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In the field of biology education, adaptive learning has been tested through a case study, serving as a crucible for innovative teaching methodologies designed to provide tailored, engaging, and effective learning experiences. This paper meticulously explores the implementation of select innovations in adaptive learning and reports on the outcomes derived from our fictitious case study. Our research underscores the efficacy of personalized learning pathways, where advanced algorithms dynamically customize content delivery based on individual students' needs and learning styles. Through our case study, we present compelling numerical evidence of a 25% improvement in learning outcomes and a notable 20% increase in student engagement. The strategic integration of real-time feedback and assessment mechanisms plays a pivotal role in enhancing the comprehension of biological concepts, as reflected in a 30% increase in student performance and a 15% boost in knowledge retention. Another simulated innovation involves the incorporation of gamification elements, resulting in a statistically significant 18% increase in student participation and a remarkable 22% surge in enthusiasm for biology studies. Our simulated findings accentuate how these elements can make biology education more enjoyable and motivating in a controlled environment. Furthermore, the simulated utilization of multimodal learning resources, such as videos, simulations, and interactive models, showcases a 28% improvement in students' ability to grasp complex biological concepts. This translates into a tangible 25% enhancement in student performance in assessments. The simulated investigation into the potential of AI-enhanced assistance, with AI chatbots and virtual tutors, reveals a simulated 35% increase in student satisfaction and a 27% improvement in performance. These simulated innovations demonstrate the positive impact of AI integration on student support. In addition, our simulated data-driven insights inform content and platform improvements, resulting in a simulated 20% increase in the adaptability of the learning system. These simulated results provide crucial insights into the optimization of adaptive learning in biology education. Through the presentation of these simulated innovations and their associated numerical results, this paper underscores the transformative potential of adaptive learning in the simulated context of biology education. These simulated innovations not only offer tailored learning experiences but also yield concrete, positive outcomes in terms of student understanding and performance. The simulated implications of our research are discussed in detail, emphasizing the promising future of these innovations in shaping simulated biology education. Furthermore, we suggest avenues for future research to continue improving adaptive learning methods, ensuring the simulated advancement of biology education in the digital age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Understanding evolution is an important part of undergraduate biology education. Despite its importance, however, students often struggle to understand evolution, often holding preconceived notions of what evolution is. Here, we investigate how students in both majors and non-majors introductory biology define and conceive of evolution at the start of the semester for a two-year college and a four-year university near each other. We analyze open-ended responses to an in-class activity on the first day of the semester that asked students to define evolution, generating insight into how students are thinking of evolution prior to any formal instruction on evolution in college. Results: Our analysis of over 300 student responses reveals that students hold diverse conceptions about evolution, with some students perceiving evolution in the context of evolutionary processes while other students define evolution by referring to perceived evolutionary consequences. In addition, we identify multiple non-normative conceptions about evolution, including students viewing evolution and natural selection as synonymous and not recognizing other evolutionary forces, and find that very few students likely have developed mental models linking evolution and genetics. In addition, we find few differences between how students at the two- and four-year institutions perceive evolution, and similarly few differences between students in a majors and non-majors introductory biology, suggesting that these conceptions of evolution are widespread at the beginning of introductory biology, regardless of major or institution. Conclusions: We situate our results in the existing literature examining student conceptions of evolution, with our results extending past work that has primarily relied on more closed-ended questions or focused on specific evolutionary concepts (e.g., natural selection). Our results largely align with past work on student thinking of evolution but provide a broader, more holistic perspective at the ideas and framework that students are drawing upon when introductory biology instructors first introduce the term 'evolution'. We conclude our paper by discussing implications for the biology education research community as well as instructors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Life Sciences Education has become increasingly important in today's rapidly changing world, as it equips students with the knowledge and skills needed to tackle complex global challenges in various biology fields. With the emergence of Web 3.0 and Artificial Intelligence (AI), numerous opportunities exist to revolutionize Life Sciences Education and enhance student learning. However, integrating these technologies into traditional teaching methods poses significant challenges. This paper aims to explore the opportunities and challenges of Web 3.0 and AI in Life Sciences Education and provide recommendations for successful integration. The opportunities of Web 3.0 and AI in Life Sciences Education include enhanced personalized learning, increased engagement, access to vast amounts of data, and innovative assessment strategies. However, ethical concerns related to AI, integration with traditional teaching methods, training and professional development for educators, and cost and accessibility issues are among the challenges. The paper also provides case studies of successful implementation and recommendations for addressing ethical concerns, professional development, funding and accessibility, and collaboration between educators and technology experts. The paper concludes with implications for future research and practice in Life Sciences Education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined whether publication outcome was affected by the gender of author, handling associate editor (AE), or reviewer, and whether there was gender bias in reviewer selection, in the journal Reproduction. Analyses were carried out on 4289 original research manuscripts submitted to the journal between 2007 and 2019. Both female and male AEs appointed more male reviewers than female reviewers, but female AEs were significantly more likely to appoint female reviewers than male AEs were (p < 0.001). When examining the gender of either first or last author manuscripts, those with female authors that were reviewed by female reviewers received better scores than those with male authors that were reviewed by female reviewers (p < 0.05): where the reviewer was male, no such effect was observed. Acceptance rates of manuscripts were similar for both female and male authors, whether first or last, regardless of AE gender. Overall, there was no significant correlation between gender of first or last author, or of AE, on the likelihood of acceptance of a research paper. These data suggest no bias against female authors during the peer review process in this reproductive biology journal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

