Journal Of Undergraduate Neuroscience Education[JOURNAL]
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200 papers
Integrating Research into the Undergraduate Curriculum: 3. Research Training in the Upper-level Neuroscience Curriculum.
Chase L, McMurray M, Stavnezer AJ … +4 more , Buffalari D, Fernandes JJ, Lom B, Morrison ME
J Undergrad Neurosci Educ · 2020 · PMID 33880094
The benefits of undergraduate training in research are significant. Integration of such training into the undergraduate experience, however, can be challenging at institutions without extensive research programs, and may...
The benefits of undergraduate training in research are significant. Integration of such training into the undergraduate experience, however, can be challenging at institutions without extensive research programs, and may inadvertently exclude some populations of students. Therefore, inclusion of research into the academic curriculum ensures all students can access this important training. The 2019 annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience included a workshop on integrating research into the curriculum at primarily undergraduate institutions (PUIs). In this last article of a three-part series, we describe models for integrating research into advanced stages of the undergraduate curriculum, specifically for juniors and seniors. First, we describe multiple models of faculty-mentored group-based research. Second, we detail a peer-mentored research system, in which seniors mentor groups of first through third year students. Third, we describe multiple examples of integrating research into "capstone" courses for seniors. Fourth, we describe models in which a senior thesis is a graduation requirement for all students. Lastly, we describe several models of implementing an optional honors thesis for students. Although similarities exist across these programs, their differences allow for specific secondary objectives to be met, which are often unique to institutions and/or departments. Therefore, for each of these examples, we describe the context, specific design, and required student assessments. We conclude by discussing some of the key successes and challenges of developing programs that facilitate undergraduate research by upper-level students, and suggest a number of concepts that should be considered by individuals developing and assessing new programs.
Integrating Research into the Undergraduate Curriculum: 2. Scaffolding Research Skills and Transitioning toward Independent Research.
Morrison ME, Lom B, Buffalari D … +4 more , Chase L, Fernandes JJ, McMurray MS, Stavnezer AJ
J Undergrad Neurosci Educ · 2020 · PMID 33880093
Undergraduate research experiences are widely regarded as high-impact practices that foster meaningful mentoring relationships, enhance retention and graduation, and stimulate postbaccalaureate enrollment in STEM graduat...
Undergraduate research experiences are widely regarded as high-impact practices that foster meaningful mentoring relationships, enhance retention and graduation, and stimulate postbaccalaureate enrollment in STEM graduate and professional programs. Through immersion in a mentored original research project, student develop and apply their skills in critical thinking, problem solving, intellectual independence, communication, collaboration, project ownership, innovation, and leadership. These skills are readily transferable to a wide array of future careers in and beyond STEM that are well-served by evidence-based approaches. The 2019 Society for Neuroscience meeting included a well-attended workshop on integrating research into the curriculum at primarily undergraduate institutions (PUIs). This article is the second of three articles that summarize, analyze, and expand the workshop discussions. In this second article, we specifically describe approaches to transitional research courses that prepare students for independent research experiences such as undergraduate research theses. Educators can intentionally scaffold research experience and skills across the curriculum, to foster participation in scientific research and enhance diversity, equity, and inclusivity in research training. This article provides an overview of important goals and considerations for intermediate undergraduate research experiences, specific examples from several institutions of transitional courses that scaffold research preparation using different structures, and a summary of lessons learned from these experiences.
Integrating Research into the Undergraduate Curriculum: 1. Early Research Experiences and Training.
Buffalari D, Fernandes JJ, Chase L … +4 more , Lom B, McMurray MS, Morrison ME, Stavnezer AJ
J Undergrad Neurosci Educ · 2020 · PMID 33880092
Undergraduate research experiences have emerged as some of the most beneficial high-impact practices in education, providing clear benefits to students that include improved critical thinking and scientific reasoning, in...
