Science and Mathematics Education Commons^™

Social Networks And Instructional Reform In Stem: The Teaching‑Research Nexus, John Skvoretz, Katherine Kappelman, Ariel Marcy, Jacob D. Mcalpin, Jennifer E. Lewis, John P. Ziker, Karl Mertens, Brittnee Earl, Susan E. Shadle, Brian A. Couch, Stephanie Feola, Luanna B. Prevost, A. Kelly Lane, Blake Whitt, Marilyne Stains

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Instructional reform in STEM aims for the widespread adoption of evidence based instructional practices (EBIPS), practices that implement active learning. Research recognizes that faculty social networks regarding discussion or advice about teaching may matter to such efforts. But teaching is not the only priority for university faculty – meeting research expectations is at least as important and, often, more consequential for tenure and promotion decisions. We see value in understanding how research networks, based on discussion and advice about research matters, relate to teaching networks to see if and how such networks could advance instructional reform efforts. Our research examines …

Wrack Lines Volume 22, Number 2, Fall-Winter 2022-2023, Nancy C. Balcom, Juliana Barrett, Judy Benson, Ben Crnic, Sto Len

Wrack Lines

With the theme, "Looking Ahead: People and Projects Shaping the Future," the Fall-Winter 2022-2023 leads with the first in what will be a series of articles about offshore wind development impacting Connecticut. That is followed by the inspiring story of how a dying forest was replanted for climate resilience. Next, a profile of longtime marine educator Tim Visel tells about his lasting impact on Connecticut schools and students. Lastly, the complex challenge of dealing with Contaminants of Emerging Concern is examined, with descriptions of how Sea Grant is involved and the particularly troublesome group of substances called PFAS.

Context And Content Of Teaching Conversations: Exploring How To Promote Sharing Of Innovative Teaching Knowledge Between Science Faculty, A. Kelly Lane, Brittnee Earl, Stephanie Feola, Jennifer E. Lewis, Jacob D. Mcalpin, Karl Mertens, Susan E. Shadle, John Skvoretz, John P. Ziker, Marilyne Stains, Brian A. Couch, Luanna B. Prevost

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Background: Change strategies may leverage interpersonal relationships and conversations to spread teaching innovations among science faculty. Knowledge sharing refers to the process by which individuals transfer information and thereby spread innovative ideas within an organization. We use knowledge sharing as a lens for identifying factors that encourage productive teaching-related conversations between individuals, characterizing the context and content of these discussions, and understanding how peer interactions may shape instructional practices. In this study, we interview 19 science faculty using innovative teaching practices about the teaching-focused conversations they have with different discussion partners.

Results: This qualitative study describes characteristics of …

Science, Technology, Engineering, And Mathematics (Stem) Project-Based Learning (Pbl) Education: A New Mexico Case Study For Equity And Inclusion, Kimberly A. Scheerer

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

This research addresses how student participation in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) project-based learning (PBL) education activities encourages underrepresented minority student achievement in STEM career field trajectories. Seven New Mexico high school counselors and 12 STEM organization personnel were interviewed during this study. Their responses represent the nuanced professional voices where New Mexico public education intersects with STEM student interest and cultural influence.

For students, STEM PBL can foster deep integration across educational disciplines and enhance STEM career trajectory interest and readiness. STEM education converged with PBL methodologies has the ability to leverage community support while broadening student networks. …

Investigating Students' Interpretations Of Ecological Food Webs, Christopher Neil Grissett

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

To better prepare undergraduate students for current and future biological challenges, scientists, educators and researchers in the Vision and Change report recommended five core conceptual areas essential for the improvement of biological literacy, one of which is biological systems. Systems are an identified core concept that may help promote biological literacy. One example of a system that students have difficulty understanding is an ecological food web, which consists of parts or components interacting with one another to perform a given phenomenon. The intricacies of this system tend to confuse students and can produce naïve conceptions that could hinder future learning …