College instructors often teach scientific thinking by asking students to review and analyze a primary research article. The main purpose of this study was to explore how classroom response systems (CRS) could help impact the quality of written analysis papers submitted for this assignment by students taking 100-level biology courses at a medium-sized suburban, two-year college in the northeastern United States. Students in all participating course sections received written instructions on five key elements of critical analysis (CA) to include in scientific study analysis papers. Classroom instruction on recognizing these key elements in primary research papers was provided either via CRS or via an instructor-facilitated classroom discussion enhanced by the same PowerPoint presentation. A rubric, designed specifically for this assignment, was validated prior to its use in this study. Fifty students participated in the study, and those who received the CRS intervention achieved significantly higher CA scores for identifying implications of study findings, while the group that received only written instructions achieved significantly higher CA scores for discussing the credibility of the references used by the authors in planning the critiqued study. The implications of this study are discussed along with ideas for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper takes the position that the discourses of science and morality are not distinct within biology education; rather, they inform each other to produce, discipline, and regulate human sexuality. Our analysis of the medical and moral discussion on sexuality in a secondary school science textbook (the 12th standard National Council for Educational Research and Training textbook), along with insights from interviews with teachers, reveals that the texts portray a romanticized notion of sex that is limited to a monogamous heterosexual relationship. In the first part of the paper, we analyze how the biology textbook discusses "safer sex" in the limited context of sexually transmitted diseases and how scientific knowledge produces specific sexual subjectivities and categories. In our view, the portrayal of "normal sex" in the textbook is valueladen and not inconsequential. We also examine the discursive devices employed by the textbook to assert what is considered "culturally appropriate." The second part of the paper focuses on interviews with three biology teachers from Keralam, India. Discourse analysis is used as a methodology to explore how teachers occasionally use scientific and moral arguments interchangeably. We discuss some examples where teachers use cultural and moral ideals to justify the scientific claims in the textbook. For instance, when the textbook focuses on how "promiscuity" produces disease, teachers emphasize how promiscuity can lead to sexual anarchy, fatherless children, unsatisfied spouses, and broken relations. We argue that the teachers, along with the textbook, intertwine scientific facts with moral sensibilities, articulating a view of science, technology, and medicine that aligns with socio-cultural norms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While it is evident that Ireland has the ambition to widen access to higher education, there are challenges; especially regarding the decision-making process of socio-economically disadvantaged youth when selecting subjects for transition into higher education. This is of particular concern when there are abundant science-related courses in higher education, as well as careers, which are fundamental to the global economy, and a cohort of Ireland's youth is disadvantaged in choosing this pathway. National statistics highlight the disproportionate participation rate across genders in upper secondary school science education. Extensive research has been invested in exploring supporting female access into male-dominated science fields (e.g., physics) but less so regarding male access into female-dominated science fields (e.g., biology) to achieve gender equity. Thus, this paper uses the Theory of Planned Behaviour as a theoretical framework to examine the possible psychosocial elements affecting the decision-making process of socio-economically disadvantaged male students attending DEIS schools in the Republic of Ireland and their intent to study biology as a subject at the upper secondary school level. Data collected from 344 secondary school-level students from 20 schools across nine Irish counties, and subsequently descriptively analysed, revealed that male students were considerably less likely than female students to choose biology at upper secondary level education. Many male students expressed anxiousness and hopelessness when evaluating the study of biology. Teachers were identified as lead influencers and self-efficacy was highlighted as a significant factor in male affinity to the subject. Finally, higher levels of female students' intent to study biology at upper second level suggested the familial influence of parents and wider family contributes to their overall perspective on the relevance of science to their future prosperity. Considering the various factors influencing intent, the authors suggest that a targeted pedagogical intervention that includes the promotion of self-efficacy; male student mastery experiences through assessment; emphasis on scientific knowledge; and raising the awareness of the various career pathways that studying biology affords could ameliorate this trend amongst teenage males. Additionally, targeted messaging for parents and the wider family as well as continuous professional development for teachers should be integral to any work conducted in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artificial intelligence (AI) is now affecting all aspects of our social lives. Without always knowing it, we interact daily with intelligent systems. They serve us invisibly. At least that's the goal we assign to them: to make our lives better, task by task. Artificial intelligence has the potential to make biology education more engaging, personalized, and effective by providing students with interactive simulations, personalized learning experiences, and other tools that help them understand complex biological concepts. In this paper, we discuss the integration of AI into the virtual classroom, which significantly enhances student learning experiences in various ways. The study shows that an effective integration of technology into the virtual classroom requires a thoughtful approach that aligns with educational goals and the specific needs of students. In fact, interactive simulations can help make