Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education最新文献

{"title":"Teaching biology in the age of distraction: attention as scientific competency in laboratory education.","authors":"Francesco Elia Marino","doi":"10.1128/jmbe.00123-26","DOIUrl":"10.1128/jmbe.00123-26","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Biology laboratories increasingly operate within digitally saturated learning environments characterized by fragmented attention and habitual multitasking. This conceptual study argues that attentional discipline should be reframed not merely as classroom compliance but as a core scientific competency linked to laboratory safety, observational reasoning, and professional identity formation. Drawing on literature from cognitive psychology, higher education pedagogy, and laboratory education, the study examines how digitally mediated distraction reshapes scientific observation, procedural integrity, and reflective documentation practices. Thus, proposing attention-aware laboratory pedagogy as a framework for designing learning environments that support sustained engagement without outright rejecting technology. Rather than advocating technological prohibition, the study argues for intentional integration, mentorship, and pedagogical structures that cultivate attentional responsibility as part of scientific training.</p>","PeriodicalId":46416,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education","volume":" ","pages":"e0012326"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13520699/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148354221","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Expanding access to research for students at two-year colleges: transforming a microbiology course-based undergraduate research experience to a cohort-based summer research experience.","authors":"Martel L DenHartog, Sarah Miller, Jo Handelsman","doi":"10.1128/jmbe.00032-26","DOIUrl":"10.1128/jmbe.00032-26","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Students at two-year community and technical colleges need access to research opportunities that build scientific and interpersonal skills, and foster a scientific identity to successfully transfer to four-year institutions or the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce. Tiny Earth, a course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) that advances antimicrobial discovery from soil bacteria, serves as the foundation for the Tiny Earth Summer Research Course (TESRC), a cohort-based, full-time summer research experience for undergraduates from historically underrepresented groups at two-year colleges to conduct research at a university after completing a Tiny Earth course at their enrolled institution. After completing TESRC, students reported gains in research and workforce skills, including understanding antimicrobial discovery, practicing the scientific method, communicating research findings, working collaboratively with peers and mentors, and solving problems independently. They also reported that participation in TESRC fostered a greater sense of belonging in a scientific community. After completing TESRC, students continued educational and career pursuits in scientific fields.</p>","PeriodicalId":46416,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education","volume":" ","pages":"e0003226"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13520655/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148608341","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A <i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i> lab module provides experiential learning for molecular genetics students.","authors":"Renalison Farias-Pereira","doi":"10.1128/jmbe.00108-26","DOIUrl":"10.1128/jmbe.00108-26","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i> is an established biological model that is used as a genetic tool due to its many advantages, such as short life cycle, small size, and availability of mutant strains. I describe here a 7-week <i>C. elegans</i> lab module that was designed for an upper-level molecular genetics course. Students measured gene expression by using fluorescence microscopy and RT-qPCR assays, and they evaluated how genes influence animal behavior and aging by using chemotaxis and survival assays. To observe how genotypes influence phenotypes, wild-type and mutant worms, including mutants expressing green fluorescent protein, were used. Most of the students reported that they \"liked/loved\" all lab activities on microscopy, behavioral assay, survival analysis, RNA extraction, cDNA synthesis, qPCR, and data analysis in a post-survey using a 5-point Likert scale. Students also \"agreed/strongly agreed\" that they understood several genetic concepts, including \"genotype vs. phenotype,\" \"mutation,\" and \"model organisms,\" and how these concepts apply to these lab activities. Although students expressed that they faced some challenges in counting worms in a stereomicroscope and in interpretation of variable data, they valued the variety of techniques, as well as the consistency and sequencing of this lab module. Overall, students appreciated the hands-on skills acquired by using <i>C. elegans</i> to explore concepts of genetics and molecular biology.</p>","PeriodicalId":46416,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education","volume":" ","pages":"e0010826"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13520652/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148425579","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Turning \"what is on the exam\" panic into prep: AI-generated study guide and multi-format questions in biology.","authors":"Fareha Razvi","doi":"10.1128/jmbe.00055-26","DOIUrl":"10.1128/jmbe.00055-26","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>An AI-assisted methodology is suggested to generate learning materials. This methodology is proposed to provide students with additional practice and guidance, potentially bridging the gap between classroom instruction and exam expectations. In this proposed approach, pre-prepared multiple-choice questions (MCQs) from unit examinations served as the basis for creating AI-assisted study guides that highlighted key terms and concepts. These MCQ-based study guides were further transformed into multi-format questionnaires that offered diverse practice opportunities to reinforce understanding, promote active learning, and enhance student engagement. This AI-assisted study guide and multi-format questionnaires were supplemented to one of the sections of general biology at Metropolitan Community College, Omaha, NE. The informal feedback of students was positive about the supplemented material. This proposed methodology provides a conceptual framework for integrating AI into instructional design. Additionally, this scalable strategy offers adjunct instructors to support student learning, improve study efficiency, and enhance exam preparedness.