Science Classroom Inquiry (SCI) Simulations: A Novel Method to Scaffold Science Learning

Science education is progressively more focused on employing inquiry-based learning methods in the classroom and increasing scientific literacy among students. However, due to time and resource constraints, many classroom science activities and laboratory experiments focus on simple inquiry, with a step-by-step approach to reach predetermined outcomes. The science classroom inquiry (SCI) simulations were designed to give students real life, authentic science experiences within the confines of a typical classroom. The SCI simulations allow students to engage with a science problem in a meaningful, inquiry-based manner. Three discrete SCI simulations were created as website applications for use with middle school and high school students. For each simulation, students were tasked with solving a scientific problem through investigation and hypothesis testing. After completion of the simulation, 67% of students reported a change in how they perceived authentic science practices, specifically related to the complex and dynamic nature of scientific research and how scientists approach problems. Moreover, 80% of the students who did not report a change in how they viewed the practice of science indicated that the simulation confirmed or strengthened their prior understanding. Additionally, we found a statistically significant positive correlation between students’ self-reported changes in understanding of authentic science practices and the degree to which each simulation benefitted learning. Since SCI simulations were effective in promoting both student learning and student understanding of authentic science practices with both middle and high school students, we propose that SCI simulations are a valuable and versatile technology that can be used to educate and inspire a wide range of science students on the real-world complexities inherent in scientific study

Relationships between Prediction Accuracy, Metacognitive Reflection, and Performance in Introductory Genetics Students

Cognitive scientists have previously shown that students&rsquo; perceptions of their learning and performance on assessments often do not match reality. This process of self-assessing performance is a component of metacognition, which also includes the practice of thinking about one&rsquo;s knowledge and identifying and implementing strategies to improve understanding. We used a mixed-methods approach to investigate the relationship between students&rsquo; perceptions of their performance through grade predictions, their metacognitive reflections after receiving their grades, and their actual performance during a semester-long introductory genetics course. We found that, as a group, students do not display better predictive accuracy nor more metacognitive reflections over the semester. However, those who shift from overpredicting to matching or underpredicting also show improved performance. Higher performers are overall more likely to answer reflection questions than lower-performing peers. Although high-performing students are usually more metacognitive in their reflections, an increase in a student&rsquo;s frequency of metacognitive responses over time does not necessarily predict a grade increase. We illustrate several example trends in student reflections and suggest possible next steps for helping students implement better metacognitive regulation. &nbsp;</p

Learning Analytics to Assess Beliefs about Science: Evolution of Expertise as Seen through Biological Inquiry

Epistemological beliefs about science (EBAS) or beliefs about the nature of science knowledge, and how that knowledge is generated during inquiry, are an essential yet difficult to assess component of science literacy. Leveraging learning analytics to capture and analyze student practices in simulated or game-based authentic science activities is a potential avenue for assessing EBAS. Our previous work characterized inquiry practices of experts and novices engaged in simulated authentic science inquiry and suggested that practices may reflect EBAS. Here, we extend our prior qualitative work to quantitatively examine differences in practices and EBAS between non&ndash;science majors, biology majors, and biology graduates. We observed that inquiry practices of non&ndash;science majors and biology graduates were similar to the novice and expert practices, respectively, in our prior work. However, biology majors sometimes appeared to act like their undergraduate peers (e.g., performing fewer planning actions) but other times were more similar to biology graduates (e.g., performing complex investigations). We noted that cognitive constructs like metacognition were also important for understanding which practices were most likely to be reflective of EBAS. This work advances how to assess EBAS using learning analytics and raises questions regarding the development of cognitive processes like EBAS among aspiring biologists. </div

Undergraduate Biology Education Research Gordon Research Conference: A Meeting Report

The 2019 Undergraduate Biology Education Research Gordon Research Conference (UBER GRC), titled “Achieving Widespread Improvement in Undergraduate Education,” brought together a diverse group of researchers and practitioners working to identify, promote, and understand widespread adoption of evidence-based teaching, learning, and success strategies in undergraduate biology. Graduate students and postdocs had the additional opportunity to present and discuss research during a Gordon Research Seminar (GRS) that preceded the GRC. This report provides a broad overview of the UBER GRC and GRS and highlights major themes that cut across invited talks, poster presentations, and informal discussions. Such themes include the importance of working in teams at multiple levels to achieve instructional improvement, the potential to use big data and analytics to inform instructional change, the need to customize change initiatives, and the importance of psychosocial supports in improving undergraduate student well-being and academic success. The report also discusses the future of the UBER GRC as an established meeting and describes aspects of the conference that make it unique, both in terms of facilitating dissemination of research and providing a welcoming environment for conferees

