NGSS beyond K-12: Freshman College Biology “Gets Real” at Gonzaga University Julie Beckstead...

NGSS beyond K-12: Freshman College Biology “Gets Real” at Gonzaga

University

Julie Beckstead Amanda Braley

Helen Smith

Transition From Breadth to Depth

Are you concerned whether your students will be prepared for college-level science?

•Gonzaga’s new integrative curriculum

•Authentic research laboratory experience

•Student responses to the experience

Gonzaga’s curriculum transformation

Old Curriculum

•Designed 1990•Courses – content & discipline focused•Labs – scientific method, techniques, & exposure to diversity

New Curriculum

•Designed 2012•Admitted “content” limits•Courses – Key concepts & Integrative •Labs – scientific method, techniques PLUS authentic research experience

Shift from discipline-content focus to an integrative approach immersing students in doing science

Gonzaga’s curriculum transformation

Old Biology Core New Biology Core

Year 1 Fall Biol 101 Diversity of Life Biol 105 Information Flow in Biol Systems

Biol 101L Diversity of Life Lab Biol 105L Phage Discovery Lab

Chem 101 General Chemistry Chem 101 General Chemistry

Year 1 Spring Biol 102 Ecology Biol 106 Energy Flow in Biol Systems (No lab)

Biol 102L Ecology Lab No lab

Chem 230 Organic Chemistry I Chem 230 Organic Chemistry I

Year 2 Fall Biol 201 Cell Biology Biol 205 Physiology and Biodiversity

Biol 201L Cell Biology Lab Biol 205L Physiology Lab

Chem 331 Organic Chemistry II Chem 331 Organic Chemistry II

Year 2 Spring Biol 202 Genetics & Evolution Biol 206 Ecology

Biol 202L Genetics Lab Biol 206L Ecology Lab

Chem 240 Bioanalytical Chemistry Chem 240 Bioanalytical Chemistry

Year 3 Upper division Biol electives Biol 207 Genetics & Lab

Additional Chem Upper division Biol electives

Additional Physics Additional Chem

Additional Physics

Gonzaga’s new integrative curriculum

Energy Flow in Biological Systems

1.How do you get energy?

2.What is energy?

3.How does energy transfer between organisms?

4.How do humans impact energy transfer in biological

systems?

NGSS – and the University scene

Next Generation Science Standards (2013) focus on deeper understanding of overarching themes and crosscutting concepts similar to Gonzaga’s new curriculum and College level Vision and Change

College Vision and Change Gonzaga's new curriculum NGSS High School

Core concept: evolution Biol 105, 106, 205, 206, 207Disciplinary core: evolution and natural selection

Core concept: structure and function Biol 105, 106, 205, 207Disciplinary core: structure and function AND cross cutting concept

Core concept: information flow Biol 105, 106, 207 Disciplinary core: information processing

Core concept: tranformations of energy and matter Biol 106, 206Disciplinary core: cycles of matter and energy transfer AND cross cutting concept

Core concept: systems Biol 106, 206 Cross cutting concept: system models

Core competencies: apply process of science Biol 105L, and all courses Practices of science and engineering

Core competencies: use quantitative reasoning Biol 105L, and all courses Practices of science and engineering

Core competencies: use modeling and simulation Area still under development Understanding the nature of science

Core competencies: interdisciplinary nature of science Biol 105L, 105, 106 Understanding the nature of science

Core competencies: communicate science Biol 105L, and all courses Understanding the nature of science

Core competencies: relationship between science and society Biol 106, 205, 206, 207 Understanding the nature of science





•Student responses to this experience

Gonzaga’s Authentic Research Experience

Transforming the Undergraduate Biology Laboratory Experience:

•What is an Authentic Research Experience?

•What do we study at Gonzaga?

•What do students need to know to succeed?


What is an Authentic Research Experience?

•Engaged in real science problems1, 2

•The problems have no known solution1,2

•Students interact with peers and other scientists1,2

•Experienced mentors model problem solving1,2

•The tools, skills, and practices are current and real1,2

•High potential for presentation and/or publication21. Laursen, S; A Hunter; E Seymour; H Thiry; G Melton. 2010. Undergraduate Research in the

Sciences: Engaging Students in Real Science. San Francisco: John Wiley and Sons.

2. Brownell, Sara E., Matthew J. Kloser, Tadishi Fukami, and Rich Shavelson. 2012. Undergraduate Biology Lab Courses: Comparing the Impact of Traditionally Based “Cookbook” and Authentic Research-Based Courses on Student Lab Experiences. Journal of College Science Teaching 41(4): 36-45


Gonzaga students study bateriophages. Bacteriophages (aka “phages”) are viruses that infect bacteria.

Phage Arthur, 2014

All Introductory Biology Students (freshmen) are immersed in a real research program that continues for those in the major.