biology more engaging and memorable for students. Besides, personalized learning AI algorithms can help biology students receive a more tailored and effective learning experience, helping them to better understand the course material and develop a deeper appreciation for the natural world. In this work, we will discuss the use of AI to enhance interactive simulation-based cellular processes, with additional application in anatomy, physiology, and ecology teaching. Moreover, this paper discusses how AI could be used to analyze student data and propose personalized learning using adaptive assessments, content recommendations, and data sciences. This paper illustrates examples of AI algorithms that could be useful for teaching biology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What knowledge do you need to be an effective instructor? One key type of knowledge is pedagogical content knowledge (PCK), which includes awareness of how students are likely to think about a topic and where they will struggle as they learn that topic. We propose PCK as a valuable framework for reflecting on your own knowledge for teaching topics in evolution. We have created a searchable file that uses PCK as a framework to organize over 400 peer-reviewed papers from 40+ journals to give you better access to relevant resources for teaching evolution to undergraduates and advanced high school students. None of us have time to read 400 papers to inform our teaching, so we provide tips to maximize your use of this collective knowledge in the time you have available. We have written these to be useful to instructors across career stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There have been numerous calls for improved pedagogical practices in biological education, and there is a clear need for such improvements in ecology and related curricula. Most ecology‐related texts lack pedagogy and are designed to be content‐rich. National initiatives, such as Vision & Change, provide guidance on undergraduate biology education, including increasing use of evidence‐based active learning, and taking a more conceptual and science practice skills approach. Biology education research is rich with evidence‐based teaching practices, which reveal that active learning approaches implemented in thoughtful ways lead to strong learning gains relative to lecture‐based course delivery. CREATE (Consider, Read, Elucidate the hypothesis, Analyze and interpret data, Think of the next Experiment) integrates evidence‐based active pedagogical practices into one approach to STEM education that focuses heavily on the process of science and science practice skills rather than content delivery by replacing the textbook with selected journal articles. The approach focuses on deep reading and analysis of primary literature; immersing students in the literature is an advantage of the pedagogy. CREATE was developed and tested in other biological disciplines (genetics and molecular biology) that have long been at the forefront of pedagogical best practices in biology. We transformed two upper‐level undergraduate ecological courses (Conservation Biology, and Biodiversity and Ecology) into CREATE courses. We provide examples of assignments, student work, and assessments of the approach, illustrating the various ways CREATE can be successfully implemented. The approach can be adopted in part, to ease into it and test it out, or in whole. We recommend that ecology teachers consider making their courses more active, if they have not already done so; adopting pedagogical practices embedded within CREATE can be a way to achieve active learning. The CREATE approach and other evidence‐based pedagogical best practices lead to strong learning gains and more inclusive learning environments. National initiatives, such as Vision & Change, provide guidance on undergraduate biology education, including increasing use of evidence‐based active learning. CREATE (Consider, Read, Elucidate the hypothesis, Analyze and interpret data, Think of the next Experiment) integrates evidence‐based active pedagogical practices into one approach that focuses on the process of science, science practice skills, and deep reading of the primary literature. We transformed two upper‐level undergraduate ecological courses (Conservation Biology, and Biodiversity and Ecology) into CREATE courses and provided examples of assignments, student work, and assessments, illustrating the various ways in which CREATE can be successfully implemented. The CREATE approach and other evidence‐based pedagogical best practices lead to strong learning gains and more inclusive learning environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Can plants learn? This question stirs up controversy and speculation in the classroom, as it is currently doing in the scientific community at large. We leverage the controversy to ask students to contribute tu the greater body of knowledge by using scient(fic principles in creative research projects. Ninth-grade honors biology students became familiar with original research and the surrounding controversy, and performed experiments testing two distinct forms Of plant learning in Pisum sativum (pea) and Mimosa pudica (sensitive plant). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Bio-grafía. Escritos Sobre la Biología y su Enseñanza is the property of Universidad Pedaggica Nacional and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper explicates the relationship between biological function and teleology by focusing not only on difference but also on conceptual overlap. By doing so, this paper is meant to increase awareness of the misleading potential of biological function and the educational necessity to explicate the meaning of biological function to biology students to prevent them from drawing inadequate teleological conclusions about biological phenomena. The conceptual overlap between teleology and biological function lies in the notion of telos (end, goal). Biologically inadequate teleology assumes that teloi (ends, goals) exist in nature and that natural mechanisms are directed towards teloi. Such inadequate teleological assumptions have been documented in students' reasoning about biological phenomena. Biological function, however, does not involve the assumption that teloi exist in nature. Rather, biologists use the notion of telos as an epistemological tool whenever they consider a structure or mechanism functional because they view this structure or mechanism as a means to an end (telos). Whereas for biologists such means-ends conceptualizations represent a productive tool for identifying biological phenomena functionally, for students, such means-ends considerations can be misleading. Therefore, this paper explicates how far the concept of biological function involves reference to ends (teloi) and how it relates to biological mechanisms. The paper draws implications on how to prevent students from slipping from functional reasoning into inadequate teleological reasoning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing availability of digital technology in biology classrooms has facilitated an on-going transition from traditional lectures to the use of multimedia tools such as videos and interactive software. While most existing educational multimedia focus on illustrating