scholarly journals Verbal Final Exam in Introductory Biology Yields Gains in Student Content Knowledge and Longitudinal Performance

2013 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 515-529 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglas B. Luckie ◽  
Aaron M. Rivkin ◽  
Jacob R. Aubry ◽  
Benjamin J. Marengo ◽  
Leah R. Creech ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Content Knowledge ◽  
Cell Biology ◽  
Cellular Respiration ◽  
Introductory Biology ◽  
Final Exam ◽  
Medical College ◽  
Longitudinal Tracking ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Final Exams ◽  
Introductory Biology Course

We studied gains in student learning over eight semesters in which an introductory biology course curriculum was changed to include optional verbal final exams (VFs). Students could opt to demonstrate their mastery of course material via structured oral exams with the professor. In a quantitative assessment of cell biology content knowledge, students who passed the VF outscored their peers on the medical assessment test (MAT), an exam built with 40 Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) questions (66.4% [n = 160] and 62% [n = 285], respectively; p < 0.001);. The higher-achieving students performed better on MCAT questions in all topic categories tested; the greatest gain occurred on the topic of cellular respiration. Because the VF focused on a conceptually parallel topic, photosynthesis, there may have been authentic knowledge transfer. In longitudinal tracking studies, passing the VF also correlated with higher performance in a range of upper-level science courses, with greatest significance in physiology, biochemistry, and organic chemistry. Participation had a wide range but not equal representation in academic standing, gender, and ethnicity. Yet students nearly unanimously (92%) valued the option. Our findings suggest oral exams at the introductory level may allow instructors to assess and aid students striving to achieve higher-level learning.

A Mixed Exam Format Closes the Gap for Students with a Conflict between Their Religious Belief & the Theory of Evolution

2014 ◽  
Vol 76 (2) ◽  
pp. 101-108 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathrin F. Stanger-Hall ◽  
Julianne A. Wenner
Keyword(s):  
Student Performance ◽  
Religious Belief ◽  
Religious Conflict ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Introductory Biology ◽  
Final Exam ◽  
Constructed Response ◽  
Theory Of Evolution ◽  
Acceptance Of Evolution ◽  
Introductory Biology Course

We assessed the performance of students with a self-reported conflict between their religious belief and the theory of evolution in two sections of a large introductory biology course (N = 373 students). Student performance was measured through pretest and posttest evolution essays and multiple-choice (MC) questions (evolution-related and non-evolution-related questions) on the final exam and posttest. The two class sections differed only in exam format: MC with or without constructed-response (CR) questions. Although students with a reported conflict scored significantly lower on the final exam in the MC-only section, they scored equally well in the MC+CR section, and all students in the MC+CR section performed significantly better overall. As a result, (1) a religious conflict with evolution can be negatively associated with student achievement in introductory biology, but (2) assessment with constructed response was associated with a closed performance gap between students with and without a conflict. We suggest that differences in exam format and focus on student acceptance of evolution (either evidence-based or opinion), rather than reported conflict, may contribute to the inconsistencies in student learning of evolution across research studies, and that CR questions may help students overcome other obstacles to learning evolution.

scholarly journals Integrating Quantitative Thinking into an Introductory Biology Course Improves Students’ Mathematical Reasoning in Biological Contexts

2014 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 54-64 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan Hester ◽  
Sanlyn Buxner ◽  
Lisa Elfring ◽  
Lisa Nagy
Keyword(s):  
Outcome Assessment ◽  
Cell Biology ◽  
Course Design ◽  
Mathematical Reasoning ◽  
Biology Education ◽  
Introductory Biology ◽  
Mathematical Skills ◽  
Experimental Section ◽  
Quantitative Skills ◽  
Introductory Biology Course

