Core concepts: A means to revolutionise first year biology education?

PROBLEM Students in an introductory physiology unit (BMS107) at Murdoch University have diverse career aspirations (clinical/non-clinical, animal/human) and wide ranging ATARs (Australian Tertiary Admission Rankings; 70-95). This diversity has historically produced challenges in engaging, and creating valuable learning for, each student. PLAN BMS107 was re-created with a focus on internationally-recognised Core Concepts in Physiology (Michael, Cliff, McFarland, & Wright, 2017), with the intention that these “big ideas” would engage diverse students and provoke higher-level learning of relevance to students pursuing divergent career paths.  ACTION Innovations included bookending the semester with focused Core Concepts material, iteratively signposting core concepts with icons and interactive content, and assessment revision. All methods were scalable and suitable for online delivery. REFLECTION Core concepts’ impacts on student learning, experience and performance, and challenges that emerged, were interrogated. It will be proposed that core concepts can challenge novice students to pursue deeper, more connected learning, if sufficiently scaffolded and supported. For staff teaching in content-heavy disciplines, core concepts can liberate staff from details-focused teaching, allowing them to operate effectively as a curator of and expert in the discipline. It is proposed that the core concepts approach is more valuable to students and more satisfying for educators.    REFERENCE Michael, J., Cliff, W., McFarland, H. M., & Wright, A. (2017). The Core Concepts of Physiology. New York, NY: Springer

Absent but still engaged: Connecting with diverse student cohorts using self-paced, online physiology modules

PROBLEM On-campus clinics to support mastery of challenging physiology threshold concepts among a cohort of Murdoch University students were introduced to BMS206 (Biomedical Physiology) in 2009, and recognised for their impact on student learning and engagement in an Office of Learning and Teaching Citation. Despite ongoing popularity, clinic attendance declined to less than 5% from 2014-2018, with personal commitments cited as barriers to participation. PLAN To adapt to changing student needs, on-campus clinics were reconceived in asynchronous, self-paced, digital form. ACTION Nine question-and-answer style clinics were created to direct students on digital learning journeys through physiology threshold concepts, providing alternate, scaffolded, individualised “paths” through material, depending on students’ responses. REFLECTION Clinic participation increased from 5 to 75% with implementation of optional, non-assessed online clinics. Student perception and unit performance data indicate that clinic use promotes deeper learning. Diverse students (undergraduate and postgraduate, with wide ranging Australian Tertiary Admission Ranks (ATARs) cite clinics’ in-built flexibility, effective use of repetition to promote mastery and confidence and interactive, engaging presentation as particular benefits. Students describe a sense of connection with staff in self-paced clinics, thanks to the careful incorporation of the staff voice, helping online clinics to transform students’ confidence and motivation when faced with challenging material.

Diversity in numbers: Connecting students to their world through quantitative skills

BACKGROUND Student underperformance on quantitative skills (QS, e.g. numeracy, statistics) is an enduring and increasing challenge in the tertiary education sector globally.  A review of science programs across 13 Australian universities suggests QS teaching is often focused on one 100-level units and between 1-3 units later in the degree (Matthews et al., 2012), providing little opportunity for vertical QS development. AIMS The Diversity in Numbers (DiN) project – Australian Council of Deans of Science (ACDS) funded – evaluates an alternative curricular model for numeracy skills development: scaffolded, course-wide implementation of digital numeracy modules with embedded interactive content and rich automated feedback to maximise learning. DESCRIPTION OF INTERVENTION Four pilot modules have been developed, each focusing on a core QS concept (e.g. statistical testing, unit conversions) and framed around a published article relevant to unit content, to expand student awareness of numbers as a tool to explore global diversity. This lens is central to the projects’ intention of addressing the ongoing lack of diversity among STEM graduates and within the STEM workforce. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS Preliminary data will explore the impact of DiN modules on student engagement (through student feedback and Learning Management System analytics), numeracy anxiety (through pre- and post-module anxiety assessments) and learning (through performance on numeracy-related assessments). REFERENCES Matthews, K. E., Belward, S., Coady, C., Rylands, L., Simbag, V., Adams, P., Peleaz, N., Thompson, K., Parry, M., & Tariq, V. (2012). The state of quantitative skills in undergraduate science education: findings from an Australian study. Australian Government, Office for Learning and Teaching

Quantifying the risk of non‐native conifer establishment across heterogeneous landscapes