Exploring Physiology Instructors’ Use Of Core Concepts: Pedagogical Factors That Influence Choice Of Course Topics, Jeremy L. Hsu, Patricia A. Halpin

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

The physiology core concepts are designed to guide instructors in undergraduate physiology courses. However, although past work has characterized the alignment of physiology programs with the core concepts, it is unclear to what extent these core concepts have influenced instructors’ pedagogical decisions or how represented these core concepts are across physiology courses. We surveyed undergraduate physiology instructors to determine their familiarity with the core concepts, the impact of the core concepts on their teaching, as well as the alignment of their courses with these core concepts. Instructors report predominantly relying on textbooks and past syllabi of their courses as resources …

Access To Online Formative Assessments In Lower-Division Undergraduate Biology Courses: Investigating Barriers To Student Engagement, Allison M. Upchurch, Dana L. Kirkwood-Watts, Kathleen R. Brazeal, Lorey A. Wheeler, Brian A. Couch, Gabrielle B. Johnson, Sarah K. Spier

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Instructors use a variety of online formative assessment (FA) activities to support learning outside class. Previous studies have revealed barriers for students in online courses, but little is known about the barriers students experience when completing online FA assignments. Understanding these barriers to access is critical to fostering more inclusive learning for all students. Using a framework from previous work in online learning, we examined student perceptions of online FA access with respect to five barrier categories: technical resources, instructor organization, social interactions, personal engagement, and learning environment. We developed and administered a survey to more than 1,200 undergraduate biology …

Student Motivations And Barriers Toward Online And In-Person Office Hours In Stem Courses, Jeremy L. Hsu, Melissa Rowland-Goldsmith, Elaine Benaksas Schwartz

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Office hours are one of the most common support mechanisms found in courses. Despite the prevalence of office hours in life sciences classes, there has been little investigation of how science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) students perceive office hours, particularly at non–research intensive universities or other institutions where a majority of students attend office hours. We surveyed more than 500 students, representing most life sciences majors at a comprehensive university, to investigate their motivations and barriers for attending office hours. We then compared instructors’ perceptions to students’ conceptions of office hours. We identified key themes in student and instructor …

Characterizing First-Year Biology Majors’ Motivations And Perceptions Of The Discipline, Jeremy L. Hsu, Lauren Dudley

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Understanding why students choose to major in biology provides important insight into the motivations of biology majors. It is similarly important to investigate how biology majors perceive the discipline, including associated activities, such as independent research, which can influence students’ interests in the field and likelihood to persist in science, engineering, technology, and math. However, there has been little work done examining biology student motivations and perceptions, particularly at non-research-intensive universities or after the COVID-19 pandemic started. To address this gap, we surveyed the first-year cohort of biology majors at a private, comprehensive university. We found that students largely reported …

How Getting Friendly With Bacteria Can Promote Student Appreciation Of Microbial Diversity And Their Civic Scientific Literacy, Davida S. Smyth, Simon Chen, Gina Sompanya, Molly Metz, Theresa Conefrey

Biology Faculty Publications (Archived)

ePortfolios are digital repositories where students can curate papers, projects, and reflections from individual or multiple courses across the disciplines and in a variety of formats to showcase their learning. This transparent and portable medium, which enables students to document their knowledge and abilities for assessment and career development, has been recognized by the American Association of Colleges and Universities as one of 11 high-impact practices. Using tailored rubrics, student assessment of learning gain surveys, and end-of-course exam questions, this study demonstrates how an ePortfolio assignment can be used in microbiology courses taken by majors and nonmajors to measure student …

Evaluating The Impact Of Intersecting Research And Outreach Marine Science Programs On Elementary And Undergraduate Students, Randi J. Sims

All Theses

Climate change is one of the most destructive forces our ocean is currently experiencing. Despite this, many students are not taught the basics of climate change science and ocean literacy in public school systems. My work seeks to combat these deficits through educational experiences in marine science for undergraduate and local elementary students through three studies incorporating marine-science based research and outreach. (1) Through undergraduate marine science research and outreach, students enrolled for long durations or with positive mentorship increased their conceptual understanding of marine science concepts, altered their attitudes towards climate change and science, and were more likely to …

