Structure-function relationships are a core concept in many STEM disciplines. Most biology curricula introduce students to macromolecules, their building blocks, and other small molecules that play key roles in biological processes. However, the shapes, interactions, and functions of these molecules are often discussed using schematic diagrams,…

Data literacy, or students' abilities to understand, interpret, and think critically about data, is an increasing need in K-16 science education. Ocean Tracks College Edition (OTCE) sought to address this need by creating a set of learning modules that engage students in using large-scale, professionally collected animal migration and physical…

Learning assistant (LA) programs have become increasingly popular at large universities striving to promote student engagement in the classroom. The LA program at the Pennsylvania State University was initiated in 2012 and has rapidly grown to over 500 LA positions per year. The purpose of this study was to gather LA and faculty member perceptions…

While research has demonstrated the links between active learning and student success, lecture remains a dominant instructional method within introductory STEM courses. In this project, we used the strategy of enlisting peer mentors to develop and facilitate active learning modules within introductory computer science. First, we describe the…

Despite numerous calls for science education to be driven by authentic investigation, many laboratory experiences continue to consist of disconnected weekly units during which students carry out instructions that lead to some predetermined finding. This study developed and evaluated a pedagogical design for introductory biology labs where students…