Author ORCID Identifier
Heather E. Bergan-Roller: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4580-7775
Document Type
Article
Abstract
Instructors want students to be prepared for class. There are several different resources and activities available to help students prepare for class, but very little is known about how students choose to prepare for class in the context of undergraduate biology. In this study, we used content analysis to investigate what students do to prepare for an introductory biology course, and if and how that preparation differed under two different conditions. Students were either directed to search out and choose their resources to prepare for class (choice treatment) or assigned specific pages from a textbook (text treatment). Students in the choice treatment reported preparing for class slightly more often than students in the text treatment, with both groups reporting that they prepared for over three-quarters of classes. However, students assigned specific textbook passages engaged more while preparing than students who had to find their resources. The textbook was a popular resource but second to websites for students who got to choose. Students in both groups performed similarly in the course. This work helps instructors understand what their students may be doing to prepare for class. We provide recommendations to guide instructors on how to help their students prepare for class.
Publication Date
11-30-2021
Recommended Citation
Ballard, T.G, Sattar, S.U, Wright, K.G, Sabel, J.L., Bergan-Roller, H.E. 2021. Preparing for class: resources and actions of introductory biology students. Journal of Microbiology and Biology Education. https://doi.org/10.1128/jmbe.00243-21
Original Citation
Ballard, T.G, Sattar, S.U, Wright, K.G, Sabel, J.L., Bergan-Roller, H.E. 2021. Preparing for class: resources and actions of introductory biology students. Journal of Microbiology and Biology Education. https://doi.org/10.1128/jmbe.00243-21
Department
Department of Biological Sciences
Legacy Department
Department of Biological Sciences
Language
eng
Rights Statement
In Copyright
