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One goal of higher education is the development of students' evaluative judgement, that is, the capacity to make judgements of the quality of work done by oneself and others. Supporting students to critique the work of peers provides opportunities for evaluative judgement, which we explored using an online platform, PeerWise, in a second year genetics course. PeerWise enables students to write, comment on, answer and rate multiple choice questions. Our study aimed to investigate students' understanding of question quality by identifying the criteria they used to assess questions and how these were applied to make judgements. Students' comments on questions, in which they provided an opinion with a reason, were analysed. This analysis was done in two stages; an initial qualitative analysis of comments from one cohort from which the criteria emerged, and validation and quantification of criteria usage in an independent cohort. We identified five criteria that were used to assess questions: knowledge, clarity and presentation, complexity, engagement and explanation. We then analysed how the criteria were used to show that students demonstrated evaluative judgement, not only by generating reasonable criteria, but also by making complex judgements about question quality invoking multiple criteria and constructive suggestions for improvement.

Increased specialisation of disciplinary cultures creates barriers for students who may not understand the genre, style and conventions of disciplinary writing. Academic literacies research recognises that literacy is a social practice where writing is inextricably linked to knowledge construction. Learning to write, therefore, requires meaning-making by students as they engage with the nature of questions asked and arguments constructed within a discipline. We have examined the proposition that immersive and dialogic environments promote learning of disciplinary writing by analysing students' lived experience during a science undergraduate research project. We adopted an academic literacy framework for a qualitative analysis of students' reflective journals as they wrote a critical review. We show that (i) students initially struggled with assessment requirements, terminology and writing conventions; (ii) constructing the critical review was coupled to epistemological changes as they understood scientific argument; and (iii) they gained confidence in themselves as participants in the scientific community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study is an autoethnographic reflection on power and expertise in an evolving student/staff partnership. The partnership was initiated as pedagogical co-design in the development and implementation of a peer-assisted learning programme. Through a process of critical reflection that linked our partnership experience with themes from relevant literature, we (the staff and student authors) became co-researchers of our practice. The evolution of the partnership provided a unique perspective from which to compare our experiences of power and expertise across both contexts. We characterised our pedagogical co-design partnership as a shift from the more traditional 'power over' model of delivery towards 'power to empower' where both student and staff partners had agency and voice. Key to this important transition was a shared philosophy of student-centred teaching. As the partnership transformed from co-teaching to co-researching we needed to re-negotiate power dynamics; while our different pathways had converged on a common view of student-centred learning, our research expertise remained disparate. We were able to negotiate this challenge by drawing on our existing relationship based on respect, reciprocity and responsibility, reinforcing views of partnership that value equality of opportunity and a focus on learning and process, rather than equality of contributions and outcomes.

Scientists use judgment in deciding what and how much data to present in publications but science degrees rarely address this issue. Instead, scientific knowledge is presented as certain and students have limited opportunities to use their own judgment in the laboratory. A consequence of this may be that students approach science with a moral absolutist mindset, believing that science is about learning facts and scientists have little need to exercise ethical judgments in relation to data. Students may also hold different ethical standards for themselves and professional scientists. We draw on data from a first-year science module to show that these views can be challenged by encouraging students to reflect on their own behavior and that of famous scientists in situations with varying degrees of professional ethical ambiguity. We provide evidence of significant transitions in students' thinking, suggesting that reflection on these issues may lead to substantial epistemological and ethical development. By the end of the module, many students had moved from an initial position of certainty to the acceptance of multiple viewpoints or to a more mature understanding of the evidence-based nature of science, as well as gaining the ability to critique decisions and make ethical judgments.

The Science Threshold Learning Outcomes (TLOs) are a consensus set of academic standards for Australian university Science education. They were developed by Prof. Brian Yates and Prof. Sue Jones, supported by Dr Jo-Anne Kelder, during 2010-2011. The co-authors of this paper are key figures in Australian Science education, and in this manuscript, we have used a reflective semi-structured interview approach to describe the process of developing the Science TLOs and consider their subsequent effect on tertiary science education in Australia. This manuscript documents Sue and Brian's impact on science curriculum through the lenses of leadership, community and practice. We have a twofold aim: first to draw lessons for harnessing consensus in scientific communities on the value and purpose of a tertiary science education, and second to celebrate the success of these influential and impactful leaders in our community. We demonstrate how work to develop the TLOs has transformed tertiary science education in Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We suggest that academics involved in the provision of research experiences to undergraduate science students may benefit by reconceptualising these experiences as work-based learning. In particular, drawing on the widespread use of reflective practice in work-based learning allows for a more effective focus on process-related learning. We describe an empirical study involving the implementation of reflective blogs in which science students responded to prompt questions designed to focus their attention on how their project was progressing, the process of research and their own learning. The blogs reveal examples of students engaging in independent thinking, creative thinking and developing a sense of themselves as scientists, all qualities valued by supervisors. They also show how these combine as "wicked competences" that allow students to address the complex problems and uncertainties of research. We identify characteristic patterns of reflection that indicate the exercise of such competences and suggest that these could be used as explicit evidence by academics making judgements for assessment purposes.

