A Modified CREATE Intervention Improves Student Cognitive and Affective Outcomes in an Upper-Division Genetics Course

Abstract

Many national reports have called for undergraduate biology education to incorporate research and analytical thinking into the curriculum. In response, interventions have been developed and tested. CREATE ( C onsider, R ead, E lucidate the hypotheses, A nalyze and interpret the data, and T hink of the next E xperiment) is an instructional strategy designed to engage students in learning core concepts and competencies through careful reading of primary literature in a scaffolded fashion. CREATE has been successfully implemented by many instructors across diverse institutional contexts and has been shown to help students develop in the affective, cognitive, and epistemological domains, consistent with broader meta-analyses demonstrating the effectiveness of active learning. Nonetheless, some studies on CREATE have reported discrepant results, raising important questions on effectiveness in relation to the fidelity and integrity of implementation. Here, we describe an upper-division genetics course that incorporates a modified version of CREATE. Similar to the original CREATE instructional strategy, our intervention’s design was based on existing learning principles. Using existing concept inventories and validated survey instruments, we found that our modified CREATE intervention promotes higher affective and cognitive gains in students in contrast to three comparison groups. We also found that students tended to underpredict their learning and performance in the modified CREATE intervention, while students in some comparison groups had the opposite trend. Together, our results contribute to the expanding literature on how and why different implementations of the same active-learning strategy contribute to student outcomes.

Effect of a Concurrent Enrollment Preparatory Course on Student Achievement and Persistence in General Chemistry

“…Variation theory describes the discrepancy between what an instructor intends to accomplish in a curriculum and what individual students may take away from the same in-class activities. , In some instances, students in a course with interactive elements underpredict their academic performance in relation to their actual grade outcomes . Students perceptions of the GCA+ course should be interpreted within this literature framework and existing evidence.…”

“…43,44 In some instances, students in a course with interactive elements underpredict their academic performance in relation to their actual grade outcomes. 45 Students perceptions of the GCA+ course should be interpreted within this literature framework and existing evidence.…”

From Novice To Expert: An Assessment To Measure Strategies Students Implement While Learning To Read Primary Scientific Literature

“…In addition to increased science literacy, studies have shown increases in student effective and cognitive gains, increases in student interest in the course material, and increases in students’ confidence in science communication ( 2 – 4 ). Moreover, educational interventions using PSL at the undergraduate level are well documented and include journal clubs ( 5 , 6 ), variations of consider, read, elucidate the hypotheses, analyze and interpret the data, and think of the next experiment (C.R.E.A.T.E.)…”

“…Moreover, educational interventions using PSL at the undergraduate level are well documented and include journal clubs ( 5 , 6 ), variations of consider, read, elucidate the hypotheses, analyze and interpret the data, and think of the next experiment (C.R.E.A.T.E.) ( 2 , 7 – 12 ), circular response ( 13 ), process-oriented guided inquiry learning (POGIL) activities ( 14 ), Jigsaw activities ( 15 ), Figure Facts ( 16 ), annotated articles ( 17 ), and comprehension exercises ( 18 ).…”

Sharing Notes Is Encouraged: Annotating and Cocreating with Hypothes.is and Google Docs †

“…Often, students highlight long passages or read over unfamiliar jargon without fully comprehending the significance and details of a study. Several approaches have been described to promote the critical reading and analysis of primary literature (4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9). While these methods provide structure, students often read and analyze in isolation, as the methods do not facilitate virtual and open peer collaboration.…”