Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education最新文献

{"title":"Enhancing student engagement through a gallery walk: applying multiple strategies to communicate scientific concepts.","authors":"Watumesa Agustina Tan, Sarah Perrault","doi":"10.1128/jmbe.00207-24","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1128/jmbe.00207-24","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Effective science communication skills are essential for scientists across sectors to engage with non-specialist audiences. This paper describes a gallery walk activity designed to help science students learn and practice strategies for making complex scientific concepts accessible to diverse audiences. The activity was implemented in a Science Communication course with 24 students from the Biotechnology and Food Technology programs. It introduces students to a range of rhetorical strategies, such as etymology, analogy, and personal storytelling, which are applied in exercises that encourage students to communicate scientific topics in engaging and relevant ways. The gallery walk encourages students to interact with eight stations, each focused on a specific communication strategy. By generating examples and discussing varied approaches, students may gain insights into adapting their communication for different contexts and audiences. The activity is a flexible and engaging approach to teaching science communication that may foster critical thinking and build students' confidence in applying communication techniques. Its adaptable format makes the gallery walk suitable for various classroom settings, supporting both large and small class sizes.</p>","PeriodicalId":46416,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education","volume":" ","pages":"e0020724"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144044352","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Laboratory course development and implementation fostering teaching assistant growth.","authors":"R Telfah, A Roser, R Masoud, J Shultz","doi":"10.1128/jmbe.00197-24","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1128/jmbe.00197-24","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>STEM teaching assistants (TAs) are vital resources at the university level and are responsible for teaching most undergraduate laboratory courses. TAs are expected to navigate the complex interaction of personal confidence, course goals, varied student preparedness, and instructor supervision while delivering a quality educational experience. These variables combine to create an exceptionally prepared professional, a quick exit from the STEM field, or a capable individual in need of additional training. We present three individual TA development examples spread across three lab courses (Gel Electrophoresis, Genetics, and PCR Methods). Examples of these course materials are included, including links to the instructional resources for each of the three classes.</p>","PeriodicalId":46416,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education","volume":" ","pages":"e0019724"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144024404","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Reply to \"Overcoming barriers to nicotine-degrading bacteria isolation in oral microbiome research\".","authors":"Benjamin J Koestler","doi":"10.1128/jmbe.00054-25","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1128/jmbe.00054-25","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":46416,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education","volume":" ","pages":"e0005425"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144054134","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Overcoming barriers to nicotine-degrading bacteria isolation in oral microbiome research.","authors":"Hemant Goyal, Nishant Mehta, Arpit Gupta, Richa Shrivastava, Vikas Gautam","doi":"10.1128/jmbe.00239-24","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1128/jmbe.00239-24","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":46416,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education","volume":" ","pages":"e0023924"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144051686","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A bioinformatics-driven CURE extension increases student self-efficacy and interest in biomedical research.","authors":"Héctor G Loyola Irizarry, Hiram Duarte, Kyoko Nakamura, Rocio Benabentos, Melissa McCartney, Jessica Siltberg-Liberles","doi":"10.1128/jmbe.00231-24","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1128/jmbe.00231-24","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The biology workforce has a need for undergraduate students trained in bioinformatics. Although bioinformatics is a critical sub-discipline of biology, it is not required in all biology degree programs. In parallel, there is a need to increase student access to research experiences. To address these needs, we offer a one-credit bioinformatics-focused and computational biology course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE), here called the CB-CURE. Preliminary data suggest the CB-CURE increased student interest, knowledge, and self-efficacy, but also reveal a shortage of access to undergraduate research experiences (UREs) in faculty labs at our large institution. To provide a more URE-like experience for a class setting, we developed a one-semester extension to the CB-CURE, called CURE+. In CURE+, students execute individual bioinformatics-driven research projects and obtain additional career development and mentoring. To evaluate CURE+, we measured students' bioinformatics and research self-efficacy, interest in bioinformatics and research, and emotions toward their project. Additionally, we evaluated student mastery of the CURE+ learning outcomes to determine if the experience successfully enabled students to develop their research skills. Our data show significant increases in (i) student self-efficacy in various bioinformatics and research skills and (ii) student interest in bioinformatics-related activities and in biomedical research. Students had positive emotions toward their research project, and a majority of students mastered the CURE+ learning outcomes. Our data suggest that an intensive CURE extension can provide a potentially transformative research experience that helps fill a void in access to research at institutions with a high student-to-faculty ratio.