Science and Mathematics Education Commons^™

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, …

Using Extension As A Vehicle To Reduce Elementary Student Food Waste, Rebecca Koetz, Rod N. Williams

The Journal of Extension

Extension can play a key role in providing food waste education nation-wide. This study is the first to evaluate the effects of environmentally focused lesson plans on elementary student knowledge and perceptions regarding food waste. Herein we provide suggestions on concepts to teach students for the greatest impact on food waste reduction. We also provide avenues to incorporate food waste education into existing Extension programming. We hope the study can inspire and inform further food waste program development, assessment, and implementation through Extension.

Diversity And Inclusion In The Stem Classroom, Sowmya Anjur

Faculty Publications & Research

A model of equity and diversity in STEM education has been developed, with applications to classroom pedagogy. This Equity and Excellence Model incorporates culturally responsive classrooms, based on diversity and equity minded practices. The diversity model was successfully implemented into a Science classroom and this model is still evolving to be more widespread to fit other classrooms and districts nationwide.

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 …

Experiences Of Undergraduates And Graduate Teaching Assistants In Biology Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences, Emma Crystal Goodwin

Dissertations and Theses

Evidence of positive student outcomes from course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) has sparked implementation of CUREs in introductory biology laboratory courses, as one approach to boosting student engagement in research. In a CURE, students collaborate with other students and instructors on a research project, where they conduct novel scientific research that has relevance to a local or scientific community. However, previous research rarely considers that graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) often teach introductory labs. The classroom role of GTAs expands in a CURE--they no longer need to simply teach a lab class, but also to serve as research mentors. GTAs, who …

Characterizing Biology Education Research: Perspectives From Practitioners And Scholars In The Field, Jeremy L. Hsu, Audrey Chen, Eduardo Cruz-Hinojoza, Duyen Dinh-Dang, Elizabeth A. Roth-Johnson, Brian K. Sato, Stanley M. Lo

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Biology education research (BER) is a recently emerging field mainly focused on the learning and teaching of biology in postsecondary education. As BER continues to grow, exploring what goals, questions, and scholarship the field encompasses will provide an opportunity for the community to reflect on what new lines of inquiry could be pursued in the future. There have been top-down approaches at characterizing BER, such as aims and scope provided by professional societies or peer-reviewed journals, and literature analyses with evidence for current and historical research trends. However, there have not been previous attempts with a bottom-up approach at characterizing …

Parasites: The Inside Scoop, Scott Lyell Gardner, Judy Diamond, Gábor R. Rácz, Brenda Lee

Zea E-Books Collection

Parasites are organisms that live inside or on another species, called the host. Parasites depend on their hosts for food and a place to live. They may harm the host in small or large ways. Parasitism is the most common mode of life on Earth. Humans, other animals, and all plants have parasites, usually two or more kinds. Even parasites can have parasites. There are millions of species of parasites, and scientists discover new ones every day. Parasite specimens are stored in museums all around the world. One of the world’s largest collections is in the H. W. Manter Laboratory …

The Value Of Republishing Scientific Literature In Institutional Repositories, Sue Ann Gardner, Linnea Fredrickson, Paul Royster

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: Conference Presentations and Speeches

Background: The University of Nebraska-Lincoln University Libraries institutional repository was founded in 2005 on the Digital Commons platform. It currently contains more than 118,000 full-text scholarly works that have been downloaded over 73,000,000 times.

Problem that drove the project: Older scientific literature may only occasionally circulate from university library collections or be purchased by readers from remaindered publishers' stock.

Methods: This research will employ statistical analyses to demonstrate the value of making available four series of scientific literature in the University of Nebraska-Lincoln University Libraries Digital Commons: Insecta Mundi, the Nebraska Bird Review, the Transactions of the Nebraska …

Real-Life Conundrums In The Struggle For Institutional Transformation, Julia Mcquillan, Nestor Hernandez

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Intersecting systems of inequality (i.e., gender and race/ethnicity) are remarkably resistant to change. Many universities, however, seek National Science Foundation Institutional Transformation awards to change processes, procedures, and cultures to make science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) departments more inclusive. In this article we describe a case study with observations for eight years of before (2000–2007), five during (2008–2013), and seven after (2014–2020) intensive efforts to increase women through reducing barriers and increasing access to women. Finally, we reflect on flawed assumptions built into the proposal, the slow and uneven change in the proportion of women over time, the strengths …

Biodiversity Monitoring And Volunteer Motivations: A Case Study On The Imagined Communities Of Citizen Scientists In Meinung, Taiwan, Serena May Calcagno