1. Pines (genus Pinus) are cultivated extensively for forestry purposes, particularly in regions that are outside the genus' native range. The most common forestry species are also typically those most likely to escape cultivation and spread rapidly, and thus pines constitute a substantial weed problem in many regions. However, there is limited knowledge of the factors underlying the spread of pines from plantations. Assessments across heterogeneous landscapes are required to provide rigorous data to support management tools and policies aiming to protect vulnerable ecosystems from pine invasions. 2. We examined the spread of Pinus radiata from forestry plantations over a ~9,000 km² landscape on Banks Peninsula, New Zealand. We used ground-based surveys from a set of viewpoints to determine tree locations, coupled with geographical information system (GIS) viewsheds to define the area surveyed. We used boosted regression trees to build a habitat model for P. radiata establishment on Banks Peninsula. 3. We surveyed an area approximately 107 km², recording 470 naturally established P. radiata individuals. Our habitat models suggested that proximity to the nearest plantation forest was the most important variable predicting P. radiata establishment, with individuals most likely to establish within 150 m of a plantation. Individuals were also most likely to establish in early successional shrub communities, proximate to roads, and on steeper topography. Highly grazed habitats were least vulnerable to P. radiata establishment. 4. The slope and aspect of the source plantation influenced the distances from the plantation at which P. radiata individuals were recorded, with individuals recorded furthest away likely to have originated from plantations that were south-facing or on steeper slopes, and therefore most exposed to strong winds. 5. Synthesis and applications. Our findings on distances from plantations at which individuals established, vulnerable habitats, and the interactions we detected among our predictor variables, can be extended to aid management of non-native conifer plantings elsewhere in the Southern Hemisphere. These data can be used to contribute to improvements of decision support systems that assess likely spread risk from non-native conifer plantings. Such tools can reduce the likelihood of future pine establishment, potentially preventing biological invasions

Combining laser rangefinder and viewshed technologies to improve ground surveys of invasive tree distributions

1. Quantifying the spatial extent, location and habitat associations of invasive tree species is critical to predict their future spread and prioritise areas for management. Species–environment relationship analyses are useful tools for understanding and predicting the potential geographical distribution of these species; however, such tools require rigorous and extensive data about species presence and, crucially, the area surveyed. 2. Here, we describe a method for performing ground-based visual surveys of invasive trees from a set of viewpoints that utilises laser rangefinder and global navigation satellite system (GNSS) technology to detect tree locations. We then highlight the novel use of geographical information system (GIS) viewsheds as a tool to define the area surveyed. 3. Using the invasive conifer, Pinus radiata, as our target, we undertook a ground-truthing exercise for 50 trees established in the wild to assess the accuracy of the method and determine the suitable spatial resolution for GIS data that would be used in subsequent species–environment relationship analyses. For these trees, location error was positively related to distance from the tree to the viewpoint. The calculated locations for all trees within 600 m of the observer were within 25 m of the location as determined by the GNSS unit, with a median location error of 4 m. These results indicate that data of a resolution suitable for mapping invasive trees can be efficiently collected over large areas. We also outline suggestions and instructions for computing the viewsheds to determine the surveyed area. 4. This approach allows for efficient collection of accurate data on the occurrence of non-native trees and the land area surveyed. These data can underpin species–environment relationship analyses that then form the basis of risk maps for areas prone to future invasion. Given the speed and accuracy with which data can be obtained using this method, and the use of standard and easily accessible field equipment and GIS software, we recommend this approach to other spatial and invasion ecologists

