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ABSTRACT: Improving perceptions of students' science identities and their understanding of the nature of science (NOS) are important learning goals for undergraduate biology students. Previous research has observed that students who reflect on personal histories and research narratives of diverse scientists experience positive changes in their own science identities and understanding of the nature of science, respectively. However, these stories were in written or mixed media formats (e.g., podcasts, TED talks). Here, we explore whether such stories in nonfiction film, an immersive storytelling medium, could also serve as an intervention in positively affecting these outcomes. The focus of our curricular intervention is two short films that explore personal histories and research narratives: Decoding Ancestral Knowledge and CRISPR Apostle. We assigned students (N= 286) in a large, asynchronous, online general microbiology course to watch Decoding and CRISPR at distinct times in the semester. Immediately after watching each film, students took a survey with closed- and open-response questions designed to measure content knowledge, science identity, and NOS learning. We analyzed quantitative responses using descriptive statistics and open-ended responses using a computational textual analysis method of structured topic modeling. Results indicate that watching the films had a considerable impact on content knowledge as well as students’ perceptions of scientists, self-identification as scientists, and understanding of NOS. Interestingly, there were some differences between the films on the degree of impact on science identity as well as the types of emergent themes for science identity and NOS. These results suggest that science nonfiction films with personal histories and research narratives can be useful tools in supporting these student outcomes. We describe in this article how to access these free materials, including the films, and also suggest possible modifications. 

ABSTRACT The 2011 reportVision and Change: A Call to Action(V&C) resulted from a national effort to rethink biology curriculum.V&Coutlines core concepts and core competencies for biology undergraduates and promotes evidence-based pedagogy, undergraduate research, and inclusive practices. However, it is unclear how much biology educators know aboutV&Cand what motivates educators’ development of their teaching philosophy and practices. We leveraged the Promoting Active Learning and Mentoring (PALM) Network, a group that introduced evidence-based instructional practices (EBIPs) to instructors through mentoring, journal clubs, and a community of practice, to investigate how muchV&Chas influenced educator knowledge and motivation. Through focus groups, 16 mentors and 22 fellows were asked about their motivations to join PALM, familiarity withV&C, how they learned aboutV&C, and how PALM and/orV&Cshaped the development of their teaching philosophies and strategies. We found that the teaching philosophies and practices of these educators align strongly withV&Cprinciples.V&Cprovided expectancy (established value), while PALM contributed to greater instructor self-efficacy in EBIPs, overall resulting in reformed teaching philosophies and practices. This model highlights the importance of mentorship and community to successfully drive biology education reform. 

ABSTRACT The 2011Vision & Changereport outlined several recommendations for transforming undergraduate biology education, sparking multiple pedagogical reform efforts. Among these was the Promoting Active Learning and Mentoring (PALM) network, an NSF-funded program that provided mentorship and training to instructors on implementing active learning in the classroom. Here, we provide a perspective on how members of the biology education community in PALM view the recommendations ofVision & Change, drawing upon our experiences both as members of PALM and as leaders of an associated project funded by another NSF grant that hosted PALM alumni at various conferences. These efforts have allowed us to gain insight into how our alumni think ofVision & Change, including how they interpret its recommendations, the challenges and opportunities that they view for implementing these recommendations, and the areas they see as critical to be addressed in future national reports for supporting undergraduate biology education. We synthesize these voices here, providing perspectives from a diverse group of biology instructors on what they think aboutVision & Change, and provide recommendations for the biology education community based upon these PALM community voices.