</p>","PeriodicalId":46416,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education","volume":" ","pages":"e0005526"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13520660/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148425587","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Truth, tone, and trust: integrating an AI exercise to foster responsible science communication in a graduate biomedical science course.","authors":"Ilinca I Ciubotariu, Gundula Bosch","doi":"10.1128/jmbe.00044-26","DOIUrl":"10.1128/jmbe.00044-26","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>As generative AI becomes a standard fixture in graduate education, the pedagogical challenge has shifted from detection to integration. This article describes a curriculum intervention developed for Anatomy of Scientific Error, a graduate-level course on scientific error analysis in interdisciplinary research practice and communication at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. To inform the curriculum design, we first administered a needs-assessment survey to the cohort. Results revealed a critical trust gap: while students utilized generative artificial intelligence extensively for efficiency, they expressed anxiety regarding hallucinations and a lack of verification skills. While the course integrated multiple AI-related tasks, this paper focuses on a specific assignment titled \"Truth, Tone, and Trust.\" Situated in the sixth week of the curriculum, this assignment represented a deliberate design pivot away from standard text-based prompts toward a multimodal, high-engagement activity. Students were tasked with improving three flawed, AI-generated variations of a recent real-world press release regarding the R21 malaria vaccine, using track changes to correct errors, and recording a video defense of their editorial decisions. This approach shifts the focus from regulating AI to stewarding knowledge, ensuring that efficiency does not come at the cost of critical thinking.</p>","PeriodicalId":46416,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education","volume":" ","pages":"e0004426"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13520686/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148473487","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Developing metacognitive knowledge for effective AI-supported study behaviors in undergraduate biology: recommendations for instructors.","authors":"Vidya Adlakha, Madeline Arledge, Patrick McCay, Kailey Reeves, Fawaz Babatunde, Sharday N Ewell","doi":"10.1128/jmbe.00338-25","DOIUrl":"10.1128/jmbe.00338-25","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The use of effective study behaviors is essential for student academic performance and persistence. Currently, it is reported that college students use generative artificial intelligence (AI) to help them prepare for courses, suggesting they hold metacognitive knowledge of AI as a study tool. However, there is no set of recommendations to develop metacognitive knowledge of effective AI-supported study behaviors for students enrolled in introductory biology courses. In this essay, we draw on existing literature on study strategies, metacognition, and emerging studies on AI use in higher education to consider how students use generative AI to support their learning and how incomplete metacognitive knowledge of AI use can result in continued use of ineffective study strategies that negatively influence academic performance. We then offer recommendations to support the development of this knowledge in undergraduate courses. As generative AI continues to become a mainstay within higher education, we hope this essay equips instructors with the knowledge to promote student success in biology coursework.</p>","PeriodicalId":46416,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education","volume":" ","pages":"e0033825"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13523765/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147785276","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Automated scoring of student videos in medical education: a comparison between a large language model and expert evaluation.","authors":"Yavuz Selim Kıyak, Özlem Ülkü Bulut, Özlem Coşkun, Işıl İrem Budakoğlu","doi":"10.1128/jmbe.00010-26","DOIUrl":"10.1128/jmbe.00010-26","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Video-based assignments are used in medical education, yet expert scoring is time-intensive. Large language models (LLMs) offer scalable alternatives, but their validity for evaluating multimodal student work is uncertain. We examined whether a state-of-the-art LLM (Gemini 2.5 Pro) could approximate expert scoring of medical student video presentations in evidence-based medicine. A total of 139 student submissions were evaluated by an experienced faculty member (reference standard) and by the LLM under two prompting strategies: (i) rubric-only and (ii) critical expert-style. Scores across 12 rubric items (maximum 95 points) were compared using paired <i>t</i>-tests, effect sizes, and Bland-Altman analysis. Expert scoring yielded a mean total of 62.0 (SD 13.6). The rubric-only prompt systematically overestimated performance (mean 87.7, SD 8.0, <i>P</i> < 0.001; bias -25.7). The critical prompt produced lower scores (mean 53.5, SD 10.4, <i>P</i> < 0.001; bias +8.5). At the item level, rubric-only prompting aligned better with mechanical tasks (e.g., keywords and referencing), whereas the critical prompt penalized appraisal and synthesis disproportionately. Prompting strategy substantially influenced LLM scoring, generating opposite biases relative to expert evaluation. The novel contribution of this study is that prompt strategy can alter not only the magnitude but also the direction of scoring bias. Calibration approaches, such as context engineering, may help align AI scoring with expert judgment. While AI-generated feedback shows promise for formative assessment, reliable summative use requires careful validation.