Student Association of Lecture Content with the Five Core Concepts of Biology: Novel Results from an Introductory Biology Course

Student Association

Challenges in integration of concepts persist among undergraduate biology students. The 5 core concepts (5CCs) of biology presented in Vision and Change provide a comprehensive, concept-based description of the knowledge of biology, summarized in five main biological scales and five overarching principles that dictate natural biological phenomena and processes.

Differences in Metacognitive Regulation in Introductory Biology Students: When Prompts Are Not Enough

10.1187/cbe.14-08-0135 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 14 (2) ◽

pp. ar15 ◽

Cited By ~ 26

Author(s):

Julie Dangremond Stanton ◽

Xyanthe N. Neider ◽

Isaura J. Gallegos ◽

Nicole C. Clark

Keyword(s):

Student Performance ◽

Learning Strategies ◽

Metacognitive Knowledge ◽

Introductory Biology ◽

Undergraduate Biology ◽

Biology Students ◽

Self Evaluation ◽

Metacognitive Development ◽

Metacognitive Regulation ◽

Introductory Biology Course

Strong metacognition skills are associated with learning outcomes and student performance. Metacognition includes metacognitive knowledge—our awareness of our thinking—and metacognitive regulation—how we control our thinking to facilitate learning. In this study, we targeted metacognitive regulation by guiding students through self-evaluation assignments following the first and second exams in a large introductory biology course (n = 245). We coded these assignments for evidence of three key metacognitive-regulation skills: monitoring, evaluating, and planning. We found that nearly all students were willing to take a different approach to studying but showed varying abilities to monitor, evaluate, and plan their learning strategies. Although many students were able to outline a study plan for the second exam that could effectively address issues they identified in preparing for the first exam, only half reported that they followed their plans. Our data suggest that prompting students to use metacognitive-regulation skills is effective for some students, but others need help with metacognitive knowledge to execute the learning strategies they select. Using these results, we propose a continuum of metacognitive regulation in introductory biology students. By refining this model through further study, we aim to more effectively target metacognitive development in undergraduate biology students.

A Problem-Sorting Task Detects Changes in Undergraduate Biological Expertise over a Single Semester

10.1187/cbe.16-05-0175 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 16 (2) ◽

pp. ar21 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Anne-Marie Hoskinson ◽

Jessica Middlemis Maher ◽

Cody Bekkering ◽

Diane Ebert-May

Keyword(s):

Sorting Task ◽

Biological Knowledge ◽

Card Sorting ◽

Introductory Biology ◽

Undergraduate Biology ◽

Biology Students ◽

Card Sorting Task ◽

Disciplinary Expertise ◽

Novices And Experts ◽

Introductory Biology Course

Calls for undergraduate biology reform share similar goals: to produce people who can organize, use, connect, and communicate about biological knowledge. Achieving these goals requires students to gain disciplinary expertise. Experts organize, access, and apply disciplinary knowledge differently than novices, and expertise is measurable. By asking introductory biology students to sort biological problems, we investigated whether they changed how they organized and linked biological ideas over one semester of introductory biology. We administered the Biology Card Sorting Task to 751 students enrolled in their first or second introductory biology course focusing on either cellular–molecular or organismal–population topics, under structured or unstructured sorting conditions. Students used a combination of superficial, deep, and yet-uncharacterized ways of organizing and connecting biological knowledge. In some cases, this translated to more expert-like ways of organizing knowledge over a single semester, best predicted by whether students were enrolled in their first or second semester of biology and by the sorting condition completed. In addition to illuminating differences between novices and experts, our results show that card sorting is a robust way of detecting changes in novices’ biological expertise—even in heterogeneous populations of novice biology students over the time span of a single semester.

Preparing for Class: Actions and Resources of Introductory Biology Students

Journal of Microbiology and Biology Education ◽

10.1128/jmbe.00243-21 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Tina M. Ballard ◽

Sabah Sattar ◽

Kendra D. Wright ◽

Jaime L. Sabel ◽

Heather E. Bergan-Roller

Keyword(s):

Introductory Biology ◽

Undergraduate Biology ◽

Biology Students ◽

Class Actions

Instructors want students to be prepared for class. There are several different resources and activities available to help students prepare for class, but very little is known about how students choose to prepare for class in the context of undergraduate biology.

