To determine whether inquiry-based learning positively impacts undergraduate student learning and performance, we incorporated a guided inquiry-based activity (IBA) into two introductory and one upper level biology courses. We hypothesized that incorporation of IBA enhances student learning compared with noninquiry-based activities (NIBA). We…

The author discusses an Introduction to Biology course they created. The course was designed by following the recommendations from the Vision and Change in Undergraduate Biology Education: A Call to Action report, which stresses the need for engaging students through hands-on and student-centered activities. In the course, students perform…

High-structure course designs have reduced achievement gaps for low-income and underrepresented minority students at research universities. But do community college students have time to do the preclass preparation required for intensive active learning, given their work and family commitments? We asked introductory majors biology students at two…

Inquiry methods have been successful in improving science literacy in students of all ages. Model-Based Inquiry (MBI) is an instructional model that engages students in the practices of science through the collaborative development of scientific models to explain an anchoring phenomenon. Student ideas are tested through engagement in content-rich…

Interdisciplinary education offers a collaborative approach to multifaceted topics, such as environmental sustainability. In this article, we present the conceptual framework and lessons learned from a team-taught course, entitled Sustainability, Energy, and the Green Economy (SEGE). Faculty from the departments of Physics, Chemistry, and Biology…

Interdisciplinary field study courses at 2-year colleges can provide an opportunity to enhance student learning. The authors present here an 11-day interdisciplinary field-study course designed for nonscience majors at a 2-year college. Using a theoretical learning framework that emphasizes cognitive and metacognitive gains, the field study…

Traditional lecturing has been shown again and again to be a less effective teaching method regarding student engagement and promotion in the sciences. Studies that compare different teaching methods often face limitations because, over time, courses are either substantially changed and/or are taught by different instructors. This article presents…

Successfully engaging students with a community college's introductory biology curriculum is a challenging endeavor. Students have numerous distractions competing with faculty for their attention. Traditional presentation of information may leave students longing for something more engaging to do, and the place where most college-level instruction…

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…

The purpose of this article is to describe a model for teaching introductory biology coursework within the Vision and Change framework (American Association for the Advancement of Science, 2011). The intent of the new model is to transform instruction by adopting an active, student-centered, and inquiry-based pedagogy consistent with Vision and…

An investigation of the possibility of life in the universe, or astrobiology, is an ideal topic for an interdisciplinary seminar course. Answering the topic's inherent questions--whether life exists elsewhere in the universe and, if it does indeed exist, whether we on Earth could contact such life--requires an interdisciplinary approach and…

This study evaluates the effectiveness of human anatomy software in face-to-face and online anatomy laboratory classes. Cognitive, affective, and psychomotor perceived learning was measured for students using Pearson Education's Practice Anatomy Laboratory 2.0 software. This study determined that student-perceived learning was significantly…

Dual-enrollment (DE) science courses offer a way to strengthen the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics pipeline between high school and college. These courses offer high school students the opportunity to experience college science in a more supported environment, allowing them to adjust to the different academic and social demands…

Pilot studies of an NSF-funded project called The Math You Need When You Need It (TMYN; http://serc.carleton.edu/mathyouneed) reveal that online, asynchronous learning modules are effective at remediating students' quantitative skills in introductory geoscience in both community college and university settings. TMYN uses a just-in-time and…

Describes a biology course to meet the needs of nontraditional students. Included is information on the course including the needs, beginnings, framework of basic concepts with a multisensory approach, and course objectives. Reports the data showing student success. (YP)