Abstract:

Xavier University of Louisiana (XULA), a minority serving undergraduate institution based in New Orleans, Louisiana (US), is a nationally recognized leader in science education. The Biology department is the largest and houses many high achievers, but also first-generation students and those from disadvantaged backgrounds considered "high risk" as part of the University Mission. To address equity issues and challenges of student-retention, the department has revised its curriculum based on recommendations made in national/international reports. This presentation will focus on two existing freshmen level courses (Biol 1210L and Biol 1220L), which were redesigned to infuse research-themed modules to study their impact on student learning. These courses meet once/week for 1.50 hrs. and are required for all Biology majors. The student population consisted of ~ 200 students per semester (~ 85% minorities and ~ 70% females) and the research-themed modules were designed to work within the time, budget, student-schedules, and personnel constraints including faculty teaching loads. The overarching goal was to provide students opportunities to engage in meaningful research-based experiments to build their enthusiasm in the sciences. For this, two model systems (Aspergillus fungus and C. elegans worm) were used and activities developed to introduce students to experimental designing for hypothesis testing, recording and analysis of results, and troubleshooting and to enhance their reading, comprehension, writing, and communication skills. Our internal assessment techniques included quizzes, assignments, lab-skills tests and University-administered student evaluations. Results demonstrated a pattern of improved academic performance in some semesters on the four common quizzes (identical questions with different versions in all 11 section). For e.g., in four sections taught by the same instructor, students in one section consistently underperformed at the start of the semester but their scores improved steadily until, by the last Quiz 4, their scores were indistinguishable from those of the students in other sections (unpublished data). Our project also included an external evaluator, whose assessment report showed statistically significant research learning gains in experimentation and contextual connections (using inferential statistics in form of paired t-test). Female students derived statistically significant learning gains in almost all research learning constructs including lab skills and research confidence. Additional areas of external and internal analyses (lab skills, group presentations, etc.,) will be discussed. In closing, our results support our working hypothesis that engaging students in meaningful research-themed activities can positively impact their self-confidence and desire to persist in their major. Our data has also revealed presence of some academic gaps in students, particularly in the areas of bio-math/calculations, and the ‘Apply’ level of Bloom’s Taxonomy and we are developing strategies to minimize (if not eliminate) these gaps. Going forward, we plan to build on the positive outcomes and continue the assessment-based model of instruction for our freshmen.

Acknowledgments:
This study is supported by the NSF HBCU-UP TIP Program [Award Number 1912437, P.I. Shubha K. Ireland (SKI)] and The Xavier Eminent Scholar XXXVIII Professorship to SKI (Louisiana Board of Regents supported).

Keywords:

Assessment, Research-based education, Curricular reforms.