</p>","PeriodicalId":46416,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education","volume":" ","pages":"e0023124"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144040927","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A latent class analysis of cultural wealth: insights into academic success in introductory biology at a Hispanic-serving institution.","authors":"Alexander Eden, Bryan M Dewsbury","doi":"10.1128/jmbe.00012-25","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1128/jmbe.00012-25","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Success in STEM majors often depends on students' ability to navigate gateway courses, such as introductory biology, which establishes foundational knowledge and predicts retention in the major. However, disparities in performance within these courses often reflect systemic inequities rather than differences in ability. This study explores the role of cultural wealth, as defined by Yosso's Community Cultural Wealth (CCW) framework, in shaping academic outcomes. Using data from 518 biology majors at a Hispanic-serving institution, we employed latent class analysis to identify distinct subgroups of students based on their cultural wealth profiles. Four latent classes emerged, characterized by varying levels of engagement across the CCW dimensions. Class 1 exhibited the highest cultural wealth but did not achieve the highest grades, highlighting the potential influence of unexamined mediators. Class 2, with moderate responses across dimensions, achieved the highest grades, suggesting a potential interaction of cultural wealth and external supports. Classes 3 and 4, with lower overall cultural wealth, exhibited lower academic performance. These findings reveal the complex interplay between cultural wealth and academic success in biology education.</p>","PeriodicalId":46416,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education","volume":" ","pages":"e0001225"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143804441","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A case study to engage students in evolutionary thinking around antibiotic resistance using the MEGA-plate experiment.","authors":"Stephanie A Carr, Stephanie L Mathews, Justin A Pruneski, Nikolas M Stasulli","doi":"10.1128/jmbe.00039-24","DOIUrl":"10.1128/jmbe.00039-24","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In this article, we describe curricular materials developed to engage undergraduate students in evolutionary thinking around antibiotic resistance using the MEGA-plate experiment (Microbial Evolution and Growth Arena). This elegant and visual experiment, developed by the Kishony Lab, shows the development of antibiotic resistance on the timescale of hours and days. It not only provides important biological insights but also captures students' attention, making it a very useful tool for education. While a short video describing the method and major results has already been widely used in the classroom setting, our case study connects details of the methods and results of the MEGA-plate experiment and antibiotic resistance to core biological concepts. The interrupted case study consists of four major parts: 1) an opening hook activity to capture students' attention and introduce the antibiotic crisis, 2) a jigsaw activity to research different classes of antibiotic targets and the resistance mechanisms that can arise, 3) a discussion of antibiotic resistance in real-time using the MEGA-plate experiment video, and 4) three different options for students to dive deeper into the experimental data from the MEGA-plate research article. These components are modular and can be used in many different combinations to reach different audiences or connect to other topics related to microbiology, evolution, or genetics.</p>","PeriodicalId":46416,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education","volume":" ","pages":"e0003924"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2024-12-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11636288/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141989185","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":"Exam reform: an opportunity for the redistribution of academic power.","authors":"Gregory J Crowther, Benjamin L Wiggins","doi":"10.1128/jmbe.00119-24","DOIUrl":"10.1128/jmbe.00119-24","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Students in STEM know well the stress, challenge, and effort that accompany college exams. As a widely recognizable feature of the STEM classroom experience, high-stakes assessments serve as crucial cultural gateways in shaping both preparation and motivation for careers. In this essay, we identify and discuss issues of power around STEM exams to further the understanding of exam practices that can unjustly hold students back. Through theory and practical examples, we consider the numerous ways in which power manifests both on and off the pages of the exams themselves, as well as ways in which power is consolidated away from students through logistical norms and tradeoffs. Centering the \"rules of the culture of power\" as delineated by Dr. Lisa Delpit, we reflect on exam practices that prioritize faculty voice and faculty convenience above student learning and student identity. We share some of what we have learned from our students as part of a call to improve STEM education by relinquishing some of our exam-related power over students, redistributing it to students so that they have more power to shape their own education.