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Sara Brownell is a neuroscientist turned full-time education researcher, who teaches undergraduate biology while studying biology education. As a science faculty member with education specialty, she uses both qualitative and quantitative data to better understand how undergraduate biology students learn and how instructors can develop more effective ways to teach.
Sara's interests in undergraduate biology education are broad, but her current work focuses on three main avenues. She investigates the impact of undergraduate research experiences on students, specifically students enrolled in course-based research experiences. She develops a programmatic assessment for biology majors that focuses on the core concepts of biology. She also explores issues related to access and inclusion in undergraduate biology, specifically the experiences of women, religious students, LGBTQ+ students, and transfer students.
Undergraduate biology education
Cooper, K. M., Gin, L. E., & Brownell, S. E. (2019). Diagnosing differences in what Introductory Biology students in a fully online and an in-person biology degree program know and do regarding medical school admission. Advances in physiology education, 43(2), 221-232.
Couch, B. A., Wright, C. D., Freeman, S., Knight, J. K., Semsar, K., Smith, M. K., ... & Brownell, S. E. (2019). GenBio-MAPS: A Programmatic Assessment to Measure Student Understanding of Vision and Change Core Concepts across General Biology Programs. CBE—Life Sciences Education, 18(1), ar1.
Barnes, M. E., Dunlop, H. M., Holt, E. A., Zheng, Y., & Brownell, S. E. (2019). Different evolution acceptance instruments lead to different research findings. Evolution: Education and Outreach, 12(1), 4.
Grunspan, D. Z., Kline, M. A., & Brownell, S. E. (2018). The Lecture Machine: A Cultural Evolutionary Model of Pedagogy in Higher Education. CBE—Life Sciences Education, 17(3), es6.
Wright, C. D., Huang, A. L., Cooper, K. M., & Brownell, S. E. (2018). Exploring Differences In Decisions About Exams Among Instructors Of The Same Introductory Biology Course. International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 12(2), 14.
Cooper, K. M., Downing, V. R., & Brownell, S. E. (2018). The influence of active learning practices on student anxiety in large-enrollment college science classrooms. International journal of STEM education, 5(1), 23.
Cooper, K. M., Ding, L., Stephens, M. D., Chi, M. T., & Brownell, S. E. (2018). A course-embedded comparison of instructor-generated videos of either an instructor alone or an instructor and a student. CBE—Life Sciences Education, 17(2), ar31.
Cooper, K. M., Krieg, A., & Brownell, S. E. (2018). Who perceives they are smarter? Exploring the influence of student characteristics on student academic self-concept in physiology. Advances in physiology education, 42(2), 200-208.
Barnes, M. E., & Brownell, S. E. (2018). Experiences and practices of evolution instructors at Christian universities that can inform culturally competent evolution education. Science education, 102(1), 36-59.
Cooper, K. M., Haney, B., Krieg, A., & Brownell, S. E. (2017). What’s in a name? The importance of students perceiving that an instructor knows their names in a high-enrollment biology classroom. CBE—Life Sciences Education, 16(1), ar8.
Wright, C. D., Eddy, S. L., Wenderoth, M. P., Abshire, E., Blankenbiller, M., & Brownell, S. E. (2016). Cognitive difficulty and format of exams predicts gender and socioeconomic gaps in exam performance of students in introductory biology courses. CBE—Life Sciences Education, 15(2), ar23.
Eddy, S. L., & Brownell, S. E. (2016). Beneath the numbers: A review of gender disparities in undergraduate education across science, technology, engineering, and math disciplines. Physical Review Physics Education Research, 12(2), 020106.
Barnes, M. E., & Brownell, S. E. (2016). Practices and perspectives of college instructors on addressing religious beliefs when teaching evolution. CBE—Life Sciences Education, 15(2), ar18.
Brownell, S. E., Hekmat-Scafe, D. S., Singla, V., Chandler Seawell, P., Conklin Imam, J. F., Eddy, S. L., ... & Cyert, M. S. (2015). A high-enrollment course-based undergraduate research experience improves student conceptions of scientific thinking and ability to interpret data. CBE—Life Sciences Education, 14(2), ar21.
