Biology Commons^™

The Saint John's Maple Syrup Operation: Something Sweet For Everyone, Sarah Gainey, Kyle Rauch, Stephen G. Saupe

Biology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Green Club After School Program Curriculum, Megan Willburn

Honors Program: Expanded Learning Clubs

Green Club is an after school program which encourages students to develop environmental empathy, passions for environmental sustainability, and knowledge about the workings of environmental systems.

“What Will I Experience In My College Stem Courses?” An Investigation Of Student Predictions About Instructional Practices In Introductory Courses, Clara L. Meaders, Emma S. Toth, A. K. Lane, J. Kenny Shuman, Brian A. Couch, Marilyne Stains, Mackenzie R. Stetzer, Erin Vinson, Michelle K. Smith

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

The instructional practices used in introductory college courses often differ dramatically from those used in high school courses, and dissatisfaction with these practices is cited by students as a prominent reason for leaving science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors. To better characterize the transition to college course work, we investigated the extent to which incoming expectations of course activities differ based on student demographic characteristics, as well as how these expectations align with what students will experience. We surveyed more than 1500 undergraduate students in large introductory STEM courses at three research-intensive institutions during the first week of classes …

Investigating How Faculty Social Networks And Peer Influence Relate To Knowledge And Use Of Evidence-Based Teaching Practices, A. K. Lane, John Skvoretz, J. P. Ziker, Brian A. Couch, B. Earl, J. E. Lewis, J. D. Mcalpin, L. B. Prevost, S. E. Shadle, Marilyn Stains

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Background: Calls for science education reform have been made for decades in the USA. The recent call to produce one million new science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) graduates over 10 years highlights the need to employ evidence-based instructional practices (EBIPs) in undergraduate STEM classes to create engaging and effective learning environments. EBIPs are teaching strategies that have been empirically demonstrated to positively impact student learning, attitudes, and achievement in STEM disciplines. However, the mechanisms and processes by which faculty learn about and choose to implement EBIPs remain unclear. To explore this problem area, we used social network analysis …

Smaller Classes Promote Equitable Student Participation In Stem, Cissy J. Ballen, Stepfanie M. Aguillon, Azza Awwad, Anne E. Bjune, Daniel Challou, Abby Grace Drake, Michelle Driessen, Aziza Ellozy, Vivian E. Ferry, Emma E. Goldberg, William Harcombe, Steve Jensen, Christian Jørgensen, Zoe Koth, Suzanne Mcgaugh, Caroline Mitry, Bryan Mosher, Hoda Mostafa, Renee H. Petipas, Paula A.G. Soneral, Shana Watters, Deena Wassenberg, Stacey L. Weiss, Azariah Yonas, Kelly R. Zamudio, Sehoya Cotner

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

As science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) classrooms in higher education transition from lecturing to active learning, the frequency of student interactions in class increases. Previous research documents a gender bias in participation, with women participating less than would be expected on the basis of their numeric proportions. In the present study, we asked which attributes of the learning environment contribute to decreased female participation: The abundance of in-class interactions, the diversity of interactions, the proportion of women in class, the instructor's gender, the class size, and whether the course targeted lower division (first and second year) or upper division …

Life History Of A Clear Stream Minnow: Growth, Reproduction, Habitat Use, And Diet Of Notropis Boops (Bigeye Shiner) In Triplett Creek, Matthew T. Fossett

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A thesis presented to the faculty of the College of Science at Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science by Matthew T. Fossett on July 6, 2019.

Snake Fungal Disease In Lake Eerie Water Snakes And Its Affect On Attitude And Behavior During Treatment, Kelcie Fredrickson

Celebration of Learning

Snake fungal disease (SFD) is caused by the fungus Ophidiomyces ophiodiicola. Infection occurs when the outer skin is breached, and the organism enters the epidermis. The epidermis becomes necrotic and produces a yellow/brown crust. When the crust breaks off, ulcerations/lesions are formed along the snake’s body, head and tail. It has been found that SFD can be treated with a terbinafine nebulization treatment. Ellen Haynes, a PhD student, created a study in which 26 Lake Eerie water snakes are separated into treatment and control groups to determine the effectiveness of the nebulization treatment. Through daily observations, this research aimed …

Opportunities For Self-Evaluation Increase Student Calibration In An Introductory Biology Course, Jennifer L. Osterhage, Ellen Usher, Trisha A. Douin, William M. Bailey

