Transforming the Culture of Biology Teaching with Erin Shortlidge

In this episode of PDXPLORES, Associate Professor of Biology and Biology Education, Erin Shortlidge, discusses her NSF-funded research project, Evolving the Culture of Biology-Promoting Graduate Teaching Assistant Professional Development to Foster Inclusion, Efficacy, and Evidence-based Practices. Shortlidge and her team seek to transform the culture of biology education through a series of workshops for administrators, faculty, and staff who develop training programs for graduate teaching assistants. The ultimate aim is to improve the undergraduate STEM experience through intentional training of future STEM faculty. Click on the Download button to access the audio transcript

The Trade-off between Graduate Student Research and Teaching: A Myth?

Many current faculty believe that teaching effort and research success are inversely correlated. This trade-off has rarely been empirically tested; yet, it still impedes efforts to increase the use of evidence-based teaching (EBT), and implement effective teaching training programs for graduate students, our future faculty. We tested this tradeoff for graduate students using a national sample of life science PhD students. We characterize how increased training in EBT impacts PhD students\u27 confidence in their preparation for a research career, in communicating their research, and their publication number. PhD students who invested time into EBT did not suffer in confidence in research preparedness, scientific research communication, or in publication number. Instead, overall, the data trend towards a slight synergy between investing in EBT and research preparation. Thus, the tension between developing research and teaching skills may not be salient for today\u27s graduate students. This work is proof of concept that institutions can incorporate training in EBT into graduate programs without reducing students\u27 preparedness for a research career. Although some institutions already have graduate teaching programs, increasing these programs at scale, and including training in EBT methods could create a new avenue for accelerating the spread of evidence-based teaching and improved teaching across higher education

Not the Same CURE: Student Experiences in Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences Vary by Graduate Teaching Assistant

To expose all undergraduate science students to the benefits of participating in research, many universities are integrating course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) into their introductory biology laboratory curriculum. At large institutions, the bulk of introductory labs are instructed by graduate teaching assistants (GTAs). Graduate students, who are often teachers and researchers in training, may vary in their capacity to effectively teach undergraduates via the CURE model. To explore variation in GTA teaching and the subsequent outcomes for students, we used a case study research design at one institution where introductory biology students participate in GTA-taught CURE lab sections. We used multiple data sources, including in-class focus groups, worksheets, and surveys to explore student perceptions of the GTA-led CURE. Students perceived variation both in the ability of their GTAs to create a supportive and comfortable learning environment, and in the instructional priorities of their GTAs. We also compared student and GTA perspectives of student engagement with research elements in the CURE. While GTAs were divided in their perceptions of whether the CURE provided students with the opportunity to experience the element of relevant discovery, most students—regardless of their GTA—did not perceive that relevant discovery was emphasized in the CURE. Finally, individual GTAs seemed to influence how students perceived why they were participating in the CURE. These data imply that students in CUREs may have vastly different and potentially inequitable research experiences depending on their instructor

Enthusiastic but Inconsistent: Graduate Teaching Assistants’ Perceptions of Their Role in the CURE Classroom

Despite growing evidence of positive student outcomes from course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs), little consideration has been given to employing graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) as CURE instructors. GTAs may be novice researchers and/or teachers and likely vary in their interest in teaching a CURE. Guided by expectancy-value theory, we explored how GTAs’ self-efficacy and values regarding teaching a CURE impact motivation and perceptions of their roles as CURE instructors. Using a multiple case study design, we interviewed nine GTAs who taught a network CURE at one research institution. Though most GTAs held a relatively high value for teaching a CURE for a range of reasons, some GTAs additionally perceived high costs associated with teaching the CURE. Through the interview data, we established three profiles to describe GTA perceptions of their role as CURE instructors: “Student Supporters,” “Research Mentors,” and “Content Deliverers.” Those implementing GTA-led CUREs should consider that GTAs likely have different perceptions of both their role in the classroom and the associated costs of teaching a CURE. The variability in GTA perceptions of CUREs implies that undergraduate students of different GTAs are unlikely to experience the CURE equivalently

The Value of Support: STEM Intervention Programs Impact Student Persistence and Belonging.

