Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Biology Commons™

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Education

Institution
Keyword
Publication Year
Publication
Publication Type
File Type

Articles 271 - 300 of 939

Full-Text Articles in Biology

Using A Self-Determination Theory Approach To Understand Student Perceptions Of Inquiry-Based Learning, Fangfang Zhao, Gillian Roehrig, Lorelei E. Patrick, Chantal Levesque-Bristol, Sehoya Cotner Sep 2021

Using A Self-Determination Theory Approach To Understand Student Perceptions Of Inquiry-Based Learning, Fangfang Zhao, Gillian Roehrig, Lorelei E. Patrick, Chantal Levesque-Bristol, Sehoya Cotner

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Inquiry-based laboratory activities, as a part of science curricula, have been advocated to increase students’ learning outcomes and improve students’ learning experiences, but students sometimes struggle with open-inquiry activities. This study aims to investigate students’ perceptions of inquiry-based learning in a set of laboratory activities, specifically from a psychological (i.e., Self-Determination Theory) perspective. Students’ ratings of the level of inquiry in these activities indicate that students’ perceptions of inquiry align with the instructor-intended amount of inquiry in each exercise. Students’ written responses, explaining their ratings, indicate that students’ perceptions of the amount of inquiry in a given lab exercise relate …

Go to article

Student Perceptions Of Authoring A Publication Stemming From A Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience (Cure), Ashley N. Turner, Anil K. Challa, Katelyn M. Cooper Sep 2021

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 …

Go to article

A Wild Yeast Laboratory Activity: From Isolation To Brewing, Amanda N. Scholes, Erik D. Pollock, Jeffrey A. Lewis Sep 2021

A Wild Yeast Laboratory Activity: From Isolation To Brewing, Amanda N. Scholes, Erik D. Pollock, Jeffrey A. Lewis

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Microbial fermentation is a common form of metabolism that has been exploited by humans to great benefit. Industrial fermentation currently produces a myriad of products ranging from biofuels to pharmaceuticals. About one-third of the world’s food is fermented, and the brewing of fermented beverages in particular has an ancient and storied history. Because fermentation is so intertwined with our daily lives, the topic is easily relatable to students interested in real-world applications for microbiology. Here, we describe the curriculum for a guided inquiry-based laboratory course that combines yeast molecular ecology and brewing. The rationale for the course is to compare …

Go to article

Experiences Of Undergraduates And Graduate Teaching Assistants In Biology Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences, Emma Crystal Goodwin Aug 2021

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 …

Go to article

Informational Signage Increases Awareness Of A Rattlesnake In A Canadian Urban Park System, Jonathan D. Choquette, Alexis V. Hand Aug 2021

Informational Signage Increases Awareness Of A Rattlesnake In A Canadian Urban Park System, Jonathan D. Choquette, Alexis V. Hand

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Human–snake conflict results in negative outcomes for people and snakes, and if left unmanaged, could undermine conservation efforts. One approach to managing conflict between people and snakes is to use signage to inform members of the public on the presence of venomous snakes and measures to prevent snakebites. To be an effective tool, however, signs must first be noticed, then read and understood by the target audience. As part of conservation efforts targeting eastern massasauga rattlesnakes (Sistrurus catenatus) in southwestern Ontario, Canada, we tested the effectiveness of signage at increasing awareness of its presence, status and threats, and …

Go to article

Articulating The Importance Of Broader Relevance In Cures: From Definition To Actualization, Nikki T. Donegan Aug 2021

Articulating The Importance Of Broader Relevance In Cures: From Definition To Actualization, Nikki T. Donegan

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) have emerged as a means to foster student' scientific reasoning, promote positive attitudes and motivations toward research, and increase persistence in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. In contrast to prescriptive laboratories, students enrolled in CUREs employ techniques and skills to collaboratively and iteratively address novel questions of broad relevance to audiences beyond the scope of the course itself. While many of the core components of CUREs are perceived to be relatively straightforward, definitionally-speaking, this latter dimension of broader relevance has, in contrast, remained largely ill-defined. In the series of studies presented herein, …

Go to article

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 Jul 2021

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 …

Go to article

Development Of An Online General Biology Open Educational Resource (Oer) Laboratory Manual, Dmitry Y. Brogun, Azure N. Faucette, Kristin Polizzotto, Farshad Tamari Jul 2021

Development Of An Online General Biology Open Educational Resource (Oer) Laboratory Manual, Dmitry Y. Brogun, Azure N. Faucette, Kristin Polizzotto, Farshad Tamari

