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Full-Text Articles in Science and Mathematics Education
Investigating Division Quest: A Text-Based Adventure Narrative Game For Overcoming Difficulties Of Mitosis Learning, Amanda G. Conner
Investigating Division Quest: A Text-Based Adventure Narrative Game For Overcoming Difficulties Of Mitosis Learning, Amanda G. Conner
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Mitosis learning is a source of struggle for many introductory biology students. Much of this difficulty stems from an overwhelming amount of terminology and moving pieces as well as the abstract nature of cellular processes. Game-based learning (GBL) has been used in other contexts to reduce cognitive load and provide relatable experiences upon which students can construct their mental models. However, commercial GBL is often expensive and difficult to align with individual instructor teaching preferences and learning objectives. In this study, we use a mixed methods approach to explore the use of a GBL tool made in Twine to overcome …
Thinking Beyond The Fried Egg Model: How Accurately Do Students Perceive Cells In A Living Context?, Milissa Knox
Thinking Beyond The Fried Egg Model: How Accurately Do Students Perceive Cells In A Living Context?, Milissa Knox
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
This exploratory study investigated three aspects of introductory undergraduate biology students’ understanding about cells. The study, which took place at the University of Maine with voluntary students in Basic Biology (“BIO100”) in the summer and fall of 2009, examined (1) students’ pre-course perceptions of cells as they exist in a living context and (2) gains in students’ perception and knowledge about cells after completing the one-semester course (BIO100). Results are based on lecture exam scores, pre-post surveys developed as a part of this thesis, and interviews with two groups of biology students. A total of 498 students participated in the …
Mach: A Model For Explaining Molecular And Cellular Mechanisms, Caleb M. Trujillo
Mach: A Model For Explaining Molecular And Cellular Mechanisms, Caleb M. Trujillo
Open Access Dissertations
Biologists use mechanistic explanations to understand behaviors of the immense complexity of molecular and cellular systems. In undergraduate biology courses, students are expected to explain molecular and cellular mechanisms, but teaching this skill presents many challenges due to the highly abstract, intangible nature of the cellular world, the influence of everyday language, and the tendency of students to overestimate how much they can explain. Therefore, across three studies this dissertation addresses these obstacles to teach undergraduate biology students to explain molecular and cellular mechanisms. ^ The first step was to model how biology experts explain molecular and cellular mechanisms, and …