Science and Mathematics Education Commons^™

Engaging Students In A Genetics Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience Utilizing Caenorhabditis Elegans In Hybrid Learning To Explore Human Disease Gene Variants, Natalie Forte, Virginia Veasey, Bethany Christie, Amira Carter, Marli Hanks, Alan Holderfield, Taylor Houston, Anil Challa, Ashley Turner

Research, Publications & Creative Work

Genetic analysis in model systems using bioinformatic approaches provides a rich context for a concrete and conceptual understanding of gene structure and function. With the intent to engage students in research and explore disease biology utilizing the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans model, we developed a semester-long course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) in a hybrid (online/in-person) learning environment—the gene-editing and evolutionary nematode exploration CURE (GENE-CURE). Using a combination of bioinformatic and molecular genetic tools, students performed structure-function analysis of disease-associated variants of uncertain significance (VUS) in human orthologs. With the aid of a series of workshop-style research sessions, students worked in teams …

Comparing Time Allocation For Teaching Science As Inquiry In Two Educator Preparation Science Methods Courses, Lori A. Dira

Faculty Journal Articles

How much time an institution allocates to content can indicate its overall importance and intended value to the educator preparation program. For decades there have been calls to integrate more authentic science inquiry experiences into not only undergraduate elementary science courses, but into all elementary educator preparation courses. Many elementary educators do not receive training on effective methods for teaching science, they will not feel comfortable and will likely have low self-efficacy. This study investigated the amount of time allocated to teaching science as inquiry and the knowledge participants had prior to and after taking an elementary teaching science methods …

Community In The Online Science Classroom, Emily Faulconer

Publications

As online course offerings rise, it is important to design and facilitate courses to promote community so students feel connected to each other and the instructor and feel a sense of belonging as a scientist. Online discussions are a common feature for building and nurturing community and combating isolation. Discussions stimulate active learning, a strategy to promote participation in knowledge construction. This sense of community and science identity is important for both persistence and performance. I will share efforts to promote community while reducing extraneous cognitive load through discussion design and targeted instructor professional development. I will share data on …

Dual Vocations Of Science And Religion: A Historical Case Study Of Benedictine Women, Diana Fenton

Education Faculty Publications

This study examines Catholic Benedictine sisters who majored in sciences and taught science for over 100 years at the College of Saint Benedict in Saint Joseph, Minnesota, USA. In 1913, the College of Saint Benedict began as a women’s college, expanding Saint Benedict’s Academy, a boarding high school for women. This historical organizational case study analyzed archived data to understand the benefits and challenges of women who lived religious lives and studied science. Although women, in general, are still underrepresented in the sciences, the data collected provides information on how the sisters obtained advanced degrees as early as 1923, well …

Introduction To A Universal Performance Improvement Method (Chigen-Iku), Yoshihiko Ariizumi

Learning, Teaching, & Researching Optimization

This brief article introduces a universal performance improvement method called Chigen-iku, which has been developed carefully and extensively over more than 25 years through more than 100 individual and group projects based on the principles that were selected through my doctorial study in the field of Instructional Psychology and Technology.

Technology-Enabled Active Learning In Gen Ed Courses, Emily Faulconer

Publications

Technology tools can achieve active learning in asynchronous online courses. The H5P platform promotes self-paced, self-directed active learning through activities including branching scenarios, crosswords, flashcards, and interactive videos. This tool can provide formative feedback through features that allow provision of automatic feedback for a variety of question types (e.g.; fill in the blank, multiple choice, image hotspot, and drag and drop). H5P activities were embedded in the learning management system of two introductory general education courses. Learning analytics data and student perspectives were collected. This data will be used to guide future use of this technology tool in online courses.

H-Stem Infusions In Lower-Level General Education Courses, Emily Faulconer

Publications

This session presents the justification for infusing humanities into lower-level STEM general education courses, pointing to co

Hook, Line, And Sinker: How To Build Dei In Stem Focused Institutional Repositories By Putting Student Research First, Anne Marie Casey, Debra Rodensky

Publications

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) Scholarly Commons is an institutional repository on the bepress Digital Commons platform that highlights the intellectual output of the university’s faculty, staff, and students. Established in May 2013, Scholarly Commons has grown to include faculty, student, and staff research, instructional materials, journals, magazines, conferences, and research data. By August 2022, the collections consisted of more than 34,600 works downloaded nearly 4.9 million times. An important part of this collection is the research submitted by undergraduate students, which offers a variety of diverse voices.