Publications and Research

Currently, many academic institutions are using one or more variations of online modalities due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and science educators face a unique challenge with distance-learning laboratories. Many resources to engage students in virtual, interactive laboratory activities exist, but we found that high costs and/or overlooked content left gaps for several topics typically taught in a general, introductory biology course for undergraduate biology majors (e.g., organismal biology). Additionally, resources for an online lab must be identified and curated from multiple sources, requiring intense demands on the instructors’ time. To meet this need and to overcome the financial burden of …

Go to article

Persistent Miscalibration For Low And High Achievers Despite Practice Test Feedback In An Introductory Biology Course, Jennifer L. Osterhage Jul 2021

Persistent Miscalibration For Low And High Achievers Despite Practice Test Feedback In An Introductory Biology Course, Jennifer L. Osterhage

Biology Faculty Publications

Students' ability to accurately judge their knowledge is crucial for effective learning. However, students' perception of their current knowledge is often misaligned with their actual performance. The relationship between learners' perception of their performance and their actual performance on a task is defined as calibration. Previous studies have shown significant student miscalibration in an introductory biology course: students' predicted exam scores were, on average, significantly higher than their actual scores. The goal of this study was to determine whether completion of a practice test before exams would result in better performance and calibration. The hypothesis was that students who completed …

Go to article

Graduate- And Undergraduate-Student Perceptions Of And Preferences For Teaching Practices In Stem Classrooms, Ngawang Gonsar, Lorelei E. Patrick, Sehoya Cotner Jul 2021

Graduate- And Undergraduate-Student Perceptions Of And Preferences For Teaching Practices In Stem Classrooms, Ngawang Gonsar, Lorelei E. Patrick, Sehoya Cotner

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Despite positive evidence for active learning (AL), lecturing dominates science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) higher education. Though instructors acknowledge AL to be valuable, many resist implementing AL techniques, citing an array of barriers including a perceived lack of student buy-in. However, few studies have explored student perceptions of specific AL teaching practices, particularly the perceptions of graduate students. We explored student-reported instructional strategies and student perceptions of and preferences for a variety of teaching practices in graduate and undergraduate classrooms across three STEM colleges at a large, public, research university. We found that both graduate and undergraduate students desired …

Go to article

Stream Sediment Monitoring In Morehead Kentucky, Kristopher Krolikowski, Jen O'Keefe Jul 2021

Stream Sediment Monitoring In Morehead Kentucky, Kristopher Krolikowski, Jen O'Keefe

2021 Celebration of Student Scholarship - Oral Presentations

Sediment loads in stream systems play a big role in how overall runoff behaves. Streams naturally transport sediment at various ratios depending on precipitation. When vegetation is removed in upstream environments, sediment loads on streams increase. Sudden increases of sediments in streams can cause many issues, such as flooding or stream re-direction. In Morehead, KY, large-scale logging operations on the ridge above Knapp Avenue and on the ridge above the north end of Allen Avenue have caused increased sediment load in a small stream called Oxley Branch. This stream flows south parallel to Knapp Avenue and along the eastern property …

Go to article

Proteomic Analysis Of Alzheimer's Disease, Grace Reynolds Apr 2021

Proteomic Analysis Of Alzheimer's Disease, Grace Reynolds

Celebration of Scholarship 2021

The use of public Alzheimer’s Disease proteomics data to analyze the difference between asymptomatic Alzheimer’s Disease and symptomatic Alzheimer’s Disease as it relates to disease progression and underlying disease processes.

Go to article

Black Apollo Of Science: The Life Of Ernest Everett Just - Summarizing Timeline, Sumitography And Concept Poster, Lillie R. Jenkins Apr 2021

Black Apollo Of Science: The Life Of Ernest Everett Just - Summarizing Timeline, Sumitography And Concept Poster, Lillie R. Jenkins

Perkins Faculty Research and Special Events

This two-part chronology is based on Kenneth R. Manning’s biography, Black Apollo of Science: The Life of Ernest Everett Just (1983). Like other such timelines, this one details Just’s life and pioneering research work. Additionally, and distinctively, this timetable lays out Just’s pioneering fund-seeking and his work mentoring African American female co-researchers (Part 1). A sumitography featuring the United States Postal Service’s postage stamp (1996) recognizes Just’s innovative thinking in biology (Part 2). Following this logic, the author includes a proof-of-concept poster commending E.E. Just’s work as a forward-thinking administrator. This timeline summarizes, chronicles, and aims to re-frame Just’s …

Go to article

Ceramic Studio Assistant, Allison Jones, Adam Yungbluth Apr 2021

Ceramic Studio Assistant, Allison Jones, Adam Yungbluth

2021 Celebration of Student Scholarship - Oral Presentations

The research project will focus on learning the various activities involved in running a college level Ceramics Studio. Activities will include clay mixing for Ceramics 1 courses, mixing studio glazes & slips, firing bisque, reduction, soda, & wood kiln, and other activities to improve the Ceramics Studio.

