The CLSE is committed to using evidence-based practices in all of our courses. As part our mission, we pursue programmatic, curricular, and pedagogical innovations in biology teaching, we measure the impact of these changes on student learning, and we disseminate information about our best practices among faculty, staff, graduate students, and undergraduate students in the college, as well as to the larger community. We are actively conducting research designed to better understand how our programs and pedagogical innovations in biology teaching help students learn biology, increase their motivation to learn biology, and be retained in STEM fields. Below is a list recent publications and presentations.
Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles
Richards, E.E., & Kulesza, A.E. (In Press). Classroom community measures increase with a Graduate TA, in-person delivery, and upper-level number in undergraduate biology lab courses. Journal of College Science Teaching.
Kulesza, A.E., D’Agostino, S., & L.B. Chacón-Diaz. (2024). Investigating Effects of Emergency Remote Teaching on Biology Teaching Assistants and their Approaches to Teaching. Journal of College Science Teaching, 1-7. https://doi.org/10.1080/0047231X.2024.2372564
Denton, N.L., Kulesza, A.E. Inquiry-Team-Based Lab Course Design Enhances Underrepresented Undergraduate Predictors of Persistence in the Sciences. Med.Sci.Educ. (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40670-024-02014-y
Kulesza, A.E, & Gallant, D.J. (2023). Initial Development and Validation of the Biology Teaching Assistant Role Identity Questionnaire (BTARIQ). Journal of College Science Teaching, 52(5), 80-90.
Kulesza, A.E., Imtiaz, S., & Bernot, K.M. (2022). Building Connections to Biology and Community through Service-Learning and Research Experiences. JMBE, https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/jmbe.00082-22
Brady, A. C., Hensley, L. C., Sovic, D., Kulesza, A., Wolters, C. A., & Breitenberger, C. (2022). What makes a study strategy intervention impactful? An interview-based study. College Student Affairs Journal, 40(1), 17-31.
Miller, K.R., Ridgway, J.S., Marbach-Ad, G., Schussler, E.E., & Gardner GE. (2022). The BioTAP Professional Development model: Expanding empirical research on graduate student teaching professional development. CourseSource. https://doi.org/10.24918/cs.2021.44
Hensley, L., Kulesza, A., Peri, J., Brady, A. C., Wolters, C. A., Sovic, D., & Breitenberger, C. (2021). Supporting Undergraduate Biology Students’ Academic Success: Comparing Two Workshop Interventions. CBE-Life Sciences Education, 20(4), DOI: 10.1187/cbe.21-03-0068
Newman-Griffis, A. H., Sypolt, E., Sagatelova, M., Cubonova, L., Danhart E., Kulesza, A.E. (2020). Data Analysis Recitation Activities Support Better Understanding in SEA-PHAGES CURE. CourseSource. https://doi.org/10.24918/cs.2020.48
Sovic, D.M., & Chordas, S.W. III. (2020). Tying it all together: An activity to help students connect course experiences to posted learning outcomes. CourseSource. https://doi.org/10.24918/cs.2020.15
Pieterson, E.C., & Ridgway, J.S. (2019). Development of an enhanced peer mentoring program: Partnering with novice teaching assistants in a teaching community of practice. Journal on Excellence in College Teaching, 30(1), 51-75.
Calhoon, E.A., Pieterson, E.C., & Gougherty, S. (2019). Plant Growth and Climate Change: Urban Trees’ Role as a Carbon Sink. Tested Studies in Laboratory Teaching, 40, 2019, Volume 40.
Herrmann, S. & Ligocki, I. (2019). Wetlands Ecology and Human Impacts Lab: Connecting Students with Their Local Environment. Tested Studies in Laboratory Teaching, 40, 2019, Volume 40.
Bernot, K.M., Kulesza, A.E., & Ridgway, J.S. (2017). Service learning as inquiry in an undergraduate science course. The American Biology Teacher, 79(5), 393-400.