Biology Faculty Publications

Accurate self-evaluation is critical for learning. Calibration describes the relationship between learners’ perception of their performance and their actual performance on a task. Here, we describe two studies aimed at assessing and improving student calibration in a first-semester introductory biology course at a 4-year public institution. Study 1 investigated students’ (n = 310) calibration (the difference between estimated and actual exam performance) across one semester. Students were significantly miscalibrated for the first exam: their predicted scores were, on average, significantly higher than their actual scores. The lowest-performing students had the most inaccurate estimates. Calibration improved with each exam. By …

Invertebrate Diversity Of Ponds Within Gremel Wildlife Sanctuary And Amboy Marsh, Dalton Howard, Madison Lape

Celebration of Learning

This project tested the water quality of different ponds and used macroinvertebrates as the overall indicator. The invertebrates give us a lot of knowledge about the health of the ecosystem and possible pollutants that could be harming the environments.

The Potential Of Socio-Biologically Relevant Mobile Applications To Attract Girls To Stem, Vanaja Nethi, Santanu De

FDLA Journal

Stimulating girls’ interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) when they are in school, and sustaining that interest, is critical in motivating girls to choose STEM-related disciplines in higher education and enter STEM careers. Research indicates that girls show an interest in STEM until about 11-12 years of age, but this starts to wane by the time they are 15-16 years. Thus, there is a clear need to focus on sustaining the interest of girls in STEM at middle or high school levels. Research has shown that one of the main drivers that impact girls’ interest in STEM is …

Bringing Science To Life In The Fifth-Grade Classroom Through Hands-On Learning, Kelly Gately

Honors Program Theses and Projects

Science helps provide insight into the unknown and provides an outlet for exploration of living things. Children are innately curious about how thing work, and they are eager to ask questions. Science is the perfect outlook for students to fully engage in their inquisitiveness, but yet, many classrooms are skipping over science lessons or choosing to heavily focus on other subjects, such as reading and writing. Science is often taught as an elective, integrated with other subjects or it is only focused on for a short period of time. Unfortunately, when this subject does receive attention, lessons are heavily text-book …

Making 3d Laser Cut Stratigraphic Audio-Responsive Tactile Templates, Michael A. Kolitsky

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

The geologic method of stratigraphy which studies the structure of the earth by making layers was employed with 3D laser cutting techniques to make more easily defined tactile regions in templates of cells, tissues and anatomic regions containing muscles and bones. Templates were made audio responsive by hand-drilling a small hole in a template and filling that hole with conductive electric paint. A finger touch to the template top side now carries a charge similar to an electric circuit to the template bottom side resting on the surface of an iPad or iPad Pro where an audio button produces audio …

Putting The I In Science, Naomi Kirkvold

Honors Program: Expanded Learning Clubs

This club gets kids interested in science in ways that they may not have experienced in a classroom by doing weekly experiments.

Establishing Enhanced Learning Outcomes In Science For First Generational Undergraduate College Students, Marianna Burks

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Theses and Other Student Research

First-generation students represent an increasing percentage of the demographic for college and university enrollment at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Since 2001, results from the National Center for Education Statistics Longitudinal Study, indicates ‘higher percentages of first-generations college students attended public postsecondary institutions-76 vs. 72%’ (Redford & Hoyer, 2017). There is insufficient research, however, concerning how first-generation students’ needs are different, even unique, from those students who are second- generation and beyond attending college (National Center for Educational Statistics, 2017). Since this increase of students enrolling in post-secondary education, ‘understanding the needs of first-generation students is imperative more now …

Investigating Student Conceptual Understanding Of Structure And Function By Using Formative Assessment And Automated Scoring Models, Kelli Patrice Carter

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

There has been a call from the national community of biologists and biology educators to increase biological literacy of undergraduate students, including understanding and application of core concepts. The structure and function relationship is a core concept identified by the wider biology community and by physiology faculty. Understanding of the core concept structure and function across multiple levels of organization may promote biological literacy. My research focused on the development of formative written assessment tools to provide insight into student understanding of structure and function in anatomy and physiology.

In chapter two I developed automated scoring tools to facilitate the …

Sustainable Agriculture Lesson For Middle School Classrooms, Sara Colombe, Madhav P. Nepal, Jennifer Mclaughlin, Matthew L. Miller, Larry B. Browning, P. Troy White

iLEARN Teaching Resources

In this lesson, students will learn about sustainability, where farmers/agriculturists can meet the needs of food, fiber, and fuel for the growing population. Students learn about growing population, its growth rate, major food source, sustainability barrel, potential ripple effects of positive impacts as well as the food waste and its effects.