Recent calls for improving undergraduate biology education have emphasized the importance of students learning to apply quantitative skills to biological problems. Motivated by students’ apparent inability to transfer their existing quantitative skills to biological contexts, we designed and taught an introductory molecular and cell biology course in which we integrated application of prerequisite mathematical skills with biology content and reasoning throughout all aspects of the course. In this paper, we describe the principles of our course design and present illustrative examples of course materials integrating mathematics and biology. We also designed an outcome assessment made up of items testing students’ understanding of biology concepts and their ability to apply mathematical skills in biological contexts and administered it as a pre/postcourse test to students in the experimental section and other sections of the same course. Precourse results confirmed students’ inability to spontaneously transfer their prerequisite mathematics skills to biological problems. Pre/postcourse outcome assessment comparisons showed that, compared with students in other sections, students in the experimental section made greater gains on integrated math/biology items. They also made comparable gains on biology items, indicating that integrating quantitative skills into an introductory biology course does not have a deleterious effect on students’ biology learning.

scholarly journals Cloning, Stem Cells, and the Current National Debate: Incorporating Ethics into a Large Introductory Biology Course

2002 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
pp. 132-144 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel D. Fink
Keyword(s):  
Cell Biology ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
National Policy ◽  
Personal Beliefs ◽  
Introductory Biology ◽  
Moral Issues ◽  
National Debate ◽  
Real People ◽  
Current Events ◽  
Introductory Biology Course

Discussing the ethical issues involved in topics such as cloning and stem cell research in a large introductory biology course is often difficult. Teachers may be wary of presenting material biased by personal beliefs, and students often feel inhibited speaking about moral issues in a large group. Yet, to ignore what is happening “out there” beyond the textbooks and lab work is to do a disservice to students. This essay describes a semester-long project in which upperclass students presented some of the most complex and controversial ideas imaginable to introductory students by staging a mock debate and acting as members of the then newly appointed President's Council on Bioethics. Because the upperclass students were presenting the ideas of real people who play an important role in shaping national policy, no student's personal beliefs were put on the line, and many ideas were articulated. The introductory audience could accept or reject what they were hearing and learn information important for making up their own minds on these issues. This project is presented as an example of how current events can be used to put basic cell biology into context and of how exciting it can be when students teach students.

scholarly journals Increased Learning Observed in Redesigned Introductory Biology Course that Employed Web-enhanced, Interactive Pedagogy

2007 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 243-249 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carl N. McDaniel ◽  
Bradford C. Lister ◽  
Michael H. Hanna ◽  
Harry Roy
Keyword(s):  
Biological Knowledge ◽  
Learning Gains ◽  
Introductory Biology ◽  
Learning Gain ◽  
Final Exam ◽  
Student Centered ◽  
Traditional Course ◽  
Introductory Biology Course ◽  
Student Composition ◽  
Made In

Our Introduction to Biology course (BIOL 1010) changed in 2004 from a standard instructor-centered, lecture-homework-exam format to a student-centered format that used Web-enhanced, interactive pedagogy. To measure and compare conceptual learning gains in the traditional course in fall 2003 with a section of the interactive course in fall 2004, we created concept inventories for both evolution and ecology. Both classes were taught by the same instructor who had taught BIOL 1010 since 1976, and each had a similar student composition with comparable biological knowledge. A significant increase in learning gain was observed with the Web-enhanced, interactive pedagogy in evolution (traditional, 0.10; interactive, 0.19; p = 0.024) and ecology (traditional, −0.05; interactive, 0.14; p = 0.000009) when assessment was made unannounced and for no credit in the last week of classes. These results strengthen the case for augmenting or replacing instructor-centered teaching with Web-enhanced, interactive, student-centered teaching. When assessment was made using the final exam in the interactive course, for credit and after studying, significantly greater learning gains were made in evolution (95%, 0.37, p = 0.0001) and ecology (143%, 0.34, p = 0.000003) when compared with learning gains measured without credit or study in the last week of classes.

scholarly journals Opportunities for Self-Evaluation Increase Student Calibration in an Introductory Biology Course

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. ar16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer L. Osterhage ◽  
Ellen L. Usher ◽  
Trisha A. Douin ◽  
William M. Bailey
Keyword(s):  
Retrieval Practice ◽  
Public Institution ◽  
Introductory Biology ◽  
Final Exam ◽  
Actual Performance ◽  
Self Evaluation ◽  
Experimental Section ◽  
The Difference ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Introductory Biology Course