Ridgway, J.S., Ligocki, I.Y., Horn, J.D., Szeyller, E., & Breitenberger, C.A. (2017). Teaching assistant and faculty perceptions of ongoing, personalized TA professional development: Initial lessons and plans for the future. Journal of College Science Teaching, 46(5), 73.
Reeves, T.D., Marbach-Ad, G., Miller, K.R., Ridgway, J.S., Gardner, G.E., Schussler, E.E., & Wischusen, E.W. (2016). A conceptual framework for graduate teaching assistant professional development evaluation and research. CBE-Life Sciences Education, 15(2), pii:es2
Holding, M.L., Denton, R.D., Kulesza, A.E., & Ridgway, J.S. (2014). Confronting scientific misconceptions by fostering a classroom of scientists in the introductory biology lab. The American Biology Teacher, 76(8), 518-523.
Kulesza, A.E., Clawson, M.E., & Ridgway, J. S. (2014). Student success indicators associated with clicker-administered quizzes in an honor’s introductory biology course. Journal of College Science Teaching, 43(4), 73-79.
Book Chapters
Gardner, G., Ridgway, J., Schussler, E., Miller, K., & Marbach-Ad, G. (2020). Research Coordination Networks to Promote Cross-Institutional Change: A Case Study of Graduate Student Teaching Professional Development. Transforming Institutions: Accelerating Systemic Change in Higher Education.
Conference Presentations: Talks
Roberts, T., Kulesza, A.E. (2023, October) Developing a Comprehensive Codebook for Analyzing Transcribed Interview Data on the Impact of Professional Development on Teaching Assistants and their Students: A Pilot Study. Presentation at the 2023 BioTap (Biology Teaching Assistant Project) Virtual Conference.
Herrmann, S. & Szeyller, E. (2023, June). eBird Community Science Project: Engaging Non-Major Biology Students in Authentic and Meaningful Research. Major Workshop presented at the 44th Annual Association for Biology Laboratory Education (ABLE) Conference. San Diego, CA.
Sovic, D. M. (2019, November) A Collaborative, Structured, Data-Driven Effort to Guide Instructional Redesign. Interactive Session presented at the 44th Annual POD Network Conference, Pittsburgh, PA.
Kulesza, A.E., Bernot, K.M., & Ridgway, J.S. (2019, July). Comparison of service-learning and research projects in an introductory biology class. Presentation at the Society for the Advancement of Biology Education Research (SABER) annual meeting, Minneapolis, MN.
Kern, A., Esparza, D., Kulesza, A., Pieterson, C., Rivera, S., & Olimpo, J.T. (2019, June). Developing, Implementing, and Evaluating Professional Development Initiatives for Graduate Teaching Assistants Facilitating Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs). Mini Workshop presented at the 41st Annual Association for Biology Laboratory Education (ABLE) meeting, Ottawa, ON.
Sovic, D. M. (2019, May). Ideas and instruments for course redesign: Part II – A new tool for course characterization. Presentation at the 13th Annual Conference on Excellence in Teaching and Learning, Columbus, OH.
Kulesza, A.E., D’Agostino, J.V., & Ridgway, J.S. (2019, April). An evaluation of the differential effects of the prerequisite pathways on student performance in an introductory biology course. Presentation at the Accelerating Systematic Change Network (ASCN) meeting, Pittsburg, PA.
Schussler, E.E., Gardner, G., Marbach-Ad, G., Miller, K., & Ridgway, J. (2019, April). The biology teaching assistant project: Theory of change for a network. Presentation at the Accelerating Systematic Change Network (ASCN) meeting, Pittsburgh, PA.
Calhoon, E.A., Pieterson, E.C., & Gougherty, S. (2018, July). Plant Growth and Climate Change: Urban Trees’ Role as a Carbon Sink. Interactive Major Workshop presented at the 40th Annual Conference of the Association for Biology Laboratory Education (ABLE), Columbus, OH.
Horn, J.D., & Szeyller, E. (2018, June). Creating collaborative, TA-centered weekly instructional meetings to support student-centered laboratory instruction. Extended Mini Workshop presented at the 40th Annual Association for Biology Laboratory Education (ABLE) meeting, Columbus, OH.
