What Questions Are on the Minds of STEM Undergraduate Students and How Can They Be Addressed?
Addressing common student questions in introductory STEM courses early in the term is one way that instructors can ensure that their students have all been presented with information about how to succeed in their courses. However, categorizing student questions and identifying evidence-based resourc...
Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
---|---|
Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2021-02-01
|
Series: | Frontiers in Education |
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2021.639338/full |
_version_ | 1818953528082694144 |
---|---|
author | Clara L. Meaders Michelle K. Smith Timothy Boester Anne Bracy Brian A. Couch Abby G. Drake Saima Farooq Bashir Khoda Cynthia Kinsland A. Kelly Lane Sarah E. Lindahl William H. Livingston Ayesha Maliwal Bundy Amber McCormick Anya I Morozov Jennifer L. Newell-Caito Katharine J. Ruskin Mark A. Sarvary Marilyne Stains Justin R. St. Juliana Stephanie R. Thomas Cindy van Es Erin L. Vinson Maren N. Vitousek Mackenzie R. Stetzer Mackenzie R. Stetzer |
author_facet | Clara L. Meaders Michelle K. Smith Timothy Boester Anne Bracy Brian A. Couch Abby G. Drake Saima Farooq Bashir Khoda Cynthia Kinsland A. Kelly Lane Sarah E. Lindahl William H. Livingston Ayesha Maliwal Bundy Amber McCormick Anya I Morozov Jennifer L. Newell-Caito Katharine J. Ruskin Mark A. Sarvary Marilyne Stains Justin R. St. Juliana Stephanie R. Thomas Cindy van Es Erin L. Vinson Maren N. Vitousek Mackenzie R. Stetzer Mackenzie R. Stetzer |
author_sort | Clara L. Meaders |
collection | DOAJ |
description | Addressing common student questions in introductory STEM courses early in the term is one way that instructors can ensure that their students have all been presented with information about how to succeed in their courses. However, categorizing student questions and identifying evidence-based resources to address student questions takes time, and instructors may not be able to easily collect and respond to student questions at the beginning of every course. To help faculty effectively anticipate and respond to student questions, we 1) administered surveys in multiple STEM courses to identify common student questions, 2) conducted a qualitative analysis to determine categories of student questions (e.g., what are best practices for studying, how can in- and out-of- course time be effectively used), and 3) collaboratively identified advice on how course instructors can answer these questions. Here, we share tips, evidence-based strategies, and resources from faculty that instructors can use to develop their own responses for students. We hope that educators can use these common student questions as a starting point to proactively address questions throughout the course and that the compiled resources will allow instructors to easily find materials that can be considered for their own courses. |
first_indexed | 2024-12-20T10:07:42Z |
format | Article |
id | doaj.art-da3495d7343d4c29831cb5848687286b |
institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
issn | 2504-284X |
language | English |
last_indexed | 2024-12-20T10:07:42Z |
publishDate | 2021-02-01 |
publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
record_format | Article |
series | Frontiers in Education |
spelling | doaj.art-da3495d7343d4c29831cb5848687286b2022-12-21T19:44:13ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Education2504-284X2021-02-01610.3389/feduc.2021.639338639338What Questions Are on the Minds of STEM Undergraduate Students and How Can They Be Addressed?Clara L. Meaders0Michelle K. Smith1Timothy Boester2Anne Bracy3Brian A. Couch4Abby G. Drake5Saima Farooq6Bashir Khoda7Cynthia Kinsland8A. Kelly Lane9Sarah E. Lindahl10William H. Livingston11Ayesha Maliwal Bundy12Amber McCormick13Anya I Morozov14Jennifer L. Newell-Caito15Katharine J. Ruskin16Mark A. Sarvary17Marilyne Stains18Justin R. St. Juliana19Stephanie R. Thomas20Cindy van Es21Erin L. Vinson22Maren N. Vitousek23Mackenzie R. Stetzer24Mackenzie R. Stetzer25Section of Cell and Developmental Biology, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, CA, United StatesDepartment of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United StatesDepartment of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Maine, Orono, ME, United StatesDepartment of Computer Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United StatesSchool of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE, United StatesDepartment of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United StatesDepartment of Physics and Astronomy, University of Maine, Orono, ME, United StatesDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, University of Maine, Orono, ME, United StatesDepartment of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United StatesDepartment of Biology Teaching and Learning, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States0Department of Chemistry, University of Maine, Orono, ME, United States1School of Forest Resources, University of Maine, Orono, ME, United StatesDepartment of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Maine, Orono, ME, United States2Department of Construction Engineering Technology, University of Maine, Orono, ME, United StatesSchool of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE, United States3Department of Molecular and Biomedical Sciences, University of Maine, Orono, ME, United States4Ecology and Environmental Sciences Program, University of Maine, Orono, ME, United States5Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States6Department of Chemistry, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, nited StatesDepartment of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States7Department of