":"47 22","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139528148","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}
D. Wessner, Lia Rose Newman, Marisa J. Pascucci, Nella Tsudis
ABSTRACT Incorporating art into science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses can be an effective way to help students understand scientific concepts and think about those concepts more holistically. Additionally, art can be used to inform the public about scientific issues. To explore this topic more fully, we developed an assignment for an upper-level biology course in which students curated an art exhibition focused on the 2019 coronavirus disease, COVID-19. Working in pairs, students identified pieces of art in the College’s permanent collection that they felt related to some aspect of the pandemic. Each pair wrote a short curator’s statement and a more traditional academic essay. The works of art and the curator’s statements were displayed on campus. Visitors to the exhibition were invited to complete a short survey about the exhibition and its relevance to COVID-19. Anecdotal evidence suggests that the students enjoyed and valued the assignment. Limited data from visitors to the exhibition show that they thought the art helped them think more deeply about the pandemic. Based on these results, we conclude that the development of art exhibitions in STEM courses can benefit the students and the public.
{"title":"Incorporating art into a biology course: a student-curated art exhibition about COVID-19","authors":"D. Wessner, Lia Rose Newman, Marisa J. Pascucci, Nella Tsudis","doi":"10.1128/jmbe.00142-23","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1128/jmbe.00142-23","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Incorporating art into science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses can be an effective way to help students understand scientific concepts and think about those concepts more holistically. Additionally, art can be used to inform the public about scientific issues. To explore this topic more fully, we developed an assignment for an upper-level biology course in which students curated an art exhibition focused on the 2019 coronavirus disease, COVID-19. Working in pairs, students identified pieces of art in the College’s permanent collection that they felt related to some aspect of the pandemic. Each pair wrote a short curator’s statement and a more traditional academic essay. The works of art and the curator’s statements were displayed on campus. Visitors to the exhibition were invited to complete a short survey about the exhibition and its relevance to COVID-19. Anecdotal evidence suggests that the students enjoyed and valued the assignment. Limited data from visitors to the exhibition show that they thought the art helped them think more deeply about the pandemic. Based on these results, we conclude that the development of art exhibitions in STEM courses can benefit the students and the public.","PeriodicalId":502898,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Microbiology and Biology Education","volume":"14 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139437321","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}
Adam J. Kleinschmit, Elizabeth A. Genné-Bacon, Kevin Drace, Brinda Govindan, Jennifer R. Larson, Amber A. Qureshi, Carol Bascom-Slack
ABSTRACT Over the last several years, nationally disseminated course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) have emerged as an alternative to developing a novel CURE from scratch, but objective assessment of these multi-institution (network) CUREs across institutions is challenging due to differences in student populations, instructors, and fidelity of implementation. The time, money, and skills required to develop and validate a CURE-specific assessment instrument can be prohibitive. Here, we describe a co-design process for assessing a network CURE [the Prevalence of Antibiotic Resistance in the Environment (PARE)] that did not require support through external funding, was a relatively low time commitment for participating instructors, and resulted in a validated instrument that is usable across diverse PARE network institution types and implementation styles. Data collection efforts have involved over two dozen unique institutions, 42 course offerings, and over 1,300 pre-/post-matched assessment record data points. We demonstrated significant student learning gains but with small effect size in both content and science process skills after participation in the two laboratory sessions associated with the core PARE module. These results show promise for the efficacy of short-duration CUREs, an educational research area ripe for further investigation, and may support efforts to lower barriers for instructor adoption by leveraging a CURE network for developing and validating assessment tools.