Kulesza, A.E., & Pearson, S.A. (2018, June). Training teaching assistants as active participants in large, active learning, lectures. Mini Workshop presented at the 40th Annual Association for Biology Laboratory Education (ABLE) meeting, Columbus, OH.
Miller, K., Ridgway, J.S., Coker, R., Price, K.E., Stewart, K., Gardner, G., Marbach-Ad, G., & Schussler, E. (2018, June). BioTAP 2.0 (Biology Teaching Assistant Project): Engaging individuals in scholarly research about biology. Mini Workshop presented at the 40th Annual Association for Biology Laboratory Education (ABLE) meeting, Columbus, OH.
Herrmann, S. & Ligocki, I. (2018, June). Wetlands Ecology and Human Impacts Lab: Connecting Students with Their Local Environment. Interactive Major Workshop presented at the 40th Annual Association for Biology Laboratory Education (ABLE) meeting, Columbus, OH.
Conerly, C. & Nguyen, E. (2018, June). Understanding Marine and Aquatic Ecology in Biology Labs in a Microcosm: An Alternative Integration to the Curriculum. Mini Workshop presented at the 40th Annual Association for Biology Laboratory Education (ABLE) meeting, Columbus, OH.
Chordas, S. & Breitenberger, C. (2018, June). The DNA Damage Game. Extended Mini Workshop presented at the 40th Annual Association for Biology Laboratory Education (ABLE) meeting, Columbus, OH.
Szeyller, E., & Ridgway, J.S. (2018, June). Six lessons from administering a biology teaching professional development course. Mini Workshop presented at the 40th Annual Association for Biology Laboratory Education (ABLE) meeting, Columbus, OH.
Guannel, M., Kulesza, A.E., & Midden, W.R. (2018, June). Impacts of service learning on student engagement with science; examples from introductory courses at three higher education institutions. Presentation at the Network of STEM Education Centers (NSEC) annual meeting, Columbus, OH.
Marbach-Ad, G., Gardner, G., Miller, K., Ridgway, J., & Schussler, E. (2018, March). Network initiative to develop research skills in professional developers working with biology teaching assistants. Presentation at the 91th National Association for Research in Science Teaching (NARST) annual meeting, Atlanta, GA.
Miller, K., Gardner, G., Marbach-Ad, G., Ridgway, J., Schussler, E., Fuselier, L., Trimby, C., Pavlova, I., Szeyller, E., Marion, A., Oran, A., Shortlidge, E., Chouinard, A., Floyd, J., Serreyn, M., Abney, N., Lee, S., Nelson, K., Olimpo, J., Raut, S., & Vance-Chalcraft, H. (2017, June). BioTAP 2.0 (Biology Teaching Assistant Project): Engaging individuals in scholarly research about biology. Mini Workshop presented at the 39th Annual Association for Biology Laboratory Education (ABLE) meeting, Madison, WI.
Reid, J., Chen, M., Carroll, P.A., Gardner, G., Marbach-Ad, G., Miller, K.R., Ridgway, J., & Schussler, E. (2017, November). A critical review of the literature on biology graduate teaching assistant professional development. Presentation at the National Association of Biology Teachers (NABT) National Meeting, St. Louis, MO.
Sovic, D.M. (2017, November). Identifying best practices in the use of learning outcomes: Transforming administrative artifacts into tools for metacognitive practice. Presentation at the 37th Annual Original Lilly Conference on College Teaching, Oxford, OH.
Breitenberger, C. A., Ridgway, J. S., Szeyller, E., Sovic, D., & Kulesza, A. E. (2017, May) Multiple professional development on-ramps into teaching communities of practice. Presentation at the 11th Annual Ohio State University Conference on Excellence in Teaching & Learning, Columbus, OH.
Gardner, G., Schussler, E., Marbach-Ad, G., Miller, K., & Ridgway, J. (2017, February). The biology teaching assistant project 2.0: Advancing research, synthesizing evidence. Presentation at the annual meeting of the Tennessee STEM Education Research Conference hosted by Tennessee STEM Education Center (TSEC), Murfreesboro, TN.