Undergraduate research experiences have emerged as some of the most beneficial high-impact practices in education, providing clear benefits to students that include improved critical thinking and scientific reasoning, increased academic performance, and enhanced retention both within STEM majors and in college overall. These benefits extend to faculty members as well. Several disciplines, including neuroscience, have implemented research as part of their curriculum, yet many research opportunities target late stage undergraduates, despite evidence that early engagement can maximize the beneficial nature of such work. A 2019 Society for Neuroscience professional development workshop provided multiple examples of integrating research into an undergraduate curriculum, including early engagement (Fernandes, 2020). This article is the first in a series of three that expands upon the information presented in those workshop discussions, focusing on ways to promote early research opportunities. The benefits and challenges associated with early research engagement suggest thoughtful consideration of the best mechanisms for implementation are warranted; some options might include apprenticeship models or course-based approaches. Regardless of mechanism, early research can serve to initiate more prolonged, progressive, scaffolded experiences that span the academic undergraduate career.
Physiologists turned Geneticists: Identifying transcripts and genes for neuronal function in the Marbled Crayfish, .
Stein W, Talasu S, Vidal-Gadea A … +1 more , DeMaegd ML
J Undergrad Neurosci Educ · 2020 · PMID 33880091
The number of undergraduate researchers interested in pursuing neurophysiological research exceeds the research laboratory positions and hands-on course experiences available because these types of experiments often requ...
The number of undergraduate researchers interested in pursuing neurophysiological research exceeds the research laboratory positions and hands-on course experiences available because these types of experiments often require extensive experience or expensive equipment. In contrast, genetic and molecular tools can more easily incorporate undergraduates with less time or training. With the explosion of newly sequenced genomes and transcriptomes, there is a large pool of untapped molecular and genetic information which would greatly inform neurophysiological processes. Classically trained neurophysiologists often struggle to make use of newly available genetic information for themselves and their trainees, despite the clear advantage of combining genetic and physiological techniques. This is particularly prevalent among researchers working with organisms that historically had no or only few genetic tools available. Combining these two fields will expose undergraduates to a greater variety of research approaches, concepts, and hands-on experiences. The goal of this manuscript is to provide an easily understandable and reproducible workflow that can be applied in both lab and classroom settings to identify genes involved in neuronal function. We outline clear learning objectives that can be acquired by following our workflow and assessed by peer-evaluation. Using our workflow, we identify and validate the sequence of two new Gamma Aminobutyric Acid A (GABAA) receptor subunit homologs in the recently published genome and transcriptome of the marbled crayfish, . Altogether, this allows undergraduate students to apply their knowledge of the processes of gene expression to functional neuronal outcomes. It also provides them with opportunities to contribute significantly to physiological research, thereby exposing them to interdisciplinary approaches.
Evaluation of Students' Conceptual Organization of Neuroscience May Depend on the Expert Referent.
Stevenson JL, Yeagley NC, Bish JP
J Undergrad Neurosci Educ · 2020 · PMID 33880090
The Structural Assessment of Knowledge (SAK) is an implicit form of evaluation, which examines the organization of knowledge structures or networks. The current study investigates variability in expert knowledge structur...
The Structural Assessment of Knowledge (SAK) is an implicit form of evaluation, which examines the organization of knowledge structures or networks. The current study investigates variability in expert knowledge structures of neuroscience concepts, and whether different expert referents affect undergraduate students' learning of neuronal physiology and structure and function relationships across different course levels. Experts and students made pairwise ratings of terms on their relatedness. Students completed the ratings before and after learning in the classroom. Using Pathfinder software, students' networks were compared to three expert networks: their individual professor, an average of neuroscience professors at their institution, and an average of neuroscience professors in the field across multiple institutions. Neuroscience experts had large variability in the number of links in their networks. Furthermore, an exploratory analysis suggests experts' training may differentiate knowledge structures for some concepts. For student knowledge structures, the type of expert referent interacted with the type of class for neuronal physiology, but not structure and function relationships. More specifically, for neuronal physiology, advanced students were more similar to their professor than professors at their institution or professors in the field, but introductory students' similarity did not vary by expert referent. These findings highlight the role factors such as type of class, type of expert referent, and type of knowledge may play in comparisons using SAK. These issues may be more complex in interdisciplinary fields like neuroscience.
