Biology education researchers seek to improve biology education, particularly at the introductory level, yet there is little documentation about what is actually happening in introductory biology. To characterize the landscape of learning expectations for introductory biology, we analyzed course-level learning objectives (n = 1108) and course…

Given the ongoing shortage of world language teachers in the United States, growing attention has developed toward recruiting new teachers at the secondary and postsecondary levels. This mixed methods study examined why some university noneducation students involved in language study at a large public institution indicated they would consider…

This qualitative study examined how 32 undergraduate students enrolled in pedagogy-focused courses at a liberal arts college in the USA made sense of disciplinary literacy as a broad construct. After discussing course readings and interviewing faculty members to understand the literacy practices used in their fields of study, these potential…

The decision to undertake undergraduate studies as a mature student poses challenges, especially when service mathematics is part of the programme of study, giving rise to mathematics anxiety. Mathematics anxiety comprises negative feelings pertaining to a person's engagement with mathematics. While much research into mathematics anxiety…

This study addresses the problem of insufficient emphasis on art courses in helping students develop 21st-century skills. As globalization continues, industries increasingly interconnect, creating a necessity for 21st-century skills. Universities are responsible for equipping the next generation of scholars with the soft skills needed to succeed,…

It can be difficult to find ways to motivate students while teaching a physics course for non-physics students. Students come to class with many different attitudes and preconceptions, some of which are detrimental to their learning. As physics educators, we strive for student engagement and motivation in course material no matter what type of…

Quinacridone red and violet are visually different colors, an observation confirmed by their visible reflectance spectra and CIE L*a*b* coordinates. However, their IR spectra are extremely similar. Though chemically identical, the two quinacridones are polymorphs. In this experiment, designed for and tested by nonscience majors, the pigments are…

Classification, a fundamental data analytics task, has widespread applications across various academic disciplines, such as marketing, finance, sociology, psychology, education, and public health. Its versatility enables researchers to explore diverse research questions and extract valuable insights from data. Therefore, it is crucial to extend…

Although music education researchers often utilize music major status as a single-item proxy variable for musician status--and with this designation presume musical competencies or abilities of research participants--there is a lack of research demonstrating links between status as a music major and those assumed competencies. In this study, we…

Assessment is an issue that is central to the lives of educators and students alike. At all levels, from programmatic to course-specific, instructors strive to assess in a way that accurately measures achievement or progress relative to one's goals. This paper reports on students' experiences with alternative assessments in our undergraduate…

More than 8 out of every 10 college students are not STEM majors, yet we have little understanding about learning expectations for them. We used the results of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute BioInteractive learning objectives survey of 38 instructors teaching nonscience major courses to characterize learning objectives (LOs) in these courses.…

This brief focuses on the important role that math requirements contribute to inequity in access to college, in particular the value placed on calculus, even though it is not an essential course for students who are seeking non-STEM degrees. The boost earned by students who are fortunate enough to have access to calculus, a benefit unequally…

We examined how movement impacted listeners' perceptions of choral performances. Participants (N = 115; n = 60 nonmusic majors, n = 55 music majors) viewed excerpts of Moses Hogan's "Didn't My Lord Deliver Daniel" under four conditions: good tone/expressive movement (GT/EM), good tone/static movement (GT/SM), poor tone/expressive…

Lakes are artists' pigments made from colorants bound to an inert substrate, usually hydrated aluminum oxide. Before the late 19th century, lakes were made from natural pigments extracted from plants and insects, extracted either directly from the dyestuff or indirectly from waste materials generated in the manufacture of dyed textiles. The first…

Researchers found in 2014 that only about 15 percent of students who participated in music in high school continued to participate in college as non-majors. Even when adding in the smaller number of students who continue as music majors, there is still a 75 to 80 percent attrition rate for the profession among the students who should be the most…