A framework for understanding the characteristics of complexity in biology

Understanding the functioning of natural systems is not easy, although there is general agreement that understanding complex systems is an important goal for science education. Defining what makes a natural system complex will assist in identifying gaps in research on student reasoning about systems. The goal of this commentary is to propose a framework that explicitly defines the ways in which biological systems are complex and to discuss the potential relevance of these complexity dimensions to conducting research on student reasoning about complexity in biology classrooms. We use an engineering framework for dimensions of complexity and discuss how this framework may also be applied to biological systems, using gene expression as an example. We group dimensions of this framework into components, functional relationships among components, processes, manifestations, and interpretations within biological systems. We explain four steps that discipline-based education researchers can use to apply these dimensions to explore student reasoning about complex biological systems

Teaching and research in SCIL 101: Science and Decision-making for a Complex World

SCIL 101 “Science and decision-making for a complex world” is the new introductory core class for all of the students in CASNR. The learning objectives are targeted toward developing students’ science literacy skills. The course will be described, as well as findings from on-going science literacy research that investigates indicators of formal and informal decision-making in the course

Teaching and research in SCIL 101: Science and Decision-making for a Complex World

SCIL 101 “Science and decision-making for a complex world” is the new introductory core class for all of the students in CASNR. The learning objectives are targeted toward developing students’ science literacy skills. The course will be described, as well as findings from on-going science literacy research that investigates indicators of formal and informal decision-making in the course

Understanding Factors related to Undergraduate Student Decision-making about a Complex Socio-scientific Issue: Mountain Lion Management

We outline an instructional strategy for supporting students’ science literacy skills using a structured decision-making tool in an interdisciplinary undergraduate course. Instructional tools support basing complex socioscientific issues decisions on a reasoned analysis of tradeoffs among multiple conflicting values rather than heuristics, such as social norms. We explored the factors related to students’ decision-making about mountain lion management by examining if students’ value orientations, identity, or knowledge predicted their management decisions before, during, and after engaging in structured decision-making where they performed a tradeoffs analysis. We found that student decision-making may align more closely to students’ value orientations and identity at the beginning of the course, suggesting that by the end of the course, students were less likely to make decisions centered in social norms and simplified single-value heuristics. A structured decision-making tool can be an effective way to support students’ examination of value tradeoffs when solving complex socioscientific issues

Science-Informed Arguments in Undergraduates\u27 Opinions About Biofuels

Socioscientific issues (SSIs) are complex, multifaceted issues with components of science as well as components of values requiring evaluation of social, political, and ethical concerns (Nichols & Zeidler, 2009). • However, many students do not possess a fundamental understanding of the underlying scientific foundations of SSIs (NRC, 1998), or may evaluate issues based on personal relevance as opposed to contemplation of evidence presented (Sadler et al., 2004). • This study examined how undergraduate students chose to substantiate their opinions on the SSI of using biofuels as a fuel source before and after taking a semester long course, AGRI/NRES 103. • The AGRI/NRES 103 course is designed to increase students’ capacity to use science in their analysis of SSIs facing agriculture and natural resources. • By helping students understand and use scientific information when reasoning about this issue, we hope to support greater understanding of how science is relevant to an issue, which is a key component of science literacy (Feinstein, 2013). Overall, student responses showed improvement in overall mean argument quality, and less emotive arguments. However, students may need more support in developing high-quality, science-informed arguments. Many students changed their opinions about biofuels, (42% of all the students) which is a sign of deep reasoning and learning about the issue. Many students’ analyses, explanations, and opinions of the usage of biofuels are based in economic, environmental and social dimensions of agriculture and natural resources

Assessing quantitative modelling practices, metamodelling, and capability confidence of biology undergraduate students

Quantitative modelling plays an important role as biology increasingly deals with big data sets, relies on modelling to understand system dynamics, makes predictions about impacts of changes, and revises our understanding of system interactions. An assessment of quantitative modelling in biology was administered to students (n = 612) in undergraduate biology courses at two universities to provide a picture of student ability in quantitative reasoning within biology and to determine how capable those students felt about this ability. A Rasch analysis was used to construct linear measures and provide validity evidence for the assessment and to examine item statistics on the same scale as student ability measures. Students overall had greater ability in quantitative literacy than in quantitative interpretation of models or modelling. There was no effect of class standing (Freshmen, Sophomore, etc.) on student performance. The assessment showed that students who participated felt confidence in their ability to quantitatively model biological phenomena, even while their performance on ability questions were low. Collectively modelling practices were correlated with students’ metamodelling knowledge and not correlated with students’ modelling capability confidence. Biology instructors who incorporate the process of modelling into their courses may see improved abilities of students to perform on quantitative modelling tasks

