Both lecture and laboratory courses of biochemistry are important professional courses for undergraduates with biology related majors. Course optimization and update is crucial but challenging, especially for the laboratory course. Although taught separately, here we showed a strategy to bridge the two courses and promote the improvement of both.…

In a typical undergraduate biology curriculum, students do not dive into research until they first wade through large amounts of content. Biology courses in the first few years of the college curriculum tend to be lecture-based and exam-based courses. As a result, science students are mainly exposed to content knowledge--not the skills scientists…

The problem addressed by this study was to determine the influence of high school start times on students' academic achievement and precisely how this impacts the scores students received on the Biology I End of Course Exams. It also determined if there was a difference in influence between males and females. This was determined by comparing the…

Molecular biology, broadly defined as the investigation of complex biomolecules in the laboratory, is a rapidly advancing field and as such the technologies available to investigators are constantly evolving. This constant advancement has obvious advantages because it allows students and researchers to perform more complex experiments in shorter…

Science identity can be described as the part of oneself that relates to science, and is made up of four components: competence, performance, recognition, and interest. Science identity is important because students who have a strong science identity tend to persist longer in STEM majors and are more likely to attain a scientific career…

Compassion satisfaction (CS) and compassion fatigue (CF) are well-documented phenomena within healthcare, representing the positive emotions derived from aiding others and the emotional strain of caring for those in distress (Figley, 1995; Stamm, 2010). This research addresses a gap literature regarding CS and CF in higher education, particularly…

Laboratory courses offer a unique opportunity, and sometimes challenge, to engage students in projects where they can experience ownership and authentic science practices. An important science practice is writing, which can lead to increased learning about concepts and science communication. Experiencing a sense of ownership in research can lead…

Online video conferencing platforms, such as Zoom, are widely used for virtual classes. Zoom platforms bring flexibility and convenience but also contribute to fatigue, which is called "Zoom fatigue." The purpose of this study is to investigate Zoom fatigue among international students at U.S. universities and its links to virtual…

This article presents a simple, cognitive theory of science and learning. The first section of the paper develops the theory's two main propositions: (i) A wide range of scientific activities rely heavily on one type of reasoning, hypothetical thinking, and (ii) This type of reasoning is also useful to students for learning science content. The…

Since the outbreak of COVID-19 in 2019, many countries have taken measures such as controlling the flow of people, logistics and reducing crowds. Educational institutions have shifted from traditional face-to-face teaching to online teaching. In order to understand the fatigue caused by long-term online teaching and its influence on teaching…

The use of drawing as an assessment tool to reveal students' conceptions in biology specifically on human organs and organ systems is not new, however, there is a deficit in the literature that attempted to explore and reflect on its usefulness and relevance specifically, in eliciting students' preconceptions related thereto. Making use of a…

In 2017, the Department of Biology at Virginia Wesleyan University modified its two-course introductory sequence in response to high DFW rates (>50% scoring a D, F, or withdrawing) in the first semester. The revised curriculum created a new third course and moved content that many students struggled with from the first semester to the third…

This study aimed to determine the effect of using a virtual anatomy system (VAS) on student learning with regard to reproductive system with respect to the acquisition of misconceptions. This study used an experimental method by comparing the results of the class learning using virtual laboratory media with a control class. The result showed that…

In response to the shifting modalities of laboratory-based education, particularly amidst the rise of virtual and at-home instruction, we introduce a novel hybrid laboratory module for undergraduate biochemistry and biology courses. Central to this innovative approach is the use of sourdough as a versatile and accessible model organism, enabling a…

The study was focused to explore the use of virtual world of computer in Biology experiments to foster the students' problem-solving skills (PSS). The study was made on explanatory sequential mixed method design which included quantitative (true-experimental) approach was followed by qualitative (interview protocol) method. Population of the study…