Depression is one of the most common mental health disorders among college students, and it is especially common among groups that are underrepresented or underserved in science, such as women, LGBTQ+ students, and students with disabilities. Previous studies have found that the unwelcoming and competitive nature of science courses may worsen students’ depression. However, little is known about how online science learning environments impact students’ depression. Because online learning environments are becoming increasingly common, a recent study set out to understand which aspects of online science environments exacerbate and alleviate students’ depression, both generally and among students with specific demographics. Here are some of the primary findings: Specific groups of students were more likely to report experiencing depression than other groups of students. Researchers found that approximately 54% of students reported experiencing depression.However, white students, women, LGB...

Individuals with disabilities are underrepresented in undergraduate science and in science careers. While it is becoming increasingly clear that students with disabilities experience unique challenges in undergraduate science classrooms, little is known about the experiences of students with disabilities in undergraduate research. However, a recent national study has begun to shed light on the experiences of students with disabilities in research.  Here are some of the main takeaways: Science students with disabilities are underrepresented in undergraduate research Researchers found that 12% of undergraduate researchers that were surveyed self-identified as having a disability, which is lower than the percentage of undergraduate science students with disabilities, indicating that undergraduate science students with disabilities are not participating in undergraduate research at the same rate. Students with disabilities tended to describe their functional limitations in research, bu...

Do you remember attending office hours as a student? What did you like about them? What did you dislike? Whether you enjoyed office hours or not, they are a major feature of higher education (Griffin et al., 2014; Li & Pitts, 2009), and can benefit students (Guerrero & Rod, 2013). They are often required for faculty members and instructors to hold (Griffin et al., 2014; Li & Pitts, 2009). Yet, research in a variety of contexts shows that students may be reluctant to actually attend office hours (Griffin et al., 2014; Guerrero & Rod, 2013; Li & Pitts, 2009). Even though they may provide benefits to students, most students are not reaping the potential benefits that they hold. Perhaps if students knew the benefits of office hours and instructors were transparent about the benefits, they would attend. Research out of the ASU RISE Center shows that students may be uncomfortable asking questions in front of the class (Nadile et al., 2021). Thus, letting students know th...

I believe letting my personality shine through the way I teach “humanizes” the online learning experience. One of the ways I have tried to do this is through my office hour sessions. I have developed some ways to inject a little more of my personality and enthusiasm for vertebrate life through additional activities the students can engage with at their discretion, including: Supplementary lectures exploring certain topics in the course in more detail, such as phylogenetic reconstruction methods Software tutorials such as Mendeley citation manager and using Google Scholar to locate and browse  primary sources Livestreaming my research activities, such as preparing vertebrate natural history specimens, and talking  with students about how they could perform similar activities at home with their dissection specimens Perhaps most importantly, guided pre-exam study sessions and post-exam review sessions.      None of these activities are required of course – my ...

Participating in research as an undergraduate is known to be a highly influential experience that can increase student motivation and persistence in science. In a typical undergraduate research experience, a student joins a faculty member’s research lab, and is mentored by a senior member of the lab as the student contributes to research projects. Research experience provides students an opportunity to learn if scientific research is a career they would like to pursue, and ultimately has been linked to increased graduation rates and career success.  However, not all research experiences are positive, and occasionally students end up leaving their research experiences before they graduate. Understanding why students leave can help institutions better support their student researchers, address equity and inclusion issues, and ultimately maximize student benefits from these experiences. Why does institution type matter?      While students from universities worldwide ar...