Advancing Student Futures In Stem, Urmi Ghosh-Dastidar, Sandie Han, Nadia Kennedy, Diana Samaroo Phd, Armando Solis

Publications and Research

This work reports a programmatic effort devoted to increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion in STEM education at a Hispanic-serving undergraduate higher-education institution. Between Fall 2015 and Spring 2020, the STEM program offered comprehensive academic and financial support to ninety-four students from five STEM majors: Bachelor of Science degrees in Biomedical Informatics, Applied Chemistry, and Applied Mathematics; and Associate of Science degrees in Chemical Technology and Computer Science. The goals of the program were to: (1) support, retain and graduate academically talented low-income and underrepresented minority students in the five targeted STEM majors; (2) establish a model for a comprehensive support …

Undergraduate Students’ Accuracy & Confidence In Detecting Errors In Biological Models Related To Gpa, Mckenna Elliott, Joseph Dauer, Carrie Clark, Mei Grace Behrendt

UNL Student Research Days Posters, Undergraduate

Research Questions 1. Does students’ abilities to Accurately detect errors relate to their GPA? 2. Which concepts affect student ability to Accurately and Confidently detect errors?

GPA was positively related to accuracy but was unrelated to confidence (Fig. 1)

Subject areas affected students’ accuracy and confidence § Students were more accurate on ecology & evolution models (Fig. 2) § Students were more confident in ecology models and less confident in physiology models (Fig. 2)

Variation in student ability and subject area competency can provide teachers with places to focus and improve science understanding.

Similar to the work of Clark et …

Service-Learning In Undergraduate General Chemistry: A Review, Emily Faulconer, C. J. Y. Kam

Publications

Background: Service-learning is gaining recognition as a valuable pedagogy for students to gain both academic and psychosocial benefits. This high-impact practice allows students to achieve course learning objectives while contributing to their community's needs. A review from 2007 revealed a lack of research focused on the topic in the prior decade, despite the interest that was shown by the American Chemical Society in 2000. Purpose: This review of recent case studies on the topic provides future researchers and practitioners with an understanding of the current state of service-learning in undergraduate chemistry courses. Methodology/Approach: To create a representative sample of recent …

Fostering Reflective Teaching: Using The Student Participation Observation Tool (Spot) To Promote Active Instructional Approaches In Stem, Cara H. Theisen, Cassandra A. Paul, Katrina Roseler

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

The Student Participation Observation Tool (SPOT) is a web-based classroom observation protocol developed for higher education STEM courses and based on research on evidence-based practices. The low-inference and objective nature of the SPOT and visual outputs make it an optimal tool for teaching professional development. The SPOT allows novice users to use data from their own classes to reflect on, and make data-driven changes to, their teaching practices. In particular, the SPOT was designed to present faculty with objective data related to their use of active instructional approaches, be easy for practitioners to use, and provide data outputs that are …

Understanding Differences In Underrepresented Minorities And First-Generation Student Perceptions In The Introductory Biology Classroom, Jacob Jantzer, Thomas W. Kirkman, Katherine L. Furniss

Biology Faculty Publications

We used quantitative methods to better understand the perceptions of students in an introductory biology course (Biology 101) at a small, liberal arts college (SLAC) that is also a primarily white institution (PWI). In pre/post surveys, we asked students questions related to their attitudes and beliefs about their professor, classmates, and Biology 101. We were especially interested in the responses and outcomes of underrepresented minorities (URM) and first-generation (FG) students. Our findings suggest URM and FG students have a decreased sense of belonging and increased perceptions of exclusion and differential treatment due to race. These findings can explain, in part, …

Student Perceptions Of Authoring A Publication Stemming From A Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience (Cure), Ashley N. Turner, Anil K. Challa, Katelyn M. Cooper

Research, Publications & Creative Work

Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) engage students in authentic research experiences in a course format and can sometimes result in the publication of that research. However, little is known about student-author perceptions of CURE publications. In this study, we examined how students perceive they benefit from authoring a CURE publication and what they believe is required for authorship of a manuscript in a peer-reviewed journal. All 16 students who were enrolled in a molecular genetics CURE during their first year of college participated in semistructured interviews during their fourth year. At the time of the interviews, students had been authors …

2021 Inaugural X-Dber Conference: Announcement & Plenary Speakers

2021 Inaugural X-DBER Conference

The discipline-based education research (DBER) community at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) hosted an online conference to discuss how theories, methods, and application of education research cross disciplinary boundaries. The X-DBER 2021 conference was held March 1-3, 2021. More than 550 people registered to attend the X-DBER 2021 conference; participants came from 11 countries and 41 states in the U.S.