Investigating Issues in the Laboratory

The American Biology Teacher ◽

10.1525/abt.2014.76.9.7 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 76 (9) ◽

pp. 609-614 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Krissi M. Hewitt ◽

Lori J. Kayes ◽

David Hubert ◽

Adam Chouinard

Keyword(s):

Invasive Species ◽

Animal Behavior ◽

Population Biology ◽

Learning Experience ◽

Reform Initiatives ◽

Undergraduate Biology ◽

Biology Students ◽

Invasive Crayfish ◽

Recent Reform ◽

Introductory Biology Course

Recent reform initiatives in undergraduate biology call for curricula that prepare students for dealing with real-world issues and making important links between science and society. In response to this call, we have developed an issues-based laboratory module that uses guided inquiry to integrate the concepts of animal behavior and population biology into an issue of both local and global relevance. The issue associated with this module is “What should be done about invasive crayfish?” Students investigate plausible reasons why crayfish are often successful invasive species through hypothesis testing, collection of behavioral data on live crayfish, and quantitative reasoning. Students also consider economic and environmental impacts of invasive species on local and global ecosystems. We implemented this module in a large introductory biology course and conducted survey research to evaluate the module’s potential to serve as an interesting and valuable learning experience for undergraduate biology students.

Exploring Biology: A Vision and Change Disciplinary First-Year Seminar Improves Academic Performance in Introductory Biology

10.1187/cbe.17-08-0158 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 17 (2) ◽

pp. ar22 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Caroline J. Wienhold ◽

Janet Branchaw

Keyword(s):

Academic Performance ◽

Academic Success ◽

Research University ◽

Positive Impact ◽

First Year ◽

Academic Skill ◽

Introductory Biology ◽

Core Concepts ◽

First Year Seminar

The transition to college is challenging for most students, especially those who aspire to major in the science, technology, engineering, or mathematics disciplines, in which introductory courses can be large and instruction less than optimal. This paper describes a novel, disciplinary first-year seminar (FYS) course, Exploring Biology, designed to address many of the challenges facing aspiring biology students beginning their academic careers at a large public research university. The course addresses typical FYS goals, such as community building, introduction to resources, and academic skill development, and introduces students to the core concepts of biology defined in the 2011 Vision and Change report. Relative to a matched comparison group of students, Exploring Biology alumni were retained at higher rates and had higher levels of academic performance in a subsequent introductory biology course, suggesting Exploring Biology has a positive impact on future academic performance in the discipline. Results from course evaluations and an alumni survey show that, overall, students valued both the FYS components and biology components of the course. These results provide evidence that the Exploring Biology disciplinary FYS model is an intervention that may increase academic success and retention in biology.

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

10.1187/cbe.19-03-0059 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 18 (4) ◽

pp. es5 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

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.

Introductory Biology Students’ Conceptual Models and Explanations of the Origin of Variation

10.1187/cbe.14-02-0020 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 13 (3) ◽

pp. 529-539 ◽

Cited By ~ 25

Author(s):

Elena Bray Speth ◽

Neil Shaw ◽

Jennifer Momsen ◽

Adam Reinagel ◽

Paul Le ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Causal Reasoning ◽

Conceptual Models ◽

Multiple Scales ◽

Explanatory Models ◽

Introductory Biology ◽

Biological Organization ◽

Biology Students ◽

Multiple Case ◽

Written Explanations

Mutation is the key molecular mechanism generating phenotypic variation, which is the basis for evolution. In an introductory biology course, we used a model-based pedagogy that enabled students to integrate their understanding of genetics and evolution within multiple case studies. We used student-generated conceptual models to assess understanding of the origin of variation. By midterm, only a small percentage of students articulated complete and accurate representations of the origin of variation in their models. Targeted feedback was offered through activities requiring students to critically evaluate peers’ models. At semester's end, a substantial proportion of students significantly improved their representation of how variation arises (though one-third still did not include mutation in their models). Students’ written explanations of the origin of variation were mostly consistent with their models, although less effective than models in conveying mechanistic reasoning. This study contributes evidence that articulating the genetic origin of variation is particularly challenging for learners and may require multiple cycles of instruction, assessment, and feedback. To support meaningful learning of the origin of variation, we advocate instruction that explicitly integrates multiple scales of biological organization, assessment that promotes and reveals mechanistic and causal reasoning, and practice with explanatory models with formative feedback.

