JoinJournal of College Science Teaching—July/August 2023
Volume 52, Number 6
Journal Article
How I Inadvertently Misled Some Students
Clear key results and simple figures have clear advantages when teaching. However, these same properties can mislead some students. I provide examples from my presentation on the body mass index, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention maps of the...
By Mark Milanick
Journal Article
The COVID-19 pandemic forced instructors to suddenly pivot from in-person to remote teaching and students to rapidly adapt their learning strategies. During this emergency instruction period, 21 semistructured, one-on-one interviews were conducted to...
By Pouya Bahrami, Denice Blanco, Hannah Thetford, Li Ye, and Julia Y. K. Chan
Journal Article
To transition introductory college science courses from large, passive lectures to more student-centered learning environments, additional instructional support is needed. Peer learning assistants (PLAs) can support that transformation by engaging st...
By Brittney A. Ferrari, Jonathan A. Dees, Norris A. Armstrong, and Julie M. Kittleson
Journal Article
Big Books Have a Big Impact on Elementary Science Education
Preservice elementary teachers are faced with the daunting task of learning enough about every subject to support their students’ development of foundational ideas. Teacher preparation programs and professional development providers therefore have ...
By Rachel Hallett-Njuguna
Journal Article
Improving Writing Skills Through Scripting a Science Podcast for Non-Expert Audiences
In this article, we describe and analyze the experience of undergraduate chemistry students who scripted episodes of a science podcast for non-expert audiences. This practice aimed to improve public communication of science and technology, often supp...
By Carolina Sotério and Salete Linhares Queiroz
Journal Article
Determination of the Helpfulness of Physics Exam Study Methods
This study investigates the relationship between study methods and exam performance in introductory physics courses. Data were collected over 3 years through surveys to examine students’ study habits, perceived effectiveness of techniques, and the ...
By David Waters and Rahul Jilakara
Journal Article
Nonmajor Students’ Use of Reflection to Enhance Biology Understanding and Relevance
Although most students in nonmajor biology courses will not enter careers in science, they will need a working understanding of biology and how it relates to their lives to make informed decisions on important topics that will affect their lives, inc...
By Nicole J. Thomas, Tina Vo, and Jaime Sabel
Journal Article
Research Project-Based Learning in Meteorology Using an Online Severe Weather Events Archive
This article presents a semester-long, interdisciplinary project-based learning (PBL) suitable for secondary and postsecondary students enrolled in a second-semester (i.e., intermediate) meteorology course. This case-study approach builds on the rese...
By Joby Hilliker and Shannon Hilliker
Journal Article
Biology Students’ Views of Science Communication
Educational efforts to promote effective oral science communication at the undergraduate level tend to reinforce strategies related to impression management. Students are taught tactics that can be used to create the impression of competent science c...
By Alandeom W. Oliveira, Adam O. Brown, Marissa Carroll, Elizabeth Blenkarn, Bradley Austin, and Tiffany Bretzlaff
Journal Article
Perceptions of Teaching and Learning of STEM Revealed in University Academics’ Drawings
As part of a larger study investigating the perceptions of university academics about science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM); STEM learning environments; and necessary capabilities for STEM educators at a university, this article re...
By Vesife Hatisaru, Andrew Seen, and Sharon Fraser
Journal Article
An Undergraduate Independent Study Project
A lateral flow assay was designed and optimized as an independent study project that aimed to develop an assay for the qualitative detection of troponin assay. Lateral flow assays (the classic example being a pregnancy test) have the advantage of bei...
By Ellie Schilling, Joy Sandman, Rida Sait, April Stich, Kwaku Baryeh, and Gifty Blankson