Dissecting the Molecular and Neural Circuit Bases of Behavior as an Introduction to Discovery-Driven Research; A Report on a Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience.
Himmel NJ, Letcher JM, Cox DN
J Undergrad Neurosci Educ · 2020 · PMID 33880089
Herein we discuss a Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) developed in order to engage novice undergraduates in active learning and discovery-driven original research. This course leverages the powerful g...
Herein we discuss a Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) developed in order to engage novice undergraduates in active learning and discovery-driven original research. This course leverages the powerful genetic toolkits available for in order to investigate the cellular and molecular bases of cold nociception. Given the relatively inexpensive nature of rearing, a growing suite of publicly available neurogenomic data, large collections of transgenic stocks available through community stock centers, and 's highly stereotyped behaviors, this CURE design constitutes a cost-effective approach to introduce students to principles and techniques in genetics, genomics, behavioral neuroscience, research design, and scientific presentation. Moreover, we discuss how this paradigm might be adapted for continued use in investigating any number of systems and/or behaviors - a property we posit is key to impactful CURE design.
Reproducible Quantitative Stimulation Allows New Analysis of Crayfish Muscle Receptor Organ Responses.
Ambrosini AE, Gelperin A
J Undergrad Neurosci Educ · 2020 · PMID 33880088
The crustacean muscle receptor organ (MRO) has provided a particularly accessible preparation for the study of sensory coding, which has been widely used in introductory laboratory courses incorporating extracellular rec...
The crustacean muscle receptor organ (MRO) has provided a particularly accessible preparation for the study of sensory coding, which has been widely used in introductory laboratory courses incorporating extracellular recording from sensory nerves in living preparations. We describe three innovations to the standard laboratory exercise using the MRO: (1) a new form of suction electrode to facilitate extracellular recording; (2) a new, Arduino-driven actuator to allow reproducible and quantifiable mechanical stimulation of the MRO; and (3) a new approach to the crayfish abdomen preparation that allows linear extension of the MRO muscles. These novel approaches allow the collection of data sets comprised of sensory cell spike trains under software control as important mechanical stimulus parameters are varied systematically through software. This additional level of user control facilitates a more robust quantitative approach to the analysis of MRO sensory neuron spike trains, which is facilitated by training in data analysis using python.
Faculty for Undergraduate Neuroscience (FUN) Statement on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
Bayline RJ, Morrison ME, Illig KR … +12 more , Martinez-Acosta VG, Becker LA, Favero CB, McFarlane HG, Chase LA, Banks SML, Griffin GD, Robinson S, Rose JK, Tong MT, Basu AC, Chan JP
J Undergrad Neurosci Educ · 2020 · PMID 32848524
Abstract loading — click title to view on PubMed.
When the COVID-19 Pandemic Changed Neuroscience Education.
Ramos RL
J Undergrad Neurosci Educ · 2020 · PMID 32848523
Abstract loading — click title to view on PubMed.
Meningitis in College Students: Using a Case Study to Expose Introductory Neuroscience Students to Primary Scientific Literature and Applications of Neuroscience.
Rollins L
J Undergrad Neurosci Educ · 2020 · PMID 32848522
This case study was based on a popular press news article about Krystle Beauchamp Gridley's experience with meningitis while in college (Miller, 2019). Students in an introductory neuroscience course read the popular pre...
This case study was based on a popular press news article about Krystle Beauchamp Gridley's experience with meningitis while in college (Miller, 2019). Students in an introductory neuroscience course read the popular press news article as well as an empirical article that identified risk factors for contracting meningococcal disease in college (Bruce et al., 2001). Students used information from the empirical article to identify Krystle's risk factors for meningitis. Then, students evaluated their University's policy on students receiving the meningococcal vaccine based on what they had learned. This case supports two important goals of neuroscience education, 1) exposing students to primary scientific literature early in their undergraduate education and 2) developing an understanding of the broader implications of scientific research for society. Students enjoyed learning about meningitis using the case-study method, reading the primary scientific article, and considering how scientific research can be applied to policy decisions. Further, the case was instrumental in supporting the content and process learning objectives.