An invitation to modeling: building a community with shared explicit practices

10.7287/peerj.preprints.3215v1 ◽

2017 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Kam D Dahlquist ◽

Melissa L Aikens ◽

Joseph T Dauer ◽

Samuel S Donovan ◽

Carrie Diaz Eaton ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Scientific Inquiry ◽

Biological Models ◽

Introductory Biology ◽

Small Shift ◽

Undergraduate Biology ◽

Biology Students ◽

Hardy Weinberg Equilibrium ◽

Biological Concepts ◽

Use Of Models ◽

Models And Modeling

Models and the process of modeling are fundamental to the discipline of biology, and therefore should be incorporated into undergraduate biology courses. In this essay, we draw upon the literature and our own teaching experiences to provide practical suggestions for how to introduce models and modeling to introductory biology students. We begin by demonstrating the ubiquity of models in biology, including representations of the process of science itself. We advocate for a model of the process of science that highlights parallel tracks of mathematical and experimental modeling investigations. With this recognition, we suggest ways in which instructors can call students’ attention to biological models more explicitly by using modeling language, facilitating metacognition about the use of models, and employing model-based reasoning. We then provide guidance on how to begin to engage students in the process of modeling, encouraging instructors to scaffold a progression to mathematical modeling. We use the Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium model to provide specific pedagogical examples that illustrate our suggestions. We propose that by making even a small shift in the way models and modeling are discussed in the classroom, students will gain understanding of key biological concepts, practice realistic scientific inquiry, and build quantitative and communication skills.

Six Classroom Exercises to Teach Natural Selection to Undergraduate Biology Students

10.1187/cbe-12-06-0070 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 12 (3) ◽

pp. 483-493 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

Steven T. Kalinowski ◽

Mary J. Leonard ◽

Tessa M. Andrews ◽

Andrea R. Litt

Keyword(s):

Sexual Selection ◽

Natural Selection ◽

Undergraduate Students ◽

Complex Traits ◽

Student Understanding ◽

Learning Activities ◽

Introductory Biology ◽

Undergraduate Biology ◽

Biology Students ◽

Biology Courses

Students in introductory biology courses frequently have misconceptions regarding natural selection. In this paper, we describe six activities that biology instructors can use to teach undergraduate students in introductory biology courses how natural selection causes evolution. These activities begin with a lesson introducing students to natural selection and also include discussions on sexual selection, molecular evolution, evolution of complex traits, and the evolution of behavior. The set of six topics gives students the opportunity to see how natural selection operates in a variety of contexts. Pre- and postinstruction testing showed students’ understanding of natural selection increased substantially after completing this series of learning activities. Testing throughout this unit showed steadily increasing student understanding, and surveys indicated students enjoyed the activities.

Introductory Biology Students’ Use of Enhanced Answer Keys and Reflection Questions to Engage in Metacognition and Enhance Understanding

10.1187/cbe.16-10-0298 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 16 (3) ◽

pp. ar40 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Jaime L. Sabel ◽

Joseph T. Dauer ◽

Cory T. Forbes

Keyword(s):

Undergraduate Students ◽

Higher Learning ◽

Introductory Biology ◽

Biology Students ◽

Self Regulated Learning ◽

Individual Concepts ◽

Regulated Learning ◽

Biological Concepts ◽

Support Students

Providing feedback to students as they learn to integrate individual concepts into complex systems is an important way to help them to develop robust understanding, but it is challenging in large, undergraduate classes for instructors to provide feedback that is frequent and directed enough to help individual students. Various scaffolds can be used to help students engage in self-regulated learning and generate internal feedback to improve their learning. This study examined the use of enhanced answer keys with added reflection questions and instruction as scaffolds for engaging undergraduate students in self-regulated learning within an introductory biology course. Study findings show that both the enhanced answer keys and reflection questions helped students to engage in metacognition and develop greater understanding of biological concepts. Further, students who received additional instruction on the use of the scaffolds changed how they used them and, by the end of the semester, were using the scaffolds in significantly different ways and showed significantly higher learning gains than students who did not receive the instruction. These findings provide evidence for the benefit of designing scaffolds within biology courses that will support students in engaging in metacognition and enhancing their understanding of biological concepts.