Go to article

The Art Of Preservation, Sinclaire Dorsey, Melissa Yungbluth Apr 2021

The Art Of Preservation, Sinclaire Dorsey, Melissa Yungbluth

2021 Celebration of Student Scholarship - Oral Presentations

Proper preservation of creative works is imperative to sustaining documentation for future generations’ education. Exhibition designers, such as the students awarded with the undergraduate research fellowship for the Golding-Yang gallery, must be mindful of the environmental factors that impact creative works. For instance, light sensitivity of the materials can be overwhelmed by ultraviolet and infrared radiation produced by the sun. Atmospheric humidity, when not regulated, will destroy irreplaceable artwork that could provide future historians a better understanding of modern culture. Extreme temperatures are devastating to the preservation of artistic works. The regulation of these environmental factors will provide future generations …

Go to article

Low Stress Handling Techniques In Shelter Animals And The Overall Effects On Physiological Parameters, Ashley Swim, Courtney Smart, Amy Staton Apr 2021

Low Stress Handling Techniques In Shelter Animals And The Overall Effects On Physiological Parameters, Ashley Swim, Courtney Smart, Amy Staton

2021 Celebration of Student Scholarship - Oral Presentations

Animal shelters tend to be a very stressful environment for dogs as there are many new sounds, smells, and animals. This stress is not only bad for their psychological health and can lead to behavioral issues, but it can also have an impact on their physical health. Stress impacts multiple systems of the body, resulting in increased heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate, temperature and even blood glucose levels in dogs. The impact stress has on these systems can lead to a compromised immune system and increases the probabilities of the dog becoming ill. However, by using Fear Free methods, …

Go to article

Adverse Experiences, Depression, And Parenting Sensitivity., Lauren Oldiges, Savannah Gillis, Tiffany Hicks, Shari Kidwell Apr 2021

Adverse Experiences, Depression, And Parenting Sensitivity., Lauren Oldiges, Savannah Gillis, Tiffany Hicks, Shari Kidwell

2021 Celebration of Student Scholarship - Oral Presentations

Parental sensitivity is a key determinant of attachment security and child well-being. Yet many parents in our region face challenges to parenting, such as increased exposure to adverse experiences and depression. Both cumulative exposure to adverse experiences and depression symptoms have been associated with increased risk to parenting (Hays-Grudo & Wilson, 2020). The present study explores connections between parents’ sensitivity/synchrony scores on the Toddler CARE-Index (TCI: Crittenden, 2007), Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) amongst parents, and parental depression. As part of a larger longitudinal study of Eastern Kentucky families, 35 children (mean age 4.5 years) and their parents participated in the …

Go to article

French Textbook Illustrations, Abigail Hall, Nicholas Anderson, Karen Taylor Apr 2021

French Textbook Illustrations, Abigail Hall, Nicholas Anderson, Karen Taylor

2021 Celebration of Student Scholarship - Oral Presentations

This project has been an update of an introductory French textbook in order to make the work more cohesive illustratively. Each week we were given a drawing task to go with a chapter or vocabulary assignment to replace, revamp or develop new art work of greater value than the preexisting illustrations.

Go to article

Relation Among Potential Predictors Of Drug Abuse Risk In Rats, Emma Brock Apr 2021

Relation Among Potential Predictors Of Drug Abuse Risk In Rats, Emma Brock

2021 Celebration of Student Scholarship - Oral Presentations

Animal models have been used to investigate behavioral processes and mechanisms that underlie addiction. A variety of measures have been developed for rats that are modest predictors of drug abuse risk. The purpose of this pilot study was to begin to assess whether several established and potential measures of drug abuse vulnerability were correlated. The subjects were eight adult male Wistar rats. The rats were run on procedures that yielded measures of anxiety, sensation seeking, short term responsive to acutely administered drug, and sensitivity to conditioned stimuli. These measures were correlated with a potential new measure of drug abuse vulnerability—withdrawal …

