How effective are online MATHBENCH modules for improving quantitative skills in the biosciences?

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Quantitative skills (QS) have been identified as essential skills for science graduates in preparation for their career (Tariq 2013). However, undergraduate STEM students, particularly those in the Biosciences have a general lack of competency/proficiency in quantitative skills, together with a lack of confidence. This problem has been identified and reported over many years and continues to cause concern (Matthews et al, 2012). The development of educational resources that integrate mathematics and biology has been one of the strategies implemented to address these issues. MathBench interactive online modules were developed at the University of Maryland to increase students’ beliefs about the importance of QS in science and to enhance quantitative proficiency in biology (Thompson et al, 2010). The aims of the present study were to determine the effectiveness and impact of the MathBench modules on our students’ competency in mathematical skills as well as their perception of the importance and relevance of mathematics to biology. DESIGN AND METHODS The Mathbench (Australia) project, revised the original online modules for implementation into biosciences courses in Australian universities*. In this presentation we report on the use of some of the revised MathBench (MB) modules in a first year, second semester, Biochemistry course and a second year, first semester, laboratory course at Griffith University. The MB online modules were used by the students in conjunction with other learning activities specific to each course. Pre- and post-quizzes were used to assess the improvement in quantitative skills, and pre- and post-surveys and focus group sessions were used to evaluate students’ experience in the use of these online resources. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS The majority of students perceived a moderate improvement in their quantitative skills and this was reflected in their performance in the post-quiz compared to the pre-quiz. There was a moderate increase in the number of students who liked mathematics but no change in their perception of the importance or relevance of mathematics to biology. Overall the data collected in this pilot study suggests that the MB modules are valuable resources for providing opportunities to practice and improve students’ quantitative skills and for consolidating their understanding of course content. REFERENCES Matthews, K.E., Belward, S., Coady, C., Rylands, L., & Simbag, V. (2012). The state of quantitative skills in undergraduate science education: Findings from an Australian study. Retrieved June 1, 2016, from http://www.qsinscience.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/QS_report_July2012.pdf Tariq Vicki N. (2013). Quantitative skills in Science. International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology, 44 (6), 779–781. Thompson, K.V., Nelson, K.C., Marbach-Ad, G., Keller, M., & Fagan, W.F. (2010). Online Interactive Teaching Modules Enhance Quantitative Proficiency of Introductory Biology Students. CBE—Life Sciences Education, 9, 277–283. * Development and implementation of MathBench for Australian Universities to improve quantitative skills of science and mathematics students. (2014). Office for Learning and Teaching (OLT) Innovation and Development (ID) Priority Project Grant. Project Team: Suphioglu, C., Belward, S., Chuck, J-A., Chunduri, P., Coady, C., Di Trapani, G., Hodgson, Y., Lluka, L., Markham, J., Poladian, L., Rylands, L., Thompson, K., and Watters, D

Clickers in Biosciences: Do they Improve Academic Performance?

While “clickers” are widely advocated for their capacity to enhance student motivation and engagement in large classes, the extent to which they lead to improved academic outcomes is a more recent target of research. The aim of this review is to analyse the literature and evaluate whether there is an improved academic performance of students in the biological and biomedical sciences as a result of using clickers. It focuses on publications in specialised peer-reviewed journals in earlier years of university and college. The evidence in the literature provides an encouraging picture of the benefit of clickers and identifies variables that may influence student academic performance. It appears that the benefit of the clickers is dependent upon the way they are used, the individuals and their prior knowledge. While there is evidence for the benefit of clickers in increasing student engagement and motivation, more needs to be done to address the scarcity of empirical and quantitative studies on their effect on academic performance