In response to unwaveringly high attrition from STEM pathways, STEM Intervention Programs (SIPs) support STEM students in effort to increase retention. Using mixed methods (survey and focus groups), we studied students at one university who were either supported or unsupported by SIPs to understand how students may differ in experiences believed to contribute to STEM persistence. We evaluated: sense of belonging, scientific self-efficacy, scientific community values, scientific identity, and STEM involvement. The enrollment status of students two and a half years postsurvey was also tracked. SIP students reported significantly higher science identity and sense of belonging and were more involved in STEM-related activities than counterparts unsupported by SIPs. Differences in these measures were correlated with race/ethnicity, college generation status, and age. Notably, SIP students had higher odds of persisting in STEM than students not supported by SIPs. Focus group data provide additional meaning to the measured survey constructs and revealed nuanced qualitative differences between SIP and non-SIP student experiences. Overall, being involved in a SIP at our institution trends positively with theoretical models that explain STEM student persistence. SIPs have the potential to provide and/or facilitate meaningful and critical support, and students without those intentional supports may be left behind

Species-Specific Effects of Passive Warming in an Antarctic Moss System

Polar systems are experiencing rapid climate change and the high sensitivity of these Arctic and Antarctic ecosystems make them especially vulnerable to accelerated ecological transformation. In Antarctica, warming results in a mosaic of ice-free terrestrial habitats dominated by a diverse assemblage of cryptogamic plants (i.e. mosses and lichens). Although these plants provide key habitat for a wide array of microorganisms and invertebrates, we have little understanding of the interaction between trophic levels in this terrestrial ecosystem and whether there are functional effects of plant species on higher trophic levels that may alter with warming. Here, we used open top chambers on Fildes Peninsula, King George Island, Antarctica, to examine the effects of passive warming and moss species on the abiotic environment and ultimately on higher trophic levels. For the dominant mosses, Polytrichastrum alpinum and Sanionia georgicouncinata, we found species-specific effects on the abiotic environment, including moss canopy temperature and soil moisture. In addition, we found distinct shifts in sexual expression in P. alpinum plants under warming compared to mosses without warming, and invertebrate communities in this moss species were strongly correlated with plant reproduction. Mosses under warming had substantially larger total invertebrate communities, and some invertebrate taxa were influenced differentially by moss species. However, warmed moss plants showed lower fungal biomass than control moss plants, and fungal biomass differed between moss species. Our results indicate that continued warming may impact the reproductive output of Antarctic moss species, potentially altering terrestrial ecosystems dynamics from the bottom up. Understanding these effects requires clarifying the foundational, mechanistic role that individual plant species play in mediating complex interactions in Antarctica\u27s terrestrial food webs

A resource for understanding and evaluating outcomes of undergraduate field experiences

Undergraduate field experiences (UFEs) are a prominent element of science education across many disciplines; however, empirical data regarding the outcomes are often limited. UFEs are unique in that they typically take place in a field setting, are often interdisciplinary, and include diverse students. UFEs range from courses, to field trips, to residential research experiences, and thereby have the potential to yield a plethora of outcomes for undergraduate participants. The UFE community has expressed interest in better understanding how to assess the outcomes of UFEs. In response, we developed a guide for practitioners to use when assessing their UFE that promotes an evidence-based, systematic, iterative approach. This essay guides practitioners through the steps of: identifying intended UFE outcomes, considering contextual factors, determining an assessment approach, and using the information gained to inform next steps. We provide a table of common learning outcomes with aligned assessment tools, and vignettes to illustrate using the assessment guide. We aim to support comprehensive, informed assessment of UFEs, thus leading to more inclusive and reflective UFE design, and ultimately improved student outcomes. We urge practitioners to move toward evidence-based advocacy for continued support of UFEs

How to Assess Your CURE: A Practical Guide for Instructors of Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences

Integrating research experiences into undergraduate life sciences curricula in the form of course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) can meet national calls for education reform by giving students the chance to “do science.” In this article, we provide a step-by-step practical guide to help instructors assess their CUREs using best practices in assessment. We recommend that instructors first identify their anticipated CURE learning outcomes, then work to identify an assessment instrument that aligns to those learning outcomes and critically evaluate the results from their course assessment. To aid instructors in becoming aware of what instruments have been developed, we have also synthesized a table of “off-the-shelf” assessment instruments that instructors could use to assess their own CUREs. However, we acknowledge that each CURE is unique and instructors may expect specific learning outcomes that cannot be assessed using existing assessment instruments, so we recommend that instructors consider developing their own assessments that are tightly aligned to the context of their CURE