Go to article

Improving Patient Outcomes With High Nurse To Patient Ratios: A Quality Improvement Study, Alexis Bradshaw, Morgan Minton, Brenna Murphy, Abigail Ross, Hannah Dorton, Carson Jones, Cierra Connelly, Haley Nyderek Apr 2021

Improving Patient Outcomes With High Nurse To Patient Ratios: A Quality Improvement Study, Alexis Bradshaw, Morgan Minton, Brenna Murphy, Abigail Ross, Hannah Dorton, Carson Jones, Cierra Connelly, Haley Nyderek

2021 Celebration of Student Scholarship - Oral Presentations

According to the United States Registered Nurse Workforce Report Card and Shortage Forecast: A Revisit published in the May/June 2018 issue of the American Journal of Medical Quality, a shortage of registered nurses is projected to spread across the country between 2016 and 2030. Surveyed nurses see the shortage in the future as a catalyst for increasing stress on nurses (98%), lowering patient care quality (93%) and causing nurses to leave the profession (93%) (American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 2021). A thorough literature review was conducted, and 40 studies were reviewed. Common themes that emerged include: high nurse to …

Go to article

The Impact Of Power Yoga Training On Baseball Throwing Velocity, John Bakke Apr 2021

The Impact Of Power Yoga Training On Baseball Throwing Velocity, John Bakke

2021 Celebration of Student Scholarship - Oral Presentations

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of yoga on baseball pitching velocity, and the factors that affect throwing velocity such as power, flexibility, speed, and mobility. Thirteen volunteer collegiate baseball pitchers were pre-tested on their power, flexibility, speed, mobility, and throwing velocity. The intervention included a 10-week yoga training, with the goal of three sessions per week. Participants were then post-tested under the same conditions. Analysis included dependent t-tests for each of the fitness assessments, with alpha set at .05 a priori. The group was unable to reach the goal of three yoga sessions per week, …

Go to article

Increasing Student Engagement In Introductory Physics Hybrid Classes, Breanna Epperson Apr 2021

Increasing Student Engagement In Introductory Physics Hybrid Classes, Breanna Epperson

2021 Celebration of Student Scholarship - Oral Presentations

The demand for online instruction is on the rise. In a classroom setting, research shows that student interactions are important for overcoming common misconceptions, but it is challenging to achieve the same level of engagement in an online setting. To try to improve online interactions in a hybrid physics class at Morehead State University, the Fall 2020 online class was required to post a total of three times about a closed, multiple choice, conceptual physics question in each assignment while following certain criteria. In the Spring of 2021, the discussion format was kept the same, but was moved to a …

Go to article

Genetically Screening For Gain Of Function Mutations In Telomerase Rna, Jose Childers Apr 2021

Genetically Screening For Gain Of Function Mutations In Telomerase Rna, Jose Childers

2021 Celebration of Student Scholarship - Oral Presentations

Telomeres are DNA structures located at the ends of linear chromosomes. They function, in part, to allow DNA ends to be copied before cells divide. Since the standard DNA replication machinery can’t fully copy telomeres, most eukaryotic cells require the vital ribonucleoprotein enzyme telomerase. Telomerase is composed of a TERT (telomerase reverse transcriptase protein) and telomerase RNA. As we age, telomeres shorten since most human cells do not express telomerase. If telomeres grow too short, it triggers a cell-cycle arrest known as senescence, which can ultimately result in cell death. On the other hand, >85% of human cancers show over-expression …

Go to article

A Portable Analyzer For Rapid And Sensitive Protein Detection By Ac Electrokinetics Capacitive Sensing, Allie Skaggs Apr 2021

A Portable Analyzer For Rapid And Sensitive Protein Detection By Ac Electrokinetics Capacitive Sensing, Allie Skaggs

2021 Celebration of Student Scholarship - Oral Presentations

Capacitive bioparticle detection is a promising method for point-of-care diagnosis. There are a wide range of applications for such a device: diagnostics, pharmacology, and medical science. The end goal of this project is to develop a portable capacitive sensing platform for rapid and sensitive bioparticles detection. When bioparticles bind to receptors located on the surface of the electrode there would be a change in the interfacial capacitance, which indicate the presence of the bioparticle. The ADuCM355 – a precision analog microcontroller with a chemical sensor interface – is being used to perform biased electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). An AC potential …