Economics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States8Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States9Maine Center for Research in STEM Education, University of Maine, Orono, ME, United StatesDepartment of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United StatesDepartment of Physics and Astronomy, University of Maine, Orono, ME, United States9Maine Center for Research in STEM Education, University of Maine, Orono, ME, United StatesAddressing common student questions in introductory STEM courses early in the term is one way that instructors can ensure that their students have all been presented with information about how to succeed in their courses. However, categorizing student questions and identifying evidence-based resources to address student questions takes time, and instructors may not be able to easily collect and respond to student questions at the beginning of every course. To help faculty effectively anticipate and respond to student questions, we 1) administered surveys in multiple STEM courses to identify common student questions, 2) conducted a qualitative analysis to determine categories of student questions (e.g., what are best practices for studying, how can in- and out-of- course time be effectively used), and 3) collaboratively identified advice on how course instructors can answer these questions. Here, we share tips, evidence-based strategies, and resources from faculty that instructors can use to develop their own responses for students. We hope that educators can use these common student questions as a starting point to proactively address questions throughout the course and that the compiled resources will allow instructors to easily find materials that can be considered for their own courses.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2021.639338/fullundergraduateintroductory STEM coursesquestionsacademic successtime managementstudying |
spellingShingle | Clara L. Meaders Michelle K. Smith Timothy Boester Anne Bracy Brian A. Couch Abby G. Drake Saima Farooq Bashir Khoda Cynthia Kinsland A. Kelly Lane Sarah E. Lindahl William H. Livingston Ayesha Maliwal Bundy Amber McCormick Anya I Morozov Jennifer L. Newell-Caito Katharine J. Ruskin Mark A. Sarvary Marilyne Stains Justin R. St. Juliana Stephanie R. Thomas Cindy van Es Erin L. Vinson Maren N. Vitousek Mackenzie R. Stetzer Mackenzie R. Stetzer What Questions Are on the Minds of STEM Undergraduate Students and How Can They Be Addressed? Frontiers in Education undergraduate introductory STEM courses questions academic success time management studying |
title | What Questions Are on the Minds of STEM Undergraduate Students and How Can They Be Addressed? |
title_full | What Questions Are on the Minds of STEM Undergraduate Students and How Can They Be Addressed? |
title_fullStr | What Questions Are on the Minds of STEM Undergraduate Students and How Can They Be Addressed? |
title_full_unstemmed | What Questions Are on the Minds of STEM Undergraduate Students and How Can They Be Addressed? |
title_short | What Questions Are on the Minds of STEM Undergraduate Students and How Can They Be Addressed? |
title_sort | what questions are on the minds of stem undergraduate students and how can they be addressed |
topic | undergraduate introductory STEM courses questions academic success time management studying |
url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2021.639338/full |
work_keys_str_mv | AT claralmeaders whatquestionsareonthemindsofstemundergraduatestudentsandhowcantheybeaddressed AT michelleksmith whatquestionsareonthemindsofstemundergraduatestudentsandhowcantheybeaddressed AT timothyboester whatquestionsareonthemindsofstemundergraduatestudentsandhowcantheybeaddressed AT annebracy whatquestionsareonthemindsofstemundergraduatestudentsandhowcantheybeaddressed AT brianacouch whatquestionsareonthemindsofstemundergraduatestudentsandhowcantheybeaddressed AT abbygdrake whatquestionsareonthemindsofstemundergraduatestudentsandhowcantheybeaddressed AT saimafarooq whatquestionsareonthemindsofstemundergraduatestudentsandhowcantheybeaddressed AT bashirkhoda whatquestionsareonthemindsofstemundergraduatestudentsandhowcantheybeaddressed AT cynthiakinsland whatquestionsareonthemindsofstemundergraduatestudentsandhowcantheybeaddressed AT akellylane whatquestionsareonthemindsofstemundergraduatestudentsandhowcantheybeaddressed AT sarahelindahl whatquestionsareonthemindsofstemundergraduatestudentsandhowcantheybeaddressed AT williamhlivingston whatquestionsareonthemindsofstemundergraduatestudentsandhowcantheybeaddressed AT ayeshamaliwalbundy whatquestionsareonthemindsofstemundergraduatestudentsandhowcantheybeaddressed AT ambermccormick whatquestionsareonthemindsofstemundergraduatestudentsandhowcantheybeaddressed AT anyaimorozov whatquestionsareonthemindsofstemundergraduatestudentsandhowcantheybeaddressed AT jenniferlnewellcaito whatquestionsareonthemindsofstemundergraduatestudentsandhowcantheybeaddressed AT katharinejruskin whatquestionsareonthemindsofstemundergraduatestudentsandhowcantheybeaddressed AT markasarvary whatquestionsareonthemindsofstemundergraduatestudentsandhowcantheybeaddressed AT marilynestains whatquestionsareonthemindsofstemundergraduatestudentsandhowcantheybeaddressed AT justinrstjuliana whatquestionsareonthemindsofstemundergraduatestudentsandhowcantheybeaddressed AT stephanierthomas whatquestionsareonthemindsofstemundergraduatestudentsandhowcantheybeaddressed AT cindyvanes whatquestionsareonthemindsofstemundergraduatestudentsandhowcantheybeaddressed AT erinlvinson whatquestionsareonthemindsofstemundergraduatestudentsandhowcantheybeaddressed AT marennvitousek whatquestionsareonthemindsofstemundergraduatestudentsandhowcantheybeaddressed AT mackenzierstetzer whatquestionsareonthemindsofstemundergraduatestudentsandhowcantheybeaddressed AT mackenzierstetzer whatquestionsareonthemindsofstemundergraduatestudentsandhowcantheybeaddressed |