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Spring 2021 | |
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Course Number | Course Title |
BIO 492 | Honors Directed Study |
BIO 493 | Honors Thesis |
PHY 494 | Special Topics |
BCH 494 | Special Topics |
BIO 494 | Special Topics |
CHM 494 | Special Topics |
MIC 495 | Undergraduate Research |
BIO 495 | Undergraduate Research |
BIO 499 | Individualized Instruction |
BIO 591 | Seminar |
Fall 2020 | |
---|---|
Course Number | Course Title |
BIO 360 | Animal Physiology |
BIO 492 | Honors Directed Study |
BIO 493 | Honors Thesis |
BCH 494 | Special Topics |
BIO 494 | Special Topics |
MIC 495 | Undergraduate Research |
BIO 495 | Undergraduate Research |
BIO 499 | Individualized Instruction |
BIO 591 | Seminar |
BIO 593 | Applied Project |
Spring 2020 | |
---|---|
Course Number | Course Title |
BIO 493 | Honors Thesis |
BCH 494 | Special Topics |
CHM 494 | Special Topics |
BIO 494 | Special Topics |
PHY 494 | Special Topics |
BIO 495 | Undergraduate Research |
MIC 495 | Undergraduate Research |
BIO 499 | Individualized Instruction |
BIO 591 | Seminar |
Fall 2019 | |
---|---|
Course Number | Course Title |
BIO 194 | Special Topics |
BIO 360 | Animal Physiology |
BIO 492 | Honors Directed Study |
BIO 493 | Honors Thesis |
PHY 494 | Special Topics |
SES 494 | Special Topics |
BCH 494 | Special Topics |
BIO 494 | Special Topics |
CHM 494 | Special Topics |
BIO 495 | Undergraduate Research |
BIO 499 | Individualized Instruction |
BIO 591 | Seminar |
BIO 593 | Applied Project |
Spring 2019 | |
---|---|
Course Number | Course Title |
ASB 294 | Special Topics |
BIO 294 | Special Topics |
BIO 493 | Honors Thesis |
SES 494 | Special Topics |
PHY 494 | Special Topics |
BIO 494 | Special Topics |
BCH 494 | Special Topics |
BIO 495 | Undergraduate Research |
BIO 499 | Individualized Instruction |
Fall 2018 | |
---|---|
Course Number | Course Title |
BIO 194 | Special Topics |
BIO 492 | Honors Directed Study |
BIO 493 | Honors Thesis |
PHY 494 | Special Topics |
SES 494 | Special Topics |
BCH 494 | Special Topics |
BIO 494 | Special Topics |
CHM 494 | Special Topics |
BIO 495 | Undergraduate Research |
BIO 499 | Individualized Instruction |
BIO 591 | Seminar |
Spring 2018 | |
---|---|
Course Number | Course Title |
BIO 493 | Honors Thesis |
PHY 494 | Special Topics |
BIO 494 | Special Topics |
BCH 494 | Special Topics |
BIO 495 | Undergraduate Research |
BIO 499 | Individualized Instruction |
Fall 2017 | |
---|---|
Course Number | Course Title |
BIO 194 | Special Topics |
BIO 360 | Animal Physiology |
BIO 492 | Honors Directed Study |
BIO 493 | Honors Thesis |
PHY 494 | Special Topics |
SES 494 | Special Topics |
CHM 494 | Special Topics |
BIO 494 | Special Topics |
BCH 494 | Special Topics |
BIO 495 | Undergraduate Research |
BIO 499 | Individualized Instruction |
Spring 2017 | |
---|---|
Course Number | Course Title |
BIO 493 | Honors Thesis |
BIO 494 | Special Topics |
BIO 495 | Undergraduate Research |
BIO 591 | Seminar |
BIO 598 | Special Topics |
Fall 2016 | |
---|---|
Course Number | Course Title |
BIO 189 | Life Sciences Career Paths |
BIO 194 | Special Topics |
BIO 360 | Animal Physiology |
BIO 492 | Honors Directed Study |
BIO 494 | Special Topics |
BIO 495 | Undergraduate Research |
BIO 499 | Individualized Instruction |
BIO 591 | Seminar |
BIO 598 | Special Topics |