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1. GTAs’ experiences of switching to remote and online teaching and tutoring during the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

   Houston, Scotty; Webb, Jessica; Shannon, Dave; Olson, Gary; Harrell-Williams, Leigh (January 2021, 2021 Research in Undergraduate Mathematics Education Reports)

   Karunakaran, S. S.; Higgins, A. (Ed.)

   The abrupt switch from in-person instruction and tutoring to remote or online instruction and tutoring as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020 was difficult for even the most experienced instructor. In this paper, we explore how graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) at three different institutions responded to and experienced this change. Data was collected from surveys and focus groups conducted with graduate teaching assistants at each institution, as part of our ongoing collaborative NSF-funded project focusing on equipping mathematical sciences GTAs to become better teachers. In their responses, the graduate teaching assistants discussed topics ranging from what they did in their remote classrooms to the challenges they faced and supports they received from their department, university, and fellow classmates and faculty. 

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2. Mitigation of SARS-CoV-2 transmission at a large public university

   https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-30833-3  

   Ranoa, Diana Rose; Holland, Robin L.; Alnaji, Fadi G.; Green, Kelsie J.; Wang, Leyi; Fredrickson, Richard L.; Wang, Tong; Wong, George N.; Uelmen, Johnny; Maslov, Sergei; et al (December 2022, Nature Communications)

   Abstract In Fall 2020, universities saw extensive transmission of SARS-CoV-2 among their populations, threatening health of the university and surrounding communities, and viability of in-person instruction. Here we report a case study at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where a multimodal “SHIELD: Target, Test, and Tell” program, with other non-pharmaceutical interventions, was employed to keep classrooms and laboratories open. The program included epidemiological modeling and surveillance, fast/frequent testing using a novel low-cost and scalable saliva-based RT-qPCR assay for SARS-CoV-2 that bypasses RNA extraction, called covidSHIELD, and digital tools for communication and compliance. In Fall 2020, we performed >1,000,000 covidSHIELD tests, positivity rates remained low, we had zero COVID-19-related hospitalizations or deaths amongst our university community, and mortality in the surrounding Champaign County was reduced more than 4-fold relative to expected. This case study shows that fast/frequent testing and other interventions mitigated transmission of SARS-CoV-2 at a large public university. 

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3. A Comparison of Online and In-Person Evolution Instruction That Includes Religious Cultural Competence

   https://doi.org/10.1128/jmbe.00067-22  

   Bowen, Chloe D.; Summersill, Alexa R.; Jensen, Jamie L.; Brownell, Sara E.; Barnes, M. Elizabeth (July 2022, Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education)

   Anderson, Deborah K. (Ed.)

   ABSTRACT Evolution is one of the most important concepts in biology, but it is rejected by a substantial percentage of religious students due to a perceived conflict with their religious beliefs. The use of religious cultural competence in evolution education (ReCCEE) has been shown to effectively increase evolution acceptance among religious students during in-person instruction, but there is no research that we know of that indicates the effectiveness of these practices during online instruction. In this study, we explored the efficacy of online culturally competent practices for religious students on students’ evolution understanding, evolution acceptance, and comfort learning evolution at a religious university. Before and after evolution instruction, we surveyed 178 students in online introductory biology courses and compared these student outcomes to 201 students in the same instructor’s in-person introductory biology courses. We found that evolution acceptance and understanding increased in online classes with culturally competent practices, and these gains were similar to those observed in the in-person courses. Despite these similarities, we found that students were more comfortable learning evolution in person than online, but this difference was small. Our findings suggest that the use of culturally competent practices online can be as effective as their use for in-person instruction for improving students' attitudes toward evolution, but in-person instruction may be more effective for cultivating students’ comfort while learning evolution. 

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4. Learning to Plan During the Clinical Experience: How Visions of Teaching Influence Novices’ Opportunities to Practice

   https://doi.org/10.1177/0022487120948049  

   Windschitl, Mark; Lohwasser, Karin; Tasker, Tammy (August 2020, Journal of Teacher Education)

   In this study, we document pre-service teachers’ (PSTs) opportunities to learn about planning for equitable and ambitious instruction during clinical placements. We also test whether these opportunities vary by the level of participants’ perceived congruence between the vision of science teaching supported in their university coursework and the instructional practices and learning culture of their host classrooms. We analyzed interview and survey responses of 65 science PSTs from three preparation programs which required their novices to learn about planning and teaching that was consistent with research-based reforms. In placements where novices could participate in planning practices that were perceived as congruent with these reform-based visions, they were more likely than peers in low-congruence classrooms to engage in educative co-planning with a mentor, to take up responsibilities for planning lessons earlier in the school year and for longer periods of time, and to receive useful feedback from mentors. 

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5. Exploring Technology Design for Students with Vision Impairment in the Classroom and Remotely

   https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1145/3411764.3445755  

   Gadiraju, V; Doyle, O; Kane, S. K. (January 2021, Proceedings of the 2021 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '21))

   null (Ed.)

   Teachers of the Visually Impaired (TVIs) teach academic and functional living skills simultaneously to prepare students with vision impairment to be successful and independent. Current educational tools primarily focus on academic instruction rather than this multifaceted approach needed for students. Our work aims to understand how technology can integrate behavioral skills, like independence, and support TVIs in their preferred teaching strategy. We observed elementary classrooms at a school for the blind for six weeks to study how educators design lessons and use technology to supplement their instruction in different subjects. After the observational study, we conducted remote interviews with educators to understand how technology can support students in building academic and behavioral skills in-person and remotely. Educators suggested incorporating audio feedback that motivates students to play and learn consistently, student progress tracking for parents and educators, and designing features that help students build independence and develop collaborative skills. 

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