Exploring STEM Teaching Assistants’ Self-Efficacy and Its Relation to Approaches to Teaching

Undergraduate and graduate teaching assistants (TAs) play large roles in introductory undergraduate education despite having little to no teaching experience or professional development (PD). Self-efficacy and teaching approach have each been studied as independent variables that impact teaching performance and student learning in the absence of practiced skill or developed knowledge. This study explored relationships between TAs’ teaching approaches and teaching self-efficacy. Self-efficacy was measured using the Graduate Teaching Self-Efficacy Scale (GTA-TSES), and teaching approach was measured using the Approaches to Teaching Inventory (ATI). The following research questions guided the study: What is the relationship between TAs’ approaches to teaching and their self-efficacy? How do approaches to teaching and self-efficacy interact to impact the model of TA self-efficacy? Both ATI subscales correlated strongly with the GTA-TSES learning environment subscale and weakly with the instructional strategy subscale. High self-efficacy TAs demonstrated more concern with impacting student learning, which may contribute to a more student-centered teaching approach. Results indicate that TAs with more confidence in their teaching ability may have a more student-centered approach than teacher-centered approach to teaching. Implications include enhancing TA PD with peer mentoring, constructive feedback, and reflection and incorporating learning concerns in the model of TA teacher efficacy

Developing and evaluating a pollination systems knowledge assessment in a multidisciplinary course

Background: Although pollinators play an integral role in human well-being, their continued global decline reflects the need to provide and evaluate general pollinator knowledge to promote their conservation. Enhancing learners’ understanding of the complexity inherent in pollination systems within the science classroom may help them make more informed decisions regarding pollinator conservation actions. By measuring conceptual understanding of pollination systems, science educators can identify learners’ knowledge needs and inform their teaching in science classrooms. Based on previously developed theoretical frameworks describing pollination systems knowledge, we created and evaluated a new instrument to assess pollination systems and conservation actions knowledge. The Pollination Systems Knowledge Assessment (PSKA) is a multiple-true–false instrument containing 18 question stems and 70 accompanying T–F items encompassing three organizational components of pollination knowledge regarding (1) plant structures, (2) pollinator structures and behaviors, and (3) pollination systems function and pollinator conservation. Results: We refined the PSKA based on expert discussions, think-aloud interviews, and pilot testing before and after presenting a wild pollinator conservation unit within a postsecondary science literacy course. The PSKA elucidated learners’ misconceptions and revealed discriminating items from the three organizational components of pollination systems knowledge. Conclusions: The PSKA may aid educators in exploring learners’ conceptual understanding, identifying areas of misconceptions, and refining educational programming aimed at improving learners’ pollination systems knowledge

Contribution of Calcium Oxalate to Soil-Exchangeable Calcium

Acid deposition and repeated biomass harvest have decreased soil calcium (Ca) availability in many temperate forests worldwide, yet existing methods for assessing available soil Ca do not fully characterize soil Ca forms. To account for discrepancies in ecosystem Ca budgets, it has been hypothesized that the highly insoluble biomineral Ca oxalate might represent an additional soil Ca pool that is not detected in standard measures of soil-exchangeable Ca. We asked whether several standard method extractants for soil-exchangeable Ca could also access Ca held in Ca oxalate crystals using spike recovery tests in both pure solutions and soil extractions. In solutions of the extractants ammonium chloride, ammonium acetate, and barium chloride, we observed 2% to 104% dissolution of Ca oxalate crystals, with dissolution increasing with both solution molarity and ionic potential of cation extractant. In spike recovery tests using a low-Ca soil, we estimate that 1 M ammonium acetate extraction dissolved sufficient Ca oxalate to contribute an additional 52% to standard measurements of soil-exchangeable Ca. However, in a high-Ca soil, the amount of Ca oxalate spike that would dissolve in 1 M ammonium acetate extraction was difficult to detect against the large pool of exchangeable Ca. We conclude that Ca oxalate can contribute substantially to standard estimates of soil-exchangeable Ca in acid forest soils with low soil-exchangeable Ca. Consequently, measures of exchangeable Ca are unlikely to fully resolve discrepancies in ecosystem Ca mass balance unless the contribution of Ca oxalate to exchangeable Ca is also assessed.Keywords: Exchangeable Ca, Soil calcium extraction, Soil analysis, Calcium oxalat