UMBC Science Education Research Unit (SERU)
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Mission Statement: To innovate the field of STEM education through engaging in and/or supporting faculty, staff, and students in the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) and STEM student success initiatives.
Vision Statement: To be a leader in innovative STEM pedagogical research and student success initiatives that address current challenges within STEM education.
Specific Aims of SERU:
-To support, coordinate, and/or implement research projects that investigate strategies and best practices to improve STEM pedagogy and/or STEM student success -To disseminate scholarly work in academic journals, at local and national conferences or workshops, and other educational resources (open educational resources, STEM education databases, etc.)Recent Submissions
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Supporting Deaf Students in Undergraduate Research Experiences: Perspectives of American Sign Language Interpreters
(American Society for Microbiology, 2019-09-29)Deaf undergraduates are eager to engage in research but often feel marginalized due to lack of appropriate accommodations to allow for effective communication within heterogeneous research teams consisting of hearing peers ... -
Using Clickers for Deliberate Practice in Five Large Science Courses
(NSTA, 2017-11-01)Clickers are often used as an active learning tool in face-to-face classes to enhance student engagement and assess student learning. In this article we share the variety of ways that we use clicker questions ... -
Using Reading Quizzes in STEM Classes—The What, Why, and How
(National Science Teachers Association, 2015)Many active learning pedagogies depend on students' preparing for class in advance. One common method for holding students accountable for this preparation is the use of reading quizzes. When used thoughtfully, reading ... -
Students’ Understanding and Perceptions of Assigned Team Roles in a Classroom Laboratory Environment
(NSTA, 2018-03-01)Using a cooperative learning framework in a quantitative reasoning laboratory course, students were assigned to static teams of four in which they adopted roles that rotated regularly. The roles included: team leader, ... -
Development and Assessment of Modules to Integrate Quantitative Skills in Introductory Biology Courses
(The American Society for Cell Biology, 2017-10-13)Redesigning undergraduate biology courses to integrate quantitative reasoning and skill development is critical to prepare students for careers in modern medicine and scientific research. In this paper, we report on the ... -
Unique Down to Our Microbes—Assessment of an Inquiry-Based Metagenomics Activity
(American Society for Microbiology, 2017-06)Metagenomics is an important method for studying microbial life. However, undergraduate exposure to metagenomics is hindered by associated software, computing demands, and dataset access. In this inquiry-based activity ... -
Interactive Computer Simulations as Pedagogical Tools in Biology Labs
(The American Society for Cell Biology, 2018-08-24)Student learning in biology may be impaired by instructional environments that emphasize technical methodology over analysis. We hypothesized that time gained by experimenting with accurate computer simulations could be ... -
Discovery Learning: Development of a Unique Active Learning Environment for Introductory Chemistry
(The Trustees of Indiana University, 2018-12-10)It is well established that active learning results in greater gains in student conceptual knowledge and retention compared to traditional modes of learning. However, active learning can be very difficult to implement in ...