title: Integrating Concepts in BiologyTextbook Increases Learning: Assessment Triangulation Using Concept Inventory, Card Sorting, and MCAT Instruments, Followed by Longitudinal Tracking.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to examine the educational impact of an intervention, the inquiry-focused textbookIntegrating Concepts in Biology(ICB), when used in a yearlong introductory biology course sequence. Student learning was evaluated using three published instruments: 1) The Biology Concept Inventory probed depth of student mastery of fundamental concepts in organismal and cellular topics when confronting misconceptions as distractors.ICBstudents had higher gains in all six topic categories (+43% vs. peers overall,p <0.01). 2) The Biology Card Sorting Task assessed whether students organized biological ideas more superficially, as novices do, or based on deeper concepts, like experts. The frequency with whichICBstudents connected deep-concept pairs, or triplets, was similar to peers; but deep understanding of structure/function was much higher (for pairs: 77% vs. 25%,p <0.01). 3) A content-focused Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) posttest comparedICBstudent content knowledge with that of peers from 15 prior years. Historically, MCAT performance for each semester ranged from 53% to 64%; theICBcohort scored 62%, in the top quintile. Longitudinal tracking in five upper-level science courses the following year foundICBstudents outperformed peers in physiology (85% vs. 80%,p <0.01).
authors.affiliation: Lyman Briggs College, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48825 luckie@msu.edu.|STEM Learning Laboratory, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48825.|Department of Physiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48825.
authors.forename: Douglas B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Luckie
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology and Microbiology, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD 57007.
authors.forename: Anne-Marie
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Hoskinson
authors.affiliation: Lyman Briggs College, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48825.|STEM Learning Laboratory, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48825.
authors.forename: Caleigh E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Griffin
authors.affiliation: Lyman Briggs College, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48825.|STEM Learning Laboratory, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48825.
authors.forename: Andrea L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Hess
authors.affiliation: Lyman Briggs College, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48825.|STEM Learning Laboratory, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48825.
authors.forename: Katrina J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Price
authors.affiliation: Lyman Briggs College, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48825.|STEM Learning Laboratory, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48825.
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tawa
authors.affiliation: Lyman Briggs College, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48825.|STEM Learning Laboratory, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48825.
authors.forename: Samantha M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Thacker
mesh_terms: D001695:Biology / Q000193:education*; D003099:College Admission Test; D004521:Educational Measurement; D006801:Humans; D019359:Knowledge; D007858:Learning; D013334:Students; D013337:Students, Medical