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SUMMARY:Theory into Practice, Practices into Theory
LOCATION:Yates 306
TZID:America/Denver
DTSTART:20153201T000000
UID:2026-04-29-12-40-06@natsci.colostate.edu
DTSTAMP:20260429T124006
Description:Experts in many fields not only know more than novices\; they o
 rganize and use their knowledge very differently than novices. Most of our
  biology majors begin college as novices\, and find it difficult to organi
 ze and connect concepts and knowledge. How do they become more expert thin
 kers and biologists? My research seeks to characterize the changes\, espec
 ially early changes\, that signal shifts to more expert-like thinking for 
 undergraduate biologists. Using the Biology Problem Sorting Task\, student
 s sort and categorize biology problems at the beginning and end of single 
 semesters of introductory biology. My team is collecting data from student
 s enrolled in first and second semester courses for majors and non-majors\
 , from systematic observations of classroom environments\, and from demogr
 aphics\, in order to develop mechanistic and predictive models about who a
 dvances\, and under what circumstances. Early results point to the importa
 nce of incorporating scientific practices in our undergraduate biology cou
 rses. My research is also helping to systematically identify particularly 
 difficult concepts and misconceptions that may inhibit the development of 
 student expertise. This research has applications in systematic and finer-
 grained curriculum planning\, and has the potential to target measures tha
 t boost retention and advancement toward mastery. 2:00 pm
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