Undergraduate Participation in the Society for Neuroscience.
Ramos RL, Comiskey M, Dowling J … +2 more , McFarlane HG, Betz AJ
J Undergrad Neurosci Educ · 2020 · PMID 32848521
Undergraduate neuroscience education has grown substantially in the US as well as participation in outreach and research activities by undergraduates. In line with these observations, undergraduates may also be seeking m...
Undergraduate neuroscience education has grown substantially in the US as well as participation in outreach and research activities by undergraduates. In line with these observations, undergraduates may also be seeking membership in the Society for Neuroscience (SfN) as well as attending the SfN annual meeting. Data in the present report show that undergraduate membership in SfN has increased between 2013 and 2019 as well as annual undergraduate SfN meeting attendance and abstract submissions for research presentations. Increases were observed for both US and international undergraduates. These data are discussed in the context of motivations of undergraduates to pursue future academic training and/or careers in neuroscience. These data are important to faculty and administrators at institutions that currently have or seek to establish new undergraduate neuroscience programs given membership in a professional society and attendance at a major conference can positively impact academic and professional development.
Quantifying the Effects of Two Local Anesthetics on the Crayfish Stretch Receptor Organ: An Integrated Neurophysiology Lab.
Ewing MD, Medler S
J Undergrad Neurosci Educ · 2020 · PMID 32848520
The crayfish stretch receptor organ (SRO) preparation represents a robust experimental model for undergraduate laboratory experiences. For example, this preparation may be included as part of a course-based undergraduate...
The crayfish stretch receptor organ (SRO) preparation represents a robust experimental model for undergraduate laboratory experiences. For example, this preparation may be included as part of a course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE), where students work independently to plan and carry out their own experiments. In the current paper, we provide an example of how local anesthetics may be used to manipulate the SRO preparation and to perform quantitative analyses of SRO action potential firing rates. Local anesthetics provide interesting tools for manipulating physiological responses within the nervous system. A variety of inexpensive anesthetics are available for student use and each of these is expected to inhibit neurophysiological responses. While specific anesthetics exhibit subtle differences in chemical organization, they are generally understood to block voltage gated sodium channels. In the current study, we investigated the effects of two local anesthetics, MS-222 and procaine, on the action potential firing rate from the crayfish SRO. Using quantitative analyses of SRO action potential generation, we determined that each anesthetic has unique inhibitory effects on action potential firing rate that may be explained by their neuropharmacological properties. This manipulation may thus be utilized as an interesting experimental tool in undergraduate teaching laboratories. Local anesthetics applied to crayfish SRO preparations can thus be used to deepen student understanding of local anesthetics, exercise quantitative analyses, and provide experimental tools for independent experimental design.
Cocktail Napkin Presentations: Design of an Activity to Enhance Undergraduate Communication and Critical Evaluation of Neuroscience Primary Literature.
Vidal GS
J Undergrad Neurosci Educ · 2020 · PMID 32848519
Distilling complex neuroscientific ideas in a succinct and elegant way is an art. The distilled product must have smoothly flowing logic, communicate a substantial body of knowledge, and be easily digestible by the audie...
Distilling complex neuroscientific ideas in a succinct and elegant way is an art. The distilled product must have smoothly flowing logic, communicate a substantial body of knowledge, and be easily digestible by the audience. At the same time, the essence of scientific accuracy and experimental design cannot be lost in the distillation process. When undergraduates encounter primary literature for the first time, they are often stifled by its overpowering complexity and astringent technicality, but can quickly learn how exciting and interesting some of their subtle findings can be. Here, the design of a novel learning activity is presented that utilizes a cocktail napkin to synthesize the knowledge and skills required for fluidity in neuroscience primary literature. The activity was implemented within the context of an upper-level developmental neurobiology course for biology majors. The activity was designed specifically to increase neuroscience literacy and oral communication. The activity appeared to address a needed shift in students' attitudes to reading primary literature, and students additionally remarked how deeply engaged they were with the literature. When paired with mentored instruction, students' values toward neuroscience appeared to change as they learned to produce distillations that were rich in content and delightful to the scientific mind.