{"title":"A framework for leveraging network course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) faculty to develop, validate, and administer an assessment instrument","authors":"Adam J. Kleinschmit, Elizabeth A. Genné-Bacon, Kevin Drace, Brinda Govindan, Jennifer R. Larson, Amber A. Qureshi, Carol Bascom-Slack","doi":"10.1128/jmbe.00149-23","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1128/jmbe.00149-23","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Over the last several years, nationally disseminated course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) have emerged as an alternative to developing a novel CURE from scratch, but objective assessment of these multi-institution (network) CUREs across institutions is challenging due to differences in student populations, instructors, and fidelity of implementation. The time, money, and skills required to develop and validate a CURE-specific assessment instrument can be prohibitive. Here, we describe a co-design process for assessing a network CURE [the Prevalence of Antibiotic Resistance in the Environment (PARE)] that did not require support through external funding, was a relatively low time commitment for participating instructors, and resulted in a validated instrument that is usable across diverse PARE network institution types and implementation styles. Data collection efforts have involved over two dozen unique institutions, 42 course offerings, and over 1,300 pre-/post-matched assessment record data points. We demonstrated significant student learning gains but with small effect size in both content and science process skills after participation in the two laboratory sessions associated with the core PARE module. These results show promise for the efficacy of short-duration CUREs, an educational research area ripe for further investigation, and may support efforts to lower barriers for instructor adoption by leveraging a CURE network for developing and validating assessment tools.","PeriodicalId":502898,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Microbiology and Biology Education","volume":"1 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139437777","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 Students that graduate with degrees in science may pursue a variety of career roles. Many of these roles may require them to read primary scientific literature (PSL) or even write up their own manuscripts for submission. While literature has recognized the importance of integrating PSL into undergraduate curriculum, it is also important for students to recognize the writing process that one may need to take part in if they seek to disseminate their own publications. This article will go through a research assignment that was given to an introductory journal club class for biology majors at a large R1 Hispanic-serving Institution. This assignment was designed to mirror the publication process at many journals including drafting a manuscript, integrating editor recommendations, and drafting a letter to the editor. In the end, students produce a review paper while becoming more familiar with the traditional publication process. In turn, this can prepare them to eventually seek to publish their own manuscripts.
{"title":"Writing like a scientist: a research assignment for undergraduates inspired by the publishing process","authors":"Alexander Eden","doi":"10.1128/jmbe.00156-23","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1128/jmbe.00156-23","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Students that graduate with degrees in science may pursue a variety of career roles. Many of these roles may require them to read primary scientific literature (PSL) or even write up their own manuscripts for submission. While literature has recognized the importance of integrating PSL into undergraduate curriculum, it is also important for students to recognize the writing process that one may need to take part in if they seek to disseminate their own publications. This article will go through a research assignment that was given to an introductory journal club class for biology majors at a large R1 Hispanic-serving Institution. This assignment was designed to mirror the publication process at many journals including drafting a manuscript, integrating editor recommendations, and drafting a letter to the editor. In the end, students produce a review paper while becoming more familiar with the traditional publication process. In turn, this can prepare them to eventually seek to publish their own manuscripts.","PeriodicalId":502898,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Microbiology and Biology Education","volume":"5 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139437605","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 University-established modalities to help undergraduate students navigate the path to medical school are often implemented toward the end of college or following graduation. This imposes cost and time burdens that may be contribute to the high rate of premedical attrition, especially for students who are members of a marginalized community. In the fall 2022 semester, an asynchronous, self-directed pre-health module was offered to biology majors at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill enrolled in a required introductory biology research skills course. The objective of the five-lesson intervention was to enhance student understanding of the path to becoming a successful applicant early in their college career. The module aimed to increase the accessibility of pre-health advising and was designed to be easily shared and adapted across various learning management systems. A pre- and post-module survey was administered to assess changes in students’ perceived understanding of and confidence for success on the pre-health track following completion of the course.
