Background: The importance of social networking sites (SNSs) as platforms to engage in the correction of "fake news" has been documented widely. More evidence is needed to understand the popularity of health-related rumors and how Health Educators can optimize their use of SNSs. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the…

The convenient synthesis of dihydroberberine by the reduction of berberine is described as an experiment for an upper-division undergraduate organic chemistry laboratory course. Students obtained up to 74% yield of the desired pure product without the use of chromatographic techniques. The antimicrobial activities of both compounds against…

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, almost all universities in the United States switched to online learning in March 2020. We, as educators, faced the reality of switching to online teaching using Zoom. Our approach was to use COVID-19 as the course content to help motivate preservice teachers (PSTs) and alleviate some of the challenges of online…

Purpose: Higher education institutions have a significant impact in preparing future generations for the creation of a sustainable society. By formulating appropriate curricula, the university can shape student personality with sustainability concerns. This study aims to present the results of a teaching approach on environmental sustainability…

The goal of biological sciences is to understand the biomolecular mechanics of living organisms. Proteins serve as the foundation for organisms functional analysis and sequence analysis has shown to be invaluable in answering questions about individual organisms. The first step in any sequence analysis is alignment and it is common that even…

In an effort to reduce viral transmission, many schools are planning to reduce class size if they have not reduced it already. Yet the effect of class size on transmission is unknown. To determine whether smaller classes reduce school absence, especially when community disease prevalence is high, we merge data from the Project STAR randomized…

One SENCER ideal is to connect science education and civic engagement by student learning through complex, unresolved public issues. Using this approach, we established a collaborative interdisciplinary project involving faculty and undergraduate students at NYC College of Technology. Over several semesters, students conducted literature search…

The research was carried out to determine whether the use of group tests for undergraduate science students to augment lecture material in a second-year core course in microbiology would improve the retention of material on a subsequent regular mid-term/final exam. On three separate occasions, the students were asked to complete short…

We used 3D printing to manufacture models that allow students to explore antibody-epitope interactions. One of the more difficult concepts for students in general microbiology and immunology courses is visualizing the interactions surrounding antibodies and the multiple epitopes found on antigens. We designed and printed antibodies that recognize…

With over 1,400 known disease-causing organisms in humans alone, and hundreds of named infections, the realm of Medical Microbiology is both fascinating and intimidating. The wealth of information covered in this subject area often demands much memorization that can be difficult to handle. By integrating key concepts and terminology of this…

Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) have been shown to increase student retention and learning in the biological sciences. Most CURES cover only one aspect of gene regulation, such as transcriptional control. Here we present a new inquiry-based lab that engages understanding of gene expression from multiple perspectives.…

Introductory laboratory courses are a standard component of undergraduate science programmes and historically taught using direct instruction/confirmatory lab models. Previous studies have shown that inquiry-based labs enhance student engagement in science courses. However, research on how direct instruction introductory lab courses effectively…

The discovery of and research into penicillin resistance by Sir Edward Abraham and Sir Ernst Chain can be used to teach the concept of natural selection and also multiple nature of science (NOS) objectives associated with Next Generation Science Standards, such as "scientific knowledge is based on empirical evidence" and "science is…

Previous research only focuses on the difficulties and factors causing learning difficulties without any solution. This study aimed to identify learning difficulties, factors, and alternative solutions overcoming the problems of learning difficulties about viruses and bacteria. Data collection was carried out through the provision of a concept…

Reflection is critical for adolescents' problem solving and learning in game-based learning environments (GBLEs). Yet challenges exist in the literature because most studies lack a theoretical perspective and clear operational definition to inform how and when reflection should be scaffolded during game-based learning. In this paper, we address…