Preprint Peer Review Enhances Undergraduate Biology Students' Disciplinary Literacy and Sense of Belonging in STEM
ABSTRACT Education about scientific publishing and manuscript peer review is not universally provided in undergraduate science courses. Since peer review is integral to the scientific process and central to the identity of a scientist, we envision a paradigm shift where teaching peer review becomes...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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American Society for Microbiology
2023-08-01
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| Series: | Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/jmbe.00053-23 |
| _version_ | 1827862548493369344 |
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| author | Josie L. Otto Gary S. McDowell Meena M. Balgopal Rebeccah S. Lijek |
| author_facet | Josie L. Otto Gary S. McDowell Meena M. Balgopal Rebeccah S. Lijek |
| author_sort | Josie L. Otto |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | ABSTRACT Education about scientific publishing and manuscript peer review is not universally provided in undergraduate science courses. Since peer review is integral to the scientific process and central to the identity of a scientist, we envision a paradigm shift where teaching peer review becomes integral to undergraduate science education. We hypothesize that teaching undergraduates how to peer review scientific manuscripts may facilitate their development of scientific literacy and identity formation. To this end, we developed a constructivist, service-learning curriculum for biology undergraduates to learn about the mechanisms of peer review using preprints and then to write and publish their own peer reviews of preprints as a way to authentically join the scientific community of practice. The curriculum was implemented as a semester-long intervention in one class and, in another class, as an embedded module intervention. Students' scientific literacy and peer review ability were assessed using quantitative methods. Student’s perceptions of their scientific literacy and identity were assessed using thematic analysis of students’ reflective writing. Here, we present data on the improvement in the peer review ability of undergraduates in both classes and data on the curriculum’s interrelated impact on students’ development of scientific literacy, identity, and belonging in peer and professional discourse spaces. These data suggest that undergraduates can and should be trained in peer review to foster the interrelated development of their scientific literacy, scientific identity, and sense of belonging in science. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T13:57:01Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-969246cb7ffd41b5b995d1a36409b50b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1935-7877 1935-7885 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T13:57:01Z |
| publishDate | 2023-08-01 |
| publisher | American Society for Microbiology |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education |
| spelling | doaj.art-969246cb7ffd41b5b995d1a36409b50b2023-08-22T13:00:40ZengAmerican Society for MicrobiologyJournal of Microbiology & Biology Education1935-78771935-78852023-08-0124210.1128/jmbe.00053-23Preprint Peer Review Enhances Undergraduate Biology Students' Disciplinary Literacy and Sense of Belonging in STEMJosie L. Otto0Gary S. McDowell1Meena M. Balgopal2Rebeccah S. Lijek3Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USALightoller LLC, Chicago, Illinois, USAColorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USAMount Holyoke College, South Hadley, Massachusetts, USAABSTRACT Education about scientific publishing and manuscript peer review is not universally provided in undergraduate science courses. Since peer review is integral to the scientific process and central to the identity of a scientist, we envision a paradigm shift where teaching peer review becomes integral to undergraduate science education. We hypothesize that teaching undergraduates how to peer review scientific manuscripts may facilitate their development of scientific literacy and identity formation. To this end, we developed a constructivist, service-learning curriculum for biology undergraduates to learn about the mechanisms of peer review using preprints and then to write and publish their own peer reviews of preprints as a way to authentically join the scientific community of practice. The curriculum was implemented as a semester-long intervention in one class and, in another class, as an embedded module intervention. Students' scientific literacy and peer review ability were assessed using quantitative methods. Student’s perceptions of their scientific literacy and identity were assessed using thematic analysis of students’ reflective writing. Here, we present data on the improvement in the peer review ability of undergraduates in both classes and data on the curriculum’s interrelated impact on students’ development of scientific literacy, identity, and belonging in peer and professional discourse spaces. These data suggest that undergraduates can and should be trained in peer review to foster the interrelated development of their scientific literacy, scientific identity, and sense of belonging in science.https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/jmbe.00053-23peer reviewscience literacydisciplinary literacyscience identitysense of belongingcommunity of practice |
| spellingShingle | Josie L. Otto Gary S. McDowell Meena M. Balgopal Rebeccah S. Lijek Preprint Peer Review Enhances Undergraduate Biology Students' Disciplinary Literacy and Sense of Belonging in STEM Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education peer review science literacy disciplinary literacy science identity sense of belonging community of practice |
| title | Preprint Peer Review Enhances Undergraduate Biology Students' Disciplinary Literacy and Sense of Belonging in STEM |
| title_full | Preprint Peer Review Enhances Undergraduate Biology Students' Disciplinary Literacy and Sense of Belonging in STEM |
| title_fullStr | Preprint Peer Review Enhances Undergraduate Biology Students' Disciplinary Literacy and Sense of Belonging in STEM |
| title_full_unstemmed | Preprint Peer Review Enhances Undergraduate Biology Students' Disciplinary Literacy and Sense of Belonging in STEM |
| title_short | Preprint Peer Review Enhances Undergraduate Biology Students' Disciplinary Literacy and Sense of Belonging in STEM |
| title_sort | preprint peer review enhances undergraduate biology students disciplinary literacy and sense of belonging in stem |
| topic | peer review science literacy disciplinary literacy science identity sense of belonging community of practice |
| url | https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/jmbe.00053-23 |
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