Despite the need for entrepreneurial education in the biosciences, many undergraduate biology curricula do not include entrepreneurial opportunities. Here, we describe a network of 16 undergraduate biology faculty who came together to share best practices and assess student needs in bioscience entrepreneurship education. The faculty-led strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats analysis provides insight from this network, who collectively represent 14 institutions across 12 states. The exploratory needs assessment survey collected data from 211 student respondents regarding their interest in biosciences entrepreneurship. This survey highlights similarities and differences in entrepreneurial interest and perspectives across student race and gender identities. Together, this preliminary study of bioscience entrepreneurship education provides a framework for undergraduate biology educators to inform entrepreneurial education in the classroom.
Blood typing is an integral part of biology curricula but has come under increased scrutiny due to potential transmission of blood-borne pathogens. To address this concern, we have developed a novel set of realistic blood and anti-sera analogues for ABO and Rh(D) typing. The formulation described here can be easily assembled and allows students to perform ABO and Rhesus typing realistically without the biosafety hazards associated with real blood. All eight major blood groups can be simulated, thus allowing various fun-filled activities to be planned and executed.
In a world increasingly shaped by the impacts of climate change, equipping students with the tools to analyze, interpret, and make informed decisions based on climate data has never been more critical. This article explores how integrating computer programming, specifically using Python as an illustrative tool, into project-based learning (PBL) transforms climate science education by enabling students to work with authentic datasets, uncover trends, and propose data-driven solutions. Rooted in the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), this approach emphasizes computational thinking, scientific inquiry, and real-world problem-solving. Students engage with authentic climate datasets, such as atmospheric CO2 levels and global temperature records, to investigate the link between greenhouse gas emissions and global warming. For instance, students engage with historical CO2 and temperature datasets, enabling them to identify trends and correlations, such as the link between rising emissions and global warming. They visualize climate trends, explore global disparities in carbon emissions, and model future climate scenarios using Python scripts in Google Colab. These hands-on activities foster critical thinking, environmental responsibility, and computational literacy while preparing students to contribute meaningfully to addressing one of the most pressing issues of their generation. By integrating technology into environmental science education, this approach empowers students to connect data-driven insights with meaningful climate action.
Large language models (LLMs), such as ChatGPT, use natural language processing systems to generate coherent and informative responses to user questions. Instructors suspect that these powerful LLMs are being used more frequently by students for scientific writing assignments. The use of LLMs for writing, however, hinders the development of students’ critical thinking skills and metacognition. The aim of this study is to demonstrate how LLM-based activities can enhance students’ critical thinking skills, foster metacognitive development, and strengthen feedback literacy. This critical thinking exercise will also promote responsible LLM usage among students while leveraging metacognitive strategies to strengthen critical thinking skills specific to LLM-assisted learning environments.
A thorough understanding of the endocrine system is essential for comprehending human physiology and homeostasis; however, its complexity frequently poses significant challenges in educational contexts. To address this, we developed The Hormonal Control, a novel, party-style board game designed to enhance student engagement and understanding of endocrine concepts. Following the game’s implementation with students, their feedback indicated that it provides an accessible and engaging approach to exploring complex physiological topics.
This study proposes an experimental inquiry activity in which students collect samples from a decomposing leaf litter pile in their surroundings and observe starch decomposition using extracellular enzymes derived from the litter. The activity allows students to visually confirm the enzymatic breakdown of starch and, by using a spectrophotometer, measure absorbance and convert the observations into quantitative data. The experiment confirmed that starch degradation occurred in the leaf litter extract, suggesting that this activity can effectively enhance students’ understanding of decomposers and material cycles in ecological education.
There is a growing need for classroom materials that position students as agents of scientific discovery-designing investigations, collecting data, and drawing conclusions based on experimental evidence. Our project, MothEd, was founded to create a place-based, student-oriented, moth-themed unit that supports authentic student agency and scientific inquiry. Developed materials were assembled into a comprehensive teacher guide that introduces educators to the curriculum and supports them in implementing student-led research projects in their classrooms. Students are supported in asking testable research questions, making predictions, building low-cost do-it-yourself moth traps, collecting specimens, drawing empirically based conclusions, and sharing their findings with invested audiences. While the MothEd Teacher Guide can be implemented across the K-12 spectrum, it was specifically designed for middle school grades and is freely available for use. Teachers who have implemented the curriculum report greater student engagement, student ownership of learning, and connections that students make to authentic scientific practices.