Master's Projects and Capstones

The Asia Pacific’s biodiversity is under threat. One significant step that can improve conservation is gathering data on what species exist in different areas over time, which can provide insight into ecosystem health. This is especially important in biodiversity hotspots, where high levels of endemism and anthropogenic risk overlap. Though it is one of the few places in the Pacific not classified as a biodiversity hotspot, Taiwan has an unusually high saturation in terms of biodiversity data points. Investigating the motives of biodiversity monitoring volunteerism is already a topic of growing scholarly interest, but relatively few studies have focused on …

Developing An Inquiry-Based Laboratory Project For Chem 142l Course At Bsu, Manuel Pina

Honors Program Theses and Projects

In addition to content knowledge, critical and independent thinking, scientific reasoning, and problem-solving skills are essential in preparing next generation of successful workforce. Since one of the biggest advantages of STEM disciplines is a “must-have” hands-on laboratory experience, it is intuitive to exploit this learning space to reinforce afore-mentioned skills. In this context, project-based (PBL) or inquiry-based (IBL) laboratory experiences are rapidly becoming mainstream pedagogical choice for many STEM instructors across United States.^[1-4] PBL, and IBL are learning experiences that offer students an opportunity to experience realistic scientific process of discovery through carefully designed inquiry-driven and/or open-ended investigative laboratory …

Making Environmental Education Accessible For All Students: Inclusion Of Students With Emotional And Behavioral Disabilities, Juliann Dupuis, Dawn Jacobs

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

One of the most difficult tasks of an educator is engaging students in rigorous learning opportunities. A greater challenge is finding ways in which environmental education can be accessible to all students, especially those with emotional and behavioral disabilities. This article and lesson provides best practices for engaging students with high incidence disabilities in environmental concepts through varied representations and expressions of content. In addition, teaching collaborative protocols to fully engage students with social skills challenges within the local environment are discussed. The instructional approaches are aligned to increasing academic discourse, building positive peer-peer relationships, and observation using multiple modalities.

What’S The Buzz?, Christine L. Moskalik

Teacher Resources

Read more: Moskalik, C. (2021). What’s the Buzz? A hands-on, interdisciplinary, & FUN way to learn about circuits, energy, engineering, bee communication and pollination. Science and Children. National Science Teaching Association. Volume 58 (Issue 5). May/June 2021.

Hexapod Herald - Vol. 33, No. 1, April 2021

Hexapod Herald and Other Entomology Department Newsletters

In This Issue of Hexapod Herald

• Student News - p. 2-3

• Alumni News - p. 4

• Faculty News - p. 5

• Dr. Scott Hutchins visits UNL campus - p. 6

• Publications - p. 6

Exploring Factors In Choosing Stem Majors And Careers: Improving Science Education Through The Lens Of Self-Determination Theory, Lauren Mott

Honors Theses

Several barriers currently exist for students who could be successful in science/STEM careers but have not had the support they needed throughout their science/STEM education. This study of the literature applies Self-Determination Theory (SDT) to existing research to identify steps educators can take to remove these unnecessary barriers for their students. SDT defines competence, relatedness, and autonomy as three innate psychological needs that must be met for well-being. An exploratory review of the literature was conducted, and findings were organized using SDT. The results showed that competence, relatedness, and autonomy were all key factors in students’ self-determination of science/STEM careers. …

Qualitative Analysis Of A Resource Management Model And Its Application To The Past And Future Of Endangered Whale Populations, Glenn Ledder

CODEE Journal

Observed whale dynamics show drastic historical population declines, some of which have not been reversed in spite of restrictions on harvesting. This phenomenon is not explained by traditional predator prey models, but we can do better by using models that incorporate more sophisticated assumptions about consumer-resource interaction. To that end, we derive the Holling type 3 consumption rate model and use it in a one-variable differential equation obtained by treating the predator population in a predator-prey model as a parameter rather than a dynamic variable. The resulting model produces dynamics in which low and high consumption levels lead to single …

Promoting Academic Integrity And Student Learning In Online Biology Courses, Jeremy L. Hsu

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused an abrupt shift in biology courses, with many transitioning to online instruction. This has led to an increased concern about academic integrity and cheating in online courses. Here, I draw upon the peer-reviewed literature to provide evidence-based answers to four questions concerning cheating and online biology courses: (i) What types of cheating are prevalent with the shift to online instruction? (ii) Should instructors make assessments open book and open notes? (iii) How does cheating occur in biology lab courses? (iv) Finally, what strategies can biology instructors take to uphold academic integrity with online learning? I …

The Great Water Design Challenge: A Noaa Planet Stewards And Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy (Imsa) Collaboration, Elizabeth Martinez