Diversity in numbers – cultivating a growth mindset for numeracy development

Developing a solid foundation in quantitative skills (QS, e.g., numeracy, statistics) is essential for students’ academic success. More broadly, numeracy is a core language for understanding and developing critical thinking around current and future challenges in sustainability, artificial intelligence and climate change. However, Australian tertiary QS teaching is often limited to one 100-level unit and between 1-3 units later in the degree (Matthews et al., 2012). This provides little opportunity for vertical scaffolding of QS or even STEM students’ recognition of QS as an essential element of their learning, as QS development is not prioritised in their courses. The ACDS-funded Diversity in Numbers (DiN) project evaluates an alternative curricular model for numeracy skills development within the science curriculum: scaffolded, course-wide implementation of digital numeracy modules with embedded interactive content and rich automated feedback to maximise learning. Pilot modules have been developed, each focusing on a core QS concept (e.g., statistical testing, unit conversions). Modules are framed around a published article relevant to unit content, with the goal of broadening student awareness of how numbers can be used to explore global diversity. By promoting a culture of inclusivity and diversity, where students can see themselves within the curriculum, we aim to foster a sense of belonging among our diverse undergraduate students, supporting the emergence of an increasingly diverse scientific community. Preliminary qualitative findings from student focus groups during semester two 2022 will be presented, considering the implications of DiN modules on student engagement and learning, numeracy anxiety and awareness of diversity. A major finding of this work was that most students in the focus group displayed a fixed mindset to QS, although we did see some variability depending on the context in which students received their school-level mathematics education. While most students could recognise a fixed mindset around maths, leading to anxiety or avoidance of QS, students educated outside the Australian education system were not constrained by this. From these findings, it seems that fostering a growth mindset around QS development is a crucial first step in engaging Australian students with university-level numeracy concepts. We propose that participating in scaffolded QS modules that sit outside the graded curriculum and offer formative feedback may support students to develop a growth mindset towards QS. REFERENCE Matthews, K. E., Belward, S., Coady, C., Rylands, L., Simbag, V., Adams, P., Peleaz, N., Thompson, K., Parry, M., & Tariq, V. (2012). The state of quantitative skills in undergraduate science education: findings from an Australian study. Australian Government, Office for Learning and Teaching

Editorial 23(2): Special issue: Teaching and learning in higher education: Western Australia\u27s TL forum

The Teaching and Learning Forum series of annual conferences has been conducted since 1992 by the five universities in Perth, Western Australia, namely Curtin University, Edith Cowan University, Murdoch University, The University of Notre Dame Australia, and The University of Western Australia. After 22 years of TL Forums, it is timely to present this Special issue of Issues in Educational Research, for which the broad purpose is to advance fine examples of the TL Forum\u27s activities, selected from one of its categories, namely full papers accepted via a peer review process

International educators’ attitudes, experiences, and recommendations after an abrupt transition to remote physiology laboratories

Peer reviewedPostprin

“It's such a vicious cycle”: Narrative accounts of the sportsperson with epilepsy

Objectives: There is an abundance of quantitative and medical research promoting the benefits of exercise for people with epilepsy. However, the psychosocial barriers and benefits of exercising for the sportsperson/people with epilepsy (SWE) are absent. This research aims to present the narratives of SWE over time and as a result, develop further understanding of the psychosocial impact of exercising with epilepsy. Method: A holistic-content and structural narrative analysis were used to explore the exercise experiences of three SWE over the course of one year. A creative non-fictional technique was used to present first person narratives, therefore providing the SWE's voice for the reader. Results: Narratives of ‘vicious cycle’ and ‘roller coaster’ presented complex and multi-thematic storied forms, with time and the hidden nature of epilepsy having a strong impact on narrative formation. Vicious cycle presented the cycle of desiring to exercise, but prevented from exercising because of uncontrolled seizures. This resulted in frustration and feelings of a lack of control, which subsequently increased the desire to exercise and created a cycle with no clear end. Roller coaster presented the constant psychosocial and physical undulations that epilepsy can create for a SWE over time. Conclusion: These narratives reveal that exercising with epilepsy has a constant and on-going positive and negative impact on the life of SWE. However, these narratives also show that it may be through the process of acceptance of their body's limitations that a healthier mental and physical state may result for the SWE

The psychosocial impact of exercising with epilepsy: a narrative analysis

© 2016 Elsevier Inc.Research has presented the benefits of and barriers to exercise for people with epilepsy through quantitative means. However, individual experiences through qualitative investigations have been absent. This research will present the narratives of people with epilepsy exercising over time and, as a result, develop further understanding of the psychosocial impact of exercising with epilepsy. Four interviews were conducted over the course of one year (one every three to four months) with four participants (aged 23–38 years) who varied in seizure type and control (16 interviews in total). A narrative analysis was used to analyze their exercise experiences. Results showed that exercise creates a positive effect on psychological and physical well-being. However, prevention from exercise as a result of medical advice or recurrent seizures can create negative effects such as social isolation, anxiety, lack of confidence, frustration, and anger. Adaptations of decreasing exercise intensity level and partaking in different physical activities are techniques used to lessen the negative impact and maintain an exercise routine. Time was shown to be an important factor in this adaptation as well as portrayed the cyclical responses of negative and positive emotions in regard to their exercise life. These findings provide valuable insight into the psychosocial benefits of and barriers to exercising with epilepsy and draw attention to the individual differences in how a person with epilepsy copes with uncontrolled seizures and their impact on his/her exercise routine. This knowledge can lead to future research in exploring how a person with epilepsy can overcome these barriers to exercise and encourage more people with epilepsy to enjoy the benefits of exercise