The Fourth Credit Hour: How do we Teach in Biology Discussion Sections?

Area of Science:

• Biology Education Research
• Higher Education Pedagogy

Background:

• Discussion sections, led by teaching assistants (TAs), aim to enhance content practice, provide support, and foster belonging.
• Ideal discussion sections feature small groups and active learning, but broad patterns are understudied.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize student experiences in large undergraduate biology discussion sections.
• To investigate how section modality (in-person vs. remote) and TA-led activities influence student outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Surveyed approximately 5000 students across 193 discussion sections in 19 biology courses.
• Collected data on section size, modality, TA activities, and student-reported helpfulness and belonging.
• Utilized inductive thematic analysis for qualitative student responses.

Main Results:

• Discussion sections varied significantly in size (32-400+ students) and modality.
• Remote sections involved more TA-led lecture compared to in-person sections.
• These activity shifts correlated with altered student sense of belonging and perceptions of learning environments.

Conclusions:

• Student experiences in biology discussion sections are diverse and influenced by modality and TA practices.
• Remote learning environments may necessitate different pedagogical approaches to maintain student engagement and belonging.
• Findings inform future design of effective discussion sections in large biology programs.