Authentic experiences of research are seen as valuable elements of undergraduate science, providing motivation for students and linking the research and teaching activities of academics. But as such experiences are made available to increasing numbers of students as formal, graded parts of the curriculum, important questions are raised about their pedagogical function and the ways in which they are assessed. This article draws on interviews with academics involved in the provision of such experiences to ask: what do academics "intend" that their students learn, and do conventional approaches to project assessment relate clearly and effectively to these intended outcomes? We describe four categories of intended learning and suggest that conventional approaches to assessment are fundamentally misaligned with most of these outcomes. We argue that this is due to the focus of these approaches on the products, rather than the processes and experiences, of research, a focus that partly arises from a sense of discomfort with assessment based on context-dependent judgements informed by subconscious expertise. We further suggest that alternative approaches to assessment could build on academics' own descriptions of the experiences and behaviours they value in students.

Recent studies of undergraduates engaged in authentic research have suggested that students may benefit in a range of different ways from such experiences. However, these same studies have also shown significant variation in the extent and universality of these benefits. This article investigates the impact of one potential source of variation in perceived benefits: students' prior expectations of what research experiences might offer. The authors' surveys of students enrolling in a research-immersive undergraduate science degree indicate a range of anticipated benefits from or opportunities within the degree, only some of which address preparation for research or the development of generic research skills. The benefits that students report gaining from their involvement in the program appear to be constrained by these prior expectations. The authors suggest that these constraints may be connected to students' understanding of the nature of science and scientific research.

The inclusion of research experiences as core components of undergraduate curricula implies that students will be exposed to and situated within the research activities of their university. Such experiences thus provide a new prism through which to view the relations between teaching, research and learning. The intentions and actions of academics supervising these activities will be strongly influenced by their beliefs regarding the nature of research, and the relation between research and learning in the undergraduate context. Surveys of academics supervising such experiences reveal a range of intentions, only some of which address the higher order and critical thinking skills associated with research or independent learning. This may indicate a lack of deep reflection on the purpose of exposing undergraduates to research, but may also be due to the predominance of a hierarchical view of the process by which one makes the transition from student to researcher. (Contains 1 table and 1 figure.)

Undergraduate research experiences are being incorporated into degree programs with increasing frequency. However, there has been little study into their effectiveness in preparing students for research or into the learning gains that students realise from one or more research experiences. We surveyed science students in an elite, research-based undergraduate degree program at a research-intensive university. These students complete six research projects during their degree and we aimed to delineate factors that students perceive as leading to either good or bad experiences. Two factors stand out as contributing to a successful research experience: the supervisor, with students reporting both pedagogic and affective benefits of good supervision; and the feeling that they are doing authentic science. Surprisingly, given the research-intensive nature of this degree, the learning gains students report relate to both an appreciation of what research is like and life skills, such as time management, rather than scientific thinking skills. (Contains 6 tables and 2 figures.)

The cyanobacterial [Na.sup.+]-dependent HC[O.sub.3.sup.-] transporter BicA is a member of the ubiquitous and important SulP/ SLC26 family of anion transporters found in eukaryotes and prokaryotes. BicA is an important component of the cyanobacterial C[O.sub.2] concentrating mechanism, an adaptation that contributes to cyanobacteria being able to achieve an estimated 25% of global primary productivity, largely in the oceans. The human SLC26 members are involved in a range of key cellular functions involving a diverse range of anion transport activities including [Cl.sup.-]/HC[O.sub.3.sup.-], [I.sup.-]/HC[O.sub.3.sup.-], and S[O.sub.4.sup.2-]/HC[O.sub.3.sup.-] exchange; mutations in SLC26 members are known to be associated with debilitating diseases such as Pendred syndrome, chondrodysplasias, and congenital chloride diarrhoea. We have recently experimentally determined the membrane topology of BicA using the phoA--lacZ reporter system and here consider some of the extrapolated implications for topology of the human SLC26 family and the Sultr plant sulphate transporters. Key words: BicA, bicarbonate transporter, SulP, SLC26, topology. Le transporteur de HC[O.sub.3.sup.-] dependant du [Na.sup.+] des cyanobacteries, BicA, est un membre de la famille ubiquiste et importante SulP/SLC26 de transporteurs d'anions chez les eucaryotes et les procaryotes. BicA est une composante importante du mecanisme de concentration du C[O.sub.2] chez les cyanobacteries, une adaptation qui permet aux cyanobacteries de contribuer a environ 25 % de la productivite globale a cet eegard, principalement dans les oceans. Les membres de SLC26 chez l'humain sont impliques dans une grande variete de fonctions cellulaires faisant appel a un eventail d'activites diverses de transport d'anions, notamment les echanges [Cl.sup.-]/HC[O.sub.3.sup.-],[I.sup.-]/HC[O.sub.3.sup.-] et S[O.sub.4.sup.2-]/HC[O.sub.3] ; des mutations des membres de SLC26 sont associees a des maladies debilitantes comme le syndrome de Pendred, la chondrodysplasie et la diarrhee chloree congenitale. Recemment, nous avons caracterise la topologie membranaire de BicA de facon experimentale a l'aide d'un systeme rapporteur phoA--lacZ. Nous examinons ici quelques implications de son extrapolation dans la topologie de la famille SLC26 humaine et des transporteurs de soufre Sultr chez les plantes. Mots-cles: BicA, transporteur de bicarbonate, SulP, SLC26, topologie. [Traduit par la Redaction], Introduction The purpose of this minireview is to present an overview of the physiological properties and experimentally determined transmembrane topology of the cyanobacterial bicarbonate transporter BicA. This transporter is a [...]

