Biology Faculty Proceedings, Presentations, Speeches, Lectures

Analysis of student mastery of anticipated learning outcomes during a BlendFlex STEM CURE using a combination of self-reported and empirical analysis

Event Name/Location

American Chemical Society (ACS) Symposium, Virtual

Date Range

April 5 - April 30, 2021

Presentation Date

4-14-2021

Document Type

Conference Presentation

Description

Universities are increasingly using Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CURE) to offer research opportunities for students traditionally underrepresented in STEM. Broader adoption of this valuable learning model can be achieved by creating better defined assessment methods. In this study, the Biochemistry Authentic Student Inquiry Lab (BASIL) model is used to design a set of labs in order to answer established Anticipated Learning Outcomes (ALOs). We used a five-point Likert scale to analyze student lab report responses, assigning a higher score based on increasing order of mastery of the ALO. During this analysis, we developed guidelines for uniform scoring of these responses. We compared the obtained scores to a Participant Perception Indicator (PPI) survey, given to the lab students at the beginning and again at the conclusion of a biochemistry laboratory course. This survey asks students to rate their knowledge, experience, and confidence on these ALO statements and laboratory protocols that comprise the BASIL model. This combination of self-reported and empirical data is used to analyze whether the laboratory course has taught them the necessary skills and information to master the concepts represented by the ALOs. Students asked to rate their understanding of wet labs had a lower score in knowledge, confidence, and experience in comparison to computational methods. Overall, this decrease in understanding can be attributed to a lack of ability to experience wet-labs in person. This makes grasping and applying these concepts more difficult. These conclusions can help form enhanced strategies on how to teach these critical STEM lab-research skills in an online setting.

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