Virtual field experiences (VFEs) hold promise as a mechanism to approximate the in situ field experiences that are central to many undergraduate programs in the natural sciences. In this Delphi study, the collective expertise of 26 VFE experts was sought to provide insight on the design considerations they use for VFEs and the resultant student outcomes they expect or observe. The Delphi panelists ranked alignment to learning goals, social interactions, consideration of student contexts, authenticity and pedagogical approach as the five most important design considerations. The panel ranked “soft skills”, affective outcomes, connection to issues, and aspects of the nature of science as the most important outcomes of VFEs. In considering the interactions of design characteristics and student outcomes, social interactions and authenticity were most often cited as the best way to achieve the desired “soft skills” and affective engagement, though these were also cited as the most challenging for achieving through VFEs. Delphi panelists’ recommendations for effective design of VFEs, aligned to specific desired outcomes, are synthesized.

Undergraduate and graduate research opportunities represent a unique educational opportunity for students in that it can stimulate interest and potential careers in academic disciplines. Students who are single parents, can also benefit from this opportunity yet are often overlooked by faculty members. Here, we describe some of the challenges and benefits of involving students who are single parents in research laboratories.

Traditional exam reviews are passive and face many challenges to prepare students for exams. In this study, we proposed the “Tab-meta key” model, which emphasizes five major factors (Time, Accountability, Big picture, Key concepts, and Metacognition) and is supported by prior literature. We also designed an exam review based on the “Tab-meta key” model. This exam review is scientifically optimized regarding review contents, activity design, time management, and synergistic effects among different pedagogy. We also evaluated the effectiveness of the “Tab-meta key”-based exam review in an Introductory Biology I course. Our results demonstrated statistically significant improvement on students’ academic performances as well as positive students’ perceptions. The “Tab-meta key” model proposed in this study can be implemented in other STEM courses.

To further teaching and learning, there has been a push to engage faculty to pursue research on teaching. With the recognition that science research often occurs in research teams, we sought to create a research-cluster approach to support faculty engaging in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL). This article describes a faculty-focused process for co-designing and implementing a SoTL Clusters approach to supporting faculty. Faculty shifting from disciplinary research to engaging in SoTL research identified several needs, including recognition for SoTL work, mentorship (in SoTL work), reducing investigator isolation, providing funding, and promotion. By engaging faculty in a needs-based design process to identify relevant components for the program, the resulting SoTL Clusters model had a strong uptake by STEM faculty. Evaluation findings two years after the launch at a comprehensive university indicated that the program addressed most needs, including peer networking, prioritizing time for SoTL, skills development, and publishing; additional considerations for communication and publishing were suggested. This process of needs-based design and the SoTL Cluster model offers a promising informed approach to co-creating SoTL supports that address needs and is responsive to the disciplinary and institutional context, particularly for STEM educators.

This study was conducted to determine if embedding effective study skills within a course would result in an increased use of these skills and, therefore, increase success and retention in introductory level science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) courses. An interdisciplinary team of STEM faculty members created study skills video modules that were embedded in their courses. A concurrent course in the same subject was taught without the modules as a control. Data were collected regarding course content knowledge, study skills awareness, study skills use, student confidence, course completion, course success, and course retention. Over the course of three semesters, faculty team members collected data via pre/post tests and surveys. Completion, success and retention data were obtained from College records. A significant change (p < 0.0001) in the use of flashcards, interleaving, spaced practice, and the Pomodoro Technique© were seen in students exposed to the study skills modules. A significant change (p < 0.01) was also seen in time management in the experimental group. While results indicate that exposure to the study skills does make students aware of their skill deficits, efficacy data indicates that there are other factors keeping them from fully adopting new study techniques.

This manuscript reviews This manuscript reviews the peculiarities of emergency remote teaching (ERT) –in the context of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic – compared to in-person and traditional online teaching. A literature review precedes an empirical case-study performed by the lead author during his experiences with ERT. The aim was to create a classroom focused on student engagement while maintaining instructor confidence during the lecture in the online environment by assigning a “Student-Ally”: a student enrolled in the course who liaised between the instructor and the other students in the class. This model resulted in a more confident and relieved instructor. With minor modifications this model could be used as a template in other remote teaching settings to create an improved student experience.

The COVID-19 pandemic altered course delivery in higher education at many universities. This paper evaluates the differences in student experiences in the fall 2019 semester (pre-pandemic) against student experiences in the semester of fall 2020 (pandemic) within a multidisciplinary, project-based introductory statistics course. Results indicated that there were minimal differences in student experiences of this course based on delivery mode (in-person vs. online).

Scientific misinformation has reached alarming proportions. Here, we summarize a new expert report, Science Education in an Age of Misinformation, that outlines what science education can do to address this problem and, given the urgency, must do. Importantly, we highlight the significance of teaching how the social practices of science contribute to its trustworthiness and how students should evaluate second-hand claims reported in the media or on the internet. We focus on the concepts of epistemic dependence on experts, competent outsiders, credibility, expertise, consensus, deceptive tactics, and science media literacy.