One goal of higher education is the development of students' evaluative judgement, that is, the capacity to make judgements of the quality of work done by oneself and others. Supporting students to critique the work of peers provides opportunities for evaluative judgement, which we explored using an online platform, PeerWise, in a second year genetics course. PeerWise enables students to write, comment on, answer and rate multiple choice questions. Our study aimed to investigate students' understanding of question quality by identifying the criteria they used to assess questions and how these were applied to make judgements. Students' comments on questions, in which they provided an opinion with a reason, were analysed. This analysis was done in two stages; an initial qualitative analysis of comments from one cohort from which the criteria emerged, and validation and quantification of criteria usage in an independent cohort. We identified five criteria that were used to assess questions: knowledge, clarity and presentation, complexity, engagement and explanation. We then analysed how the criteria were used to show that students demonstrated evaluative judgement, not only by generating reasonable criteria, but also by making complex judgements about question quality invoking multiple criteria and constructive suggestions for improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cyanobacteria possess a highly effective C[O.sub.2]-concentrating mechanism that elevates C[O.sub.2] concentrations around the primary carboxylase, Rubisco (ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase). This C[O.sub.2]-concentrating mechanism incorporates light-dependent, active uptake systems for C[O.sub.2] and HC[O.sub.3]. Through mutant studies in a coastal marine cyanobacterium, Synechococcus sp. strain PCC7002, we identified bicA as a gene that encodes a class of HC[O.sub.3] transporter with relatively low transport affinity, but high flux rate. BicA is widely represented in genomes of oceanic cyanobacteria and belongs to a large family of eukaryotic and prokaryotic transporters presently annotated as sulfate transporters or permeases in many bacteria (SulP family). Further gain-of-function experiments in the freshwater cyanobacterium Synechococcus PCC7942 revealed that bicA expression alone is sufficient to confer a Na+-dependent, HC[O.sub.3] uptake activity. We identified and characterized three cyanobacterial BicA transporters in this manner, including one from the ecologically important oceanic strain, Synechococcus WH8102. This study presents functional data concerning prokaryotic members of the SulP transporter family and represents a previously uncharacterized transport function for the family. The discovery of BicA has significant implications for understanding the important contribution of oceanic strains of cyanobacteria to global C[O.sub.2] sequestration processes. SulP transporters | C[O.sub.2] sequestration | photosynthesis

Research has been conducted on the low-affinity transporter from Escherichia coli. The cloning of pitB has been carried out and the results indicate that this gene is an inorganic phosphate transporter repressed or inactivated by the pho regulon.

The sequencing and analysis of a 3.6-kb genomic region involved in carboxysome function in the cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp. strain PCC7942 were reported. Four new open reading frames (ORF) were identified and three of these ORFs have been named ccm genes for their involvement in the CO2 concentrating mechanism. ORF 64, ccmK, ccmL and ccmM could code for proteins of 7, 10.9, 11 and 58 kDa in size, respectively. It was found that two defined mutants, P-N and PVU, possess carboxysomal carbonic anhydrase activities which are below wild-type levels.

A study was done on second-site revertants of an arginine-210 to lysine mutation in the a subunit of the F0F1-ATPase from Escherichia coli. It was shown that Arg-210 is unable to translocate protons and the plasmid carrying the mutation failed to complement the chromosomal c-subunit mutation on succinate minimal medium. Three revertants were further identified which contained plasmids that showed complementation with chromosomal c-subunit but not with a-subunit mutations.

Results show that four charged amino acid residues, D107 and D122 in helix 1 and R354 and E366 in helix 8 are involved in the transport pathway mediated by the sulfate transporter SHST1 as shown by total loss of the activity following mutation of the residues.

The development of tobacco plants that are genetically engineered to produce a more efficient form of Rubisco, an enzyme involved in photosynthesis, marks a step towards increasing crop yields. See [...]