Increasing Authenticity & Inquiry in the Cell & Molecular Biology Laboratory

2016 ◽  
Vol 78 (6) ◽  
pp. 492-500 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacqueline S. McLaughlin ◽  
Melissa S. Coyle
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Biology ◽  
Design Research ◽  
Vero Cells ◽  
Scientific Practices ◽  
Research Experience ◽  
Research Experiences ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Biology Laboratory ◽  
Biology Lab ◽  
Pedagogical Framework

This article features a four-step pedagogical framework that can be used to transform the undergraduate biology laboratory into an authentic research experience. The framework utilizes a four-step scaffolding structure that not only guides students through the process of science and helps them gain mastery of relevant scientific practices, but also simplifies and streamlines the instructor's process of designing and implementing an authentic research experience in a biology lab course. We used this pedagogical framework to design an authentic research experience in which students investigated various factors affecting the growth and viability of a mammalian cell line, Vero cells isolated from kidney epithelial cells extracted from an African green monkey. Although this particular lab was designed for a cell and molecular biology course for university sophomores, the flexibility built into the pedagogical framework allows it to be used to design research experiences that can be implemented within a wide variety of lab courses at varying levels, effectively increasing the amount of authentic research experiences in biology lab courses nationwide.

Student Scientists: Transforming the Undergraduate Biology Lab into a Research Experience

2016 ◽  
Vol 78 (6) ◽  
pp. 502-508 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine M. Goedhart ◽  
Jacqueline S. McLaughlin
Keyword(s):  
Cell Biology ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Research Experience ◽  
Social Significance ◽  
Research Experiences ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Undergraduate Biology ◽  
Two Year College ◽  
Biology Lab ◽  
Pedagogical Framework

This article features an authentic research-lab experience developed for use in a freshman-level general biology course for nonmajors at a two-year college. Students work in groups to select and investigate factors affecting microalgal cell growth and relate their findings to a real-life application of social significance. This lab experience was designed using a four-step pedagogical framework originally developed at a four-year university in a sophomore-level molecular and cell biology course. The creators of the pedagogical framework at the four-year university mentored the instructor at the two-year college through the process of using the pedagogical framework to design and implement the authentic research lab experience described in this article. This example shows that adaptation of successful pedagogical models, particularly within mentoring partnerships, can greatly increase the implementation of authentic research experiences in biology lab courses at varying levels of study.

scholarly journals Redefining Authentic Research Experiences in Introductory Biology Laboratories and Barriers to Their Implementation

2014 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 102-110 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachelle M. Spell ◽  
Judith A. Guinan ◽  
Kristen R. Miller ◽  
Christopher W. Beck
Keyword(s):  
National Survey ◽  
Faculty Members ◽  
Research Experience ◽  
Scientific Process ◽  
Introductory Biology ◽  
Research Experiences ◽  
Low Level ◽  
Essential Components ◽  
Pedagogical Reform ◽  
Biology Laboratory

Incorporating authentic research experiences in introductory biology laboratory classes would greatly expand the number of students exposed to the excitement of discovery and the rigor of the scientific process. However, the essential components of an authentic research experience and the barriers to their implementation in laboratory classes are poorly defined. To guide future reform efforts in this area, we conducted a national survey of biology faculty members to determine 1) their definitions of authentic research experiences in laboratory classes, 2) the extent of authentic research experiences currently experienced in their laboratory classes, and 3) the barriers that prevent incorporation of authentic research experiences into these classes. Strikingly, the definitions of authentic research experiences differ among faculty members and tend to emphasize either the scientific process or the discovery of previously unknown data. The low level of authentic research experiences in introductory biology labs suggests that more development and support is needed to increase undergraduate exposure to research experiences. Faculty members did not cite several barriers commonly assumed to impair pedagogical reform; however, their responses suggest that expanded support for development of research experiences in laboratory classes could address the most common barrier.

scholarly journals Toxic remains: Infrastructural failure in a Ugandan molecular biology lab

2021 ◽  
pp. 030631272110115
Author(s):  
Sandra Calkins
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Biology ◽  
Hazardous Chemicals ◽  
Biology Lab

This article complicates romances of infrastructural improvisation by describing infrastructural failures that expose researchers to hazardous chemicals in a Ugandan molecular biology lab. To meet project deadlines, to make careers and to participate in transnational collaborative projects, Ugandan biologists have to stand in for decaying or absent infrastructures with their bodies. Ugandan biologists hide such sacrifices from their international scientific partners and direct the blame elsewhere. An unclear culpability results precisely from the ways in which power works and is distributed across transnational scientific infrastructures.