Student Perceptions Of Reasons For Lecture And Active Learning, Calan Koch

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

With perceived student resistance to active learning in the classroom, instructors are hesitant to implement such methods into their classroom structure despite how effective they may be. This research seeks to understand student perceptions related to the transition to higher prevalence of active learning techniques. We aimed to find answers to how students perceive the ideal classroom to be structured, what reasons they perceive for lecture and active learning components, and possible explanations to concerns of groupwork during class time. We analyzed 64 interviews with undergraduate biology students at the University of Nebraska- Lincoln, developed coding rubrics from commonly found …

The Nature Of Science As A Foundation For Fostering A Better Understanding Of Evolution, Craig E. Nelson, Lawrence C. Scharmann, Jean Beard, Lawrence I. Flammer

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

Misunderstandings of the nature of science (NOS) contribute greatly to resistance to evolutionary theory especially among non-scientific audiences. Here we delineate three extended instructional examples that make extensive use of NOS to establish a foundation upon which to more successfully introduce evolution. Specifically, these instructional examples enable students to consider evolutionary biology using NOS as a lens for interpretation of evolutionary concepts. We have further found, through our respective research efforts and instructional experiences, that a deep understanding of NOS helps students understand and accept the scientific validity of evolution and, conversely, that evolution provides an especially effective context for …

The Social Construction Of Life: Critical Thinking About Biology In Society, Peter J. Taylor

Working Papers on Science in a Changing World

This book aims to expand the boundaries of the influences that readers consider when interpreting the practices and products of the life sciences ("biology") and their impact on society. The chapter topics include: Interpreting Ideas of Nature; The structure of origin stories; Multiple layers in influencing an audience: The case of Darwin's On the Origin of Species; Metaphors of coordination and development; What causes a disease?—the consequences of hereditarianism in the case of pellagra; How changeable are IQ test scores?; Social negotiations around genetic screening; Intersecting processes involving genes and environment.

Each chapter consists of 5 parts:

1. Introduce simple …

Concept Inventories As A Resource For Teaching Evolution, Robert E. Furrow, Jeremy L. Hsu

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Understanding evolution is critical to learning biology, but few college instructors take advantage of the body of peer-reviewed literature that can inform evolution teaching and assessment. Here we summarize the peer-reviewed papers on tools to assess student learning of evolutionary concepts. These published concept inventories provide a resource for instructors to design courses, gauge student preparation, identify key misconceptions in their student population, and measure the impact of a lesson, course, or broader curriculum on student learning. Because these inventories vary in their format, target audience, and degree of validation, we outline and explain these features. In addition to summarizing …

Which Of The Following Is True: We Can Write Better Multiple Choice Questions, Emily Rauschert, Suann Yang, Rachel M. Pigg

Biological, Geological, and Environmental Faculty Publications

In August of 2018, we held a workshop for ecological educators on best practices for writing multiple-choice questions at the annual Ecological Society of America (ESA) meeting. Here, we summarize the highlights from the pedagogical literature and our own experiences that we shared with workshop participants, along with their insights. The feedback we received at the end of the workshop suggested a need for more pedagogical training opportunities at future conferences.

Ua66/6/1 Ogden College Of Science & Engineering Biology Administration, Wku Archives

WKU Archives Collection Inventories

Records created by and about the administration of the Biology Department.

Gateway Scholarships In Biological Sciences: Year 2 Annual Report, Vicki Stieha, Julia Oxford, Amy Ulappa, Brittnee Earl, Jennifer Forbey, Kevin Feris, Jocelyn Cullers

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

This report summarizes grant activities, progress toward goals, and broader impacts of the Gateway Scholars Program in the Boise State Department of Biological Sciences during the 2018-19 academic year.

