Andrea Bierema | Michigan State University (original) (raw)

Papers by Andrea Bierema

Elsevier eBooks, 2021

Abstract In this activity, you will produce a research grant proposal, using a real application f... more Abstract In this activity, you will produce a research grant proposal, using a real application form. There are several activities and milestones that will be accomplished to aid in your preparation, including (1) developing observation-inspired research questions, (2) writing a comprehensive literature review, (3) considering how class concepts apply to the research questions, (4) receiving feedback on an abstract, (5) critiquing peers' proposals, and (6) journaling about the process along the way.

Ethology, May 8, 2013

A long‐standing question in animal communication is whether signals reveal intrinsic properties o... more A long‐standing question in animal communication is whether signals reveal intrinsic properties of the signaller or extrinsic properties of its environment. Alarm calls, one of the most conspicuous components of antipredator behaviour, intuitively would appear to reflect internal states of the signaller. Pioneering research in primates and fowl, however, demonstrated that signallers may produce unique alarm calls during encounters with different types of predators, suggesting that signallers through selective production of alarm calls provide to conspecific receivers information about predators in the environment. In this article, we review evidence for such ‘functional reference’ in the alarm calls of birds based on explicit tests of two criteria proposed in Macedonia & Evans’ (Ethology 93, 1993, 177) influential conceptual framework: (1) that unique alarm calls are given to specific predator categories, and (2) that alarm calls isolated from contextual information elicit antipredator responses from receivers similar to those produced during actual predator encounters. Despite the importance of research on birds in development of the conceptual framework and the ubiquity of alarm calls in birds, evidence for functionally referential alarm calls in this clade is limited to six species. In these species, alarm calls are associated with the type of predator encountered as well as variation in hunting behaviour; with defence of reproductive effort in addition to predators of adults; with age‐related changes in predation risk; and with strong fitness benefits. Our review likely underestimates the occurrence of functional reference in avian alarm calls, as incomplete application and testing of the conceptual framework has limited our understanding. Throughout, therefore, we suggest avian taxa for future studies, as well as additional questions and experimental approaches that would strengthen our understanding of the meaning of functional reference in avian alarm calls.

American Biology Teacher, Sep 1, 2022

Scientific modeling is a practice that we use frequently in our undergraduate biomedical applicat... more Scientific modeling is a practice that we use frequently in our undergraduate biomedical applications course for nonscience majors. We use case studies in which students apply course concepts to create cause-and-effect models. In this article, we describe a case study assessment on protein synthesis that examines the use of CRISPR to bring back the mammoth (i.e., de-extinction). Students learn about protein synthesis throughout the course and work on various case study scenarios to apply those concepts. Their final assessment is a team project to illustrate how protein synthesis is influenced by gene editing, including gene expression and its regulation, transcription, translation, protein structure and function, and the ultimate impact on an organism’s phenotype. Although we use this case study as an assessment, it is also appropriate as a class activity in which students practice modeling the CRISPR gene-editing system.

Although classification is important in biology (Cotterill & Foissner, 2010), very few studies ha... more Although classification is important in biology (Cotterill & Foissner, 2010), very few studies have reflected on students' conceptions of fungi (e.g., Barman et al., 2006). The present study was part of a larger project that assessed via survey and interview upper-level undergraduate biology students' conceptions of organismal diversity. Most participants understood that fungi are not animals, but several participants thought that mushrooms are plants. Mushrooms belong in a separate kingdom from plants altogether. Therefore, students may be more inclined to use the two-kingdom system instead of a more updated classification scheme. This may be due to the use of implicit instruction using the two-kingdom system.

American Biology Teacher, May 1, 2014

One of the key aspects of natural selection is competition, yet the concept of competition is not... more One of the key aspects of natural selection is competition, yet the concept of competition is not necessarily emphasized in explanations of natural selection. Because of this, we developed an activity for our class that focuses on competition and provides an example of the effects of competition on natural selection. This hands-on activity models the field study completed by David Lack on Darwin's finches. By using this historical study, we also give students an example of the nature-of-science concept of multiple methods. Although this activity was created for a college introductory biology course, it is appropriate for high school. We also provide an additional objective for upper-level ecology and evolution courses.

The American Biology Teacher

Subject/Problem Science courses often focus on memorization and test preparation instead of deepe... more Subject/Problem Science courses often focus on memorization and test preparation instead of deeper learning. Recent calls for reform in science education at both the K-‐12 and undergraduate level advocate moving from courses that focus largely on memorizing the breadth of disciplinary content to courses that focus on science practices and core disciplinary ideas (AAAS, 2011; Korber, 2014; NRC, 2012; Nelson Laird et al., 2008). One approach to shift courses from memorization of facts toward development of scientific competencies is to include the development and revision of scientific models as part of instruction. Scientific modeling encompasses a diverse set of practices at the heart of the scientific endeavor (Passmore et al., 2013). Models can be tested, are revised based on new evidence, have explanatory power because they are based on underlying structure and causation, are often based on processes that cannot be directly observed, and are springboards for generating new scien...