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 the final exam, students underestimated their scores. We initiated a second study in the following semester to examine whether explicitly teaching students about self-evaluation strategies would improve their calibration and performance. Instruction in the experimental section ( n = 290) focused on students’ tendency to overestimate their abilities and provided retrieval-practice opportunities. Students in the experimental section showed better calibration and performance on the first exam compared with students in a control section taught by a different instructor during the same semester ( n = 251). These findings suggest that simple instructional strategies can increase students’ metacognitive awareness and improve their performance.

scholarly journals A comparison study of human examples vs. non-human examples in an evolution lesson leads to differential impacts on student learning experiences in an introductory biology course

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Z. Grunspan ◽  
Ryan D. P. Dunk ◽  
M. Elizabeth Barnes ◽  
Jason R. Wiles ◽  
Sara E. Brownell
Keyword(s):  
Content Knowledge ◽  
Learning Gains ◽  
Introductory Biology ◽  
Teaching Evolution ◽  
Student Background ◽  
Content Relevance ◽  
Diverse Student ◽  
Low Levels ◽  
Perceived Relevance ◽  
Introductory Biology Course

Abstract Background Instructors can teach evolution using any number of species contexts. However, not all species contexts are equal, and taxa choice can alter both cognitive and affective elements of learning. This is particularly true when teaching evolution using human examples, a promising method for evolution instruction that nevertheless comes with unique challenges. In this study, we tested how an evolution lesson focused on a human example may impact students’ engagement, perceived content relevance, learning gains, and level of discomfort, when compared to the same lesson using a non-human mammal example. We use this isomorphic lesson and a pre-post study design administered in a split-section introductory biology classroom to isolate the importance of the species context. Results For two of the four measurements of interest, the effect of using human examples could not be understood without accounting for student background. For learning gains, students with greater pre-class content knowledge benefited more from the human examples, while those with low levels of knowledge benefited from the non-human example. For perceived relevance, students who were more accepting of human evolution indicated greater content relevance from the human example. Regardless of condition, students with lower evolution acceptance reported greater levels of discomfort with the lesson. Conclusions Our results illustrate the complexities of using human examples to teach evolution. While these examples were beneficial for many students, they resulted in worse outcomes for students that were less accepting of evolution and those who entered the course with less content knowledge. These findings demonstrate the need to consider diverse student backgrounds when establishing best practices for using human examples to teach evolution.

A Classroom Simulation Activity to Visualize Energy and Matter Transformation in Cellular Respiration and Photosynthesis

2017 ◽  
Vol 79 (7) ◽  
pp. 552-561
Author(s):  
Lace A. Svec
Keyword(s):  
High School Students ◽  
Cell Biology ◽  
Cellular Respiration ◽  
Introductory Biology ◽  
School Students ◽  
Biology Students ◽  
Complex Processes ◽  
University Level ◽  
The University ◽  
Classroom Simulation

Undergraduate introductory biology students at the university level often struggle to trace movement of matter and energy through catabolic and anabolic processes in biological systems. A sequential guided simulation of cellular respiration and photosynthesis provides students an opportunity to actively model and visualize matter transformation and energy accumulation and degradation through the movement of molecular and energy “game pieces.” The activity was designed to help students generate a simplified outline of these two highly complex processes, while reinforcing the principles of conservation of matter and energy. My students participated in this activity during peer-led review sessions in an undergraduate, introductory, majors biology course (ca.150 students in 18 SI sessions over two semesters), but instructors could also easily adapt it for use in small lecture or laboratory classrooms, introductory cell biology, physiology, and ecology courses, or with high school students.

scholarly journals Integrating Concepts in Biology Textbook Increases Learning: Assessment Triangulation Using Concept Inventory, Card Sorting, and MCAT Instruments, Followed by Longitudinal Tracking

2017 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. ar20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglas B. Luckie ◽  
Anne-Marie Hoskinson ◽  
Caleigh E. Griffin ◽  
Andrea L. Hess ◽  
Katrina J. Price ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Deep Understanding ◽  
Concept Inventory ◽  
Learning Assessment ◽  
Sorting Task ◽  
Card Sorting ◽  
Medical College ◽  
Biology Textbook ◽  
Longitudinal Tracking ◽  
Upper Level ◽  
Introductory Biology Course