</p>","PeriodicalId":46416,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education","volume":" ","pages":"e0001026"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13520709/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147976329","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Using AI as a teaching partner: enhancing critical thinking and digital literacy in microbiology.","authors":"Ines Rauschenbach","doi":"10.1128/jmbe.00326-25","DOIUrl":"10.1128/jmbe.00326-25","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly reshaping higher education, offering both opportunities and challenges for teaching and learning. As generative AI tools become increasingly accessible, instructors must balance the benefits of enhanced productivity with the responsibility to teach students how to engage with these tools critically and ethically. In our 200-level Introduction to Microbiology course, we developed a series of scaffolded activities to promote digital literacy, responsible AI use, and critical evaluation of AI-generated content. Structured course activities allowed students to practice effective prompting, evaluate AI-created summaries, and identify inaccuracies and false references. Ultimately, this allowed students to generate and critique their own AI-assisted unit summaries for their course learning portfolios. Informal feedback from 100 students revealed that two-thirds of students felt the activities clarified the benefits and pitfalls of AI, while about half reported learning new information about the technology. The feedback emphasized that the assignments revealed AI's limitations and reinforced the need to verify its outputs. The activities also aligned with broader curricular goals around digital literacy and critical thinking. Overall, integrating structured AI-focused activities can empower students to apply AI responsibly, but with a critical lens of its limitations.</p>","PeriodicalId":46416,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education","volume":" ","pages":"e0032625"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13520666/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147942896","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A case-based bioprospecting ethics module for undergraduate CUREs with multi-institution evidence of student learning.","authors":"Adam J Kleinschmit, Enid González-Orta, Stephanie L Mathews, Mary Ann V Smith, Sarah Miller","doi":"10.1128/jmbe.00086-26","DOIUrl":"10.1128/jmbe.00086-26","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Bioprospecting, the search for useful biological resources, drives scientific innovation but can be tarnished by ethical challenges (e.g., biopiracy) when prior informed consent and benefit sharing are not formally established. Despite the widespread use of course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) with a foundation in characterizing biodiversity and, in many cases, direct bioprospecting, to our knowledge, there are no published CURE curricula that teach the ethics of bioprospecting. Here we developed and vetted the Bioprospecting Module as a flexible, case-based curricular resource that can be implemented before students commence discovery-based research. The resource is focused on learning and analysis situations that warrant prior informed consent and mutually agreed terms and is adaptable to other science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) courses that incorporate ethics. The module was implemented across 13 collegiate institutions with undergraduate students enrolled in a Tiny Earth CURE at diverse course types and institutional contexts. Student learning was evaluated using iteratively refined pre-post knowledge-based instruments aligned to learning objectives. Student perception and attitudinal measures were also surveyed to complement the knowledge measures. Throughout classroom implementation, students showed significant pre-post learning gains with a large effect size. Post-module performance was comparable across student groups and institutional contexts after accounting for baseline knowledge. Furthermore, ceiling effects were observed with higher pre-scores but did not undermine overall gains. Students reported increased perceived competence in module learning objectives and positive engagement with the module. This adaptable module provides a scalable curricular resource for embedding ethical bioprospecting and responsible and ethical conduct of research in STEM courses, helping students anticipate and navigate consent, benefit sharing, and stewardship issues in research fueling the bioeconomy.</p>","PeriodicalId":46416,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education","volume":" ","pages":"e0008626"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13520714/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148228608","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Microbiome Science Certificate Program for workforce development and multi-omics expertise.","authors":"Julia M Kelliher, Rachel Horak, Kaelan J Prime, Francisca E Rodriguez, Leah Y D Johnson, Simon Roux, Wendi Lynch, Samantha N Miller, Gregory Bonito, Emiley A Eloe-Fadrosh","doi":"10.1128/jmbe.00012-26","DOIUrl":"10.1128/jmbe.00012-26","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Microbiome research is a dynamic, rapidly growing, and interdisciplinary field that generates valuable insights across the human health, agricultural, and environmental sectors. Despite this growth, gaps remain in educational content and professional development opportunities specifically tailored for microbiome science rather than traditional microbiology. The National Microbiome Data Collaborative (NMDC) has developed a Microbiome Science Certificate Program aimed at undergraduates but available to any learner or researcher interested in this field. The curriculum includes 12 modules to further technical knowledge, as well as practical and professional skills. The modules each include prepared slide decks, recorded lectures, resource documents, expert interviews, reading assignments, knowledge assessments, and an overall glossary. The modular content can be readily applied within the classroom as a stand-alone semester-long course or as supplementary to existing curricula. An asynchronous, online, certificate-granting implementation of the content is available through the American Society for Microbiology. We have outlined future laboratory, workforce development, and data science \"mini-modules\" that can be further developed with the help of educators. Improvements will be made to the program content based on feedback from learners and educators. This program aims to promote practical skills to empower the next generation of microbiome researchers.</p>","PeriodicalId":46416,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education","volume":" ","pages":"e0001226"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13520644/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148259959","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}