International Journal of Research & Method in Education, 2020

ABSTRACT As we take advantage of new technologies that allow us to streamline the coding process ... more ABSTRACT As we take advantage of new technologies that allow us to streamline the coding process of large qualitative datasets, we must consider whether human cognitive bias may introduce statistical bias in the process. Our research group analyzes large sets of student responses by developing computer models that are trained using human-coded responses and a suite of machine-learning techniques. Once a model is initially trained, it may be insufficiently accurate. Increasing the number of human-coded responses typically enhances these models to an acceptable level of accuracy. Alternatively, instead of human coding responses, we can rapidly increase the number of coded responses by verifying computer-predicted codes for each response. However, having access to this information may bias human coders. We designed the present study to test for differences in level of agreement with computer-predicted codes in terms of magnitude and direction during computer model calibration if information about computer-predicted codes is available. Our results indicate human coding bias despite being disciplinary experts who were aware of the possibility of cognitive bias creating statistical bias and that magnitude and direction of that bias varies across experts.

The American Biology Teacher, 2020

Students often struggle with the concept of protein synthesis, which incorporates two main proces... more Students often struggle with the concept of protein synthesis, which incorporates two main processes: transcription and translation. This article describes an activity in which students use craft supplies to physically model the process of translation. The teacher creates the modeling kits, and then students use a worksheet to prepare the kit for a specific amino acid sequence. They practice the process of translation, including the start, tRNAs movement through the ribosome, the amino acid chain building, and the stop. This article describes how to create the model kits and implement the activity in the classroom. We have performed this hands-on activity in college classrooms as large as 170 students. Students appreciate the hands-on approach and find the activity extremely useful in understanding translation. While students model translation, the teaching team identifies and helps students overcome any misconceptions and gaps in their knowledge.

CBE life sciences education, 2017

National calls for improving science education (e.g.,) emphasize the need to learn disciplinary c... more National calls for improving science education (e.g.,) emphasize the need to learn disciplinary core ideas through scientific practices. To address this need, we engaged small groups of students in developing diagrammatic models within two (one large-enrollment and one medium-enrollment) undergraduate introductory biology courses. During these activities, students developed scientific models of biological phenomena such as enhanced growth in genetically modified fish. To investigate whether undergraduate students productively engaged in scientific practices during these modeling activities, we recorded groups of students as they developed models and examined three characteristics: how students 1) interacted with one another, 2) made sense of phenomena, and 3) justified their ideas. Our analysis indicates that students spent most of the time on task, developing and evaluating their models. Moreover, they worked cooperatively to make sense of core ideas and justified their ideas to on...

Anthrozoös, 2015

ABSTRACT Multiple definitions of the term “animal” exist. Definitions include the scientific defi... more ABSTRACT Multiple definitions of the term “animal” exist. Definitions include the scientific definition of kingdom Animalia, the human-centered definition that excludes humans, and other definitions, such as only vertebrates or even only mammals. Due to their education background and interests, upper-level biology students should know the scientific definition of animal, but how do they interpret the term “animal”? In the present study, we examined how these students interpret the term by examining what first comes to mind when asked to name animals, what they think of when asked about the diversity of the animal kingdom, and which organisms, from a list, they would consider to be animals and why. Students first completed surveys (n=59) and then a proportion of those students were interviewed (n=25). Survey and interview transcripts were coded via content analysis to discover emerging themes. Themes were assessed by frequency analysis. On the survey, when first asked to name animals, participants mostly listed vertebrates, primarily mammals, even though those that were interviewed commonly stated that they were thinking about their previous courses or “right answers” when they were creating the list. After participants were asked to consider the diversity of the animal kingdom on the survey, participants began to consider more invertebrates, but still listed more vertebrates, on average, than invertebrates. Later during interviews, most participants recognized that there are many more invertebrates than vertebrates. Finally, during the survey, when participants were asked which organisms were animals, most students interpreted the term “animal” scientifically, although the definition was sometimes limited. For instance, some participants did not realize that all animals are multicellular and some are primarily sessile. This study indicates that not only are there multiple definitions of “animal” but even those that are familiar with the scientific definition interpret the term in different ways.

Community College Review, 2012

The purpose of this study is to identify the local impacts of national advanced technological edu... more The purpose of this study is to identify the local impacts of national advanced technological education (ATE) centers on their host institutions. A sample of three mature, national ATE centers are chosen, with each center serving as a case for a mixed-methods, collective case study research design. Results, drawn from interviews and surveys, indicate that national ATE centers create a

The American Biology Teacher, 2014

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In 1963, Tinbergen revolutionized the study of animal behaviour by revamping the conceptual frame... more In 1963, Tinbergen revolutionized the study of animal behaviour by revamping the conceptual framework of the discipline. His framework suggests an integration of four questions: causation, ontogeny, survival value, and evolution. The National Research Council Committee on Undergraduate Biology Education to Prepare Research Scientists for the 21st Century (2003) suggests alignment between current research and undergraduate education. The purpose of this study, therefore, is to determine if the conceptual framework used by animal behaviour scientists, as presented in current primary literature, aligns with what students are exposed to in undergraduate biology education. After determining the most commonly listed textbooks from randomly-selected animal behaviour syllabi, four of the most popular textbooks underwent content analysis in order to determine the extent that each of Tinbergen’s four questions is being applied in education. Mainstream animal behaviour journal articles from 20...

Exploring Animal Behavior in Laboratory and Field, 2021