The following events are scheduled in March 2025
- Wed., March 5: Enhancing your NARST Conference Experience
- Wed., March 5: Well-being Check-In and Community Building Towards NARST 2025: Make API NARST Friends!
- Thurs., March 6: Multiple Assessment Measures to Create a Holistic View of a Biotechnology Course at an HBCU
- Sat., March 29: Navigating Science Education in the AI Era: A Critical Reflection for Science Educators
Review the details below and register to join us!
Enhancing Your NARST Conference Experience
Wednesday, March 5 | 4:00 - 5:00 p.m. EST
This virtual session, collaboratively organized by NARST Fellows in support of the Membership Committee, is designed to equip new attendees with practical strategies for maximizing their NARST conference experience. Esteemed Fellows, including Lynn Bryan, Ron Blonder, and Elizabeth Mavhunga, will lead this interactive session, offering insights on building professional networks, exploring emerging research topics and methodologies, and effectively utilizing conference resources. Whether attendees are first-time participants or experienced researchers, this session provides actionable advice to enhance their engagement and participation at NARST. Additionally, the session aims to strengthen connections between members and Fellows, fostering collaboration, mentorship, and a sense of community within NARST.
Register for the March 5 Event
Well-Being Check-In and Community Building Towards NARST 2025: Make API NARST Friends!
Wednesday, March 5 | 8:00 - 9:30 p.m. EST
In response to the recent NARST API Town Hall Meeting, the NARST API leadership is offering a special webinar prior to the 2025 NARST conference. This event aims to provide a space for API members, in particular junior API scholars, and their allies to share their stories and concerns and broaden their support networks through NARST. During this one-and-a-half-hour session, participants will be invited to choose the topic or problems that they are interested in, engage in conversation with others in breakout rooms, and discuss how to participate and engage in the upcoming NARST conference.
Register for the March 5 Event
Multiple Assessment Measures to Create a Holistic View of a Biotechnology Course at an HBCU
Thursday, March 6 | 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. EST
Assessing science laboratory learning environments throughout a course is a rare phenomenon in post-secondary institutions. In this study, fourth-year students/rising seniors were actively involved in providing feedback using a variety of assessment strategies in a biotechnology course that allows students to experience hands–on research. The objective was to provide actionable feedback so that the instructor could to improve the learning environment or in the instructional delivery. The Science Laboratory Environment Inventory (SLEI), comprising five scales, compared students’ preferred environment at the beginning of the course (pretest) to students’ actual perceptions at the end of the course (posttest). Other assessment strategies included the Academic Self-Efficacy Survey, concept maps, student grades, and the university’s generic end-of-course evaluation. Our findings revealed that actual perceptions exceeded preferred environments on four of the five SLEI scales, an uncommon but positive outcome. However, only Integration was statistically significant (p<0.05). Data from the study indicates that instructors and administrators should rely on multiple evaluation tools and student input encompassing both the cognitive and affective domains to refine teaching strategies and the learning environment. This replicable model provides STEM educators with a framework to enhance learning outcomes through multifaceted evaluations, supporting continuous improvement in laboratory-based courses.
Register for the March 6 Event
Navigating Science Education in the AI Era: A Critical Reflection for Science Educators
Saturday, March 29 | 8:00 - 9:00 a.m. EST
This virtual event will present in-depth discussions about the challenges and opportunities brought by generative AI in science education. The session will share insights from Korean educators who are actively implementing AI in educational settings, such as AI-enhanced digital textbooks. We will explore practical considerations for educational implementation, future changes, challenges, and current case studies of AI agents in education. The discussion will provide valuable insights for educators navigating this technological transition in science education.
