Engaging and gauging (engauging) first-generation, under-represented minority undergraduate general biology students through processes of inquiry, critical thinking, and affective learning is vital as they develop their scientific identity. An important challenge is how we can establish communities of practice and instill in our first-generation students self-awareness and reflection as they apply, analyze, and evaluate data on biological principles. In my article, I describe an innovative weekly assignment for my first generation Hispanic and Native Indigenous students called Quizfolio: quiz and mini-portfolios on biological principles and themes outlined in Vision and Change. Within a SOAR framework that will be introduced in my article, quizfolios provide an active learning space for students to integrate inclusive student-centered, in-class discussions and longitudinal lab inquiries in a first-year undergraduate biology course through metacognition and reflection-in-action. This transformative, culturally responsive mentoring approach encourages first-generation undergraduates to bring self-awareness to unclear or confusing topics that are clarified at the start of class or lab settings, and provides future framework for long-term retention of biological concepts.
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March 2018
Research Article|
March 01 2018
Helping Students SOAR: Quizfolio Tips to Engage First-Generation, Under-Represented Minority Undergraduates in Scientific Inquiry
Robert M. Kao
Robert M. Kao
1ROBERT M. KAO is an Assistant Professor in Biology at Heritage University, Science Department, College of Arts and Sciences, Room 2333, Toppenish, WA, 98948. kao_r@heritage.edu
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The American Biology Teacher (2018) 80 (3): 228–234.
Citation
Robert M. Kao; Helping Students SOAR: Quizfolio Tips to Engage First-Generation, Under-Represented Minority Undergraduates in Scientific Inquiry. The American Biology Teacher 1 March 2018; 80 (3): 228–234. doi: https://doi.org/10.1525/abt.2018.80.3.228
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