textbook concepts, few address the process of science by linking those concepts with the researchers and their studies as reported and received in the primary literature. With the support of a 2015 ESA Centennial grant, we teamed up with students and university-affiliated artists to create four original animated videos of classic ecology papers of the last century. The videos were showcased at the 2015 Centennial Meeting Sunday Plenary and continue to be available for free viewing and sharing at http://ecomotionstudios.com/. Since their debut, the videos have received over 8000 views, have been employed as educational tools in undergraduate classrooms, and have been promoted as outreach tools by science media outlets including on the homepage for the journal, The American Naturalist. Here, we argue that the potential for artistry, narrative structure, and connection to the research process make animation an invaluable and underutilized medium for sharing primary literature with students and public audiences. We envision the future of ecology as one where decreasing video production costs and the opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration available at universities lead to increased production of visual media to supplement education and broadly communicate primary ecological research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies how students justify everyday, scientific, and pseudo-scientific propositions, and whether they recognize the type of justifications they use. For this purpose, we work with 54 students in the 3rd year of compulsory secondary education in the subject of biology and geology, in which two learning activities designed to work on the evaluation of propositions are implemented. The results provide information on the students' preference for using habits and explanations in the evaluation of everyday propositions, and expert testimony and personality traits in the evaluation of scientific and pseudoscientific propositions, as well as the inability to acknowledge explanations and personality traits. These results provide us with useful background for reflecting on how to work on epistemic cognition in the classroom and thus broaden the conceptual frameworks on epistemic cognition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IntroductionVaccines are the basis of health of our communities since they prevent severe infectious diseases. However vaccination rates continue to decrease due to the spread of misinformation about their side effects, which enhances vaccine hesitancy and puts at risk public health. Introducing vaccines from the One Health approach can help to develop an integral understanding of their role and to apply critical ignorance as part of criticality to avoid vaccine hesitancy and raise trust in science. This paper presents a design on vaccination for secondary-education teacher training developed toward this goal.MethodsThe design presented in this paper draws from previous studies on critical thinking, on vaccine rejection, and the One Health approach on other health issues in Secondary Education. The focus of this design is engaging secondary-education pre-service teachers in the practice of critical ignorance and criticality to assess diverse pieces of information on vaccination from the One Health approach.ResultsThis study discusses the design principles and the activities of an original design that aims to provide Secondary Education teachers with some tools to introduce critical ignorance and criticality for addressing misinformation on vaccines by using the One Health approach.DiscussionIf secondary science teachers are going to successfully confront misinformation on vaccination in their science instruction, we need to develop and test designs and approaches that prepare them for this purpose. Critical ignorance plays a central role in managing misinformation; thus, such instruction should engage future teachers in critical evaluation of information on vaccination, as well as in the application of the One Health approach to take responsible actions.

Background: We used college-level evolution textbooks to examine the presentation of sexual selection research—a field with ongoing debates related to sex, sexuality and gender identity. Many classic sexual selection concepts have been criticized for androcentrism and other forms of gender-sex bias, specifically for de-emphasizing the female role in reproductive behaviors and over-reliance on gender-sex binaries. These classic concepts are fundamentally captured in the idea that animal reproductive-related behaviors can be grouped in sex roles (e.g. competitive males and selective females). Recently developed alternative concepts provide a more nuanced understanding of the flexibility of sexual and reproductive-related behaviors, stemming in part from growing attention to a broader range of female behavior. To assess whether students are receiving content reflecting these insights, we measured the congruence between textbook content and the scientific literature, using insects as a case study because of the importance of this group in the development of sexual selection theory, its prevalence in current sexual selection research, and the number of insect examples included in textbooks. We first coded textbook content for sexual selection concepts. We used automated content analysis to analyze a database of citations, keywords and abstracts in sexual selection research published between 1990 and 2014, inclusive of the period covered by the textbooks. Results: The textbooks and research literatures prioritized the same taxa (e.g., fruit flies) and sex roles as embodied in classic sexual selection theory. Both the research literature and some textbooks acknowledge androcentrism and other forms of gender-sex bias in classic sexual selection paradigms, especially competitive male and selective female sex roles. Yet, while the research literature included alternative models, textbooks neglected these alternatives, even when researchers had studied both classic and alternative views in the same insect. Conclusions: We recommend using this kind of analysis of textbook content to engage students in a conversation around the social factors that impact knowledge construction, a key part of the epistemological understanding they need for a robust grasp of the Nature of Science and of evolutionary theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lab presented in this paper utilizes a proven four-step pedagogical framework (McLaughlin & Coyle, 2016) to redesign a classic Association of Biology Laboratory Education (ABLE) undergraduate lab (McLaughlin & McCain, 1999) into an authentic research experience on vertebrate fourchambered heart development and physiology. The model system is the chicken embryo. Through their research, students are also exposed to the embryonic anatomy and physiology of the vertebrate heart, the electrical circuitry of the developing heart, and the effects of pharmacological drugs on heart rate and contractility. Classical embryological micro-techniques, explantation of the embryo, surgical removal of the beating heart, isolation of the heart chambers, and more advanced tissue culture methods are also conducted. In this laboratory paradigm, students work in pairs to ask their own questions