The Effects Of Medical Marijuana On The Endocannabinoid Systems Of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Maya Eylon

Whittier Scholars Program

50% of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder(ASD) have behavior abnormalities ranging from anxiety, to tantrum, to behavior outbreaks. Of these children, 40% are not responding to the treatment options available today (behavior therapy and medical treatments). There is a need within the ASD community that is not being address and because of that the desperate parents of these children have been turning to unconventional treatments, such as medical marijuana. Although there have been several anecdotes speaking to the power of cannabis, there is a severe slack of scientific data and research to demonstrate the effectiveness of cannabis in treating these …

Effect Of Process-Oriented Guided-Inquiry Learning (Pogil) On Preservice Elementary Teachers' Understanding Of Biological Classification, Mackenzie Volz

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This study examined preservice elementary teachers’ biological classification conceptions and whether process-oriented guided-inquiry learning (POGIL) or traditional pedagogies affect preservice elementary teachers’ understanding of biological classification conceptions. A literature review was completed to determine common biological classification conceptions that exist among all researched populations, what misconceptions are present regarding biological classification, and whether POGIL was an appropriate pedagogy to use in the experimental study. The findings from the literature review were used to develop a mixed-method research study. Both quantitative and qualitative data was gathered through the use of pre- and posttests and post-instruction clinical interviews. Participants (n = 47) …

Biology News 2019, University Of Northern Iowa. Department Of Biology.

Biology News

Contents:

--Greetings from the Department of Biology
--Upcoming event: Prairie Rendezvous in Celebration of Dr. Daryl Smith
--Staff and faculty news
--May 2019 Study Abroad trips
--Staff and Faculty Transitions
--The Difference He Made-Quotes on Dr. Wiens
--Outreach and Alumni
--Purple and Gold Award Recipient

Finding Common Rules Of Robustness And Resilience That Span Multiple Levels Of Biological Organization, Robert Burnap, Jing Chen, Erica Crespi, Moumita Das, Rebecca Simmons, Zhen Wang, Jie Xiao, Bing Yang, John Yin

Biology Faculty Publications

Today, humans as a species face significant global challenges: meeting the needs of an ever expanding human population for food and energy from limited land, water and other resources; finding ways to counter rapidly changing pathogens that become resistant to current treatments; adapting to climate change that is linked to more frequent flooding, drought, wildfires and temperature extremes; and reversing the deterioration of ecosystems associated with human induced alterations of the environment. Owing to its resilience and robustness, life in one form or another will likely persist, but it is unknown by what mechanisms or in what forms. Much is …

Investigating How Faculty Social Networks And Peer Influence Relate To Knowledge And Use Of Evidence-Based Teaching Practices, A. K. Lane, J. Skvoretz, J. P. Ziker, Brian A. Couch, B. Earl, J. E. Lewis, J. D. Mcalpin, L. B. Prevost, S. E. Shadle, Marilyn Stains

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Background: Calls for science education reform have been made for decades in the USA. The recent call to produce one million new science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) graduates over 10 years highlights the need to employ evidence-based instructional practices (EBIPs) in undergraduate STEM classes to create engaging and effective learning environments. EBIPs are teaching strategies that have been empirically demonstrated to positively impact student learning, attitudes, and achievement in STEM disciplines. However, the mechanisms and processes by which faculty learn about and choose to implement EBIPs remain unclear. To explore this problem area, we used social network analysis to …

Effects Of Potassium Source And Rate On Yield, Quality, And Leaf Chemistry Of Dark And Burley Tobacco, And Residual Effects Of Soil K Levels, Andrea Brooke Keeney

Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences

Field trials were conducted in 2016, 2017 and 2018 with dark fire-cured, dark air-cured, and burley tobacco at Princeton, Murray and Lexington Kentucky. Tobacco variety used in 2016 was a low converter (LC) variety, varieties used in 2017 and 2018 were LC and higher converter (HC) varieties. Potassium sources used at all locations and in all years were potassium sulfate (K₂SO₄) and potassium chloride (KCl). Application rates used at all locations and in all years were 93, 186, 279 kg K ha^-1along with an untreated control that received no potassium. In all trials, tobacco …

Tools For Change: Measuring Student Conceptual Understanding Across Undergraduate Biology Programs Using Bio-Maps Assessments, Michelle K. Smith, Sara E. Brownell, Alison J. Crowe, N. G. Holmes, Jennifer K. Knight, Katharine Semsar, Mindi M. Summers, Cole Walsh, Christian D. Wright, Brian A. Couch

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Assessing learning across a biology major can help departments monitor achievement of broader program-level goals and identify opportunities for curricular improvement. However, biology departments have lacked suitable tools to measure learning at the program scale. To address this need, we developed four freely available assessments—called Biology-Measuring Achievement and Progression in Science or Bio-MAPS—for general biology, molecular biology, ecology/evolution, and physiology programs. When administered at multiple time points in a curriculum, these instruments can provide departments with information on how student conceptual understanding changes across a major and help guide curricular modifications to enhance learning.