STUDENT USAGE OF ONLINE MATHS SKILL SUPPORT IN FIRST YEAR CHEMISTRY

Background and Aims In recent years, a range of maths support centres and online approaches have emerged (Croft, 2000; Jackson & Johnson, 2013) that are often stand alone and not embedded within any specific discipline. Nonetheless, studies have shown that students reported a positive impact of mathematics support on retention, confidence, performance and ability to cope with the mathematical demands of their courses (Ní Fhloinn et al., 2014). In a more tailored approach, the Maths Skills programme developed at LaTrobe University (Jackson and Johnson, 2013), is an extra-curricular programme that supports large enrolment first year courses with a diverse cohort of students, offering the choice of learning modes – online delivery, worksheets and drop-in sessions. Based on the Maths Skills programme, we introduced a purely online mathematical support environment, termed the Maths Skills Site, which was integrated into the first year chemistry curricula. This study aimed to understand student engagement with purely online mathematical support through analysis of user tracking and patterns. Design and methods The Maths Skills Site was linked to a first year, first semester, chemistry course via the student online learning management system and available for the duration of the course. Topics that students previously (and repeatedly) had difficulty in performing (e.g. exponents), were available for student use and included: mathematics in chemistry theory notes, questions, answers and multiple-choice online questions. Statistics tracking was enabled in the Learning Management System of the Chemistry course which allowed us to determine the use of the individual items on the Maths Skill Site (e.g.: Logarithms notes, logarithms questions, etc.) as well as the number of ‘hits per content area’. Use of the site was recorded from the point at which the site was initially made public to the student cohort, until the end of semester exam (Weeks 4-16 in 2014; weeks 2-16 in 2015). Access to the site was mapped against (a) the semester chronology and (b) the hit count on the site by individual students. All student usage data was de-identified, and aggregated for analysis. Results and Conclusions Analysis of the user statistics tracking system indicated a distributed usage for the Maths Skill Site throughout semester, which formed a ‘peak and trough’ pattern. This type of usage of the resource by students was suggestive of ‘in the moment’ responses and a ‘just-in-time’ study for assessment. The analysis of usage data indicates a preferred usage by some students for the notes (suggestive of passive learning) and a preferred usage by other students for the multiple-choice online problems (suggestive of interactive learning). Few students made use of the questions and answers (deep approach). Students who were already confident with their abilities tended not to use the support site. Students who accessed the site used a self-directed approach, choosing to tailor their individual learning within the Maths Skill Site. References Croft, A.C., (2000). A guide to the establishment of a successful mathematics learning support centre. International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology, 31(3), 431-446. Jackson, D. C.& Johnson, E. D., (2013), A hybrid model of mathematics support for science students emphasizing basic skills and discipline relevance, International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology, 44(6), 846-864. Ní Fhloinn, E., Fitzmaurice, O., Mac an Bhaird, C. & O’Sullivan, C., (2014), Student perception of the impact of mathematics support in higher education, International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology, 45(7), 953-967

Snapshot of Mathematical Background Demographics of a Broad Cohort of First Year Chemistry Science Students

A case study of the background mathematical skills of a varied group of first year chemistry students (n = 455) is presented. Potential student demographic factors, including school leaver, mature age, non-English speaking background, and pre-requisite or prior assumed mathematical and chemistry knowledge, were examined. The student cohort had a diverse background in mathematical knowledge with only 53% meeting the pre-requisite mathematics admission criteria used in Queensland. A voluntary survey was completed by some students (n = 57) from the total cohort, which identified the individual mathematical background of students, their perception of the importance of mathematical skills in their study and their confidence with mathematics. The survey responses indicated that students generally did not have high confidence with their mathematical skills; especially for those with poorer mathematics backgrounds. Interestingly, all students were in strong agreement regarding the importance of mathematics to their study of chemistry. Correlation of the student mathematics background with a chemistry diagnostic test revealed that prior achievement in mathematics impacted on performance within chemistry. We propose that integration of foundational and enabling mathematical skills with curriculum would build student confidence and is more likely to have success in enabling science students to engage and succeed

Mathematics background and early performance of a sample of first year chemistry students

Background and Aims: The number of students taking the easier Maths A in Queensland exceeds that of the other two mathematics subjects combined, and there is a consistent drop out from Maths B into Maths A in year 12, with students presumably wishing to maximize their university entrance score. The decline in Australian students taking more advanced mathematics subjects has previously been highlighted (McPhan et al. 2008). Other studies have shown that students entering university are deficient in areas of mathematics deemed necessary in science based university subjects (Hoyles et al. 2001, Matthews et al. 2013). The aims of this project were to examine the background of students enrolled in a first semester, first year chemistry course and to investigate the relationship between prior chemistry and mathematics studies, and students’ results in early assessment items of the course. In addition student confidence in mathematics and chemistry and their perception of the importance of mathematical skills in their study were investigated. Methodology: The students enrolled in the chemistry course (n = 455) were in various degree programs with different entry requirements and pre-requisite mathematical knowledge. The chemistry course provided the ideal case study for evaluation of the relevance of a student’s mathematics background at the commencement of their studies. Some students (n = 57) from the total cohort, completed a voluntary survey which identified their perception of the importance of mathematical skills in their study and their confidence with mathematics. The survey data and the student mathematics and chemistry background (where available), was correlated with an early chemistry diagnostic test and the mid-semester examination results. We analysed student access to extra online mathematics support (c.f. Jackson & Johnson, 2013), which was provided to all students prior to the mid-semester exam in chemistry. Results and Conclusion: The survey responses indicated that students generally did not have high confidence with their mathematical skills; especially those with poorer mathematics backgrounds. By contrast, students’ perception of the importance of mathematical skills to their chemistry studies was high (average rating of 4.2 on a 5-point scale (5 = very important). The correlation data revealed that prior achievement in mathematics impacted on performance within chemistry, despite prior studies in chemistry. A possible solution is to integrate foundational and enabling mathematical skills with curriculum, which would build student confidence and is more likely to have success in enabling science students to engage and succeed. However, preliminary results indicated that very few students