Comparing Active Learning to Team-Based Learning in Undergraduate Neuroscience.
Ng M, Newpher TM
J Undergrad Neurosci Educ · 2020 · PMID 32848518
Team-based learning (TBL) is a special form of collaborative learning that involves the use of permanent working teams throughout the semester. In this highly structured and interactive teaching method, students perform...
Team-based learning (TBL) is a special form of collaborative learning that involves the use of permanent working teams throughout the semester. In this highly structured and interactive teaching method, students perform preparatory activities outside of class to gain factual knowledge and understand basic concepts. In class, students collaborate with peers to apply content, analyze findings, and synthesize new ideas. To better understand the learning outcomes specific to TBL courses, we analyzed end-of-semester course evaluations from an undergraduate neuroscience course taught using either a moderate structure active learning or TBL format. Our analysis reveals that the TBL taught classes had significantly higher levels of self-reported learning in the areas of gaining, understanding, and synthesizing knowledge. We propose that these gains are driven by the TBL readiness assurance process and peer evaluations. Both of these structural components are expected to increase student accountability, motivation, and engagement with course content.
Using Motor Mutants to Teach Neurodevelopment in an Undergraduate Neurobiology Lab.
Rothhaas S, Wright MC, Swanson C
J Undergrad Neurosci Educ · 2020 · PMID 32848517
Most undergraduate neuroscience courses include a neurodevelopment component. Typically, the focus is on development of the mammalian central nervous system, including the concepts of neurulation, patterning of the neura...
Most undergraduate neuroscience courses include a neurodevelopment component. Typically, the focus is on development of the mammalian central nervous system, including the concepts of neurulation, patterning of the neural tube, and differentiation of the various cells required to build a functional nervous system. However, it can be challenging to design an affordable undergraduate laboratory exercise to reinforce these concepts for students outside of lecture. Here we describe a laboratory exercise that takes advantage of the high level of conservation in neurodevelopmental pathways using as a model organism to illuminate the connection between cell differentiation and nervous system function. Following a lesson discussing spinal cord development, students use larvae to assess the effects of mutations in highly conserved motor neuron differentiation genes on motor behaviors such as crawling. As outcomes of this laboratory, students are able to master important neurodevelopmental concepts, connect neurodevelopment to nervous system function, and gain experience with experimental design and data analysis.
Chick Embryonic Primary Astrocyte Cultures Provide an Effective and Scalable Model for Authentic Research in a Laboratory Class.
Haskew-Layton RE, Minkler JR
J Undergrad Neurosci Educ · 2020 · PMID 32848516
Cell culture provides an impactful tool for undergraduates to study a range of neurobiological processes. While immortalized or cancer cell lines offer a level of convenience for undergraduate research, particularly for...
Cell culture provides an impactful tool for undergraduates to study a range of neurobiological processes. While immortalized or cancer cell lines offer a level of convenience for undergraduate research, particularly for larger scale course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) or project-based learning (PBL), primary cell cultures more closely retain the characteristics of the tissue of origin, allowing students to engage in a wider range of authentic research projects. Astrocytes have gained increasing attention for their role in modulating neuronal viability and are at the forefront of neuroprotection research. Here we describe a method of primary astrocyte culture preparation, derived from embryonic day 8 chicken embryos, optimized for a cell biology laboratory class. The primary astrocytes, prepared and maintained by undergraduates, were used as the model system for student-centered research projects in which students investigated cytoskeletal changes in response to drug treatments. Students reported several learning gains from the experience. The ease of the primary culture method for novice research students allows greater flexibility in designing authentic and scalable research experiences.
Interactive Student-Centered Neuroscience Workshops for Sixth Graders Enhance Science Knowledge and Education Attitudes.