Assessing epistemological beliefs of experts and novices via practices in authentic science inquiry

Abstract Background Achieving science literacy requires learning disciplinary knowledge, science practices, and development of sophisticated epistemological beliefs about the nature of science and science knowledge. Although sophisticated epistemological beliefs about science are important for attaining science literacy, students’ beliefs are difficult to assess. Previous work suggested that students’ epistemological beliefs about science are best assessed in the context of engagement in science practices, such as argumentation or inquiry. Results In this paper, we propose a novel method for examining students’ epistemological beliefs about science situated in authentic science inquiry or their Epistemology in Authentic Science Inquiry (EASI). As a first step towards developing this assessment, we performed a novice/expert study to characterize practices within a simulated authentic science inquiry experience provided by Science Classroom Inquiry (SCI) simulations. Our analyses indicated that experts and novices, as defined by their experience with authentic science practices, had distinct practices in SCI simulations. For example, experts, as compared to novices, spent much of their investigations seeking outside information, which is consistent with novice/expert studies in engineering. We also observed that novice practices existed on a continuum, with some appearing more-or less expert-like. Furthermore, pre-test performance on established metrics of nature of science was predictive of practices within the simulation. Conclusions Since performance on pre-test metrics of nature of science was predictive of practices, and since there were distinct expert or novice-like practices, it may be possible to use practices in simulated authentic science inquiry as a proxy for student’s epistemological beliefs. Given than novices existed on a continuum, this could facilitate the development of targeted science curriculum tailored to the needs of a particular group of students. This study indicates how educational technologies, such as simulated authentic science inquiry, can be harnessed to examine difficult to assess, but important, constructs such as epistemology

SCI simulations were successful at helping students gain content knowledge while promoting a more sophisticated understanding of authentic science practices.

<p>SCI simulations were successful at helping students gain content knowledge while promoting a more sophisticated understanding of authentic science practices.</p

Description of five groups who utilized SCI simulations.

<p>Description of five groups who utilized SCI simulations.</p

Student ratings of difficulty, thought needed, and learning efficacy are impacted by simulation and setting, but not grade.

<p>(A) No statistically significant differences were observed between simulations in regards to difficulty (One-way ANOVA, p > 0.05). However, students reported that the <i>Unusual Mortality Events</i> simulation required much greater thought to complete that the <i>Seizing Sea Lions</i> simulation (One-way ANOVA, <i>p</i> = 0.001). (B) The setting (<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0120638#pone.0120638.t001" target="_blank">Table 1</a>) where the SCI simulations were used did not have an effect on the amount of thought needed to complete the simulation or how much the simulation helped the student to learn (One-way ANOVA, p > 0.05). However, the students in Setting 2 had an easier time completing the simulation than students in Setting 1 or 3 (One-way ANOVA, <i>p</i> = 0.004 and <i>p</i> = 0.014 respectively). (C) Analysis of middle school and high school students across all three settings indicated no statistically significant differences in difficulty, thought required to complete the simulation, or the amount the simulation helped them to learn (Independent samples t-test, <i>p</i> > 0.05). Graphs represent the average score on a 5-point Likert scale where 5 represents a high and 1 a low rating and error bars represent SEM.</p

SCI simulations are effective at changing student’s perceptions of authentic science practices.

<p>(A) Of the 88 students who used the SCI simulations, 67% reported that use of the simulation altered their perceptions of the nature of authentic science practices. 28% of students indicated no change in perception of authentic science practices and 5% of students did not respond and were excluded from additional analyses. (B) All simulations were successful at changing students’ perceptions of authentic science practices, although no single simulation was more successful in this regard. (C) Regardless of setting, students reported changes in their perceptions of authentic science practices. (D) Grade level had no impact on whether students’ perceptions of authentic science practices changed, and students of both groups had a higher percentage of yes than no responses.</p

Schematic of SCI simulation architecture.

<p>After logging into the appropriate simulation, students read pertinent background information and are introduced to problem (i.e. unexplainable deaths of a certain animal species) and generate a hypothesis to explain the cause. Students are then asked to pick a hypothesis from a list of pre-generated hypotheses (<i>Seizing Sea Lions</i> and <i>Neural Tube Defects</i>) or to come up with their own hypothesis (<i>Unusual Mortality Events</i>) and then asked to give their rationale for their hypothesis. Students are then taken to the tests section of the simulation where they are given the option to try a variety of tests, in any manner of their choosing. After the student has completed a previously determined number of tests, a link appears (shown as Link 5 in the diagram) which allows the student to move forward in the simulation.</p