The goal of this conference was to bring together DBER researchers from across disciplines (e.g., biology, chemistry, engineering, geoscience, math, physics) to learn about ongoing research and develop future directions. The conference opened with a welcome address from Chancellor Ronnie …

Teacher Educators Learning With Prospective Teachers: Finding Relevant Mathematics In Our (Their) Lives, Lindsay M. Keazer, Eryn M. Mather

Education Faculty Publications

Two mathematics teacher educators (MTEs) discuss the mathematical contexts generated by prospective teachers (PTs) when pushed to look for relevant mathematics in their lives and communities. Through collaborative teacher action research focused on iterations of collecting, categorizing, and discussing PTs’ mathematical contexts, and posing selected examples for PTs’ own examination, layers of learning occurred for both PTs and MTEs. PTs began to craft more personalized, story-like contexts, seemingly noticing more mathematics in their lives. MTEs were unexpectedly pushed to clarify their thinking about what it means to develop contexts that are authentic and relevant, and to contemplate how their actions …

Assessment As A Learning Opportunity: Feedforward With Multiple Attempts, Emily Faulconer

Publications

High quality feedback is well-known to provide multiple student benefits, especially if students are provided the opportunity to apply the feedback. It reasons, then, that we can support student success on summative assessments by combining multiple attempts with high-quality immediate feedback. This study explores student behaviors, performance, and perspectives regarding this strategy.

An Investigation Of How Environmental Science Textbooks Link Human Environmental Impact To Ecology And Daily Life, Yael Wyner, Rob Desalle

Publications and Research

Making direct connections between humanity and the environment is of ever-increasing importance in the context of today’s environmental crisis. We used qualitative content analysis of precollege- and college-level introductory environmental science textbook case studies to study how they portray humanity’s link to the environment. We assessed case studies for how specific and data rich they are and for how they link together daily life, human impact, and ecological interactions. We found that, for many textbooks, case study stories were vaguely drawn and included few data. We also found that, for all textbooks, case studies almost always described human impacts without …

Fourteen Recommendations To Create A More Inclusive Environment For Lgbtq+ Individuals In Academic Biology, Katelyn M. Cooper, Anna Jo J. Auerbach, Jordan D. Bader, Amy S. Beadles-Bohling, Jacqueline A. Brashears, Erica Cline, Sarah L. Eddy, Deanna B. Elliott, Elijah Farley, Linda Fuselier, Heather M. Heinz, Madison Irving, Tanya Josek, A. Kelly Lane, Stanley M. Lo, Jeffrey Maloy, Michelle Nugent, Erika Offerdahl, Juan Palacios-Moreno, Jorge Ramos, Joshua W. Reid, Rachel A. Sparks, Ashley L. Waring, Mike Wilton, Cara Gormally, Sara E. Brownell

Publications and Research

Individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and otherwise non-straight and/or non-cisgender (LGBTQ+) have often not felt welcome or represented in the biology community. Additionally, biology can present unique challenges for LGBTQ+ students because of the relationship between certain biology topics and their LGBTQ+ identities. Currently, there is no centralized set of guidelines to make biology learning environments more inclusive for LGBTQ+ individuals. Rooted in prior literature and the collective expertise of the authors who identify as members and allies of the LGBTQ+ community, we present a set of actionable recommendations to help biologists, biology educators, and biology …

A Single, Narrowly Focused Create Primary Literature Module Evokes Gains In Genetics Students’ Self-Efficacy And Understanding Of The Research Process, Alison Krufka, Kristy Kenyon, Sally G. Hoskins

Publications and Research

Exposure to primary literature using CREATE tools has been shown to have a positive impact on students’ self-efficacy and beliefs when incorporated into semester-long courses taught by extensively trained faculty. However, it is unknown whether similar benefits can occur with a brief exposure to CREATE in an otherwise traditionally taught course. We hypothesized that students who experienced a short-term CREATE module taught by faculty with minimal training in this pedagogy would make gains in scientific literacy and self-efficacy while also experiencing epistemological maturation. To test this hypothesis, we compared sections of students who experienced the CREATE module with sections of …

Reacting To The Past Course Outline And Materials, Arturo Huipe

Q2S Enhancing Pedagogy

Reacting to the past pedagogy. Including course outline and example character role sheet. Examination of a critical change in the natural sciences through the study of the context and impact of a specific idea, innovation or discovery. Using the Reacting to the Past approach, students play complex role-playing games informed by important historical sources (specific themes and topics may vary). Students will develop skills in information literacy, collaboration, speaking, and writing as they pursue the objectives of their assigned role by convincing classmates of their views. Following the game, debriefing will facilitate deeper understandings of the focus concepts and provide …

Exploring Innovative Ways To Incorporate The Association Of College And Research Libraries Framework In Graduate Science Teacher Education Eportfolio Projects, Alison Lehner-Quam, Wesley Pitts

Publications and Research

This article investigates ways in which student voice informed design research into information literacy instruction in a year-long graduate science education ePortfolio culminating project. Library and science education faculty partnered in a two-year project to create communities of secondary science education students, in two cohorts, who used the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education to support their own research and reflections into information literacy. The overarching goal was to improve the course design to help science teachers develop their professional competencies in information literacy to conduct research to support their practice. Examination of students’ responses to research experiences …

Syllabus, Christopher F. Bauer

Structure

WELCOME to WINDOWS on the INQUIRY CLASSROOM!