concerning the effects of two human cardiovascular drugs, denopamine? and acebutolol? on both in vivo and in vitro chicken embryonic heart rate and contractility, develop testable hypotheses based on information gathered from relevant scientific literature, devise and carry out a controlled experiment, and present the data in a professional scientific manner pertaining to a topic of clinical significance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Just a decade ago Vision and Change in Undergraduate Biology Education: A Call to Action was released, catalyzing several initiatives to transform undergraduate life sciences education. Among these was the Partnership for Undergraduate Life Sciences Education (PULSE), a national organization commissioned to increase the adoption of Vision and Change recommendations within academic life sciences departments. PULSE activities have been designed based on the recognition that life sciences departments and faculty are embedded within institutions of higher education which, similar to other large organizations, are complex systems composed of multiple, interconnected subsystems. The organizational change research suggests that effecting large-scale changes (e.g., undergraduate STEM education transformation) may be facilitated by applying systems thinking to change efforts. In this paper we introduce the approach of systems thinking as a professional development tool to empower individual STEM faculty to effect department-level transformation. We briefly describe a professional development experience designed to increase life sciences faculty members' understanding of systems thinking, present evidence that faculty applied a systems thinking approach to initiate department-level change, and discuss the degree to which transformation efforts were perceived to be successful. Though focused on faculty in the life sciences, our findings are broadly transferable to other efforts seeking to effect change in undergraduate STEM education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Bio-grafía. Escritos Sobre la Biología y su Enseñanza is the property of Universidad Pedaggica Nacional and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

We apply the theory of learning to physically renormalizable systems in an attempt to outline a theory of biological evolution, including the origin of life, as multilevel learning. We formulate seven fundamental principles of evolution that appear to be necessary and sufficient to render a universe observable and show that they entail the major features of biological evolution, including replication and natural selection. It is shown that these cornerstone phenomena of biology emerge from the fundamental features of learning dynamics such as the existence of a loss function, which is minimized during learning. We then sketch the theory of evolution using the mathematical framework of neural networks, which provides for detailed analysis of evolutionary phenomena. To demonstrate the potential of the proposed theoretical framework, we derive a generalized version of the Central Dogma of molecular biology by analyzing the flow of information during learning (back propagation) and predicting (forward propagation) the environment by evolving organisms. The more complex evolutionary phenomena, such as major transitions in evolution (in particular, the origin of life), have to be analyzed in the thermodynamic limit, which is described in detail in the paper by Vanchurin et al. [V. Vanchurin, Y. I. Wolf, E. V. Koonin, M. I. Katsnelson, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 119, 10.1073/ pnas.2120042119 (2022)]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eco-literacy (knowledge of natural history, and direct observation of the natural world and the organisms it contains) is critical to a holistic understanding of biology. Many undergraduate biology students lack this knowledge and experience, often because of a lack of engagement with the environmental science curriculum. The effectiveness of service learning is well established, but few examples of service-learning projects in the context of natural history education have been published. We describe how we used best practices for the development of a field-based service-learning project in a college-level natural history course. The project was built around established learning goals and was conducted through a partnership with a local state park. Students worked in groups to conduct bird biodiversity surveys and prepared a printed bird-watching guide, which was presented to park staff. The project was linked to a series of assignments intended to maximize academic and personal growth, including a project plan, progress report, and reflection paper. Students reported increased engagement in the course curriculum and an increased sense of the relevance of the course content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The central dogma of molecular biology is key to understanding the relationship between genotype and phenotype, although it remains a challenging concept to teach and learn. We describe an activity sequence that engages high school students directly in modeling the major processes of protein synthesis using the major components of translation. Students use a simple system of codes to generate paper chains, allowing them to learn why codons are three nucleotides in length, the purpose of start and stop codons, the importance of the promoter region, and how to use the genetic code. Furthermore, students actively derive solutions to the problems that cells face during translation, make connections between genotype and phenotype, and begin to recognize the results of mutations. This introductory activity can be used as an interactive means to support students as they learn the details of translation and molecular genetics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper compares and analyzes the questions and problems of Genetics raised between 2010 and 2019) in the university entrance exams of four autonomous communities (Andalucia, Castilla-La Mancha, Extremadura and Murcia). After analyzing the 160 tests collected, it is found that there are differences between the communities both in the structure of the tests, the presence or not of certain contents and their evaluations in the correction. In relation to Genetics problems, differences between communities are also appreciated and certain aspects that can be improved from the didactic point of view are maintained. The need to modify the entrance exams is raised according to the desirable equity of the same. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although John Scopes and his famous "Monkey Trial" strongly influenced the ongoing evolution-creationism controversy, relatively little is known about Scopes's post-trial life. Moreover, many questions about his trial remain unanswered (e.g., did he actually teach evolution in Dayton?). This paper answers these questions with new information from a previously ignored source - his family and friends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies in the field of second-language-learners in German showed that students apply different strategies if they are exposed to a linguistic overload in school. These strategies very often result in behaviour of avoidance. In this paper, a case study from biology class illustrates a student named Lela who applies an avoidance strategy: She refuses to read schoolbook texts on her own and the autonomous work on a crossword puzzle, too. To capture the reason for Lela's behaviour this case study uses participatory observation protocols (OP) which are analysed via Key-Incident-Analysis. Moreover, we analysed the respective schoolbook texts and the crossword puzzle. Results reveal that Lela's avoidance strategies are not symptoms of laziness or a lack of interest but linguistic complexity in schoolbook texts and missing support of learning language of schooling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mathematical biology is a wide field of study with many venues that undergraduate students can access through research. However, the topics of study for these students can be overwhelming, and many topics of study yield either only trivial results or abstract outcomes that are nonintuitive and difficult to understand. We have used natural resource modeling, and more specifically, a partnership between academic researchers and federal scientists, as a bridge between undergraduate research and mathematical biology. Our collaboration is an interdisciplinary team that combines biology, mathematics, and statistics professors with government research scientists. As a team, we have mentored students through opportunities such as a Research Experiences for Undergraduates and other projects. In this article, we provide an overview of how we develop questions for undergraduates and outline two case studies, both of which resulted in peer reviewed journal articles. Last, we describe how we also transfer the results from these undergraduate projects to resource managers so the results may be applied to real world problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is a PLOS Computational Biology Education paper. The idea that the brain functions so as to minimize certain costs pervades theoretical neuroscience. Because a cost function by itself does not predict how the brain finds its minima, additional assumptions about the optimization method need to be made to predict the dynamics of physiological quantities. In this context, steepest descent (also called gradient descent) is often suggested as an algorithmic principle of optimization potentially implemented by the brain. In practice, researchers often consider the vector of partial derivatives as the gradient. However, the definition of the gradient and the notion of a steepest direction depend on the choice of a metric. Because the choice of the metric involves a large number of degrees of freedom, the predictive power of models that are based on gradient descent must be called into question, unless there are strong constraints on the choice of the metric. Here, we provide a didactic review of the mathematics of gradient descent, illustrate common pitfalls of using gradient descent as a principle of brain function with examples from the literature, and propose ways forward to constrain the metric. Author summary: A good skier may choose to follow the steepest direction to move as quickly as possible from the mountain peak to the base. Steepest descent in an abstract sense is also an appealing idea to describe adaptation and learning in the brain. For example, a scientist may hypothesize that synaptic or neuronal variables change in the direction of steepest descent in an abstract error landscape during learning of a new task or memorization of a new concept. There is, however, a pitfall in this reasoning: a multitude of steepest directions exists for any abstract error landscape because the steepest direction depends on how angles are measured, and it may be unclear how angles should be measured. Many scientists are taught that the steepest direction can be found by computing the vector of partial derivatives. But the vector of partial derivatives is equal to the steepest direction only if the angles in the abstract space are measured in a particular way. In this article, we provide a didactic review of the mathematics of finding steepest directions in abstract spaces, illustrate the pitfalls with examples from the neuroscience literature, and propose guidelines to constrain the way angles are measured in these spaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent calls to reform undergraduate biology education, including Vision and Change in Undergraduate Biology Education, have led biology departments to examine their curriculum to determine the extent to which it aligns with Vision and Change content and competency recommendations. The recently released BioSkills Guide translates the broad Vision and Change core competencies into more specific program-level learning outcomes (LOs). A curriculum map may be used to evaluate a curriculum by examining where content and skills are taught. This map can then be used to determine how well the curriculum that is actually taught aligns with the planned curriculum (a set of LOs). The Western Washington University Biology Department used a new curriculum mapping tool, the BioSkills Curriculum Survey, to examine the extent to which Vision and Change core competencies and BioSkills LOs were taught in our courses. Instructors completed the survey for every course they taught in the last two years, enabling us to gather data on competency and LO coverage and assessment across our curriculum. We answered questions about where in the curriculum competencies and LOs were taught, how different instructors teaching the same course taught LOs, the extent to which different LOs were assessed, and how teaching LOs differed in different degree tracks and different course levels. For a subset of courses, students also completed a modified survey to determine how students' perceptions of skills coverage matched instructor's perceptions. One main finding was that we taught Science and Society LOs less than others and, when taught, we did not often assess them. We also found that students' perceptions of competency teaching did not align well with instructors' perceptions. The data were used to make informed decisions about ongoing curriculum revisions. This paper illustrates the questions that can be answered using this mapping tool for competencies and we offer recommendations about how a department can take a data-driven approach to curriculum reform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 Pandemic has resulted the change in every sector of life. Education institutions transform their learning methods from face-to-face learning to online-based distance learning to keep the learning process running during the pandemic era. The purpose of this study is to obtain the description and analysis results regarding learning profile and evaluation system used in the lecture at Biology Education Study Program during the Pandemic. This survey study was conducted in August 2020 until August 2021, even semester of 2019/2020, odd semester of 2019/2020, even semester of 2020/2021, and odd semester of 2021/2022. The population of this study was the students of Biology Education of UMM and the students of private universities in Malang City. Purposive sampling was employed for sample selection. The instruments used were survey and questionnaire forms. The data was analyzed descriptively and quantitatively. The results of the study show that online learning is apparently not optimal in Biology Education and other private universities in Malang due to limitations in discussions, assignments, and assessments. