Is data plural? A writing center intervention at the cellular and molecular level — Presentation Detail — Celebration of Scholars

Instructions

Student presentations must have a faculty sponsor.

Abstracts must include a title and a description of the research, scholarship, or creative work. The description should be 150-225 words in length and constructed in a format or style appropriate for the presenter’s discipline.

The following points should be addressed within the selected format or style for the abstract:

A clear statement of the problem or question you pursued, or the scholarly goal or creative theme achieved in your work.
A brief comment about the significance or uniqueness of the work.
A clear description of the methods used to achieve the purpose or goals for the work.
A statement of the conclusions, results, outcomes, or recommendations, or if the work is still in progress, the results you expect to report at the event.

Presenter photographs should be head and shoulder shots comparable to passport photos.

Additional Information

More information is available at carthage.edu/celebration-scholars/. The following are members of the Research, Scholarship, and Creativity Committee who are eager to listen to ideas and answer questions:

Jun Wang
Kim Instenes
John Kirk
Nora Nickels
Andrew Pustina
James Ripley

Is data plural? A writing center intervention at the cellular and molecular level

Name: Grace Tews
Major: Chemistry and Neuroscience
Hometown: Antigo, WI
Faculty Sponsor: Andrea Henle
Other Sponsors: Jean Preston
Type of research: Independent research

Name: Chloe Guillaume
Major: Neuroscience
Hometown: Mount Vernon, IA
Faculty Sponsor: Andrea Henle
Other Sponsors: Jean Preston
Type of research: Independent research

Name: Claire Pfeffer
Major: Biology
Hometown: Oregon, WI
Faculty Sponsor: Andrea Henle
Other Sponsors: Jean Preston
Type of research: Independent research

Abstract

Developing writing skills is a cornerstone of a Carthage education. One campus resource that assists in fostering these skills is the Brainard Writing Center which has trained fellows across all disciplines. For the past 3 years, the natural science writing fellows have developed and implemented a series of workshops tailored towards writing in the biological sciences. In the fall of 2018, we assessed the value of this biology-focused writing center intervention. The workshops were offered to students enrolled in BIO2300, the writing intensive course within the biology major. Writing fellow feedback was provided to all students in between drafts, and optional workshops were offered on a weekly basis. Pre- and post-surveys were administered to all students to survey their confidence in writing biology lab reports. All available lab reports were graded according to a developed rubric to evaluate writing proficiency. The surveys and lab report scores were utilized to determine the effectiveness of writing center intervention. Lab report scores and confidence significantly increased in students who attended workshops or received writing center feedback. This indicates the intervention was successful and can be implemented in other courses in the life sciences.

Poster file