A Multistep Science Literacy Training Framework in an Introductory Biology Classroom: Teaching How to Find, Evaluate, Comprehend, and Cite Scientific Evidence
ABSTRACT Today’s undergraduates are tomorrow’s decision makers. Many of these decisions in biological sciences can influence whether the vaccines for the next pandemic will be effective, whether the mitigation efforts will have any impact on climate change, or whether we can produce enough food for...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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American Society for Microbiology
2023-04-01
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| Series: | Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/jmbe.00197-22 |
| _version_ | 1827963904932708352 |
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| author | Mark A. Sarvary Joseph M. Ruesch |
| author_facet | Mark A. Sarvary Joseph M. Ruesch |
| author_sort | Mark A. Sarvary |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | ABSTRACT Today’s undergraduates are tomorrow’s decision makers. Many of these decisions in biological sciences can influence whether the vaccines for the next pandemic will be effective, whether the mitigation efforts will have any impact on climate change, or whether we can produce enough food for the rapidly increasing human population while fighting the next pest outbreak. These informed decisions will need to be made by scientifically literate humans, including health professionals, politicians, and media personalities, who are currently undergraduates in our courses. Students in introductory biology classes can build a strong science literacy foundation by learning how to find, evaluate, read, discuss, and cite scientific evidence. An interconnected, multistep framework that uses library guides, active learning methods, group discussions, and collaborative learning is being used for nearly a decade in Investigative Biology and has been shown to significantly improve students’ perceived science literacy and science communication skills. In this article, we share basic guidelines about how to implement this framework in one long laboratory session or in consecutive lectures. The flow of the proposed exercises has been tested and adjusted based on students’ feedback and the authors’ experiences, and a wide variety of resources are being shared to help the successful implementation of this framework in courses that would like to train the next generation of science-literate biologists. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-09T17:06:31Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7e5f22fb8afb4b38872d845df0790ec6 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1935-7877 1935-7885 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-09T17:06:31Z |
| publishDate | 2023-04-01 |
| publisher | American Society for Microbiology |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education |
| spelling | doaj.art-7e5f22fb8afb4b38872d845df0790ec62023-04-20T13:01:01ZengAmerican Society for MicrobiologyJournal of Microbiology & Biology Education1935-78771935-78852023-04-0124110.1128/jmbe.00197-22A Multistep Science Literacy Training Framework in an Introductory Biology Classroom: Teaching How to Find, Evaluate, Comprehend, and Cite Scientific EvidenceMark A. Sarvary0Joseph M. Ruesch1Investigative Biology Teaching Laboratories, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USAInvestigative Biology Teaching Laboratories, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USAABSTRACT Today’s undergraduates are tomorrow’s decision makers. Many of these decisions in biological sciences can influence whether the vaccines for the next pandemic will be effective, whether the mitigation efforts will have any impact on climate change, or whether we can produce enough food for the rapidly increasing human population while fighting the next pest outbreak. These informed decisions will need to be made by scientifically literate humans, including health professionals, politicians, and media personalities, who are currently undergraduates in our courses. Students in introductory biology classes can build a strong science literacy foundation by learning how to find, evaluate, read, discuss, and cite scientific evidence. An interconnected, multistep framework that uses library guides, active learning methods, group discussions, and collaborative learning is being used for nearly a decade in Investigative Biology and has been shown to significantly improve students’ perceived science literacy and science communication skills. In this article, we share basic guidelines about how to implement this framework in one long laboratory session or in consecutive lectures. The flow of the proposed exercises has been tested and adjusted based on students’ feedback and the authors’ experiences, and a wide variety of resources are being shared to help the successful implementation of this framework in courses that would like to train the next generation of science-literate biologists.https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/jmbe.00197-22science literacycooperative learningactive learninginformation literacyintroductory biology |
| spellingShingle | Mark A. Sarvary Joseph M. Ruesch A Multistep Science Literacy Training Framework in an Introductory Biology Classroom: Teaching How to Find, Evaluate, Comprehend, and Cite Scientific Evidence Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education science literacy cooperative learning active learning information literacy introductory biology |
| title | A Multistep Science Literacy Training Framework in an Introductory Biology Classroom: Teaching How to Find, Evaluate, Comprehend, and Cite Scientific Evidence |
| title_full | A Multistep Science Literacy Training Framework in an Introductory Biology Classroom: Teaching How to Find, Evaluate, Comprehend, and Cite Scientific Evidence |
| title_fullStr | A Multistep Science Literacy Training Framework in an Introductory Biology Classroom: Teaching How to Find, Evaluate, Comprehend, and Cite Scientific Evidence |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Multistep Science Literacy Training Framework in an Introductory Biology Classroom: Teaching How to Find, Evaluate, Comprehend, and Cite Scientific Evidence |
| title_short | A Multistep Science Literacy Training Framework in an Introductory Biology Classroom: Teaching How to Find, Evaluate, Comprehend, and Cite Scientific Evidence |
| title_sort | multistep science literacy training framework in an introductory biology classroom teaching how to find evaluate comprehend and cite scientific evidence |
| topic | science literacy cooperative learning active learning information literacy introductory biology |
| url | https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/jmbe.00197-22 |
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