Research Symposium

Proceeding from the 2009 Four Year University and College Section Research Symposium

Thursday, November 12, 2009
Denver, Colorado    

Presenters

Thomas R. Lord, Indiana University Pennsylvania (trlord@grove.iup.edu)
Comparing Inquiry and Traditional Instruction: Understanding The Nature of Science in Non-Science Majors

ABSTRACT: Currently, members of the biology department at Indiana University of Pennsylvania are performing an experiment to test if inquiry instruction is superior over traditional teaching methods for instructing students the nature of science. The research medium is an environmental biology laboratory for elementary education majors. To date, the study has covered three semesters with one semester being taught traditionally, one running with traditional teaching but with a special treatment (historical and performance aspect of the lab) acting as a placebo and the third using inquiry. Checks on students’past science exposure, test scores and interest found no science difference with the populations. All participants were given a pretest at the onset of the semester and a post test; the instruments were designed by the Lederman team and were designed to gage the students understanding of the nature of science. A discussion of the entire study along with what the results of the pre-post tests will be presented at this session.

Beverly Clendening, Hofstra University (beverly.clendening@hofstra.edu) 
Group Problem Solving Sessions Trump Lecture: Results of an Experiment in Teaching

ABSTRACT: In this small-scale study I tested the hypothesis that substituting lecture time for group-problem-solving sessions in an introductory cell biology and genetics course would improve not only the students’ problem-solving and analysis skills but also their factual knowledge of biology. I show that switching from lecture plus individual problem-solving work to a format of lecture plus group problem-solving sessions resulted in significant improvement in final exam scores not only on application and analysis assessments but also on assessments of knowledge and comprehension. In addition, substituting group work for lecture time resulted in no reduction in the breadth of concepts covered in class. In fact, I was able to “cover” more information using this format.

Mamta Singh, Texas State (ms1328@txstate.edu) 
Student Performance and Success in Entry-Level Undergraduate Biology Courses

ABSTRACT: Although attending college may be viewed as a rite of passage to a majority of students, some students face unique challenges in their pursuit of a college degree in science. This study is an attempt to gain better understanding of student performance and success in entry-level undergraduate science courses. Six variables-gender, ethnicity, high school GPA, high school science, school choice, and work hours were used as independent variables and course final performance as a dependent variable. The study attempted to explore two research questions: 1) What were the variables of performance in entry-level biology courses? and 2) What were the predictors of success in entry-level biology courses? Multiple regression models and logistic regression models were used to address the above two research questions. The results suggested that high school GPA had a strong association with students’ performance in entry-level biology courses. Additionally, high school GPA and high school chemistry were the predictor variables for students’ success in entry-level biology courses. A further study with a longitudinal and quasi-experimental research design is recommended to assess students’ performance and success entry-level science courses.

Leanne J. Bakke and Michele C. Kieke, Concordia University – St. Paul (kieke@csp.edu) 
Undergraduate Research Driven by Learning Objectives vs. the Research Question

ABSTRACT: Traditionally, research is driven by a central research question. A background search is completed, hypothesis formed, and data collected. The central focus of the project is taking steps towards answering the research question. Offering a comprehensive undergraduate research program at a primarily teaching institution presents many challenges, including workload, time, financial resources, and laboratory support personnel. In developing our research program, we focus on two fundamental questions: What are the essential features of a successful undergraduate research experience? Are they the same if the research is driven by learning objectives rather than the research question? We have developed a learning objective-based undergraduate research program that includes assessment using descriptive rubrics. The purpose of this 9-month research experience is to guide a group of 10-15 students through the thought process and technical steps of completing a research project. With clear learning objectives and rubrics in place to assess those learning objectives, we are able to both provide a valuable research experience and measure the benefits of that experience.

Anne Houtman and Sean Walker, California State University, Fullerton (ahoutman@exchange.fullerton.edu) 
Stopping Plagerism in Biology Writing Assignments: What Works and What Doesn’t

ABSTRACT: We developed a plagiarism prevention program in our non majors biology course with multiple sections and high enrollment (15 sections, 1500 students per semester). The percentage of plagiarized papers decreased from almost 30% to less than 6% across sections and over time. To determine which aspects of our program were most effective in preventing plagiarism, we tested the predictions of a game theory model of plagiarism. Consistent with the model, as probability of detection and the penalty if caught increased, plagiarism rates dropped, although the latter had a smaller effect. Our results did not support the idea that students are unaware of what constitutes plagiarism; plagiarism rates did not lower significantly when students participated in in class or homework activities about plagiarism. Our results suggest that students are making rational decisions that balance the potential penalty for being caught cheating with the time saved by appropriating others’ work. Today, over 94% of our students submit only their own work. This seems to us to be a significant contribution to the learning that occurs in our non majors’ biology classes.

Ivan Gepner, Monmouth University, West Long Branch, N. J. (gepner@monmouth.edu) 
A Web Based System for Practice and Testing of Image Based Knowledge

ABSTRACT: This proposal presents a web based system for student practice and instructor testing of image based information. Traditional techniques for testing from images are time consuming and limited. This system permits an instructor to populate an image library with digital images, and to selectively add images to practice or actual tests. Images are used to build test questions by tracing a 'hotspot' around the structure to be identified. Students respond to a question by clicking the mouse on the part of the image containing the indicated structure. The system automatically determines if the click is inside the hotspot and grades the question. Practice tests can be prepared in which students have a set number of tries to answer a question correctly, and receive decreasing points for each additional try. The system is designed to motivate student learning as it simulates certain gaming scenarios with which the student may be familiar. The system is available at no charge to any institution with an interest in adopting it.

Invited presentation by Anneke Metz of Montana State University, the 2009 Four-Year Section Research in Teaching Awardee. 
Building a Better Biologist: Strengthening Understanding of Statistics in the Undergraduate Classroom

ABSTRACT: There is an increasing need for science students to build a strong foundation in quantitative approaches to data analyses. At the same time, students in the biological sciences seem particularly “math-phobic.” Although most biological science majors are required to complete basic calculus and take at least one statistics course, mathematical reasoning and statistical analysis are generally poorly integrated into undergraduate biology coursework. To better train our future scientists and medical doctors, an undergraduate biology curriculum at a public university was revised to encourage earlier engagement with statistical analysis. Students were required to take statistics in their first semester, and basic statistical analysis methods were also reviewed in introductory biology. Students also performed statistical analyses on data gathered in inquiry labs associated with 3 introductory biology courses. When statistics learning was reinforced in this manner, students showed a statistically significant increase in statistics knowledge after completing introductory biology, even if they had previously completed introductory statistics. The use of statistics in a biology context also appeared to help long-term retention of statistical concepts for biology majors. Curriculum reform to better integrate math and biology thus appears to be a key component in producing a more quantitatively literate biology graduate. 

A Thanks to Our Reviewers

We would like to thank our reviewers for their time and detailed feedback.

• Nick Balster, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI
• Lloyd H. Barrow, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO
• Carla Easter, National Human Genome Research Institute, Bethesda, MD
• Anneke Metz, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT
• Paul Strode, Boulder High School and University of Colorado, Boulder, CO
• Cindi Walters-Smith, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, TN
• Richard Vineyard, Department of Education, Carson City, NV