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ABSTRACT Scientific publications, textbooks, and online educational resources rely on illustrated figures to communicate about molecular structures like genes and chromosomes. Published figures have the potential to shape how learners think about these molecular structures and their functions, so it is important that figures are clear, unambiguous, and free from misleading or incorrect information. Unfortunately, we found numerous examples of figures that contain representations of genes and chromosomes with errors that reflect common molecular biology misconceptions. We found published figures featuring Y-shaped Y chromosomes, replicated chromosomes incorrectly shown with different alleles on sister chromatids, single genes portrayed as wide bands on chromosomes, and genes consisting of only a small number of nucleotides. Drawing on our research on student thinking about visual representations in molecular biology, we critique these published figures that contain such misconceptions and provide recommendations for simple modifications to figures that may help scientists, science illustrators, and science educators more accurately communicate the structure and function of genes and chromosomes. 

ABSTRACT Visual representations in molecular biology tend to follow a set of shared conventions for using certain shapes and symbols to convey information about the size and structure of nucleotides, genes, and chromosomes. Understanding how and why biologists use these conventions to represent DNA is a key part of visual literacy in molecular biology. Visual literacy, which is the ability to read and interpret visual representations, encompasses a set of skills that are necessary for biologists to effectively use models to communicate about molecular structures that cannot be directly observed. To gauge students’ visual literacy skills, we conducted semi-structured interviews with undergraduate students who had completed at least a year of biology courses. We asked students to draw and interpret figures of nucleotides, genes, and chromosomes, and we analyzed their drawings for adherence to conventions for representing scale and abstraction. We found that 77% of students made errors in representing scale, and 86% of students made errors in representing abstraction. We also observed that about half of the students in our sample used the conventional shapes and symbols to represent DNA in unconventional ways. These unconventional sketches may signal an incomplete understanding of the structure and function of DNA. Our findings indicate that students may need additional instructional support to interpret the conventions in common representations of DNA. We highlight opportunities for instructors to scaffold visual literacy skills into their teaching to help students better understand visual conventions for representing scale and abstraction in molecular biology. 

Abstract Computational thinking is crucial for STEM researchers and practitioners, as it involves more than just developing skills—it is a way of thinking that enables effective problem-solving. STEM disciplines approach different problems and as such employ computational thinking uniquely, so students cannot rely solely on computer science to develop computational thinking. Less attention has been given to social aspects of computation, such as collaborating and communicating with and about computation even though social aspects are essential to problem solving. We utilized computational literacy as an alternative framework that explicitly includes social elements as a primary pillar. We conducted 15 interviews with STEM researchers to identify and organize the social aspects that play a role in their research. We organized goals by motivation (persuasion and productivity) and representation (visual and non-visual) to contextualize the use of communication in computation. We found that researchers use computation to explain research results, navigate decision making, establish rigor, ensure reproducibility, facilitate lab stability, and promote research efficiency. We used Activity Theory to describe the tools, norms, and communities associated with these goals to offer a more detailed framework for the social pillar of computational literacy within the context of science and engineering. Examples from each discipline within STEM are described. This social computational literacy framework can act as a guide for STEM educators and practitioners alike to use and teach social aspects of computation. 

Visual models are a necessary part of molecular biology education because submicroscopic compounds and processes cannot be directly observed. Accurately interpreting the biological information conveyed by the shapes and symbols in these visual models requires engaging visual literacy skills. For students to develop expertise in molecular biology visual literacy, they need to have structured experiences using and creating visual models, but there is little evidence to gauge how often undergraduate biology students are provided such opportunities. To investigate students’ visual literacy experiences, we surveyed 66 instructors who taught lower division undergraduate biology courses with a focus on molecular biology concepts. We collected self-reported data about the frequency with which the instructors teach with visual models and we analyzed course exams to determine how instructors incorporated visual models into their assessments. We found that most instructors reported teaching with models in their courses, yet only 16% of exam items in the sample contained a visual model. There was not a statistically significant relationship between instructors’ self-reported frequency of teaching with models and extent to which their exams contained models, signaling a potential mismatch between teaching and assessment practices. Although exam items containing models have the potential to elicit higher-order cognitive skills through model-based reasoning, we found that when instructors included visual models in their exams the majority of the items only targeted the lower-order cognitive skills of Bloom’s Taxonomy. Together, our findings highlight that despite the importance of visual models in molecular biology, students may not often have opportunities to demonstrate their understanding of these models on assessments. 

We explored undergraduate students' visual literacy by asking them to draw and interpret images of chromosomes and found that most students held incorrect or incomplete conceptions about chromosome structure and function. These findings stress the importance of teaching visual literacy skills in biology courses. 

Technology has become an integral part of undergraduate mathematics, particularly the use of technology to solve problems (i.e., the use of computation). In probability and statistics, this push has resulted in several projects designing and assessing tools that are conjectured to be advantageous to students and their learning. Despite this trend, minimal research exists on how students perceive the use of computational tools in their courses. As such, we designed a brief survey for students enrolled in introductory probability and statistics at a university in the Northeastern United States. Using thematic analysis, we qualitatively analyzed these survey responses to explore their perceptions of the integration of computation into their courses. Three themes were identified, relating to features of tools, augmentation of actions, and long-term benefits. This exploration of students’ perceptions allows us to better understand their views on computation and the need for professors to make instructional goals explicit. 

As computation becomes increasingly central to mathematics education, instructors must balance competing forces when choosing which computational tools to use in their courses. This is compounded in probability and statistics where computation is widely used. Grounded in a social constructivist perspective, we believe that tools mediate our activities and that different tools play different mediational roles. As such, this study explores how different computational tools mediate undergraduate students' mathematical activity of argumentation. Using Toulmin’s argument model, this research investigates how two classes in probability and statistics using different computational tools, R or Minitab, performed on a mirrored assignment. Through analysis of students’ assignments, a difference emerged across the classes use of visuals. Our findings suggest Minitab promoted more deliberate consideration and use of visuals than R, leading to a difference in arguments produced by the students. 

Editorial in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Education 

A misconception among biology students is that breaking bonds in adenosine triphosphate (ATP) releases energy. This misconception may be related to imprecise representations of chemical bonding in common diagrams of ATP hydrolysis. We interviewed 33 undergraduate students and randomly assigned them to interpret a figure of ATP hydrolysis that either emphasized bond breaking in the reactants or the formation of new bonds in the products. Students who saw the figure emphasizing bond breaking were more likely to incorrectly classify ATP hydrolysis as endergonic, while students who saw the figure explicitly illustrating bond formation were more likely to use chemically-sound reasoning to describe the reaction. 

Faculty members play a crucial role as change agents in promoting cultural transformation within academic environments and empathy, a fundamental component of effective teaching, mentoring, and collegiality, is essential for fostering a student-centered and holistic approach. We present a theoretical model for empathy development and navigation in physics faculty as they engage with students and colleagues. Two pathways—cognitive and affective—are connected with previous work and explored. Cognitive empathy, a slower, intellectual process, is mediated through reflective witnessing, whereas affective empathy, a faster, emotional process, builds on shared or adjacent lived experiences. Understanding the nuances associated with the different pathways can inform efforts to increase participation and foster an inclusive environment, which often presumes a meaningful understanding of what best supports individual students. Published by the American Physical Society2024