“Metacognition and Study Strategies as Drivers of Student Success in Biology”

Dr. Adrienne Williams,
Assistant Teaching Professor, Developmental & Cell Biology
University of California, Irvine

We want students who complete our classes to be able to describe important biological concepts and analyze scientific papers. We also want our students from all backgrounds to be successful in our courses. It is therefore important to know what study behaviors are actually associated with student success in biology classrooms so instructors can recommend and facilitate them. I will discuss my recent research projects on these topics. Metacognition describes both student knowledge and student behavior, so I use this as a framework. Study strategies vary in popularity and students in different demographic groups vary in their choice of study strategies. I will show how study strategies relate to exam performance and retention in the major. Lastly, I will explore possible interventions and the evidence of their effectiveness.

Organizer: Email: Mayra Rubio mrubio3@uci.edu