A Critical Feminist Approach for Equity and Inclusion in Undergraduate Biology Education

2021 ◽  
pp. 149-176
Author(s):  
Ariel L. Steele
Keyword(s):  
Biology Education ◽  
Undergraduate Biology ◽  
Critical Feminist ◽  
Equity And Inclusion

Crossing Boundaries in Undergraduate Biology Education

2016 ◽  
Vol 045 (03) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dirk Vanderklein ◽  
Mika Munakata ◽  
Jason McManus
Keyword(s):  
Biology Education ◽  
Undergraduate Biology

scholarly journals Investigating Novice and Expert Conceptions of Genetically Modified Organisms

2017 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. ar52 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa M. Potter ◽  
Sarah A. Bissonnette ◽  
Jonathan D. Knight ◽  
Kimberly D. Tanner
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Modification ◽  
Real World ◽  
Genetically Modified Organisms ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Genetically Modified ◽  
Biology Education ◽  
Undergraduate Biology ◽  
Biology Students ◽  
Molecular Behavior ◽  
Biology Majors

The aspiration of biology education is to give students tools to apply knowledge learned in the classroom to everyday life. Genetic modification is a real-world biological concept that relies on an in-depth understanding of the molecular behavior of DNA and proteins. This study investigated undergraduate biology students’ conceptions of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) when probed with real-world, molecular and cellular, and essentialist cues, and how those conceptions compared across biology expertise. We developed a novel written assessment tool and administered it to 120 non–biology majors, 154 entering biology majors, 120 advanced biology majors (ABM), and nine biology faculty. Results indicated that undergraduate biology majors rarely included molecular and cellular rationales in their initial explanations of GMOs. Despite ABM demonstrating that they have much of the biology knowledge necessary to understand genetic modification, they did not appear to apply this knowledge to explaining GMOs. Further, this study showed that all undergraduate student populations exhibited evidence of essentialist thinking while explaining GMOs, regardless of their level of biology training. Finally, our results suggest an association between scientifically accurate ideas and the application of molecular and cellular rationales, as well as an association between misconceptions and essentialist rationales.

scholarly journals Curriculum Alignment with Vision and Change Improves Student Scientific Literacy

2017 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. ar29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Jo Auerbach ◽  
Elisabeth E. Schussler
Keyword(s):  
Active Learning ◽  
Scientific Literacy ◽  
Biology Education ◽  
Curriculum Alignment ◽  
Final Report ◽  
Process Skills ◽  
Student Collaboration ◽  
Undergraduate Biology ◽  
Learning Techniques ◽  
Academic Year

The Vision and Change in Undergraduate Biology Education final report challenged institutions to reform their biology courses to focus on process skills and student active learning, among other recommendations. A large southeastern university implemented curricular changes to its majors’ introductory biology sequence in alignment with these recommendations. Discussion sections focused on developing student process skills were added to both lectures and a lab, and one semester of lab was removed. This curriculum was implemented using active-learning techniques paired with student collaboration. This study determined whether these changes resulted in a higher gain of student scientific literacy by conducting pre/posttesting of scientific literacy for two cohorts: students experiencing the unreformed curriculum and students experiencing the reformed curriculum. Retention of student scientific literacy for each cohort was also assessed 4 months later. At the end of the academic year, scientific literacy gains were significantly higher for students in the reformed curriculum (p = 0.005), with those students having double the scientific literacy gains of the cohort in the unreformed curriculum. Retention of scientific literacy did not differ between the cohorts.

scholarly journals Formation of the Inclusive Environments and Metrics in Biology Education and Research (iEMBER) Network: Building a Culture of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. mr1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel E. Tennial ◽  
Erin D. Solomon ◽  
Latanya Hammonds-Odie ◽  
Gary S. McDowell ◽  
Michael Moore ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Biology Education ◽  
Social Scientists ◽  
Biology Students ◽  
Biennial Conference ◽  
Network Building ◽  
Foundation Program ◽  
Future Events ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
Interdisciplinary Networking ◽  
Equity And Inclusion