The purpose of this study was to examine the educational impact of an intervention, the inquiry-focused textbook Integrating Concepts in Biology (ICB), when used in a yearlong introductory biology course sequence. Student learning was evaluated using three published instruments: 1) The Biology Concept Inventory probed depth of student mastery of fundamental concepts in organismal and cellular topics when confronting misconceptions as distractors. ICB students had higher gains in all six topic categories (+43% vs. peers overall, p < 0.01). 2) The Biology Card Sorting Task assessed whether students organized biological ideas more superficially, as novices do, or based on deeper concepts, like experts. The frequency with which ICB students connected deep-concept pairs, or triplets, was similar to peers; but deep understanding of structure/function was much higher (for pairs: 77% vs. 25%, p < 0.01). 3) A content-focused Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) posttest compared ICB student content knowledge with that of peers from 15 prior years. Historically, MCAT performance for each semester ranged from 53% to 64%; the ICB cohort scored 62%, in the top quintile. Longitudinal tracking in five upper-level science courses the following year found ICB students outperformed peers in physiology (85% vs. 80%, p < 0.01).

scholarly journals Enhanced Bilosomal Properties Resulted in Optimum Pharmacological Effects by Increased Acidification Pathways

Pharmaceutics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 1184
Author(s):  
Armin Mooranian ◽  
Thomas Foster ◽  
Corina M Ionescu ◽  
Daniel Walker ◽  
Melissa Jones ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bile Acids ◽  
Biological Effects ◽  
Cellular Respiration ◽  
Full Potential ◽  
Protective Effects ◽  
Pharmacological Effects ◽  
Β Cells ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Anti Inflammatory

Introduction: Recent studies in our laboratory have shown that some bile acids, such as chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA), can exert cellular protective effects when encapsulated with viable β-cells via anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative stress mechanisms. However, to explore their full potential, formulating such bile acids (that are intrinsically lipophilic) can be challenging, particularly if larger doses are required for optimal pharmacological effects. One promising approach is the development of nano gels. Accordingly, this study aimed to examine biological effects of various concentrations of CDCA using various solubilising nano gel systems on encapsulated β-cells. Methods: Using our established cellular encapsulation system, the Ionic Gelation Vibrational Jet Flow technology, a wide range of CDCA β-cell capsules were produced and examined for morphological, biological, and inflammatory profiles. Results and Conclusion: Capsules’ morphology and topographic characteristics remained similar, regardless of CDCA or nano gel concentrations. The best pharmacological, anti-inflammatory, and cellular respiration, metabolism, and energy production effects were observed at high CDCA and nano gel concentrations, suggesting dose-dependent cellular protective and positive effects of CDCA when incorporated with high loading nano gel.

scholarly journals Writing Assignments with a Metacognitive Component Enhance Learning in a Large Introductory Biology Course

2014 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 311-321 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle Mynlieff ◽  
Anita L. Manogaran ◽  
Martin St. Maurice ◽  
Thomas J. Eddinger
Keyword(s):  
Student Learning ◽  
Introductory Biology ◽  
Act Scores ◽  
Writing Assignments ◽  
Traditional Lecture ◽  
Calibrated Peer Review ◽  
Written Recall ◽  
Introductory Biology Course ◽  
Retention Of Knowledge ◽  
Improve Student Learning

Writing assignments, including note taking and written recall, should enhance retention of knowledge, whereas analytical writing tasks with metacognitive aspects should enhance higher-order thinking. In this study, we assessed how certain writing-intensive “interventions,” such as written exam corrections and peer-reviewed writing assignments using Calibrated Peer Review and including a metacognitive component, improve student learning. We designed and tested the possible benefits of these approaches using control and experimental variables across and between our three-section introductory biology course. Based on assessment, students who corrected exam questions showed significant improvement on postexam assessment compared with their nonparticipating peers. Differences were also observed between students participating in written and discussion-based exercises. Students with low ACT scores benefited equally from written and discussion-based exam corrections, whereas students with midrange to high ACT scores benefited more from written than discussion-based exam corrections. Students scored higher on topics learned via peer-reviewed writing assignments relative to learning in an active classroom discussion or traditional lecture. However, students with low ACT scores (17–23) did not show the same benefit from peer-reviewed written essays as the other students. These changes offer significant student learning benefits with minimal additional effort by the instructors.

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