Phage Discovery Lab

•Collect

•Purify

•Characterize

o Plaque formation

o Virus morphology

o Genome


Sophomore Genomics: Two Phage Modules

•Select phage genomes from the Phage Discovery Lab are sent

for sequencing

•Bacteriophage genome annotation, with students submitting

final annotation to GenBank

•Structural and evolutionary genome analysis

Phage Genomics

Genetic Analysis of Phage Diversity•Each student clones a fragment of his or her phage

•Cloned fragments are sent for sequencing

•Relationships with known phages determined from public

databases (BLASTn, PhagesDB.org)


Junior or Senior Advanced Phage Research

Phages of different subclusters are isolated at 37C and 25C

Figure 1. Subcluster distribution of phages. Phages were isolated from soil around the Gonzaga campus in Spokane, WA in September 2011/2012 and in January 2013. Of 18 phages isolated at 37 ºC, 6 were of subcluster A3; 1 of A10; 1 of C1; 2 of E; 6 of F1; 1 of G; 1 of K4. Of 23 phages isolated at room temperature, 3 were of subcluster A1; 1 of A2, 1 of A6; 1 of A8; 2 of A9; 1 of G; 14 of K1.

Subclusters of phages isolated at 37C Subclusters of phages isolated at 25C


What skills do we think help students succeed in college research?

•Motivation

•Quantitative skills

•Communication (written and verbal)

•Group work


What skills do we think help students succeed in college research?

Quantitative Skills

How big is my phage?

If Arthur’s tail measures 4.8 cm on my screen

and the100 nm scale bar measures 1.3 cm,

how long is Arthur’s tail in nanometers?

Phage Arthur, 2014

And see also:• High School math classes are the only cross-

discipline predictor of success in college science classes (Sadler and Tai, 2007).





•Student responses to this experience

Student Responses

What did students gain from the authentic research experience?

What are the important components that allow for these student gains?

What did our students gain?

Similar to previous observations (Seymour et al 2005)

Thinking and working like a scientist

Increased interest and/or decisions about career/major

Skills, basic knowledge (skip; not unique)

Increased confidence


Thinking and working like a scientist: Making connections

Question: What was your favorite ‘ah-ha’ moment?*

I didn't have just one ah-ha moment, but rather felt that I was understanding the process and why I was doing what I was doing as the weeks progressed. I started out not entirely understanding the reasoning behind the steps we were taking. After a couple weeks everything started coming together. From that point on, I was sometimes confused, but my overall understanding continued to grow, which made me much more interested in the material.-Spring2014 Quote #39


Thinking and working like a scientist: Repeating/dealing with failure


I found that after having to do the DNA extraction a second time, I became more familiar with the process that we were doing in the experiment and it made more sense as to why we were doing each step.

-Spring 2014 Quote #100


Thinking and working like a scientist: Ownership


For me, receiving the TEM images was extremely reassuring. That was the moment that I realized that I was actually producing tangible, real results.

-Fall 2013 Quote #57


Thinking and working like a scientist:Science as a process: How is knowledge

created in science?

Question: Give an example of how has this lab impacted your understanding of science?

… by giving me an insight into the amount of time it takes to get the information that we read in our science books. It helped me to really see that science is a process and that results do not occur over night. -Fall 2013 Quote#347


Increased interest in major or informing their decisions about career

Question: Give an example of how has this lab influenced your specific educational or career goals?

…because it has me excited to go out and do more research before i go into medical school. This class was a blast and now i know how much i enjoy research. -Fall2013 Quote#506

it made me realize how much i don't find research interesting-Spring2014 Quote#578



…The culture of applying to med-school is highly competitive, and there is a lot of emphasis on not messing up. I think this is very unhealthy, and only promotes a false sense of self-confidence; but it's okay to make mistakes -- it's how we learn (or at least how I learn best). Because of this, I no longer have any fears of messing up, and I'm okay with that. -Spring2014 Quote#614

I definitely feel much more confident going into other labs now and I am not so afraid of learning how to use unfimiliar techonology in a lab setting.-Spring2014 Quote#617

What did students gain from our authentic research experience?

Thinking/working like a scientist Experience science as a processOwnership

Informs career/major, increase interest


What are the important components for an authentic research experience?

Important Components

Multi-week project that allows time for:Student learningRepeating procedures Summative assignments (poster, presentation,

exam/midterm)

Authentic research skills that transfer to career:MicropipettingAseptic techniqueLab notebookGroup work

•Colleges - more integrative approach with less subject-specific material

•Successful students – strong quantitative, communication, and interpersonal skills

•Early authentic research experiences for undergraduates

•Students gain – understanding the nature of science, confidence, interest, ownership

Conclusions

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Special thanks to: Dr. Marianne PoxleitnerDr. Kirk Anders

Phage lab funding:Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Science Education Alliance Phage Hunters Advancing Genomics and Evolutionary Sciences (SEA-PHAGES)National Science Foundation (NSF)

Funding for conference: Gonzaga University College of Arts and Sciences, School of Education, School of Engineering, and the Office of Admissions

NGSS beyond K-12: Freshman College Biology “Gets Real” at Gonzaga University Julie Beckstead...

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