Bbt Acoustic Alternative Top Bracing Cadd Data Set-Norev-2022jun28, Bill Hemphill

STEM Guitar Project’s BBT Acoustic Kit

This electronic document file set consists of an overview presentation (PDF-formatted) file and companion video (MP4) and CADD files (DWG & DXF) for laser cutting the ETSU-developed alternate top bracing designs and marking templates for the STEM Guitar Project’s BBT (OM-sized) standard acoustic guitar kit. The three (3) alternative BBT top bracing designs in this release are
(a) a one-piece base for the standard kit's (Martin-style) bracing,
(b) 277 Ladder-style bracing, and
(c) an X-braced fan-style bracing similar to traditional European or so-called 'classical' acoustic guitars.

The CADD data set for each of the three (3) top bracing designs includes …

Access To Online Formative Assessments In Introductory Biology Courses: Investigating Barriers To Student Engagement, Allison M. Upchurch

School of Biological Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Instructors use a variety of online formative assessment (FA) activities to support learning outside of class. Previous studies have revealed barriers for students in online courses, but little is known about the barriers students experience when completing online FA assignments. Understanding these barriers to access is critical to fostering more inclusive learning for all students. Using a framework from previous work in online learning, we examined student perceptions of online FA access with respect to five barrier categories: technical resources, instructor organization, social interactions, personal engagement, and learning environment. We developed and administered a survey to over 1200 undergraduate biology …

Bbt Side Mold Assy, Bill Hemphill

STEM Guitar Project’s BBT Acoustic Kit

This electronic document file set covers the design and fabrication information of the ETSU Guitar Building Project’s BBT (OM-sized) Side Mold Assy for use with the STEM Guitar Project’s standard acoustic guitar kit. The extended 'as built' data set contains an overview file and companion video, the 'parent' CADD drawing, CADD data for laser etching and cutting a drill &/or layout template, CADD drawings in AutoCAD .DWG and .DXF R12 formats of the centerline tool paths for creating the mold assembly pieces on an AXYZ CNC router, and support documentation for CAM applications including router bit specifications, feeds, speed, multi-pass …

Virtual Expeditions Facilitated By Open Source Solutions Broaden Student Participation In Natural History Research, Richelle L. Tanner, Talia Y. Moore

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

From its genesis in the Victorian era as an activity for the elite to today's emphasis on “Big Data” and continuous monitoring, natural history has a prominent role in scientific discoveries for many fields. However, participation in field expeditions is limited by funding, space, accessibility, and safety constraints. Others have detailed the active exclusion of minoritized groups from field expeditions and harm/discrimination faced by the few who do participate, but we provide one solution to broaden opportunities for participation in natural history: Virtual Expeditions. Virtual Expeditions are broadly defined as open source, web-facilitated research activities designed to analyze bulk-collected digital …

Pharmacometabolomics Profiling Of Preterm Infants Validates Patterns Of Metabolism Associated With Response To Dexamethasone Treatment For Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia, Bradley C. Stockard

Research Days

Background: Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is one of the most common health complications of premature birth. Corticosteroids are commonly used for treatment of BPD, but their use is challenging due to variability in treatment response.

Objectives/Goal: Previous pharmacometabolomics study has established patterns of metabolite levels with response to dexamethasone. We obtained additional patient samples for metabolomics analysis to find associations between the metabolome and dexamethasone response in a validation cohort.

