Virtual learning environments have increased in frequency in the years following the COVID-19 pandemic. There are differences in the social learning structure between virtual learning environments and traditional learning environments. A growing body of scholarship has aimed to investigate the impacts of the virtual learning environment on student…

The threat of climate change makes it increasingly important for biologists and the public to understand how organisms respond to temperature. The Metabolic Theory of Ecology (MTE) predicts that temperature should affect organism performance, with implications for species interactions and ecosystems that span disciplines including mathematics,…

The problem addressed through this study was the absence of a critical examination of laboratory exercises used with first-year nonbiology majors and the deployment of virtual laboratories in the biology department at the project site university without critical analyses associated with the efficacy of virtual labs. Grounded in Mayer's cognitive…

This phenomenological study explored and described the lived experiences of high school biology teachers from a school district in one of the states in the USA concerning the use of online platforms in online biology teaching and learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study interviewed teachers to evaluate the teacher experiences, challenges,…

The purpose of this quantitative ex post facto study was to examine the effectiveness of online learning amidst a global pandemic versus traditional learning and its impact on the achievement of secondary students. More specifically, the study investigated if there was a significant difference in the English Language Arts II test scores, Algebra…

With the rapid emergence of educational technology in learning environments, instructors' development of technology knowledge is necessary to select educational technologies for effective instruction. Online courses have also shown steady growth in higher education institutions over the past two decades. More recently, the rapid shift to online…

This dissertation explores the utilization of internet-connected devices to address the accessibility challenges associated with microscopy in the field of biology. Traditional microscopy devices are often costly, limiting their widespread adoption in laboratories. To overcome this barrier, we developed a cost-effective multi-well imaging device…

More research on information and communications technology (ICT) use for teaching and learning is needed, particularly since the almost global transition from traditional face-to-face to virtual classrooms forced by the COVID-19 pandemic. The problem addressed in this current qualitative project study was the reported challenges experienced by…

High schools sought to meet the demands of physical distancing and movement restrictions due to COVID-19. Given this unexpected situation, the researcher designed a quasi-experimental ex-post facto study to compare student outcomes from the Pennsylvania Keystone Examinations for Biology and Literature delivered in face-to-face (F2F) and virtual…

The purpose of this three-article dissertation was to expand knowledge and theory regarding digital tool use in biology laboratory courses, such as microbiology, which requires specific laboratory skill development through the perception of instructors and students. Article 1 establishes the broad digital literacy and fluency problem in education…

The purpose of this study was to investigate what factors lead to disparate views of online teaching among faculty in the biological sciences. The population for this study included full-time community college and university faculty members teaching biology courses in northeast Texas. The study was conducted using an online survey that included…

The purpose of this study was twofold: (1) to determine the effectiveness of virtual laboratories relative to traditional or blended laboratories in the attainment of conceptual knowledge and skill in microscopy; and (2) to explore how such technologies are integrated in real world classrooms. Four sections of a non-major's introductory biology…

This study contrasted the standardized test scores of impoverished students who took secondary courses in a virtual setting with those of impoverished students who took secondary courses in a traditional brick-and-mortar setting in a selected school district in Florida. The selected school district is located on Florida's central eastern coast,…

Science and society have prospered together through a mutually supportive relationship. However, this relationship breaks down when scientific findings conflict with beliefs and values, or raise ethical and political questions. A potential solution is improved communication through digital storytelling. This process combines a story script with…

Part I. Pleural fibrosis, a non-malignant, asbestos-related respiratory disease characterized by excessive collagen deposition, is progressive, debilitating, and potentially fatal. Disease severity may be influenced by the type of asbestos fiber inhaled, with Libby amphibole (LA) a seemingly more potent mediator of pleural fibrosis than chrysotile…