First public talk about BIOS #iced18

Improving skill competence and research outcomes in China through BIOS, an authentic research experience

Justin Fendos, Liang Cai

In STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) education, a contemporary issue is the development of effective skill training. In China, the need for skill competence is accentuated by the fact that most published research is conducted by students. Applying principles from active learning and scientific teaching, this paper describes the development of the BIOS program, an authentic research experience for undergraduates we have employed with great success to improve learning gains, student satisfaction, and preparedness for independent research. The structure of BIOS is a useful model applicable to other academic disciplines requiring improvements in skill competence or student research outcome.