ArticleJournal of microbiology & biology education2013
Context matters: volunteer bias, small sample size, and the value of comparison groups in the assessment of research-based undergraduate introductory biology lab courses.
Article in Journal of microbiology & biology education, 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 42 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
42 citing papers in PubMed.
- A Non-Volunteer CURE in Introductory Biology Does Not Increase Student Retention at a Regional Comprehensive University.CBE life sciences education · 2026Article
- A CURE lab in an introductory biology course has minimal impact on student outcomes, self-confidence, and preferences compared to a traditional lab.Journal of microbiology & biology education · 2025Article
- Alone and Together: Exploring the Relationship Between Individual and Social Metacognition in College Biology Students During Problem Solving.CBE life sciences education · 2025Article
- Engaging Undergraduate Students in Course-based Research Improved Student Learning of Course Material.CBE life sciences education · 2024Article
- Dipping Your Toe in The CURE Pool: Longitudinal Tracking of Instructors Suggests Use of a Short-Duration CURE Can Catalyze Expansion to Longer CURE Experiences.CBE life sciences education · 2024Article
- A CURE Lab in Introductory Biology at a Regional Comprehensive University Negatively Impacts Student Success in the Associated Lecture Course Among Students from Groups Underrepresented in Science.CBE life sciences education · 2024Article
- Impact of Cooperative Learning and Project-Based Learning through Emotional Intelligence: A Comparison of Methodologies for Implementing SDGs.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Article
- Understanding the Benefits of Residential Field Courses: The Importance of Class Learning Goal Orientation and Class Belonging.CBE life sciences education · 2022Article
- A Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience Improves Outcomes in Mentored Research.CBE life sciences education · 2022Article
- Review on Mandibular Muscle Kinematics.Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Review
- The Effects of Participation in a Transitions of Care Simulation on Pharmacy Students' Empathy.American journal of pharmaceutical education · 2022Article
- Cognitive functioning in non-clinical burnout: Using cognitive tasks to disentangle the relationship in a three-wave longitudinal study.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2022Article
- Is This Science? Students' Experiences of Failure Make a Research-Based Course Feel Authentic.CBE life sciences education · 2021Article
- An introductory biology research-rich laboratory course shows improvements in students' research skills, confidence, and attitudes.PloS one · 2021Article
- Science Bootcamp Goes Virtual: a Compressed, Interdisciplinary Online CURE Promotes Psychosocial Gains in STEM Transfer Students.Journal of microbiology & biology education · 2021Article
- The Effect of a Paired Lab on Course Completion and Grades in Nonmajors Introductory Biology.CBE life sciences education · 2020Article
- Article
- The Impact of Broadly Relevant Novel Discoveries on Student Project Ownership in a Traditional Lab Course Turned CURE.CBE life sciences education · 2019Article
- Adding Authenticity to Inquiry in a First-Year, Research-Based, Biology Laboratory Course.CBE life sciences education · 2019Article
- Factors that predict life sciences student persistence in undergraduate research experiences.PloS one · 2019Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
The shift from cookbook to authentic research-based lab courses in undergraduate biology necessitates the need for evaluation and assessment of these novel courses. Although the biology education community has made progress in this area, it is important that we interpret the effectiveness of these courses with caution and remain mindful of inherent limitations to our study designs that may impact internal and external validity. The specific context of a research study can have a dramatic impact on the conclusions. We present a case study of our own three-year investigation of the impact of a research-based introductory lab course, highlighting how volunteer students, a lack of a comparison group, and small sample sizes can be limitations of a study design that can affect the interpretation of the effectiveness of a course.
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.