Kulesza, A.E., Ridgway, J.S., Shawver, B., Gordon, A. & Bernot, K.M. (2017, January). Community engagement through a health-related honors biology service-learning project. Presentation at the Community Engagement Conference, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH.
Kulesza, A.E., Bernot, K.M., Ridgway, J.S., & Pieterson, E.C. (2014, July). Comparison of service learning and research projects in an introductory biology class. Presentation at the Society for the Advancement of Biology Education Research (SABER) annual meeting, Minneapolis, MN.
Kulesza, A.E., Clawson, M.E., & Ridgway, J.S. (2012, November). Investigation of student learning gains associated with clicker use in an introductory biology course. Presentation at the Lilly International Conference on College Teaching, Miami University, Oxford, OH.
Conference Presentations: Posters
Kulesza, A.E., D’Agostino, S., & L.B. Chacón-Diaz. (2023). Investigating Effects of Emergency Remote Teaching on Biology Teaching Assistants and their Approaches to Teaching. SABER, Minneapolis, MN.
Szeyller, E., & Ridgway, J.S. (2022, November) Connecting STEM Instructors with Appropriate Student-centered Teaching Professional Development. Poster Presentation at the 47th Annual POD Network Conference, Seattle, WA.
Szeyller, E., Ridgway, J.S., & Breitenberger, C.A. (2019, November). Creating Links: Promoting Motivation and Community in Online Instruction. Poster Presentation at the 44th Annual POD Network Conference, Pittsburgh, PA.
Kulesza, A.E., D’Agostino, J.V., & Ridgway, J.S. (2019, June). Exploration of the differential effects of prerequisite pathways on student performance in an introductory biology course using predictive models. Poster Presentation at the Gordon Research Conference Undergraduate Biology Education meeting, Lewiston, ME.
Kulesza, A.E., D’Agostino, J.V., & Ridgway, J.S. (2019, June). The use of hierarchical linear modeling to evaluate the differential effects of prerequisite pathways on student performance in an introductory biology course. Poster Presentation at the Gordon Research Seminar Undergraduate Biology Education Research meeting, Lewiston, ME.
Sovic, D.M. (2018, October). Course learning outcomes: Administrative artifacts or tools for student success? Poster Presentation at the Franklin Scholars Showcase: Innovations in Leadership and Learning, Columbus, OH.
Gardner G., Schussler, E., Miller, K., Marbach-Ad, G., Ridgway, J., Reid, J., & Chen, M. (2018, July). Current literature on biology graduate teaching assistant teaching professional development (GTA TPD): Mapping a research agenda. Poster Presentation at the Society for the Advancement of Biology Education Research (SABER) annual meeting, Minneapolis, MN.
Kulesza, A.E., Bernot, K.M., & Breitenberger, C.A. (2018, July). Evaluating the impact of service learning by exploring student long term memory and emotion. Poster Presentation at the Society for the Advancement of Biology Education (SABER) annual meeting, Minneapolis, MN.
Pieterson, E.C., Bolen, D.S., Calhoon, E.A., McCarthy, R.L., Miriti, M., & Curtis, P.S. (2018, June). Collaborative (Re)design of Ecology Lab Exercises. Poster presentation at the 40th Annual Association for Biology Laboratory Education (ABLE) meeting, Columbus, OH.
Marbach-Ad, G., Ridgway, J., Gardner,G., Miller, K., & Schussler,E. (2018, June). Biology Teaching Assistant Project (BioTAP 2.0): A Network to Build a Capacity for Collaborative Research on Biology Graduate Teaching Assistant Teaching Professional Development (GTA TPD). Poster Presentation at the Network of STEM Education Centers annual meeting (NSEC), Columbus, OH.
Kulesza, A.E., Bernot, K.M., & Breitenberger, C.A. (2017, July). Memory, motivation, and making connections: Long-term outcomes associated with service-learning and research experiences. Poster Presentation at the Society for the Advancement of Biology Education (SABER) annual meeting, Minneapolis, MN.
