Development of a Certification Exam to Assess Undergraduate Students’ Proficiency in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Core Concepts

Abstract

Assessment of student learning aids in evidence-based decisions about educational efforts. This Essay describes the development of an annual certification exam offered by the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and supported by a community of volunteers that assesses undergraduate students’ proficiency in core concept areas.

Molecular storytelling: a conceptual framework for teaching and learning with molecular case studies

“…Various biology and chemistry professional society learning goals (Brownell et al, 2014;Dries et al, 2017;Wilson Sayres et al, 2018;American Chemical Society Committee on Professional Training, 2019;Zeidan et al, 2021) emphasize discussion of biomolecular structure-function relationships. So both biology and chemistry educators value teaching about molecular structures and functions.…”

Evolution of a self‐renewing, participant‐centered workshop series in BMB assessment

“…Construction and scoring of the exam provided a vehicle for discussion, peer review, piloting, and editing, informed by analysis of a large, multi-institutional pool of authentic student responses. 13 This approach was highlighted in the AAAS "Levers for Change" report as promoting the adoption of research-based instructional practices. 7 Several distinctive features of the national exam helped shape the question-writing and vetting processes.…”

“…7 Several distinctive features of the national exam helped shape the question-writing and vetting processes. 13 Among these were fitting the exam within a standard one-hour class period, the utilization of a flexible variety of formats (e.g., free-response and multiple-select), and the need to evaluate the responses provided by students of diverse backgrounds taught by instructors whose approach and terminology may differ. The result was a set of core principles emphasizing questions that are concise, clear, and tightly focused on a BMB concept or skill.…”

“…The result was a set of core principles emphasizing questions that are concise, clear, and tightly focused on a BMB concept or skill. 13 Unanticipated benefits of this process included inherent opportunities to engage with a dynamic group of peers and to track question performance over multiple iterations, both of which enriched the knowledge and skills of the participating volunteers. Indeed, in striving to write a universally-deployable examination, a community of practice (CoP) organically developed in which scientist-educators collaborated to construct an assessment that was broadly transferable across the various students, instructors, institutions, and pedagogies within the BMB education community.…”

“…The ensuing exam project became a gathering place and training ground for scientist‐educators interested in improving educational quality across the molecular life sciences. Construction and scoring of the exam provided a vehicle for discussion, peer review, piloting, and editing, informed by analysis of a large, multi‐institutional pool of authentic student responses 13 . This approach was highlighted in the AAAS “Levers for Change” report as promoting the adoption of research‐based instructional practices 7…”