Using Scaffolding and Deliberate Practice to Improve Abstract Writing in an Introductory Biology Laboratory Course

Abstract

Abstracts play the pivotal role of selling an article to a prospective reader, and for students, the ability to communicate science in concise written form may foster scientific thinking. However, students struggle with abstract composition, and we lack evidence-based educational innovations to help them develop this skill. We designed, implemented, and assessed an intervention for abstract composition with elements of scaffolding and transparency to ask whether deliberate practice improves concise scientific writing in early career undergraduate biology majors. We evaluated student performance by analyzing abstracts written before and after the intervention and by assessing pre- and posttest student concept maps. We found that scaffolded learning improved student abstract writing, with the greatest gains in students’ ability to describe the motivation for their work. Using a set of tested tools to teach scientific writing has important implications for strengthening students’ capacity to reinforce and synthesize content in the future, whether that is in laboratory course exercises, in independent research, or as a transferable skill to general critical thinking.

Exploring Variations in Abstract Writing Formats and Structures Among Ph.D. Students

“…Furthermore, the function of peer review and feedback in improving abstract writing should not be understated (Christian & Kearns, 2018). Researchers can obtain valuable insights and suggestions for refining their abstracts by fostering a culture of collaboration and constructive criticism (Alotaibi, 2020).…”

Online Low-Stakes Assignments To Support Scientific Lab Report Writing in Introductory Science Courses

“…Various approaches to teaching science writing have been used successfully (2)(3)(4)(5). We used online low-stakes writing (6) as a method to engage students in scientific writing and critical thinking without too much pressure.…”

Scaffolding Activities Increase Performance and Lower Frustration with Genotype-to-Evolution Models in Molecular Genetics

“…To assist students as they learn to model, scaffolding was introduced. Scaffolding refers to instructional techniques that move students progressively towards stronger understanding and/or ability (10)(11)(12)(13). Scaffolding techniques provide support to students attempting difficult tasks and are intended to decrease or prevent students' frustration, intimidation, and discouragement during the learning process.…”