Methods/Design: 14 infants provided 15 plasma and 12 urine samples. The measure of treatment response was the calculated change in respiratory severity score (deltaRSS) from pre-to-post treatment. Each metabolite was assessed …

Gender Perceptions And Female Students' Academic Engagement And Success In Stem Fields, Rheanna Morgan

School of Social Work Undergraduate Honors Theses

Despite an increase of females in higher education and the workforce, fields such as science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) continue to be male-dominated. One explanation for this trend is the lack of gender representation and counterstereotypical role models to encourage female engagement in these fields at the university level. Previous research has looked at instructor gender, classroom gender composition, and involvement in extracurricular activities as possible factors influencing students' engagement and success in the classroom. However, few studies have investigated how gender perceptions influence female students in STEM fields. This study uses self-report data from a voluntary survey to …

Agriculture Education Teacher Perspectives On Stem In Secondary Classrooms -A Delphi Study, Nicholas Kyle Porter

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Recent statistics tell us that the number of jobs in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) related fields are growing at a rapid rate, it is projected that STEM related careers will grow 17% between 2008 and 2018 (Langdon, n.d.). Within these areas lies agriculture. Given the shift of career opportunities, such as in the areas of research and development, a change has to be made in the way students are educated within agriculture. The ultimate goal of all educators is to better prepare students for their future careers and endeavors because these students are the future of our food …

Addressing Public Perceptions About Cell-Based Meat And Cellular Agriculture Through Metaphors, Yvette Emma Hubbard

English Theses & Dissertations

Today’s food movement places organic, holistic, and natural foods as priority. The idea aims for better human health, a farm-to-table community, and environmental sustainability. Soon a new meat alternative will become part of the ongoing food movement. What is it? Cell-based protein. It is a protein alternative to livestock protein. It is real protein from a real breathing animal. Cell-based beef for example is grown in a lab with cells from a living cow that does not have to die or be slaughtered. It is destined to become the new protein architecture on the horizon. Parts of this paper are …

It Takes Brains: Cultivating The Learning Process For Effective Science Communication, Amy D. Hauver

Doctor of Plant Health Program: Dissertations and Student Research

Learning is a complex, subjective process. An important perspective on learning is that anyone, regardless of their level of education, can participate in learning about science and contribute to their community. The public increasingly looks towards online resources to find answers to challenges, so it is necessary that people become empowered to take information about issues rooted in science and apply them to their own lives and communities. In my experiences as a learner and educator, understanding the learning process provides a framework to design successful learning environments.

Since the brain is the organ most closely associated with the process …

Generating And Sustaining Meaningful Professional Development Opportunities For Graduate Teaching Assistants Facilitating Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences In The Biological Sciences, Amie M. Kern

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Current national efforts to reform postsecondary laboratory education have emphasized the incorporation of authentic research opportunities into science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) curricula. Within the last decade, course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) have emerged as a viable mechanism to achieve this goal. Evidence within the biology education literature suggests that student engagement in CUREs has the potential to positively impact their development of scientific inquiry and process skills, content knowledge, and affect in the domain. While the majority of studies have focused on student outcomes, few studies have examined instructor outcomes in CURE learning environments. This is especially true …

Is Dietary Teaching Via Telehealth Effective In Lowering Hgba1c In Adult Patients With Prediabetes Or Type 2 Diabetes?, Mia Mccallum-Crawford

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Prediabetes and Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are two common conditions diagnosed in the primary care setting. Both conditions benefit from a healthy lifestyle, managing blood sugar levels, and getting diabetes self-management education and support (DSMES). Within the past two decades, the healthcare community in the US has witnessed a substantial rise in diabetes among adults. Overall, the self-management of diabetes continues to worsen nationally. The purpose of this project is to improve patients’ self-management of both Prediabetes and T2DM through nutrition and show how nutritional counseling via telehealth provided by a nurse practitioner can improve HgbA1C values over 3 …

Students Interest And Thoughts On Stem, Chrisitine Girtain

STEM Month

I am Juan Sebastian Bohorquez Mora, I am a sophomore student at Toms River High School North. I am interested in biofuels because I believe they are a good option to replace fossil fuels. I am also interested in duckweed because biofuels are made out of crops, and people need to eat those crops. That’s when duckweed comes in and it can be used as a feedstock for ethanol production which is a biofuel. Bioethanol is a type of biofuel and it is derived from the corn’s starch. Instead of making ethanol from the corn’s starch, we can use duckweed …

Learning's In Stem, Victoria Arms

STEM Month

Can you share something you have learned related to a STEM topic you feel is important?

