Microscopy and stained specimens engage students visually as they learn about plant anatomy, a topic covered in many biology and introductory science courses. In this activity, students section plant material and prepare specimens to view under a brightfield microscope. Using a camera or cell phone, images of microscope slide contents allow students to label plant parts and engage in discussions with peers. The addition of scale bars to their images will allow a better understanding of the relationships of the various structures observed in the functioning of plants.

Consistent and accurate manipulation of liquids is essential for many biology experiments. Teaching these skills is challenging in the laboratory. I have developed Training Tips, a homemade teaching tool to train students to use micropipettes in the classroom and laboratory. Training Tips provide obvious visual targets that enable inexperienced students to know immediately if they are pipetting accurately.

“Plant blindness” is defined as the failure to appreciate the fundamental importance of plants. To address this phenomenon, we created the Pet Plant Project (P 3 ) where students grow an unknown plant from seed, monitor development, and relate lecture concepts to their plant on a daily basis. A qualitative survey was administered and analyzed to evaluate student responses to the experience. Themes in the analysis, identified across 209 student-participants at Tennessee Tech University, included positive reinforcement of lecture material, a new-found appreciation for plants, responsibility and pride related to plant care, a continued desire to grow plants, and more. Statistical results included: 73% of students noticed plants more after the project; 76% planned to grow plants in the future; and 68% made a connection with their own plant that bolstered engagement in course materials.

Many undergraduates who wish to pursue degrees in science, particularly students from underrepresented groups, drop out of science majors before realizing their goal. This study examines the effectiveness of a mentoring program – called Biomentors – aimed at promoting success in biology courses for undergraduates beginning their coursework toward a bachelor's degree in the biological sciences. Students enrolled in the Biomentors program met twice a week in a small group with an advanced biology major under the supervision of a faculty member to explore effective learning strategies for success in an introductory-level biology course they were taking. Students who participated in the Biomentors program scored significantly higher (based on total points earned) than other students enrolled in the course across two cohorts (d = 0.36 in the fall quarter of 2014; d = 0.34 in the winter quarter of 2015). The biomentors group significantly outscored the control group even when the effects of gender, parent income level, parent education level, total SAT score, and cumulative GPA were statistically controlled using a stepwise regression. Overall, the results encourage further investigation of the effectiveness of peer-mentoring programs that emphasize domain-specific learning strategies for college students beginning as science majors.

Learning theorists have provided ample evidence supporting the use of active, student-centered, social learning environments. However, little action has been taken within U.S. university curricula to transform lecture courses so that they include such teaching methods. By adding cooperative and collaborative activities into large-lecture, introductory biology courses, I was able to measure the impacts of such active-learning strategies on student attendance and performance. I gathered data from two investigations involving 378 undergraduates from paired sections of biology, one section using active-learning activities and one not. In the first investigation, I used a mixed-methods approach to measure the effects of a cooperative pre-exam group discussion on student performance, confidence, and anxiety. In the second investigation, I used a quantitative approach to measure the effects on course attendance and performance of using scenario-based collaborative activities regularly throughout a semester. Students who engaged in cooperative pre-exam discussion did not show significant individual learning gains but did show an increase in confidence and a decrease in anxiety. Students who engaged in scenario-based collaborative activities showed significantly higher learning gains and course attendance. The identified gains are promising for course reform.