Computational thinking (CT) is broadly defined as the mental activity for abstracting problems and formulating solutions that can be automated. In an increasingly information-based society, CT is becoming an essential skill for everyone. To ensure that students develop this ability at the K-12 level, it is important to provide teachers with an adequate knowledge about CT and how to incorporate it into their teaching. This article describes a study on designing and introducing computational thinking modules and assessing their impact on preservice teachers' understanding of CT concepts, as well as their attitude towards computing. Results demonstrate that introducing computational thinking into education courses can effectively influence preservice teachers' understanding of CT concepts.

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This quantitative study examines the impact of a three-week online organic preparatory course for chemistry undergraduates that is designed to improve student performance in the subsequent organic chemistry course series (N = 1,289). Organic chemistry often serves as a gatekeeper for students pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM). Because many students are underprepared for the rigorous organic chemistry series, and consequently are at greater risk of failing it, an online preparatory course was offered that emphasized topics that students frequently struggle with when they enter organic chemistry. The average treatment effects of participation in the online preparatory course on students' subsequent organic chemistry course grades were analyzed utilizing inverse-probability weights with regression adjustment. The analyses indicate that participation in the online preparatory course led to an improvement in subsequent organic chemistry course performance of approximately one-third of a letter grade (e.g., C+ to B−). Notably, students typically at-risk in college environments (i.e., low-income students, first-generation college students, underrepresented minorities) showed commensurate gains when compared to their non-at-risk counterparts. Consequently, this study provides an example of a low-cost intervention that can increase student learning and achievement in organic chemistry. In addition, this study contributes to the nascent research base that examines more distal effects of online course participation.

A growing body of work has shown that two specific study strategies help explain differences in learning and achievement in gateway courses: spacing (breaking up study sessions across multiple days) and self-testing (actively recalling information from memory). However, it is still unclear whether the benefits of these strategies are applicable in more advanced biology courses, and whether promoting effective study practices in these courses (spacing and self-testing) is related to increased use of these practices and greater learning outcomes. We studied two senior-level microbiology courses that were taught by the same instructor. Using a quasi-experimental design, one course additionally received a light-touch study skills intervention, where the instructor introduced the concepts of spacing and self-testing while also providing reminders to students about utilizing these strategies. We found that, while the intervention was not related to increased use of spacing and self-testing, both strategies were positively related to learning, as measured by the final course grade. Results from multiple regression analyses revealed that engaging in spacing throughout the course was the most consistent predictor of final course grade, even after accounting for other study strategies, demographic characteristics, and prior academic achievement. Our results add to the literature emphasizing the importance of spacing in increasing students' achievement in STEM courses.