Understanding, Evaluating, and Diagnosing Undergraduate Student Difficulties with Graph Choice and Construction

Creating effective graphical representations of biological data is an essential component in the practices of science and involves engaging concepts and skills of quantitative literacy. With undergraduate biology students increasingly involved in scientific inquiry and experimentation, they are faced with the task of choosing and creating appropriate graphical representations of their data to communicate their findings. However, difficulties with graph choice and construction that were previously documented in literature, still exist today at both the K-12 and undergraduate levels. The purpose of this dissertation is to understand the reasoning involved behind choosing certain graph types and the process that occurs during graph construction, and to design and validate instructional materials to improve graphing skills. The first chapter reviews recent policy documents and relevant literature that have stressed the importance of graphing skill development. Although graphing has been heavily emphasized at the K-12 level and in the context of math and physics, the stepwise thought process and reasoning that determine how the graph is constructed and the final message it conveys are not well understood. In chapter two, I attempt to understand these reasoning that occurs during graph choice and construction by studying expert and novice biologists. Clinical think-aloud interviews were conducted and participants were presented with a small data set and asked to construct a graph using pen and paper. In chapter three, I look at how graphs are constructed in a naturalistic, classroom setting. In Spring 2013 and 2014, students in an upper level physiology laboratory engaged in inquiry-based labs, which required them to work in a team to design experiments, collect data, and present these findings in an oral presentation. Students engaged in guided reflective practices multiple times over the course of the semester, which forced them to evaluate their graph choice and describe the advantages and the disadvantages of their graph. The work described in fourth chapter utilized findings from the second and third chapters, as well as existing literature to develop instructional and learning tools aimed at improving reasoning with graphs. These tools are: the step-by-step guide, guide to data displays, and the graph rubric. The step-by-step guide was informed by the data from the think-aloud interviews (chapter 2) and its purpose is to provide students with a framework for data presentation, as practiced by experts. The purpose of the guide to data displays is to inform students of various types of graphs, their usage, advantages, and disadvantages. The purpose of the graph rubric was to help instructors provide quick and consistent feedback on students’ graphs and for students to use when constructing and critiquing graphs. The graph rubric was informed by: seminal literature in math and science education that informed the 12 assessment categories, expert-novice graphing interviews (chapter 2), and student graphs and reflections (chapter 3). The rubric was validated in three ways: assessing graphs from five introductory biology textbooks, graphs generated in the classroom, and graphs from the science literature. Chapter 5 used the cognitive apprenticeship model and tested the utility of the instructional and learning materials mentioned in chapter 4 in an upper-level physiology laboratory classroom (same setting and curriculum as chapter 3). Data for this chapter were collected during the Spring 2015 and 2016 semesters. Overall findings from this dissertation elucidated the presence of graphing competencies and difficulties in clinical and naturalistic settings in undergraduate biology students, graduate students, and professors, and informed the development and validation of three instructional and learning tools. These materials have the potential to resolve persistent difficulties with graphing and can be incorporated in teacher education and implemented in science classrooms at the undergraduate and K-12 levels

Escape Behavior in Temora longicornis when exposed to Karenia brevis and Alexandrium fundyense

Recent studies have shown that copepods exhibit complex behaviors. Copepods are ocean-dwelling crustaceans that form the base of the marine food web. With the increase in global temperatures, there has been an increase in naturally occurring harmful algal blooms. The purpose of this project was to determine the effects of harmful algal blooms such as Karenia brevis and Alexandrium fundyense on the escape behaviors of the small North Atlantic copepod, Temora longicornis. The experiments were performed in the schlieren optics system tank. A siphon was used to mimic the fish’s mouth. Data were collected via a high speed camera. Detection distance, escape distance, and escape speed were analyzed. Temora longicornis escape ability was not affected in terms of escape speed and escape distance after feeding on A fundyense. Copepods exposed to K.brevis, however, exhibited the furthest escape distance, largest average escape speed, and highest maximum speed of all other treatments. This conspicuous escape behavior increases the probability that they will fall prey to visual predators. Increased predation rates on HAB-affected copepods may facilitate the bioaccumulation of brevetoxins up the marine food chain with possible deleterious effects on humans consuming these fish.Yen, Jeannette - Faculty Mento