Publications & Research

Through generous NOAA Planet Stewards funding, schools in the Northern Illinois area had the unique opportunity to participate in a one-day design challenge that focused on local and state environmental issues. Student teams, which ranged from fifth grade through high school, engaged in research and design thinking to create innovative responses and solutions to address their selected water challenge. Subject matter experts were available, both virtually and in person, for questions, conversations, and insights as teams worked. Simultaneously team sponsors engaged in their own professional development related to the NOAA Planet Stewards Program. Students showcased their work at the end …

Fish Census: Monitoring Finfish Populations In Chesapeake Bay, Rachel Dixon

Reports

Grades: 9-12 Subjects: Life Science | Biology | Oceanography

In this activity, students will utilize data collected from a scientific survey to explore where different fishes live in a coastal estuary, and how their populations change over time.

Migrating To Motherhood: The Story Of Female Blue Crabs In Their Ecosystem, Alex Schnieder

Reports

Grades: 6-12 Subjects: Life Science

This lesson guides students through an investigation of the migratory patterns of blue crabs, their life stages, ecosystem use by life stage, harvest, and human impacts to their population.

The Carbon Price Equivalent: A Metric For Comparing Climate Change Mitigation Efforts Across Jurisdictions, Gabriel Weil

Dickinson Law Review (2017-Present)

Climate change presents a global commons problem: Emissions reductions on the scale needed to meet global targets do not pass a domestic cost-benefit test in most countries. To give national governments ample incentive to pursue deep decarbonization, mutual interstate coercion will be necessary. Many proposed tools of coercive climate diplomacy would require a onedimensional metric for comparing the stringency of climate change mitigation policy packages across jurisdictions. This article proposes and defends such a metric: the carbon price equivalent. There is substantial variation in the set of climate change mitigation policy instruments implemented by different countries. Nonetheless, the consequences of …

Watercolors: Relating Properties Of Light To Organic Matter And Ecosystem Production, Derek Detweiler

Reports

Grades: 9-12 Subjects: Chemistry | Biology | Oceanography | Environmental Science

Using properties of light, students will determine the source and composition of dissolved organic matter in estuaries influenced by different land types its subsequent relationship with ecosystem production.

Sunny-Side-Up: Temperature & Lobster Egg Development, Abigail Sisti

Reports

Grades: 6-12 Subjects: Biology

This lesson allows students to use math and science to characterize the effects of temperature on lobster egg development. Students will measure features of lobster eggs at different time points and plot how they change across development. This development will be compared between lobsters from different environments, and students will be asked to draw conclusions about how these differences may relate to lobster performance and climate change.

Antimicrobial Sensitivity Testing: The Search For Antibiotics, Amanpreet Kohli

Reports

Grades: 9-12 Subjects: Life Science | Biology

Examining agar plates, students determining the effectiveness of antibiotics for fish pathogens.

Dial C For Collaboration: Finding Unknowns With Your Fellow Scientists, Brianna Stanley

Reports

Grades: 9-12 Subjects: Biology | Chemistry | Mathematics | Oceanography

In the sciences, collaboration is key. This exercise allows students to explore scientific collaboration and how to use "knowns" to measure an unknown using a linear equation.

Etiology In Action: Identifying Aquaculture Disease Threats Through Data Analysis, Malina Loeher

Reports

Grades: 9-12 Subjects: Biology | Environmental Science | Oceanography

How do scientists identify emerging disease threats? In this lesson, students will examine fish health, aquatic disease ecology, and aquaculture practices to answer this question.

High To Low: Exploring Estuarine Gradients, Cristin Wright

Reports

Grades: 9-12 Subjects: Earth Science | Biology | Oceanography

In this lesson, student scientists will examine nutrients, suspended sediment, and phytoplankton level then plot their results to track estuarine gradients.

Growing Up Is Hard: Vertical Accretion In Salt Marshes, Alex Smith

Reports

Grades: 9-12 Subjects: Biology | Environmental Science | Oceanography

In this exercise, students will use graphing to examine the importance of natural environmental feedbacks on marsh survival.

Marsh Migration Mania!, Emily Goetz

Reports

Grades: 6-12 Subjects: Life Science | Environmental Science

In this lesson, students investigate sea-level rise and migration of saltmarsh invertebrates in a "ghost forest."

Case Of The Stressed-Out Larva: A Study Of Climate Change Effects On Oyster Cellular Physiology, Annie Schatz

Reports

Grades: 9-12 Subjects: Advanced Biology | Chemistry | Oceanography

Using a jigsaw puzzle approach, students will piece together the results of three molecular measures to understand how warming and acidified waters affect the health of oyster larvae.