Grab Your Seat for JMBE Live! Implementation of Ungrading in a Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience Register Now
Last chance to register! Learn how ungrading in CUREs increased engagement & learning outcomes in advanced lab courses.
📅 March 27 | 12 p.m. ET
🔗 Register: asm.social/2RB
📝 Read the paper: asm.social/2RA
#STEMEducation #CURE #JMBE
Workflow of CURE. All students use the sequence data that they generated from their individual specimens to execute steps 1–3. Students then break up into small groups (two to three students) to execute independent analyses (4) and generate products to contribute to the final class poster presented at the Purchase College Natural and Social Science Symposium (5).
Modern genetics increasingly relies on genomic data sets; teaching students how to work with these data sets is important. In #JMBE: an undergrad research experience designed for modern genetics and biodiversity courses uses a classroom benchtop sequencer: asm.social/2Mx
Virtual environment within the Human Parasite VR module simulating (A) a consultation room and (B) a medical laboratory.
Virtual reality (VR) is a natural evolution from the microscope and the petri dish. New in #JMBE: a VR environment to teach undergraduates how to diagnose a range of human parasitic diseases. Learn more about integrating VR into a microbiology curriculum: asm.social/2JP
This conceptual figure illustrates how SDT frames the STP classroom activity by supporting autonomy, competence, and relatedness. In the top half, a group of students represents the preparation phase: autonomy, light gray; relatedness, dark gray; and competence, white. In the bottom half, the “Professor” (instructor) attempts to answer the student-generated question, modeling autonomy, competence, and relatedness. The downward arrow reflects reduced anxiety, and the upward arrow reflects increased learning, which are core outcomes of the STP experience.
Can you stump your professor? In #JMBE: a classroom activity where biology students generate challenging questions on topics of their choosing in an effort to “stump” the professor. The game reduces anxiety and increases student comfort with mistakes. asm.social/2J7
STREAK acronym: the STREAK method is an acronym that stands for Stop Stereotypes, Time, Respectful Reactions, Expectations, Access, and Know your Students.
In microbiology, a streak plate is used to isolate microbial colonies from a mixed population and enable individual species to grow and thrive. Can the same idea be applied to help individual students thrive in the classroom? This #JMBE offers insights: asm.social/2Gt
Student exemplar slides showing a portion of their evolutionary analysis.
From Jurassic Park to Pokémon! Rather than dismissing portrayals of science in popular media, this assignment in #JMBE uses them to enhance students' scientific literacy and critical thinking about core evolution and biology concepts. Learn more: asm.social/2Fg
Interactive hands-on activities with the students. (A) Students engaged in a Foldscope making activity. (B) Images from Foldscope taken by students. (C) Students engaged in the Dirty Hands vs Clean Hands activity. (D) Biofilm model demonstration. (E) Demonstration of antibiotic disc assay: zone of inhibition.
Nurturing scientific understanding fosters community-driven solutions to global challenges. In #JMBE: a unique science outreach initiative, led by an all-women team, to enhance awareness about the importance of microbes in our dally lives. asm.social/2yb
Overview of semester-long meta-analysis (MA) assignment.
A special course on the human microbiome with 3 layers of feedback and grading (an instructor of record, a teaching assistant and a writing-across-the-curriculum consultant) promoted student literacy and confidence, according to this #JMBE study: asm.social/2wo
Survey results from the KMK game in Biology I class, numbers on the y-axis correspond to questions related to the survey shown on the left from question 1 (Q1) to question 10 (Q10).
In #JMBE, researchers describe a modified "Kiss, Marry, Kill" game, where students learn complex scientific concepts by choosing between course-related choices (e.g., 3 types of cellular organelles) and explaining their decision. Get the details: asm.social/2v9
Example skull (A) and animal habitat (B) slide from presentation used in the classroom and career fair lessons of the American beaver (Castor canadensis). Developed using Canva Pro.
Bones and Biomes is a tool that provides an interactive, hands-on experience to introduce students to biological concepts through animal skull analysis and ecosystem modeling, bringing biological science education to elementary school communities. #JMBE: asm.social/2us
Active Journal Club for Primary Scientific Literature Discussions incorporating
The scaffolded journal club model, combined with a variety of science communication assignments, provides a comprehensive framework for engaging students with primary scientific literature. Learn more in #JMBE: asm.social/2qQ
Beta coefficients and estimated 95% confidence intervals for women or nonbinary, Asian, PEER, first-generation college going (First gen), LGBTQ+, and English as a second language (ESL) students, as well as GPA, with regard to (A) classmate FNE scores and (B) duration of classmate FNE. Reference groups are men, white students, continuing-generation college students, non-LGBTQ+ students, and native English speakers. Confidence intervals that do not cross the vertical dashed line at x = 0 are statistically significant.
