Modeling Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences: An Agenda for Future Research and Evaluation

Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) are being championed as scalable ways of involving undergraduates in science research. Studies of CUREs have shown that participating students achieve many of the same outcomes as students who complete research internships. However, CUREs vary widely in their design and implementation, and aspects of CUREs that are necessary and sufficient to achieve desired student outcomes have not been elucidated. To guide future research aimed at understanding the causal mechanisms underlying CURE efficacy, we used a systems approach to generate pathway models representing hypotheses of how CURE outcomes are achieved. We started by reviewing studies of CUREs and research internships to generate a comprehensive set of outcomes of research experiences, determining the level of evidence supporting each outcome. We then used this body of research and drew from learning theory to hypothesize connections between what students do during CUREs and the outcomes that have the best empirical support. We offer these models as hypotheses for the CURE community to test, revise, elaborate, or refute. We also cite instruments that are ready to use in CURE assessment and note gaps for which instruments need to be developed.Howard Hughes Medical InstituteScience and Mathematics Educatio

Recommendations for Effective Integration of Ethics and Responsible Conduct of Research (E/RCR) Education into Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences: A Meeting Report

Advancement of the scientific enterprise relies on individuals conducting research in an ethical and responsible manner. Educating emergent scholars in the principles of ethics/responsible conduct of research (E/RCR) is therefore critical to ensuring such advancement. The recent impetus to include authentic research opportunities as part of the undergraduate curriculum, via course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs), has been shown to increase cognitive and noncognitive student outcomes. Because of these important benefits, CUREs are becoming more common and often constitute the first research experience for many students. However, despite the importance of E/RCR in the research process, we know of few efforts to incorporate E/RCR education into CUREs. The Ethics Network for Course-based Opportunities in Undergraduate Research (ENCOUR) was created to address this concern and promote the integration of E/RCR within CUREs in the biological sciences and related disciplines. During the inaugural ENCOUR meeting, a four-pronged approach was used to develop guidelines for the effective integration of E/RCR in CUREs. This approach included: 1) defining appropriate student learning objectives; 2) identifying relevant curriculum; 3) identifying relevant assessments; and 4) defining key aspects of professional development for CURE facilitators. Meeting outcomes, including the aforementioned E/RCR guidelines, are described herein.</p

A Guide for Graduate Students Interested in Postdoctoral Positions in Biology Education Research

Intended as a resource for life sciences graduate students, this essay discusses the diversity of postdoctoral positions in biology education and the careers to which they lead. The authors also provide advice to help graduate students develop the skills necessary to obtain a biology education research postdoctoral position

Development of Slowly Digestible Starch Derived α-Glucans with 4,6-α-Glucanotransferase and Branching Sucrase Enzymes

Previously, we have identified and characterized 4,6-α-glucanotransferase enzymes of the glycosyl hydrolase (GH) family 70 (GH70) that cleave (α1→4)-linkages in amylose and introduce (α1→6)-linkages in linear chains. The 4,6-α-glucanotransferase of Lactobacillus reuteri 121, for instance, converts amylose into an isomalto/malto-polysaccharide (IMMP) with 90% (α1→6)-linkages. Over the years, also, branching sucrase enzymes belonging to GH70 have been characterized. These enzymes use sucrose as a donor substrate to glucosylate dextran as an acceptor substrate, introducing single -(1→2,6)-α-d-Glcp-(1→6)- (Leuconostoc citreum enzyme) or -(1→3,6)-α-d-Glcp-(1→6)-branches (Leuconostoc citreum, Leuconostoc fallax, Lactobacillus kunkeei enzymes). In this work, we observed that the catalytic domain 2 of the L. kunkeei branching sucrase used not only dextran but also IMMP as the acceptor substrate, introducing -(1→3,6)-α-d-Glcp-(1→6)-branches. The products obtained have been structurally characterized in detail, revealing the addition of single (α1→3)-linked glucose units to IMMP (resulting in a comb-like structure). The in vitro digestibility of the various α-glucans was estimated with the glucose generation rate (GGR) assay that uses rat intestinal acetone powder to simulate the digestive enzymes in the upper intestine. Raw wheat starch is known to be a slowly digestible carbohydrate in mammals and was used as a benchmark control. Compared to raw wheat starch, IMMP and dextran showed reduced digestibility, with partially digestible and indigestible portions. Interestingly, the digestibility of the branching sucrase modified IMMP and dextran products considerably decreased with increasing percentages of (α1→3)-linkages present. The treatment of amylose with 4,6-α-glucanotransferase and branching sucrase/sucrose thus allowed for the synthesis of amylose/starch derived α-glucans with markedly reduced digestibility. These starch derived α-glucans may find applications in the food industry

Synthesis of novel α-glucans with potential health benefits through controlled glucose release in the human gastrointestinal tract

The glycemic carbohydrates we consume are currently viewed in an unfavorable light in both the consumer and medical research worlds. In significant part, these carbohydrates, mainly starch and sucrose, are looked upon negatively due to their rapid and abrupt glucose delivery to the body which causes a high glycemic response. However, dietary carbohydrates which are digested and release glucose in a slow manner are recognized as providing health benefits. Slow digestion of glycemic carbohydrates can be caused by several factors, including food matrix effect which impedes α-amylase access to substrate, or partial inhibition by plant secondary metabolites such as phenolic compounds. Differences in digestion rate of these carbohydrates may also be due to their specific structures (e.g. variations in degree of branching and/or glycosidic linkages present). In recent years, much has been learned about the synthesis and digestion kinetics of novel α-glucans (i.e. small oligosaccharides or larger polysaccharides based on glucose units linked in different positions by α-bonds). It is the synthesis and digestion of such structures that is the subject of this review