You have landed on a piece of a National Science Foundation Project (DUE 1245730) directed by Professor Chris Bauer, Chemistry Department, University of New Hampshire. This is one part of a completely documented inquiry-based university science course called “Fire & Ice” which explores the nature of heat and temperature. There are multiple video perspectives and commentary from instructors and students, and documents of all course materials (agenda, instructions, student work). It’s too complicated to explain here. Take a look at the user orientation document at this link.

01 Guide To Student Work In Fire And Ice, Christopher F. Bauer

Student Work Products

WELCOME to WINDOWS on the INQUIRY CLASSROOM!

You have landed on a piece of a National Science Foundation Project (DUE 1245730) directed by Professor Chris Bauer, Chemistry Department, University of New Hampshire. This is one part of a completely documented inquiry-based university science course called “Fire & Ice” which explores the nature of heat and temperature. There are multiple video perspectives and commentary from instructors and students, and documents of all course materials (agenda, instructions, student work). It’s too complicated to explain here. Take a look at the user orientation document at this link.

06 Exam 2 Take Home, Christopher F. Bauer

Student Work Products

WELCOME to WINDOWS on the INQUIRY CLASSROOM!

You have landed on a piece of a National Science Foundation Project (DUE 1245730) directed by Professor Chris Bauer, Chemistry Department, University of New Hampshire. This is one part of a completely documented inquiry-based university science course called “Fire & Ice” which explores the nature of heat and temperature. There are multiple video perspectives and commentary from instructors and students, and documents of all course materials (agenda, instructions, student work). It’s too complicated to explain here. Take a look at the user orientation document at this link.

05 Exam 1 In Class, Christopher F. Bauer

Student Work Products

WELCOME to WINDOWS on the INQUIRY CLASSROOM!

You have landed on a piece of a National Science Foundation Project (DUE 1245730) directed by Professor Chris Bauer, Chemistry Department, University of New Hampshire. This is one part of a completely documented inquiry-based university science course called “Fire & Ice” which explores the nature of heat and temperature. There are multiple video perspectives and commentary from instructors and students, and documents of all course materials (agenda, instructions, student work). It’s too complicated to explain here. Take a look at the user orientation document at this link.

03 Feb 24 Written Reflections Assignment, Christopher F. Bauer

Student Work Products

WELCOME to WINDOWS on the INQUIRY CLASSROOM!

You have landed on a piece of a National Science Foundation Project (DUE 1245730) directed by Professor Chris Bauer, Chemistry Department, University of New Hampshire. This is one part of a completely documented inquiry-based university science course called “Fire & Ice” which explores the nature of heat and temperature. There are multiple video perspectives and commentary from instructors and students, and documents of all course materials (agenda, instructions, student work). It’s too complicated to explain here. Take a look at the user orientation document at this link.

04 Mar 24 Reflective Writing Assignment, Christopher F. Bauer

Student Work Products

WELCOME to WINDOWS on the INQUIRY CLASSROOM!

You have landed on a piece of a National Science Foundation Project (DUE 1245730) directed by Professor Chris Bauer, Chemistry Department, University of New Hampshire. This is one part of a completely documented inquiry-based university science course called “Fire & Ice” which explores the nature of heat and temperature. There are multiple video perspectives and commentary from instructors and students, and documents of all course materials (agenda, instructions, student work). It’s too complicated to explain here. Take a look at the user orientation document at this link.

09 Intern Assignment Refractory Materials, Christopher F. Bauer

Student Work Products

WELCOME to WINDOWS on the INQUIRY CLASSROOM!

You have landed on a piece of a National Science Foundation Project (DUE 1245730) directed by Professor Chris Bauer, Chemistry Department, University of New Hampshire. This is one part of a completely documented inquiry-based university science course called “Fire & Ice” which explores the nature of heat and temperature. There are multiple video perspectives and commentary from instructors and students, and documents of all course materials (agenda, instructions, student work). It’s too complicated to explain here. Take a look at the user orientation document at this link.

Student Profiles Early Class Survey, Christopher F. Bauer

Student Work Products

WELCOME to WINDOWS on the INQUIRY CLASSROOM!

You have landed on a piece of a National Science Foundation Project (DUE 1245730) directed by Professor Chris Bauer, Chemistry Department, University of New Hampshire. This is one part of a completely documented inquiry-based university science course called “Fire & Ice” which explores the nature of heat and temperature. There are multiple video perspectives and commentary from instructors and students, and documents of all course materials (agenda, instructions, student work). It’s too complicated to explain here. Take a look at the user orientation document at this link.