Schussler, E., Gardner, G., Marbach-Ad, G., Miller, K., & Ridgway, J. (2017, July). Networking for change: Assessing the capacity for research on graduate student teaching professional development. Poster Presentation at the Society for the Advancement of Biology Education Research (SABER) annual meeting, Minneapolis, MN.
Marbach-Ad, G., Schussler, E., Gardner, G., Miller, K., & Ridgway, J. (2017, November). A network for research on biology graduate teaching assistant teaching professional development. Poster Presentation at the AAC&U Transforming STEM Higher Education Conference, San Francisco, CA.
Kulesza, A.E., Bernot, K., Ridgway, J.S., & Pieterson, E.C. (2015, July). Comparison of service-learning and research projects in an honors introductory biology class. Poster Presentation at the Society for the Advancement of Biology Education (SABER) annual meeting, Minneapolis, MN.
Ridgway, J.S., Kulesza, A.E., & Breitenberger, C.A. (2015, July). Changes in student motivation and scientific literacy associated with participation in course-based undergraduate research experiences. Poster Presentation at the Society for the Advancement of Biology Education (SABER) annual meeting, Minneapolis, MN.
Bernot, K.M., Kulesza, A.E., & Ridgway, J.S. (2013, November). Use of service learning to integrate real world application in an honors introductory biology course. Poster Presentation at the Lilly International Conference on College Teaching, Miami University, Oxford, OH.
Conference Presentations: Roundtables
Kern, A., Esparza, D., Kulesza, A.E., Pieterson, C., Rivera, S., & Olimpo, J.T. (2019, July). Designing professional development initiatives for graduate teaching assistants facilitating course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs). Roundtable Presentation at the Society for the Advancement of Biology Education (SABER) annual meeting, Minneapolis, MN.
Sovic, D.M. (2018, June). Learning outcomes…Administrative artifacts or tools for instructor and student metacognitive practice? Roundtable Presentation at the Network of STEM Educators (NSEC) annual meeting, Columbus, OH.
Ridgway, J.S., Wheeler, L., Szeyller, E., Horn, J.D., & Pieterson, E.C. (2018, June). STEM teaching assistants: Two models for supporting TAs in learning, valuing, and implementing evidence-based instructional practices. Roundtable Presentation at the Network of STEM Educators (NSEC) annual meeting, Columbus, OH.
Ridgway, J.S., Breitenberger, C.A., Kulesza, A.E., & Sovic, D.M. (2018, June). Faculty professional development offered four ways. Roundtable Presentation at the Network of STEM Education Centers (NSEC) annual meeting, Columbus, OH.
Kulesza, A.E., Bernot, K.M., & Ridgway, J.S. (2016, July). Long-term outcomes associated with high impact practices in an honors biology course. Roundtable Presentation at the Society for the Advancement of Biology Education (SABER) annual meeting, Minneapolis, MN.
Faust, S., Ridgway, J.S., Kulesza, A.E., & Breitenberger, C.A. (2015, July). Changes in introductory biology student content knowledge and motivation associated with participation in peer-led team learning. Roundtable Presentation at the Society for the Advancement of Biology Education (SABER) annual meeting, Minneapolis, MN.
Pieterson, E.C., & Ridgway, J.S. (2015, July). Changes in teaching anxiety, attitudes, and behaviors associated with a TA peer mentoring program. Roundtable Presentation at the Society for the Advancement of Biology Education (SABER) annual meeting, Minneapolis, MN.
Schussler, E., Ridgway, J.S., Gardner, G., Miller, K., & Marbach-Ad, G. (2015, July). Networking to promote the assessment of GTA professional development. Roundtable Presentation at the Society for the Advancement of Biology Education (SABER) annual meeting, Minneapolis, MN.
Szeyller, E., Ridgway, J.S., & Breitenberger, C.A. (2015, July). Online vs. race-to-face human biology instruction: Does format matter for student experience? Roundtable Presentation at the Society for the Advancement of Biology Education (SABER) annual meeting, Minneapolis, MN.