Go to article

Preservation Of Morehead State History, Jacob Bush Apr 2021

Preservation Of Morehead State History, Jacob Bush

2021 Celebration of Student Scholarship - Oral Presentations

This project is being undertaken in an effort to preserve the buildings and history of Morehead State University. It is the goal of this project to make additions to the historic district of MSU by adding qualifying buildings to the National Register of Historic Places. By adding buildings to the Register, they would be recognized on the federal level as historic sites and receive support for their preservation. The Register seeks to protect sites of importance through many ways including the gifting of funding to ensure preservation. The goals of this project will be achieved using historical texts from our …

Go to article

Analytical Method Development For The Analysis Of Biomass Degradation Products, Calista Dean Apr 2021

Analytical Method Development For The Analysis Of Biomass Degradation Products, Calista Dean

2021 Celebration of Student Scholarship - Oral Presentations

The goal of this project is to study the kinetics of hydrothermal liquefaction of biomass. Biomass contains stored chemical energy that can be converted to renewable liquid and gaseous fuels through various processes, but an in-depth understanding of the kinetics of these processes is important in order for them to be feasible on a large scale. Since biomass degradation products depend on the type of biomass used as well as the reaction conditions, this task can be quite complicated. To minimize complications in our initial studies, we will use D-glucose as the starting material. To better understand the degradation pathway’s …

Go to article

Comparing Growth Of Mutant Strains Of Acinetobacter Baumannii To Wild Type After Treatment With Mitomycin C, Kaylee Compton, Deborah Cook Apr 2021

Comparing Growth Of Mutant Strains Of Acinetobacter Baumannii To Wild Type After Treatment With Mitomycin C, Kaylee Compton, Deborah Cook

2021 Celebration of Student Scholarship - Oral Presentations

In Acinetocbacter baumannii bacteria, an error-prone DNA damage repair response is induced by the self-cleavage of the UmuDAb protein. Previous experiments indicating that a ddrR mutant becomes growth sensitive after DNA damage suggested that ddrR is also involved in this process. To explore this relationship, eight mutant strains of A. baumannii were made with different combinations of mutations in either ddrR and/or the adjacent gene, A1S_3662. Our experiment compared the growth of wild type cells to strains containing various mutations: DC4 (no gene mutations, just an antibiotic resistance marker, Kanr), DC5 (stop codon mutation in ddrR), and DC6 (both the …

Go to article

Ekap Update: Rethinking The Presentation Of Historic Sites, Elizabeth Debord Apr 2021

Ekap Update: Rethinking The Presentation Of Historic Sites, Elizabeth Debord

2021 Celebration of Student Scholarship - Oral Presentations

The Eastern Kentucky Art Project was founded in 2007 as a way to connect communities with resources pertaining to visual arts and music in Eastern Kentucky. One significant type of resources EKAP features is information regarding historic architecture in Eastern Kentucky. Understanding cultural landmarks in people’s own communities can foster an inclusive and healthy community identity, but it became clear through recent efforts to update the EKAP website that information surrounding the preservation of historic sites is often difficult to access and understand for a general audience. Previous efforts to educate and encourage preservation of important sites was often tied …

Go to article

The Editorial Process Of The Kentucky Philological Review, Jalyn Findley Apr 2021

The Editorial Process Of The Kentucky Philological Review, Jalyn Findley

2021 Celebration of Student Scholarship - Oral Presentations

The Kentucky Philological Review (KPR) is the official journal of the Kentucky Philological Association, published annually. This journal contains essays, book reviews, and creative work selected by the Editorial Committee from the Best of Section papers presented during the prior year’s spring conference. These submissions are then edited by this committee and editorial assistants through MLA format, grammar, syntax, and overall cohesion of themes by correspondence with the authors throughout the year. As editorial assistants of the KPA Editorial Committee, we attended the 2020 KPA conference, organized contact information from the presenters, and began initial readings of their papers and …

Go to article

Evidence Based Evaluation Of A Ventilator Management Clinical Practice Protocol, Kyle Mills Apr 2021

Evidence Based Evaluation Of A Ventilator Management Clinical Practice Protocol, Kyle Mills

2021 Celebration of Student Scholarship - Oral Presentations

Nursing care and management of mechanically ventilated patients requires specific care elements to be achieved in order for optimal patient outcomes. The ventilator management policy guides nursing care for this select group of patients. The ventilator management policy of a rural community acute healthcare facility was evaluated for evidence-base and validity using the AGREE GRS rating scale. The evaluation process included interview of the director of the inpatient unit responsible for care of ventilator patients, as well as review of the most current evidence-based practice protocols. Evaluation results indicate the facility’s policy met the needs of the patients, and incorporated …

Go to article

First Prev Next Last