Female students are less likely to participate in class than male peers in life sciences courses of all levels, but they are more likely to participate in classrooms with more female peers. Female students earn lower final course grades than males in classes taught by a male instructor and/or when female students are in the minority.

In this qualitative study, we examined the process of active learning from the perspective of undergraduate students in a high-enrollment introductory biology class. Eight students participated in a series of five interviews throughout the semester that examined their experiences during and after class. Grades were collected for each student at regular time points throughout the semester. Here, we present in-depth case studies of four students who described profoundly different responses to the same in-class learning tasks. We particularly highlight variation in students’ self-reported engagement, as engagement is thought to be a key element of successful active learning. Finally, we map each student’s self-reported engagement and the grades that he or she received. In each case, we found that grades failed to capture some aspects of the active-learning experience that students found important.

The immunosuppressant dexamethasone was previously shown to preferentially deplete CD4+ Teff cells while sparing Treg cells in vivo. In the present study, we show that it also preferentially depletes B-2 cells while sparing B-1 cells. In the ApoE−/− mouse model of atherosclerosis, where both Treg and B-1 cells are thought to play an atheroprotective role, we show that HSP60-targeted immunization in the presence of dexamethasone raises Ag-reactive Treg and B-1 cells concomitantly and reduces the severity of atherosclerosis. These results indicate that dexamethasone is an adjuvant that potentiates both the Treg and the B-1 responses to immunogens. This study shows for the first time that B-1 cells with the specificity for a disease-relevant Ag can be raised in vivo by immunization.

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