Motivating students and improving engagement in biology units using online QS modules

MathBench biology modules represent one example of how biology educators can incorporate materials to improve quantitative skills and reasoning into introductory courses. The MathBench- Australia project not only aims to ensure that the science and the maths content of MathBench (USA) modules are accurate, but also appropriate to an Australian context, and further aid to minimise students’ negative attitude towards quantitative skills and increase student engagement. Hence, in this ideas exchange we will explore the strategies to embed the contextualised MathBench modules in first and second year science units to improve student engagement and students’ QS

Motivating students and improving engagement in biology units using online QS modules

MathBench biology modules represent one example of how biology educators can incorporate materials to improve quantitative skills and reasoning into introductory courses. The MathBench- Australia project not only aims to ensure that the science and the maths content of MathBench (USA) modules are accurate, but also appropriate to an Australian context, and further aid to minimise students’ negative attitude towards quantitative skills and increase student engagement. Hence, in this ideas exchange we will explore the strategies to embed the contextualised MathBench modules in first and second year science units to improve student engagement and students’ QS

Effect of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor and angiotensin receptor blocker initiation on organ support-free days in patients hospitalized with COVID-19

IMPORTANCE Overactivation of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) may contribute to poor clinical outcomes in patients with COVID-19. Objective To determine whether angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor or angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) initiation improves outcomes in patients hospitalized for COVID-19. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS In an ongoing, adaptive platform randomized clinical trial, 721 critically ill and 58 non–critically ill hospitalized adults were randomized to receive an RAS inhibitor or control between March 16, 2021, and February 25, 2022, at 69 sites in 7 countries (final follow-up on June 1, 2022). INTERVENTIONS Patients were randomized to receive open-label initiation of an ACE inhibitor (n = 257), ARB (n = 248), ARB in combination with DMX-200 (a chemokine receptor-2 inhibitor; n = 10), or no RAS inhibitor (control; n = 264) for up to 10 days. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The primary outcome was organ support–free days, a composite of hospital survival and days alive without cardiovascular or respiratory organ support through 21 days. The primary analysis was a bayesian cumulative logistic model. Odds ratios (ORs) greater than 1 represent improved outcomes. RESULTS On February 25, 2022, enrollment was discontinued due to safety concerns. Among 679 critically ill patients with available primary outcome data, the median age was 56 years and 239 participants (35.2%) were women. Median (IQR) organ support–free days among critically ill patients was 10 (–1 to 16) in the ACE inhibitor group (n = 231), 8 (–1 to 17) in the ARB group (n = 217), and 12 (0 to 17) in the control group (n = 231) (median adjusted odds ratios of 0.77 [95% bayesian credible interval, 0.58-1.06] for improvement for ACE inhibitor and 0.76 [95% credible interval, 0.56-1.05] for ARB compared with control). The posterior probabilities that ACE inhibitors and ARBs worsened organ support–free days compared with control were 94.9% and 95.4%, respectively. Hospital survival occurred in 166 of 231 critically ill participants (71.9%) in the ACE inhibitor group, 152 of 217 (70.0%) in the ARB group, and 182 of 231 (78.8%) in the control group (posterior probabilities that ACE inhibitor and ARB worsened hospital survival compared with control were 95.3% and 98.1%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE In this trial, among critically ill adults with COVID-19, initiation of an ACE inhibitor or ARB did not improve, and likely worsened, clinical outcomes. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT0273570

Approaches to Learning by Students in the Biological Sciences: Implications for Teaching

This study is an investigation of the epistemological beliefs and study habits of students undertaking first-year courses in Biological Chemistry and Biochemistry. In particular, we were interested in the relationship between students’ epistemological beliefs about learning and knowledge, approaches to learning, and achievement. The study adopted a mixed-methods approach in which quantitative and qualitative data have provided complementary insights into the beliefs and approaches adopted by these students. Our findings indicate that most students tend to adopt beliefs that knowledge and learning involves the accumulation of information and the capacity to reproduce on demand in examinations. Approaches to learning reflect these beliefs and are dominated by rote learning and preference for assessment by examination. Few students adopt strategies that emphasise the relationship of concepts to those already learnt or to applications relevant to biological science. Implications of this study for reform of university teaching practices as well as secondary practices are discussed