scholarly journals Reaching Rural Students: CARE Principles to Promote Student Engagement in College Biology Courses

2020 ◽  
Vol 82 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-17
Author(s):  
Julie A. Birt ◽  
Marcelle A. Siegel
Keyword(s):  
Student Engagement ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Learning Opportunities ◽  
Rural Students ◽  
College Biology ◽  
Expansive Learning ◽  
Rigorous Curriculum ◽  
Biology Instruction ◽  
Biology Courses ◽  
Students Success

Instructors at rural, two-year institutions have many insights that can inform biology instruction at other colleges to promote rural students' success in the sciences. We present four principles, derived from three case studies of experienced rural instructors, to consider when teaching rural students. These include connecting to students' lives, being attentive to their needs in and out of the classroom, having a rigorous curriculum, and providing expansive learning opportunities. These principles capitalize on the strengths of rural students rather than their shortcomings.

scholarly journals Remote or Removed: Predicting Successful Engagement with Online Learning during COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 237802312098820
Author(s):  
Thurston Domina ◽  
Linda Renzulli ◽  
Brittany Murray ◽  
Alma Nidia Garza ◽  
Lysandra Perez
Keyword(s):  
Elementary School ◽  
Student Engagement ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Initial Period ◽  
Learning Opportunities ◽  
Academic Learning ◽  
Socioeconomic Resources ◽  
Using Data ◽  
School Programming ◽  
Remote Learning

Using data from a spring 2020 survey of nearly 10,000 parents of elementary school parents in one large southeastern public school district, the authors investigate predictors of elementary school student engagement during the initial period of pandemic remote learning. The authors hypothesize that household material and technological resources, school programming and instructional strategies, and family social capital contribute to student engagement in remote learning. The analyses indicate that even after controlling for rich measures of family socioeconomic resources, students with access to high-speed Internet and Internet-enabled devices have higher levels of engagement. Exposure to more diverse socioemotional and academic learning opportunities further predicts higher levels of engagement. In addition, students whose families remained socially connected to other students’ families were more likely to engage online.

scholarly journals Connecting Activity Implementation Characteristics to Student Buy-In Toward and Utilization of Formative Assessments Within Undergraduate Biology Courses

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathleen R. Brazeal ◽  
Tanya L. Brown ◽  
Brian A. Couch
Keyword(s):  
Student Engagement ◽  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Learning Preferences ◽  
Formative Assessments ◽  
Student Experiences ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Undergraduate Biology ◽  
Biology Courses ◽  
The Impact

AbstractWhile formative assessments (FAs) can facilitate learning within undergraduate STEM courses, their impact likely depends on many factors, including how instructors implement them, whether students buy-in to them, and how students utilize them. FAs have many different implementation characteristics, including what kinds of questions are asked, whether questions are asked before or after covering the material in class, how feedback is provided, how students are graded, and other logistical considerations. We conducted 38 semi-structured interviews with students from eight undergraduate biology courses to explore how various implementation characteristics of in-class and out-of-class FAs can influence student perceptions and behaviors. We also interviewed course instructors to provide context for understanding student experiences. Using thematic analysis, we outlined various FA implementation characteristics, characterized the range of FA utilization behaviors reported by students, and identified emergent themes regarding the impact of certain implementation characteristics on student buy-in and utilization. Furthermore, we found that implementation characteristics have combined effects on student engagement and that students will tolerate a degree of “acceptable discomfort” with implementation features that contradict their learning preferences. These results can aid instructor reflection and guide future research on the complex connections between activity implementation and student engagement within STEM disciplines.

A Survey of First-Year College Biology Courses

1974 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 217-220 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward J. Kormondy ◽  
William Kastrinos ◽  
Gertrude G. Sanders
Keyword(s):  
First Year ◽  
College Biology ◽  
First Year College ◽  
Biology Courses

20/20 Analysis: Taking a Close Look at the Margins

1993 ◽  
Vol 59 (4) ◽  
pp. 294-300 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maynard C. Reynolds ◽  
Andrea G. Zetlin ◽  
Margaret C. Wang
Keyword(s):  
Special Education ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Learning Opportunities ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Traditional Approaches

This article presents “20/20 Analysis” as an experimental, output-oriented, noncategorical alternative to traditional approaches to identification of students for special education. 20/20 Analysis identifies students showing least (below 20th percentile) and most (above 80th percentile) progress toward important objectives of education in a school. The situation of each student in low 20% and high 20% groups is then examined as a basis for broad (noncategorical) approaches to improvement of learning opportunities. Case studies of two schools are presented. Policy implications are considered briefly.

Learning Opportunities in Case Studies for Becoming a Reflective Nurse Practitioner

2012 ◽  
Vol 51 (10) ◽  
pp. 563-569 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ada J. ter Maten-Speksnijder ◽  
Mieke H.F. Grypdonck ◽  
Aart Pool ◽  
Jan N. Streumer
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Nurse Practitioner ◽  
Learning Opportunities

Using Digital Badges to Design a Comprehensive Model for High-Impact Experiential Learning

2022 ◽  
pp. 418-434
Author(s):  
Mara B. Huber ◽  
Christina L. Heath ◽  
Charles D. Baxter ◽  
Anne Reed
Keyword(s):  
Student Engagement ◽  
Data Collection ◽  
Experiential Learning ◽  
Learning Opportunities ◽  
High Impact ◽  
Comprehensive Model ◽  
Digital Badges ◽  
Applied Learning ◽  
Community Impact ◽  
Research Questions

This chapter details the design, implementation, and promise of the Project Portal, a co-curricular badge system, as an exciting example of how digital badges can transcend traditional notions of credentialing. The authors begin by detailing their design approach, which frames goals within hypotheses and research questions, allowing for optimizing implementation based on student outcomes and ongoing data collection. The authors then share a comprehensive model through five primary functional lenses: (1) generating diverse applied learning opportunities, (2) incentivizing, (3) facilitating and (4) assessing student engagement, and (5) leveraging related impacts. Although still in its infancy, the model suggests that these functionalities are individually important and collectively sufficient to activate the promise of high-impact experiential learning as a driver for student and community impact along with key institutional priorities.

Pedagogical Positives of the Surface-to-Volume Ratio

2011 ◽  
Vol 73 (5) ◽  
pp. 260-264 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Charles Romesburg
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Volume Ratio ◽  
Structure And Function ◽  
Scientific Methods ◽  
Inquiry Based Learning ◽  
College Biology ◽  
Biology Courses ◽  
And Function

The surface-to-volume ratio (S/V) is well suited for inquiry-based learning in high school and college biology courses. It has a huge catalogue of biological and physical applications concerning structure and function. It is easy to learn, illustrates scientific methods, and can provide students with their favorite classroom moments, as many of its applications ring bells with their own world.

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