Development of a Framework for Graph Choice and Construction

Collecting, understanding, and interpreting data are key skills that all students should master. Research on graph interpretation and basic construction is extensive, and student difficulties, primarily in K-12 type settings, have been well documented [e.g., graph choice, labels for axes, variables, and scaling axes. Although many instructional books exist on graphing, they do not focus on the complex reasoning behind graph choice and construction. It is insufficient to choose an appropriate graph for data (e.g., bar graph for categorical data) without evaluating the advantages and disadvantages of using a particular graph. Here we provide a step-by-step tool to guide students in a sequential and methodological manner from raw data to a finished graphical representation. The guide prompts a reflective approach to the process of graph creation

CRISPR DNA Editing: Exposing Students to Computer-Based Research Experiences

Giving students opportunities in a cell and molecular biology lecture course to apply their basic knowledge of the central dogma to research and clinical applications are important for student engagement and nurturing critical thinking skills. Here we describe an exploratory approach to see how the integration of a mini-research project around CRISPR technology affected student learning and enjoyment. The learning objective for this project was to have students apply basic knowledge to analyze genotype, molecular characteristics, and phenotype of genetic diseases using published genetics-based clinical papers and propose the hypothesis why that particular mutation was responsible for the observed phenotype

Infusing an introductory biology lecture with critical thinking, quantitative reasoning, and career awareness activities

Critical thinking (CT) and quantitative reasoning (QR) are important skills and align with National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) competencies for biology undergraduate students and are fundamental career readiness competencies. While many publications focus on CT and QR, there exists a limited amount of knowledge on implementing these skills in introductory biology courses, without sacrificing lecture time. In this study, we will show how we infused introductory biology lecture with career readiness skills and CT modules. We will share preliminary findings from CT modules and student surveys that assess QR, STEM confidence/identity and career awareness

Claw Waving for Sex: An Inquiry-Based Lab to Teach Sexual Dimorphism and Behavior in Fiddler Crabs

We designed a three-week guided inquiry-based lab for non-biology majors revolving around the ideas of sexual dimorphism, selection, and behavior, using fiddler crabs (Uca pugilator) as a model. Specifically, students worked in small teams to design experiments, collect data, and present findings in a short oral presentation. Students gained exposure to scientific skills, including designing an ethogram, understanding the purpose of inter-observer reliability, graphing, statistics, and oral communication.

Study behavior patterns and student reasoning about using commercial textbooks vs. Open Education Resources (OER)

A direct comparison of an open education resource (OER) and a traditional textbook by the same students in a controlled reciprocal design revealed that students spend less time answering reading questions from an OER textbook, while answering more questions correctly than after reading the commercial textbook. Student study behavior patterns are compared and discussed, along with their reasoning. Our results give evidence that OERs can be a viable, time- and cost-effective alternative to commercial textbooks, with identical learning outcomes

Integrating service learning into an undergraduate bioethics class

Many studies have been done on student perceptions and personal beliefs on ethics in the real-world, yet this topic has traditionally been taught in a passive, lecture-style manner. Here we share preliminary findings from pre and post surveys, reports, and presentations of students enrolled in a traditional bioethics class and compare it with an innovative team-based, service-learning course. Preliminary findings revealed significant differences between these two instructional approaches, with engaging discussions, presentations, and meaningful learning from students enrolled in the service-learning course

Data from: Intoxicated copepods: ingesting toxic phytoplankton leads to risky behaviour

Understanding interactions between harmful algal bloom (HAB) species and their grazers is essential for determining mechanisms of bloom proliferation and termination. We exposed the common calanoid copepod, Temora longicornis to the harmful algal bloom species Alexandrium fundyense and examined effects on copepod survival, ingestion, egg production and swimming behaviour. A. fundyense was readily ingested by T. longicornis and significantly altered copepod swimming behaviour without affecting copepod survival or fitness. A. fundyense caused T. longicornis to increase their swimming speed and the straightness of their path long after the copepods had been removed from the A. fundyense treatment. Models suggest that these changes could lead to a 25-56% increase in encounter frequency between copepods and their predators. This work highlights the need to determine how ingesting HAB species alters grazer behaviour as this can have significant impacts on the fate of HAB toxins in marine systems

copepod survival

Temora longicornis survivorship when exposed to Alexandrium fundyense and Rhodomonas len