Answer: A stem topic I feel is important is math because you can learn many equation’s.

Can you explain why that topic is important to you, their families and communities? Answer: The topic that is important to our families and community is important because you can grow smarter and can learn a lot of things.

Mrs.Arms class.

Program And Proceedings: Nebraska Academy Of Sciences 1880–2022, 142nd Anniversary Year, One Hundred-Thirty-Second Annual Meeting, April 22, 2022

Nebraska Academy of Sciences: Programs and Proceedings

Program

Aeronautics and Space Science

Anthropology

Applied Science and Technology

Biological Sciences

Biomedical Sciences

Chemistry

Earth Sciences

Environmental Sciences

Physics

2022 Maiben Lecture: Dan Sitzman

2022 Friend of Science Award: Julie Sigmon and Chris Schaben

Evolution And Adaptations - Choose An Organism To Explore, Stephanie A. Rose

Open Educational Resources

Homework assignment for Principles of Environmental Science course for teachers.

To help students think about evolution and adaptations, and how organisms evolve to live in particular places and conditions.

Tiny Earth, Tinier Microbes: An Experiential Learning Approach To Antibiotic Discovery, Emily Kassing

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Antimicrobial resistance is one of the greatest global health challenges of the 21^st century as antibiotic discovery has slowed even as scientific knowledge about AMR has progressed. At the same time, science education has turned to active learning approaches like CUREs, or course-based undergraduate research experiences, to achieve educational objectives while engaging students in real-life research. The Tiny Earth Project is a global research initiative that seeks to crowdsource antibiotic discovery by recruiting undergraduate students to screen soil samples for antibiotic producers. The goal of this study was to determine the viability of translating the Tiny Earth programming to …

Professional Development For Early Career Dber Scholars Through In-Person And Virtual Career Panel Workshops, Miranda M. Chen Musgrove, Elizabeth Genné-Bacon, Kelsey Gray, Ashley B. Heim, Anupriya Karippadath, Rita Margarida Magalhães, Brie Tripp, Anna J. Zelaya

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

In discipline-based education research (DBER), early career scholars, such as graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, observe a slew of possible career pathways. Yet, there is a lack of opportunities to learn about such pathways, particularly when transitioning from traditional science, technology, engineering, or math (STEM) disciplinary training into a DBER position. Thus, the DBER Scholars-in-Training Professional Development subcommittee was created within the Society for the Advancement of Biology Education Research (SABER) community to develop a collection of workshops that would serve the greatest professional development needs of early career scholars entering DBER. Through a series of surveys disseminated over multiple …

Navigating The “Covid Hangover” In Physiology Courses, Jennifer E. Schaefer

Biology Faculty Publications

Undergraduate educators and students must navigate lingering aftereffects of the COVID pandemic on education in the 2021–2022 academic year even as COVID continues to impact delivery of undergraduate science education. This article describes ongoing difficulties for undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) students and educators and suggests strategies and easy-to-use resources that may help educators navigate the “COVID hangover” and ongoing COVID-related disruptions.

Emory-Tibet Science Initiative: Changes In Monastic Science Learning Motivation And Engagement During A Six-Year Curriculum, Kelsey M. Gray, Cindy Achat-Mendes, Ann Cale Kruger, Tashi Lhamo, Rinchen Wangyal, Gelek Gyatso, Carol M. Worthman

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Led by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the initiative taken by the Tibetan Buddhist monastic community to connect with western science and scientists presents a unique opportunity to understand the motivations and engagement behaviors that contribute to monastic science learning. In this study, we draw on quantitative data from two distinct surveys that track motivations and engagement behaviors related to science education among monastic students. The first survey was administered at one monastic university in 2018, and the second follow-up survey was completed by students at two monastic universities in 2019. These surveys assessed the reception of science education related …