Testing the Ecological and Physiological Factors Influencing Reproductive Success in Mosses

As non-vascular, early land plants with an aquatic ancestry, mosses do not regulate internal water conditions separate from that of their environment and as a result, evolved mechanisms to survive in a terrestrial world out of water. Yet, there is a widely accepted dogma that moss reproductive success is solely dependent on rainfall events carrying swimming, bi-flagellate sperm across the landscape to reproductively mature and receptive female mosses--but this classic view of moss reproduction may be too simplistic. In this dissertation I test the assumptions of reproductive limitation in mosses and present novel findings in a basal, yet understudied terrestrial plant mating system. I find evidence of environmental desiccation tolerance in moss sperm, thus offering the potential for stress-tolerant gametes on the landscape possibly suited for various transport vectors, reminiscent of a pollen grain. To investigate the broad evolutionary implications of this newfound complexity in moss sexual reproduction, I tested classic tenets of plant-pollinator theory on the ancient mosses and their ubiquitous microarthropod inhabitants. Experimental results show that mosses and microarthropods are engaged in a pollination-like syndrome guided by sex-specific volatile cues that differentially affect microarthropod behavior. These data indicate an existing complex mutualistic relationship and provides new evidence of sexually dimorphic investment by male and female mosses into reproductive success. Further, these data put forth the idea that female mosses challenge an inherent mate limitation by investing into reproductive assurance via maintaining a relationship with microarthropods. Experimental work further confirms a role for invertebrates in moss reproductive success and tests mutualism theory through ongoing experiments. Such experiments include an assessment of moss genetic diversity, paternity, and male fitness traits as it relates to mosses with or without the presence of microarthropods, thereby testing for fitness benefits gained by mosses possibly engaged in a transport mutualism with microarthropods. I further tested mutualism, community ecology and moss sexual reproduction concepts in extreme geothermal moss populations living at the edges of inhabitable Earth, and results show that even geothermal moss canopies are diverse and host differential and abundant life. In a first field test of mutualism I found that although extreme heat stress may constrain sexual reproduction in mosses, a correlation between within-population moss genetic diversity and microarthropod abundances exists. To further examine mosses in extreme environments, and how these environments may constrain sexual reproductive success, I evaluated the effects of simulated warming on Antarctic moss physiology and reproductive biology. Data indicates that simulated warming relieves mosses of physiological stress, and results in a greater investment into primary productivity and sexual reproduction. These data support the hypothesis that with less stress, sexual reproduction is increased. Mosses are an ideal system by which to understand organisms that exist in environments ranging from the mesic to the extreme, in the laboratory and the field and even in the classroom, where the small functioning ecosystem of mosses can be used for discovery-based biology education as described in the Mosscosms curriculum. This work contributes significantly to the field of bryophyte and plant biology by revealing novel insights into the biotic and abiotic drivers of sexual reproduction in mosses

Moss in the Classroom: A Tiny but Mighty Tool for Teaching Biology

Here we present a mechanism to infuse ecology into the classroom using a broadly adaptable system. We developed a novel moss-based project that introduces research-based experiences for middle school students, and can be modified for integration into K-16 classrooms. The project is ecologically relevant, facilliating opportunities for students to experience intimate interactions with ecosystem subtleties by asking their own questions. We describe and suggest how students can develop, build, test, and assess microcosm experiments of their own design, learning the process of science by “doing science.” Details on project execution, representative examples of distinctive research-question-based projects are presented. We aim for biology educators to adopt, replicate, modify, and formally assess this relatively simple, low-cost moss-based project across classroom levels. The project provides a chance for students to experience the complexity of a dynamic ecosystem via a research project of their own design as they practice basic tenets of scientific discovery.Editor\u27s Note:The ASM advocates that students must successfully demonstrate the ability to explain and practice safe laboratory techniques. For more information, read the laboratory safety section of the ASM Curriculum Recommendations: Introductory Course in Microbiology and the Guidelines for Biosafety in Teaching Laboratories, available at www.asm.org. The Editors of JMBE recommend that adopters of the protocols included in this article follow a minimum of Biosafety Level 1 practices. Adopters who wish to culture microbes from the moss as an extension of this protocol should follow Biosafety Level 2 practices