The fear of negative evaluation (FNE) negatively impacts students' learning experiences. Research in #JMBE shows that student identities predict classmate & instructor FNE, highlighting the value of fostering judgment-free active learning environments: asm.social/2pn
Overview of the non-wet lab practical to introduce an AI-based approach for designing antiviral RNA drugs. Created in BioRender.
RNA medicines have taken the drug development world by storm. This #JMBE article presents an undergrad activity using a generative AI tool to design RNA-based drugs, equipping students with a unique AI-driven RNA drug design methodology. Read the article: asm.social/2p5
Grab Your Seat for JMBE Live! “Teaching with TED: A Curated Set of TED Talks and Discussion Prompts for Microbiology and Cellular Biology Courses” Register Now
⌛ Don’t miss #JMBELive on March 28 at 1 p.m. ET! Discover how curated TED Talks can boost student engagement, diversify your curriculum & connect lessons to real-world issues. Free webinar—register now! asm.org/Webinars/JMB... #JMBE #DBER #MicrobiologyEducation
Paintings representing the outcomes of host–microbe interactions in environments A and B. (A) Environment with abiotic factors represented by warm-colored paints. (B) Environment with abiotic factors represented by cool-colored paints. Black arrows highlight example paintings where interactions lasted longer, resulting in denser patterns, while red arrows indicate paintings with shorter interactions, leading to more sparse patterns.
Art can help students grasp complex topics. The MicrobiART activity introduced in #JMBE uses mixed art materials as a communication tool to promote reflection, dialogue, exchange & long-term learning about host–microbe interactions. Learn more: asm.social/2m2
Information about each film used in this intervention.
Watching science nonfiction films with personal histories & research narratives impacts students' content knowledge, perceptions of scientists, self-identification as scientists & understanding of the nature of science, according to this #JMBE study: journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...
Grab Your Seat for JMBE Live! “How Students Taking Introductory Biology Experience the Chemistry Content ” Register Now!
Don’t miss out! Join us for our free #JMBELive! webinar on March 28 at 1 p.m. ET and discover the impact of chemistry learning in biology courses and how they shape students’ identities as biologists. Register now: asm.org/Webinars/JMB...
#JMBE #DBER #MicrobiologyEducation
Ever wonder how students perceive their alternatively graded biology courses? Check out the latest education research in #JMBE from my lab. #ungrading #alternativegrading #gradingforgrowth #gradingforequity #SBG #highered journals.asm.org/doi/full/10....
Graphical representation of Methan-o-poly game.
Transforming waste into play! Dive into sustainability education with Methan-o-poly, a gamified way to learn anaerobic digestion & microbial teamwork. Real-life challenges meet invisible-scale science in this innovative green learning experience. #JMBE: asm.social/2iy
Modification of Diffusion of Innovation model (adapted from reference 10, published under a Creative Commons license) for TU REP (Towson University Research Enhancement Program) to develop CUREs and learn to teach inclusively.
This #JMBE study explores faculty members' perceptions of a professional development program that helps them create a full semester course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE), showing that a community of practice structure can enhance learning. journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...
Very proud of this one. I designed physical aids for thermodynamical calculations to help undergraduate students taking introductory microbiology to determine what substances other than oxygen can be used for "breathing" during so-called anaerobic respiration. #JMBE
journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...
Great working with fellow #JMBE senior editors to promote publishing biology education scholarship. #ASMCUE @asmicrobiology.bsky.social
Cover of Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education + request for manuscripts for special issue focused on professional development of teaching assistants.
If you are involved in training #STEM Teaching Assistants ( #TA ) at your university (or beyond), please consider submitting a manuscript to the forthcoming special issue of #JMBE to be published in early 2025 <https://bit.ly/3RZQ8Hi>
Alberts referring to open-access journals in science education research like @ASCB journal CBE-LSE, also @ASMicrobiology #JMBE #ibiohangout
