by

The CORE lab’s 6th-year doctoral candidate, Catie Nielson, presented at ERIDOB– The Conference of European Researchers in Didactics of Biology at the University of Cyprus this past August. In a conference full of European Researchers, Catie was one of two Americans that were invited to present. She demonstrated the findings to some of her research on Biology Education in undergraduate university students. The conference brought a myriad of experts in Evolution and Biology Education from all over the globe. While Catie’s research focused more on university-aged students, other research included the effects of different types of biology and evolution education on children as well. 

Catie presented on anthropocentric thinking in undergraduate learning about antibiotic resistance. Her findings included the impact of anthropocentric thinking on understanding and forming misconceptions around a topic. She adds that the use of intuitive language in Evolution Education has both its positives and negatives and educators must be cautious when approaching such topics. Catie concludes that it is important to consider the students’ preconceptions before teaching to encourage a more thorough understanding. 

When she wasn’t learning about the current research on Biology Education, Catie enjoyed exploring the beautiful capital of Cyprus, Nicosia. Particularly, Catie spent time near the ocean and visited an environmental center in Cavo Greco. She also went birding in Athalassa national park and was in awe of the beautiful surroundings she was able to be a part of. 

We’re very proud to have had Catie represent the CORE Lab at this Conference and a big thank you to ERIDOB for inviting her to present! Further, thank you to Catie for sharing her experience with us, and tune in for more updates on our current and future research!

Resources:

1. “Anthropocentrism in Undergraduate Learning about Antibiotic Resistance” – Catie Nielson’s Slides

2. Twitter Post with More Information

 ​​