</p>","PeriodicalId":46416,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education","volume":" ","pages":"e0011924"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2024-12-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11636372/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141989186","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":"Time spent on active learning activities does not necessarily correlate with student exam performance: a controlled case study.","authors":"Xinjian Cen, Rachel J Lee, Christopher Contreras, Melinda T Owens, Jeffrey Maloy","doi":"10.1128/jmbe.00073-24","DOIUrl":"10.1128/jmbe.00073-24","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Active learning, including student thinking and discussion in class, has been shown to increase student learning gains. However, it is less clear how instructor-level variation in the implementation and timing of active learning activities affects student gains. Our study aims to investigate the extent to which the time spent on individual episodes of active learning activities influences student performance. We hypothesized that instructors who let students spend more time on peer discussion and individual thinking on practice problems associated with particular learning objectives would have better student exam scores on exam questions addressing those objectives. To test this hypothesis, we obtained a large data set of classroom recordings and student exam scores from an introductory biology course at a large 4-year university, where three instructors shared identical teaching materials and exams for different course offerings. Contrary to our hypothesis, although the three instructors spent significantly different amounts of time on episodes of thinking and peer discussion, there was no correlation between the total time spent on active learning activities and student performance on exam questions. Linear mixed-effects modeling of the effect of the length of episodes of student thinking and discussion on exam score found that in the context of shared instructional materials, the amount of course time spent on active learning activities did not reliably predict student performance on associated exam questions. This result held true even when only considering learning objectives with high variations in performance between offerings, difficult exam questions, or exam questions requiring higher-order thinking skills. Although our study was only conducted in one course, our results imply that time spent per individual episode of student thinking or peer discussion may not be the primary factor explaining the positive effects of active learning and that it may be worthwhile to explore other factors.</p>","PeriodicalId":46416,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education","volume":" ","pages":"e0007324"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2024-12-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11636264/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142005517","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 framework for training graduate students and campus communities in inclusive teaching.","authors":"Berit E Batterton, C Melman Neill, Christopher R Biggs, Hannah S Rempel","doi":"10.1128/jmbe.00125-24","DOIUrl":"10.1128/jmbe.00125-24","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>While graduate student teaching assistants (TAs) contribute significantly to university education, many graduate programs across diverse disciplines offer limited formal pedagogical training. In turn, many researchers informally develop teaching and mentoring skills as they advance to faculty positions or related careers. This can perpetuate a lag in the implementation of inclusive educational environments despite the clear benefits demonstrated by recent pedagogical research. For instance, the integration of inclusive teaching strategies like universal design for learning, growth mindset feedback, and the use of relatable role models in curricula may help increase the persistence, success, and self-efficacy of traditionally underrepresented groups in the sciences. Additionally, research indicates that training graduate TAs in evidence-based practices may have benefits beyond teaching efficacy, such as greater confidence in research preparedness and science communication-skills applicable to any scientific field or career path. Here, we developed and implemented an inclusive teaching series for a marine science department that included: (i) campus-wide pedagogical journal article discussions and knowledge-sharing, (ii) expert-led interactive workshops on evidence-based teaching strategies, and (iii) a graduate TA professional development module on inclusive lesson planning with opportunities to teach and receive feedback. Based on our experiences, we share a framework and resources to facilitate a broader adoption of formalized TA training in inclusive teaching practices within graduate programs across a variety of fields.</p>","PeriodicalId":46416,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education","volume":" ","pages":"e0012524"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2024-12-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11636286/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142548231","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}