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct training session, planning, and implementation of innovative online learning to optimize learning process. To make the learning process more accurate and effective, evaluations are also needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Students are encouraged to develop a set of scientific skills and disciplinary practices common across the STEM disciplines. These skills (scientific inquiry, quantitative skills, laboratory and computational skills, communication skills, teamwork/interpersonal skills, interdisciplinary competency) are highlighted as important in discipline-based guiding documents—biology (Vision and Change in Undergraduate Biology Education: A Call to Action), chemistry (American Chemical Society Guidelines and Evaluation Procedures for Bachelor's Degree Programs), and mathematics (A Common Vision for Undergraduate Mathematical Sciences Programs in 2025)—for undergraduate teaching of biology, chemistry, and mathematics, and for the professional success of STEM college graduates. To promote interdisciplinary teaching and learning of STEM, we present a comprehensive comparison of the different disciplines' competency statements for undergraduate education. This organization and comparison of commonalities in scientific skills and disciplinary practices can be used by faculty and departments to come together to break down traditional silos, help their students more easily apply learning from one STEM discipline to another, and to create institutional change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The post-00s college students are a group of "internet natives" with distinctive personality and innovative spirit. It is important to explore how to motivate them to actively learn new knowledge. Debate, as a means of learning and communication, can enhance participants' critical thinking skills, boost oral skills, and promote their learning of relevant knowledge. Here, we use the model of classroom debate in a general education biology course to debate scientific controversies. This increases students' enthusiasm for independent learning of relevant knowledge and promotes effective independent inquiry and learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a significant shift from traditional, in-person teaching to online education, which has become indispensable. Nowadays, online learning is increasingly popular, encompassing educational programs delivered exclusively through digital platforms like video conferences and virtual classrooms. The flexibility of online education allows students to learn at their own pace and according to their schedule, but it also poses potential disadvantages. In this article, we explore the impact of online teaching on the practical subject of biology and students' perceptions of education in primary, secondary, and tertiary schools in Slovakia. Our research focuses on evaluating the progress of online biology teaching, examining methods of knowledge testing, and assessing both the positives and negatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Societal Impact Statement: Plant biology is an essential discipline for addressing global challenges from food security to climate change. In order to achieve this, we need to educate plant biologists who can contribute to research, enterprise, policy, public engagement and beyond. This article explores the potential of competency‐based education, which emphasises what students can do rather than what we know. A flexible and adaptable model of competency based plant biology education is presented, along with practical suggestions and examples. This provides a framework through which we can educate plant biologists equipped to address major scientific and societal challenges of the future. Summary: Plant biology is an essential discipline for addressing global challenges from food security to climate change. In order to achieve this we need to educate plant biologists who can contribute to research, enterprise, policy, public engagement and beyond. In this article, I explore some of the issues and challenges facing plant biology education from authentic research driven curricula to the impact of AI. In order to effectively educate the plant biologists of the future I propose moving to a competency based approach to education. Competency based education emphasises what students can do rather than what they know. I present a three‐domain competency model for plant biology, structured around (i) knowledge and information literacy (ii) disciplinary and professional experience and (iii) self‐awareness and personal development as three interdependent aspects of competency. I accompany this with twelve proposed competencies for plant biologists. The model is flexible, robust and adaptable to specific local requirements and future demands of plant biology education. In reimagining plant biology education in this way we can present our discipline as exciting and relevant to students, and equip them with the capabilities required to contribute to plant biology activity from research to public policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study contributes to the thematization of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Wadden Sea in biology didactics. Despite the uniqueness and high potential of the Wadden Sea ecosystem, especially for out-of-school learning, it has hardly been considered in biology didactics so far. The overall aim of this study is to gain insight into prospective biology teachers' existing conceptions regarding the Wadden Sea. Students are not only learners in their role at the university but prospective teachers as well due to their intended professional goal. Therefore, they can be considered the intersection of these two perspectives and are of particular interest to relevant research projects. In this paper, prospective biology teachers (n = 209, mean age 22.89 years) from Germany were surveyed using a word association test. Associations to the stimulus words Wadden Sea, mudflat hiking tour, tides, national park, and UNESCO World Heritage Site were collected. In the analysis, a category system was developed as literally as possible from the associations. This paper uses mind maps to provide a detailed overview of the identified associations. There was a wide range of identified associations: In addition to subject-area-related and subject-didactic associations, there were experience-oriented associations as well as associations unrelated to the subject. To place these results in context, secondary school students' associations to the same stimulus words are used for comparison. A central commonality is associations that encompass the experience possibilities at the Wadden Sea. In contrast to the secondary school students, the prospective teachers focus more on the school context. Conclusions are drawn regarding the education of biology teachers. In addition to identifying possible future research projects, this study suggests the need to consider the Wadden Sea in university teacher training.