Toledo MA, Koochak N, Gupta A … +3 more , López LN, Nieri T, Currás-Collazo MC
J Undergrad Neurosci Educ · 2020 · PMID 32848515
UCNeuro, a University of California, Riverside student-run organization, developed, implemented, and tested a school-based supplemental science intervention. The purpose of this intervention was to improve students' neur...
UCNeuro, a University of California, Riverside student-run organization, developed, implemented, and tested a school-based supplemental science intervention. The purpose of this intervention was to improve students' neuroscience knowledge and education attitudes and meet, in part, California's new elementary science education standards. The intervention consisted of interactive, hands-on neuroscience workshops on the structure of a neuron, neuron-to-neuron communication, brain structure and function, autonomic nervous system function, and drug effects on the brain. Under the supervision of a faculty neuroscientist, undergraduate students implemented the intervention with 77 sixth-grade students in one school in Riverside County, California. Pre- and post-test results showed increases in students' neuroscience knowledge, confidence in achieving their goals, likeliness to go to college, and desire to attend school. Excitement about learning science material and school learning opportunities did not change after the workshops. We hope that the UCNeuro workshops can be employed and adapted to the existing curriculum to improve knowledge in the life sciences while California's new elementary science standards are being operationalized.
3D Printing Neuron Equivalent Circuits: An Undergraduate Laboratory Exercise.
Giglia G, Crisp K, Musotto G … +2 more , Sardo P, Ferraro G
J Undergrad Neurosci Educ · 2019 · PMID 31983906
The electrical equivalent circuit for a neuron is composed of common electrical components in a configuration that replicates the passive electrical properties and behaviors of the neural membrane. It is a powerful tool...
The electrical equivalent circuit for a neuron is composed of common electrical components in a configuration that replicates the passive electrical properties and behaviors of the neural membrane. It is a powerful tool used to derive such fundamental neurophysiological equations as the Hodgkin-Huxley equations, and it is also the basis for well-known exercises that help students to model the passive (Ohmic) properties of the neuronal membrane. Unfortunately, as these exercises require basic knowledge of electronics, they are generally not physically conducted in biomedical courses, but remain merely conceptual exercises in a book or simulations on a computer. In such manifestations, they lack the "hands-on" appeal for students and teachers afforded by laboratory experimentations. Here, we propose a new approach to these experiments in which a desktop 3D printer and conductive paint are used to build the circuit and the popular programmable microcontroller, the Arduino UNO, is used as a graphical oscilloscope when connected to a standard computer. This set-up has the advantage of being very easy to build and less clumsy than a circuit in a prototyping board or connected with alligator clips, with the added benefit of being conveniently portable for classroom demonstrations. Most importantly, this method allows the monitoring of real-time changes in the current flowing through the circuit by means of a graphical display (by way of the Arduino) at a fraction of the cost of commercially available oscilloscopes.
JUNE: Continuing to Advance Neuroscience Education in the New Decade.
Ramos RL
J Undergrad Neurosci Educ · 2019 · PMID 31983905
Abstract loading — click title to view on PubMed.
'Without A Key': A Classroom Case Study.
Watson TD
J Undergrad Neurosci Educ · 2019 · PMID 31983904
This case study uses a narrative focused on locked-in syndrome to engage upper-level undergraduate students with functional neuroanatomy, clinical neuroscience, and brain computer interface technology. Students 'diagnose...
This case study uses a narrative focused on locked-in syndrome to engage upper-level undergraduate students with functional neuroanatomy, clinical neuroscience, and brain computer interface technology. Students 'diagnose' the etiology of a composite patient's symptoms using behavioral, neurological, neuroimaging, and electrophysiological test results. Students work both in small groups and as a class to develop analytical and communication skills by exploring the underpinnings, symptoms, and outcomes of locked-in syndrome and how behavioral and brain computer interface techniques could be used to improve quality of life in patients. A complete, detailed description of classroom implementation and the case narratives are available from the corresponding author or from cases.at.june@gmail.com.
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