Chemistry instructors’ intentions toward developing, teaching, and assessing student representational competence skills

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maia Popova ◽  
Tamera Jones
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Coding Theory ◽  
Assessment Practices ◽  
Self Awareness ◽  
Scientific Practices ◽  
Information Processing Model ◽  
Representational Competence ◽  
Evidence Based Practices ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
The Us

Representational competence is one's ability to use disciplinary representations for learning, communicating, and problem-solving. These skills are at the heart of engagement in scientific practices and were recognized by the ACS Examinations Institute as one of ten anchoring concepts. Despite the important role that representational competence plays in student success in chemistry and the considerable number of investigations into students’ ability to reason with representations, very few studies have examined chemistry instructors’ approaches toward developing student representational competence. This study interviewed thirteen chemistry instructors from eleven different universities across the US about their intentions to develop, teach, and assess student representational competence skills. We found that most instructors do not aim to help students develop any representational competence skills. At the same time, participants’ descriptions of their instructional and assessment practices revealed that, without realizing it, most are likely to teach and assess several representational competence skills in their courses. A closer examination of these skills revealed a focus on lower-level representational competence skills (e.g., the ability to interpret and generate representations) and a lack of a focus on higher-level meta-representational competence skills (e.g., the ability to describe affordances and limitations of representations). Finally, some instructors reported self-awareness about their lack of knowledge about effective teaching about representations and the majority expressed a desire for professional development opportunities to learn about differences in how experts and novices conceptualize representations, about evidence-based practices for teaching about representations, and about how to assess student mastery of representational competence skills. This study holds clear implications for informing chemistry instructors’ professional development initiatives. Such training needs to help instructors take cognizance of relevant theories of learning (e.g., constructivism, dual-coding theory, information processing model, Johnstone's triangle), and the key factors affecting students’ ability to reason with representations, as well as foster awareness of representational competence skills and how to support students in learning with representations.

scholarly journals Assessment of Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences: A Meeting Report

2014 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-40 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Corwin Auchincloss ◽  
Sandra L. Laursen ◽  
Janet L. Branchaw ◽  
Kevin Eagan ◽  
Mark Graham ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Research ◽  
Biology Education ◽  
Operational Definition ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Meeting Report ◽  
Research Experience ◽  
Research Experiences ◽  
Undergraduate Research Experiences ◽  
Foundation Program ◽  
Definition Of

The Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences Network (CUREnet) was initiated in 2012 with funding from the National Science Foundation program for Research Coordination Networks in Undergraduate Biology Education. CUREnet aims to address topics, problems, and opportunities inherent to integrating research experiences into undergraduate courses. During CUREnet meetings and discussions, it became apparent that there is need for a clear definition of what constitutes a CURE and systematic exploration of what makes CUREs meaningful in terms of student learning. Thus, we assembled a small working group of people with expertise in CURE instruction and assessment to: 1) draft an operational definition of a CURE, with the aim of defining what makes a laboratory course or project a “research experience”; 2) summarize research on CUREs, as well as findings from studies of undergraduate research internships that would be useful for thinking about how students are influenced by participating in CUREs; and 3) identify areas of greatest need with respect to CURE assessment, and directions for future research on and evaluation of CUREs. This report summarizes the outcomes and recommendations of this meeting.

Three-Year Study of the Impact of a Research Experience Program in Aerospace Engineering on Undergraduate Students

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 23-32
Author(s):  
Jacques C. Richard ◽  
So Yoon Yoon
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Career Paths ◽  
Research University ◽  
Aerospace Engineering ◽  
Research Experience ◽  
Research Knowledge ◽  
Research Experiences ◽  
Public Research University ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Engineering Career

This study reports results from a three-year implementation of a Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program funded by the National Science Foundation in aerospace engineering at a public research university in the southwestern United States. Students’ perceptions of research knowledge, skills, and engineering career paths were all positively affected.

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