Copyright of Canadian Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning is the property of Society for Teaching & Learning in Higher Education and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Bildungsforschung is the property of Bildungsforschung and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Despite many interventions, science education remains highly inequitable throughout the world. Internet-enabled experimental learning has the potential to reach underserved communities and increase the diversity of the scientific workforce. Here, we demonstrate the use of lab-on-a-chip (LoC) technologies to expose Latinx life science undergraduate students to introductory concepts of computer programming by taking advantage of open-loop cloud-integrated LoCs. We developed a context-aware curriculum to train students at over 8000 km from the experimental site. Through this curriculum, the students completed an assignment testing bacteria contamination in water using LoCs. We showed that this approach was sufficient to reduce the students' fear of programming and increase their interest in continuing careers with a computer science component. Altogether, we conclude that LoC-based internet-enabled learning can become a powerful tool to train Latinx students and increase the diversity in STEM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The implementation of digital games in biology education has steadily increased over the past decade. The utilization of simulation-based learning tools, such as digital games, is anticipated to be further enhanced due to the increasing shift toward virtual learning. This review aims to explore the existing scientific evidence and analyze the effectiveness of incorporating digital games as a learning tool in biology education. The research methodology was a systematic literature review of existing digital game-based learning (DGBL) in biology education. The term "digital gamebased learning and education" was utilized in the search interface of the Scopus database, identifying 1,241 articles. However, only 56 articles adhered to the stipulated criteria for subsequent analysis. Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses framework was employed for the process of inclusion and exclusion. A discernible trend of escalating publications has been observed over the past decade. The review findings indicate that DGBL has expanded widely, encompassing all levels of education, from elementary to higher education, and has even been applied in professional education. Researchers primarily utilize quantitative research methods, although qualitative methods are employed. This research found that the complexity of DGBL research requires interdisciplinary collaboration involving science, biomedical, education, and technology experts. In terms of content, DGBL has been used to teach students about basic biology and practical applications of biology, such as biomedical science. Genetics, environment, and healthcare emerged as the most frequently addressed subjects taught using DGBL. Trends in DGBL technology usage include various platforms like computer-based, internet-based, and mobile-based, with elements of gaming and social interaction that align with the demands of 21st century skills. DGBL integrates with several constructivist learning approaches like experiential learning, problem-based, inquiry-based, and inquiry-lab. Research showed that DGBL encourages development of 21st century skills in simulated settings and real-life situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to analyse the experiences and perspectives of prospective biology teachers regarding their excursions using Actionbound to learn about plant species. The participants in the study consist of 30 undergraduate prospective biology teachers. The focus is on the prospective teachers' enjoyment of the Actionbound experience, the duration to complete the excursion, their willingness to engage in another task-based game, and their views on implementing mobile device-supported biology teaching, specifically related to the design of a biology lesson using Actionbound. The prospective biology teachers predominantly found their experience with Actionbound enjoyable. Their perspectives centred on the App's usability in education and its technical usability. Results show that biology lesson designed with mobile devices positively impacts knowledge retention, motivation, interest, and enjoyment. The results underscore the importance of designing learning environments for effective biology education and teacher training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wikipedia, the open crowdsourced encyclopedia that anyone can edit, ranks among the top ten most-visited websites globally. Its integration into university curriculum as an innovative educational tool is a slowly growing trend; however, many higher education institutions have yet to fully grasp its potential. In response, a specific optional module for Wikipedia editing, designed for the selected undergraduate science courses at the School of Advanced Studies, Russia, was implemented as an optional extra credit service-learning activity, a teaching methodology combining meaningful service to the community with curriculum-based learning. Students who chose to participate and those who preferred not to participate in the activity were invited to participate in a research project to explore their perspectives and experiences. In total, five sessions of focus group discussions were conducted with participants (12 females and 2 males) in one set and non-participants (5 females and 4 males) in another to identify students' perspectives on themes such as their interest in science, reasons for their choices, and their expectations before the activity while post-experience focus group discussions were used to identify the perspectives of participant students on themes, encompassing contribution of the service-learning activity, acquisition of new skills, and the development of prosocial behaviors. Students' opinions on integrating social responsibility topics into the curriculum were also explored. The results extracted from these focus group discussions, analyzed through consensual coding, revealed factors promoting student participation, like interest in the subject, novelty of the activity, and grade improvement opportunities, as well as factors deterring participation, such as concerns about academic benefits, workload, and time constraints. Furthermore, the results demonstrated that Wikipedia editing serves as a novel teaching methodology, promoting student learning and development in digital literacy and information literacy, which are among the twenty-first-century skills. Interestingly, at the same time, not all students could address the value of contributing to open, crowdsourced knowledge for public service or interpret this activity as an academic service-learning. These suggest that Wikipedia editing is an innovative teaching approach, fostering students' learning and development while also indicating its potential to enhance students' understanding of responsible citizenship and public service in the digital age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The broad aim of this symposium and set of associated papers is to motivate the use of inquiry-based, active-learning teaching techniques in undergraduate quantitative biology courses. Practical information, resources, and ready-to-use classroom exercises relevant to physicists, mathematicians, biologists, and engineers are presented. These resources can be used to address the lack of preparation of college students in STEM fields entering the workforce by providing experience working on interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary problems in mathematical biology in a group setting. Such approaches can also indirectly help attract and retain under-represented students who benefit the most from ''nontraditional'' learning styles and strategies, including inquiry-based, collaborative, and active learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Authentic undergraduate research laboratory experiences are essential to aid in the implementation of science education reform mandates and to effectively train a new generation of biology students. Here we present assessment data on a unique four-step laboratory pedagogical framework that allows students to develop scientific thinking and practices while authentically engaging in the scientific process. This framework was used to transform a sophomore-level introductory biology laboratory course for biology majors at a 4-year college and an honors introductory biology laboratory course for nonmajors at a 2-year college. The goal of each transformation was to provide students with the opportunity to experience research in the manner in which professional research scientists conduct it through devising, designing, executing, interpreting, and communicating their experimental results. Student responses to the assessments used in this study showed improvements in 4-year and 2-year college students' perceptions of their laboratory skills and knowledge, and 2-year college students' interest in doing further research in the laboratory. The simplicity and flexibility involved in the four-step model allows it to be easily adopted for use across multiple institutional contexts and levels of biological study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of CEPS Journal is the property of University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Education and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)