{"title":"Creation and evaluation of a self-directed, first-year intervention for pre-health undergraduates: setting students up for success","authors":"Meghan Currin, Eric Hastie","doi":"10.1128/jmbe.00115-23","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1128/jmbe.00115-23","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT University-established modalities to help undergraduate students navigate the path to medical school are often implemented toward the end of college or following graduation. This imposes cost and time burdens that may be contribute to the high rate of premedical attrition, especially for students who are members of a marginalized community. In the fall 2022 semester, an asynchronous, self-directed pre-health module was offered to biology majors at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill enrolled in a required introductory biology research skills course. The objective of the five-lesson intervention was to enhance student understanding of the path to becoming a successful applicant early in their college career. The module aimed to increase the accessibility of pre-health advising and was designed to be easily shared and adapted across various learning management systems. A pre- and post-module survey was administered to assess changes in students’ perceived understanding of and confidence for success on the pre-health track following completion of the course.","PeriodicalId":502898,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Microbiology and Biology Education","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139439846","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 There are places on earth that are considered to possess extreme physico-chemical characteristics as they relate to life. Surprisingly, there are microbes that have adapted various strategies that enable them to form robust communities in these environments. The microbes that live in these environments, called extremophiles, are described as being thermophilic, psychrophilic, halophilic, acidophilic, alkaliphilic, barophilic, and so on. Given that extremophiles were not discovered until relatively recently due to a view point that the environments in which they inhabited were not conducive to life, it is reasonable to conclude that the concept of extremophiles may be hard to grasp for students. Herein is described a laboratory exercise adapted from laboratory exercises that use mesophilic catalase enzymes to illustrate the influence of physico-chemical parameters on enzyme activity. Catalase is an enzyme that accelerates the degradation of hydrogen peroxide to water and oxygen gas. In addition to mesophilic catalases, the catalase from Pyrobaculum calidifontis, a hyperthermophile with an optimal growth temperature of 90°C, is used to highlight the adaptation of an enzyme to an extreme environment. A visual comparison of bubble production by the hyperthermophilic and mesophilic enzymes after heating at high temperatures dramatically illustrates differences in thermostability that will likely reinforce concepts that are given in a pre-laboratory lecture that discusses not only the extremophiles themselves but also their applications in biotechnology and possible role in the field of astrobiology.
{"title":"Extremophile enzyme activity lab: using catalase from Pyrobaculum calidifontis to highlight temperature sensitivity and thermostable enzyme activity","authors":"Joseph W. Scott, J. J. Steel","doi":"10.1128/jmbe.00065-23","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1128/jmbe.00065-23","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT There are places on earth that are considered to possess extreme physico-chemical characteristics as they relate to life. Surprisingly, there are microbes that have adapted various strategies that enable them to form robust communities in these environments. The microbes that live in these environments, called extremophiles, are described as being thermophilic, psychrophilic, halophilic, acidophilic, alkaliphilic, barophilic, and so on. Given that extremophiles were not discovered until relatively recently due to a view point that the environments in which they inhabited were not conducive to life, it is reasonable to conclude that the concept of extremophiles may be hard to grasp for students. Herein is described a laboratory exercise adapted from laboratory exercises that use mesophilic catalase enzymes to illustrate the influence of physico-chemical parameters on enzyme activity. Catalase is an enzyme that accelerates the degradation of hydrogen peroxide to water and oxygen gas. In addition to mesophilic catalases, the catalase from Pyrobaculum calidifontis, a hyperthermophile with an optimal growth temperature of 90°C, is used to highlight the adaptation of an enzyme to an extreme environment. A visual comparison of bubble production by the hyperthermophilic and mesophilic enzymes after heating at high temperatures dramatically illustrates differences in thermostability that will likely reinforce concepts that are given in a pre-laboratory lecture that discusses not only the extremophiles themselves but also their applications in biotechnology and possible role in the field of astrobiology.","PeriodicalId":502898,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Microbiology and Biology Education","volume":"33 11","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139446175","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 The importance of teaching the Luria-Delbrück experiment to biology students is increasingly recognized by educators, and improved pedagogical methods for teaching the classic experiment have been proposed and tested in the classroom. However, there are still obstacles that impede the proper teaching of the classic experiment. This note proposes two strategies to further improve the teaching of the classic experiment. The first strategy is to be frank with an inherent limitation of the classic experiment, and instructors should explain from a logical point of view why the classic experiment cannot be used to refute the possibility of directed mutation. The second strategy is to emphasize the pioneering work of Delbrück on developing the mutant distribution that enables researchers to estimate microbial mutation rates using data generated by fluctuation experiments, and instructors should shift their attention to the overlooked essential role of the mutant distribution.
