Using Scientific Poster Presentations to Scaffold Professional Communication Skill Experiences into Biochemistry Courses

Sherrer, Shanen M.

doi:10.1021/bk-2020-1365.ch009

Cited by 4 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…They are great opportunities for students to convey technical information using an active process. Depending on the audience members or trade show attendees they are talking with, background knowledge may differ (Sherrer 2020). Therefore, the students need to be able to communicate both technical and general information to multiple rounds of visitors.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Classroom Trade Show: An Alternative to Traditional Classroom Presentations in an Undergraduate Plant Identification Course

Miller

2023

hortte

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Students enrolled in a landscape plant identification course were assigned a plant project at the beginning of the semester that comprised a written portion and a presentation portion. During the Spring 2014 semester, an electronic slide presentation portion was replaced by a “trade show” display presentation format. The modification was implemented to provide a more meaningful and applicable learning experience because trade shows are important events in the horticulture industry. Using this format, students were required to present or sell their plant genus by constructing an informative display, similar to that used for a tradeshow. Groups of students presented on different days. Students who were not presenting or selling were the “customers,” and they perused the trade show to learn about the various genera. A postactivity assessment survey was administered to gain insight into the student learning experience. The activity was evaluated during five spring semesters. Students responded that they were more comfortable with the trade show style of presentation than with a traditional presentation style, with a Likert scale rating of 1.5 (1–5). When asked to rate their ability to be creative with this activity, students agreed (Likert scale rating of 4.2) that the trade show activity allowed them to be creative. Eighty-nine percent of the students liked the activity. When asked to rate the activity compared with a more traditional speech in front of the class, students gave it a rating of 1.4, which is between excellent and above average. During the five semesters, nearly all students (97%) recommended that the trade show activity should be implemented again in future classes. The trade show format was well-received by students and can assist with the professional skills development of students.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Classroom Trade Show: An Alternative to Traditional Classroom Presentations in an Undergraduate Plant Identification Course

Miller

2023

hortte

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“…Our Biochemistry I and II courses assess collaboration in the lecture courses through semester-long projects, a putative protein bioinformatics project in Biochemistry I and a grant proposal project in Biochemistry II. 14,15 In General Chemistry II and Physical Chemistry I, collaboration is assessed in the lab portion of the courses at the conclusion of each teambased laboratory project.…”

Section: Scaffolding Collaboration In the Curriculummentioning

confidence: 99%

Teaching and assessing undergraduate collaboration skills scaffolded through the biochemistry curriculum using collaboration rubrics and student learning contracts

Mertz

Sherrer

Bowers

2023

Biochem Molecular Bio Educ

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The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at St. Mary's College of Maryland has scaffolded collaboration skills throughout the Biochemistry curriculum and developed several assessment tools to evaluate these skills. Biochemistry I and II have used team contracts at the beginning of extensive team projects where students identify their strengths, review expectations, and plan for group communication. At the conclusion of each project, each student assesses their own contributions and team members for various parts of the project. A common collaboration rubric was also applied in Biochemistry I and II as well as in two other courses, General Chemistry II Lab and Physical Chemistry I Lab, for students to evaluate themself and team members using the following subcategories: quality of work, commitment, leadership, communication, and analysis. In Biochemistry I and II, we used this rubric for multiple assignments that are part of the projects in the lecture courses. In the General Chemistry II Lab, we provided elements of this rubric within an evaluation form that reflects these collaboration attributes after each lab experience, so students can assess and report privately on their experiences as part of their collaboration grade for the course. A similar collaboration rubric is completed by students for each team‐based laboratory within Physical Chemistry I. We also demonstrate different ways that instructors can use the data from these assessment tools. In our department, we are using these tools to frame the importance of collaboration skills and collecting data to inform our teaching of these skills. Preliminary data suggest that our curriculum is successfully teaching students how to be good collaborators.

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“…Effective communication skills are no longer considered a luxury in chemical enterprise. Instead, meaningful writing and persuasive speaking for a broad range of audiences have become integral parts of the standard core professional skills required for scientific and professional success in the workforce − and graduate school. − Despite recent discourse emphasizing the importance of scientific communication, especially in a scholarly sense, it is a perennial problem originating at the undergraduate level. , It is well documented that undergraduate science students frequently struggle with written − and oral − communication skills. ,− This persists into graduate school, − ,− the medical fields, − and the workforce. ,,,, To meet this challenge, educators have been urged to adopt curricular changes that will foster strong communication skills in their students. ,,,− …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Scientific Method as a Scaffold to Enhance Communication Skills in Chemistry

et al. 2022

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Scientific success in the field of chemistry depends upon the mastery of a wide range of soft skills, most notably scientific writing and speaking. However, training for scientific communication is typically limited at the undergraduate level, where students struggle to express themselves in a clear and logical manner. The underlying issue is deeper than basic technical skills; rather, it is a problem of students’ unawareness of a fundamental and strategic framework for writing and speaking with a purpose. The methodology has been implemented for individual mentorship and in our regional summer research program to deliver a blueprint of thought and reasoning that endows students with the confidence and skills to become more effective communicators. Our didactic process intertwines undergraduate research with the scientific method and is partitioned into six steps, referred to as “phases”, to allow for focused and deep thinking on the essential components of the scientific method. The phases are designed to challenge the student in their zone of proximal development so they learn to extract and ultimately comprehend the elements of the scientific method through focused written and oral assignments. Students then compile their newly acquired knowledge to create a compelling and logical story, using their persuasive written and oral presentations to complete a research proposal, final report, and formal 20 min presentation. We find that such an approach delivers the necessary guidance to promote the logical framework that improves writing and speaking skills. Over the past decade, we have witnessed both qualitative and quantitative gains in the students’ confidence in their abilities and skills (developed by this process), preparing them for future careers as young scientists.

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Using Scientific Poster Presentations to Scaffold Professional Communication Skill Experiences into Biochemistry Courses

Cited by 4 publications

References 22 publications

Classroom Trade Show: An Alternative to Traditional Classroom Presentations in an Undergraduate Plant Identification Course

Classroom Trade Show: An Alternative to Traditional Classroom Presentations in an Undergraduate Plant Identification Course

Teaching and assessing undergraduate collaboration skills scaffolded through the biochemistry curriculum using collaboration rubrics and student learning contracts

The Scientific Method as a Scaffold to Enhance Communication Skills in Chemistry

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