Undergraduate R Programming Anxiety in Ecology: Persistent Gender Gaps and Coping Strategies

The ability to program in R, an open-source statistical program, is increasingly valued across job markets, including ecology. The benefits of teaching R to undergraduates are abundant, but learning to code in R may induce anxiety for students, potentially leading to negative learning outcomes and disengagement. Anecdotes suggest a gender differential in programming anxiety, with women experiencing greater anxiety. Currently, we do not know the extent to which programming anxiety exists in our undergraduate biology classrooms, whether it differs by gender, and what instructors can do to alleviate it. Instructor immediacy has been shown to mediate related anxieties such as quantitative and computer anxiety. Likewise, students&rsquo; use of adaptive coping strategies may mitigate anxieties. We investigated students&rsquo; R anxiety within a lower-division ecology course and explored its relationships with gender, instructor immediacy, classroom engagement, and reported coping strategies. Women reported significantly higher R anxiety than men, a gap that narrowed, yet persisted over the semester. In addition, several specific coping skills were associated with decreases in R anxiety and increases in self-concept and sense of control; these differed by gender identity. Our findings can guide future work to identify interventions that lessen programming anxiety in biology classes, especially for women. &nbsp;</p

Design-based learning for a sustainable future: student outcomes resulting from a biomimicry curriculum in an evolution course

Background National institutes and education initiatives emphasize the need to prepare future biologists to apply discoveries in science towards solving problems that are both social and scientific in nature. Research from socio-scientific, design-based, and problem-based learning demonstrates that contextualized, real-world tasks can improve students&rsquo; ability to apply their scientific knowledge in practical ways to navigate social problems. Biomimicry Design is an interdisciplinary field requiring biology and design skills; it informs the creation of sustainable designs through emulation of biological structures and functions that arise as a result of natural selection. Notably, engaging in biomimicry design targets an important biology and engineering learning outcome: understanding of how structure influences function. This study leveraged the practices of biomimicry along with those of design-based learning (DBL) to improve student outcomes in an evolutionary biology undergraduate course. Through DBL, the authors aimed to (1) ignite deeper understanding of how structure determines function in nature (a cross-disciplinary concept) and (2) help students to consider new ways this concept can benefit society (a science process skill). Results We randomly assigned two sections of an upper-division evolutionary biology course to either a biomimicry DBL (DBL group) or species comparison (comparison group) curricular design. Students in the course were exposed to a 1-day lesson, then 1-weeklong case study, and then a final project focused on either biomimicry species-to-human design comparisons (DBL condition) or species-to-species comparisons (comparison condition). To assess the targeted outcomes, we analyzed students&rsquo; responses from a pre-post assessment. Students in the biomimicry section were more likely to apply their biological structure&ndash;function knowledge to societal benefits when leaving the course. Students in both sections showed comparable gains in structure&ndash;function understanding, but there was no change in the number of students who used misconception language in their post-course compared to pre-course responses. Conclusions We conclude that our DBL curriculum, above and beyond the comparison curriculum, may support students&rsquo; ability to apply biological concepts to societal benefits without compromising structure&ndash;function understanding. Overall, these results provide rationale for incorporating tasks situated in DBL to address socio-scientific issues in biology courses. </div

The Need to Be Sure About CUREs: Discovery and Relevance as Critical Elements of CUREs for Nonmajors.

To the Editor, We read with interest the recently published paper from Ballen and colleagues (1), who indicated that discovery and relevance may be insignificant components of course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) for nonbi-ology majors. We appreciate the authors for addressing this important topic because there is a need for empirical evidence to shed light on design features that are hypoth-esized to make CUREs distinctive as learning experiences (2). We write this letter in this spirit of collegial exchange and with the aim of promoting further investigation on how CURE instruction influences the learning and development of diverse students. In doing so, we also respectfully submit our opinion that the claims made by Ballen and colleagues overstate the evidence they present and potentially mislead readers in judging the importance of discovery and relevance to CUREs

Community College Instructors’ Perceptions of Constraints and Affordances Related to Teaching Quantitative Biology Skills and Concepts

Quantitative skills are an important competency for undergraduate biology students and should be incorporated early and frequently in an undergraduate&rsquo;s career. Community colleges (CCs) are responsible for teaching introductory biology to a large proportion of biology and prehealth students, and quantitative skills are critical for their careers. However, we know little about the challenges and affordances that CC instructors encounter when incorporating quantitative skills into their courses. To explore this, we interviewed CC biology instructors ( n = 20) about incorporating quantitative biology (QB) instruction into their classes. We used a purposeful sampling approach to recruit instructors who were likely to have tried evidence-based pedagogies and were likely aware of the importance of QB instruction. We used open coding to identify themes related to the affordances to and constraints on teaching QB. Overall, our study participants met with challenges typical of incorporating new material or techniques into any college-level class, including perceptions of student deficits, tension between time to teach quantitative skills and cover biology content, and gaps in teacher professional knowledge (e.g., content and pedagogical content knowledge). We analyze these challenges and offer potential solutions and recommendations for professional development to support QB instruction at CCs.</p