{"title":"What are we missing in teaching the Luria-Delbrück experiment?","authors":"Qi Zheng","doi":"10.1128/jmbe.00161-23","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1128/jmbe.00161-23","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT The importance of teaching the Luria-Delbrück experiment to biology students is increasingly recognized by educators, and improved pedagogical methods for teaching the classic experiment have been proposed and tested in the classroom. However, there are still obstacles that impede the proper teaching of the classic experiment. This note proposes two strategies to further improve the teaching of the classic experiment. The first strategy is to be frank with an inherent limitation of the classic experiment, and instructors should explain from a logical point of view why the classic experiment cannot be used to refute the possibility of directed mutation. The second strategy is to emphasize the pioneering work of Delbrück on developing the mutant distribution that enables researchers to estimate microbial mutation rates using data generated by fluctuation experiments, and instructors should shift their attention to the overlooked essential role of the mutant distribution.","PeriodicalId":502898,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Microbiology and Biology Education","volume":"52 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139447450","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 Reading, presenting, and discussing peer-reviewed scientific reports, case studies, and reviews are essential to modern biology education. These exercises model crucial aspects of students’ future professional activities and introduce the students to the current scientific concepts and methodology, data analysis, and presentation. A common format for working with primary literature is a journal club: presenting and discussing research literature in front of peers, which has many merits. However, in large modern classrooms, this format is very time-consuming and stressful, especially since presenting is not a commonly taught skill. We argue that student groups for whom the current educational and professional paradigms present a challenge due to a historical lack of representation or wellness issues are deprived of a key educational opportunity. To solve this problem, we formulated an approach called Peer-Reviewed Presentation Exchange (PRPE), which focuses on collaborative analysis, presentation, and review of research literature that includes (i) voice-narrated research presentations by students, (ii) checklists generated by the instructor to establish expectations for an informative presentation or review, and (iii) presentation assignment and peer review process. We tested this approach in an undergraduate cell biology class over 3 years. Pre- and post-assessments show significant gains in self-efficacy and knowledge not only by students who presented but also by the students who reviewed the presentations; therefore, peer-reviewed presentations are an effective tool for learning. Exit surveys show that the approach is seen as beneficial by most students. Our approach allows every student to speak and ask questions in a low-stress creative environment. It is an excellent customizable, trackable, and scalable low-stakes assessment tool.
{"title":"Peer-reviewed presentation exchange in an undergraduate classroom","authors":"K. Kiselyov, C. Schunn","doi":"10.1128/jmbe.00067-23","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1128/jmbe.00067-23","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Reading, presenting, and discussing peer-reviewed scientific reports, case studies, and reviews are essential to modern biology education. These exercises model crucial aspects of students’ future professional activities and introduce the students to the current scientific concepts and methodology, data analysis, and presentation. A common format for working with primary literature is a journal club: presenting and discussing research literature in front of peers, which has many merits. However, in large modern classrooms, this format is very time-consuming and stressful, especially since presenting is not a commonly taught skill. We argue that student groups for whom the current educational and professional paradigms present a challenge due to a historical lack of representation or wellness issues are deprived of a key educational opportunity. To solve this problem, we formulated an approach called Peer-Reviewed Presentation Exchange (PRPE), which focuses on collaborative analysis, presentation, and review of research literature that includes (i) voice-narrated research presentations by students, (ii) checklists generated by the instructor to establish expectations for an informative presentation or review, and (iii) presentation assignment and peer review process. We tested this approach in an undergraduate cell biology class over 3 years. Pre- and post-assessments show significant gains in self-efficacy and knowledge not only by students who presented but also by the students who reviewed the presentations; therefore, peer-reviewed presentations are an effective tool for learning. Exit surveys show that the approach is seen as beneficial by most students. Our approach allows every student to speak and ask questions in a low-stress creative environment. It is an excellent customizable, trackable, and scalable low-stakes assessment tool.","PeriodicalId":502898,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Microbiology and Biology Education","volume":"48 19","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139448118","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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