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   https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.19-09-0188  

   Dolan, Erin L.; Borrero, Michelle; Callis-Duehl, Kristine; Musgrove, Miranda M.; de Lima, Joelyn; Ero-Tolliver, Isi; Gerhart, Laci M.; Goodwin, Emma C.; Hamilton, Lindsey R.; Henry, Meredith A.; et al (June 2020, CBE—Life Sciences Education)

   Barnard, Daron (Ed.)

   This report provides a broad overview of the 2019 Undergraduate Biology Education Research Gordon Research Conference, titled “Achieving Widespread Improvement in Undergraduate Education,” and the associated Gordon Research Seminar, highlighting major themes that cut across invited talks, poster presentations, and informal discussions. 

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2. Design-Based Research: A Methodology to Extend and Enrich Biology Education Research

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   Scott, Emily E.; Wenderoth, Mary Pat; Doherty, Jennifer H. (September 2020, CBE—Life Sciences Education)

   Tanner (Ed.)

   Recent calls in biology education research (BER) have recommended that researchers leverage learning theories and methodologies from other disciplines to investigate the mechanisms by which students to develop sophisticated ideas. We suggest design-based research from the learning sciences is a compelling methodology for achieving this aim. Design-based research investigates the “learning ecologies” that move student thinking toward mastery. These “learning ecologies” are grounded in theories of learning, produce measurable changes in student learning, generate design principles that guide the development of instructional tools, and are enacted using extended, iterative teaching experiments. In this essay, we introduce readers to the key elements of design-based research, using our own research into student learning in undergraduate physiology as an example of design-based research in BER. Then, we discuss how design-based research can extend work already done in BER and foster interdisciplinary collaborations among cognitive and learning scientists, biology education researchers, and instructors. We also explore some of the challenges associated with this methodological approach. 

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3. Undergraduate geoscience education research: Evolution of an emerging field of discipline-based education research

   https://doi.org/10.1002/tea.21471  

   Arthurs, Leilani A. (January 2018, Journal of research in science teaching)

   Discipline-based education research (DBER) conducted by faculty within geoscience departments can address identified needs in undergraduate geoscience education.This study explores the evolution of undergraduate geoscience education research (GER) from 1985 to 2016, primarily in terms of the types of published research and secondarily in terms of the insights this literature offers on the evolution of GER as a scholarly discipline. Stokes’(1997) quadrant model of research types is used as a theoretical framework for the former and Kuhn's (1970) model of disciplinary paradigm for the latter. An exploratory sequential mixed-methods approach to a systematic literature review of 1,760 articles is utilized. The period1985–2000 is characterized by proto-research as evidenced by the abundance of instructive and informational education articles rather than research articles. From 2000to 2011, GER underwent a growth period characterized by the presence of applied, use-inspired, and pure basic research. The period 2011–2016 appears to be a period of relative steady-state conditions in the normalized number of GER publications per year. Existing gaps in knowledge about geoscience education, the evident unfamiliarity with education and social science research methodologies among authors of GER articles, and efforts to build consensus about what GER is and how to conduct it suggest that GER is preparadigmatic or at a low paradigm state. 

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4. Research in Higher Education Journal

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   Schneider, Verena; Grau, David; Ariaratnam, Sam (January 2022, Construction Research Congress 2022: Health and Safety, Workforce, and Education)

   Jazizadeh, F; Shealy; T, Garvin (Ed.)

   Globalization has led to increased demand for international education and education experiences by domestic students. However, the current body of knowledge regarding these experiences is scarce and mostly dominated by subjective accounts. This paper explores the research content and methods necessary to capture the impact of an abroad education and research experience. This ongoing study combines bibliometric analysis, literature review, and qualitative analysis of selected articles. Based on the body of knowledge in social sciences, student competencies impacted by an international academic intervention incorporate the following knowledge domains: (1) intercultural competence; (2) professional development; (3) intellectual growth; (4) academic development; and (5) personal development. A comprehensive review of existing approaches for assessing international student experiences was also contrasted against accepted research procedures. While a mixed-methods approach to collect data via survey instruments and face-to-face interviews can enhance the depth and breadth of the observations, collecting data at different points in time enables the capture of both immediate and sustained impacts on the student. Besides self-reported data, the evaluation of the students’ research advisors and peers should also be conducted. 

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