The Inclusive Environments and Metrics in Biology Education and Research (iEMBER) network is a newly forming national community of practice that engages diversity, equity, and inclusion stakeholders in interdisciplinary collaborative projects. iEMBER was initiated with incubator funding from the National Science Foundation program for Research Coordination Networks in Undergraduate Biology Education. In June 2017, biology education researchers, social scientists, biologists, and program and policy administrators, all with interests in diversity, equity, and inclusion, met to lay the foundation for the iEMBER network. iEMBER provides a distinct forum to coordinate efforts through networking, professional development, and the initiation of collaborative research. iEMBER advances science, technology, engineering, and mathematics reform focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion through the initiation of research teams at the iEMBER biennial conference and outreach efforts at discipline-specific meetings and conferences. The focus of iEMBER is on understanding how to create inclusive, supportive, and engaging environments to foster the success of all biology students and trainees. This report focuses on the structure of the iEMBER network, two takeaways that emerged from the 2017 conference (interdisciplinary networking/collaboration and intradisciplinary broadening participation strategies), and ways for prospective members to engage in ongoing dialogue and future events. Learn more at http://iember.org .

scholarly journals GCAT-SEEKquence: Genome Consortium for Active Teaching of Undergraduates through Increased Faculty Access to Next-Generation Sequencing Data

2011 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 342-345 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vincent P. Buonaccorsi ◽  
Michael D. Boyle ◽  
Deborah Grove ◽  
Craig Praul ◽  
Eric Sakk ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Biology Education ◽  
Next Generation Sequencing Data ◽  
Next Generation ◽  
Sequencing Data ◽  
Undergraduate Biology ◽  
Active Teaching ◽  
Nextgen Sequencing ◽  
A Genome ◽  
Genome Consortium

To transform undergraduate biology education, faculty need to provide opportunities for students to engage in the process of science. The rise of research approaches using next-generation (NextGen) sequencing has been impressive, but incorporation of such approaches into the undergraduate curriculum remains a major challenge. In this paper, we report proceedings of a National Science Foundation–funded workshop held July 11–14, 2011, at Juniata College. The purpose of the workshop was to develop a regional research coordination network for undergraduate biology education (RCN/UBE). The network is collaborating with a genome-sequencing core facility located at Pennsylvania State University (University Park) to enable undergraduate students and faculty at small colleges to access state-of-the-art sequencing technology. We aim to create a database of references, protocols, and raw data related to NextGen sequencing, and to find innovative ways to reduce costs related to sequencing and bioinformatics analysis. It was agreed that our regional network for NextGen sequencing could operate more effectively if it were partnered with the Genome Consortium for Active Teaching (GCAT) as a new arm of that consortium, entitled GCAT-SEEK(quence). This step would also permit the approach to be replicated elsewhere.

scholarly journals Learning Progressions: An Empirically Grounded, Learner-Centered Framework to Guide Biology Instruction

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. es5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily E. Scott ◽  
Mary Pat Wenderoth ◽  
Jennifer H. Doherty
Keyword(s):  
Biology Education ◽  
Student Thinking ◽  
Learning Progressions ◽  
Introductory Biology ◽  
Educational Tools ◽  
Undergraduate Biology ◽  
Learner Centered ◽  
Core Concepts ◽  
Key Topics ◽  
Biology Instruction

Vision and Change challenged biology instructors to develop evidence-based instructional approaches that were grounded in the core concepts and competencies of biology. This call for reform provides an opportunity for new educational tools to be incorporated into biology education. In this essay, we advocate for learning progressions as one such educational tool. First, we address what learning progressions are and how they leverage research from the cognitive and learning sciences to inform instructional practices. Next, we use a published learning progression about carbon cycling to illustrate how learning progressions describe the maturation of student thinking about a key topic. Then, we discuss how learning progressions can inform undergraduate biology instruction, citing three particular learning progressions that could guide instruction about a number of key topics taught in introductory biology courses. Finally, we describe some challenges associated with learning progressions in undergraduate biology and some recommendations for how to address these challenges.

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