My research spans two areas. The primary focus of current efforts is studying the use and effectiveness of different types of educational resources by STEM students. My collaborators and I develop, test, and evaluate different kinds of resources produced in my research group such as case studies, laboratory modules, data engagement exercises, videos, and podcasts. A theme in all of these projects is to develop active-learning resources paying particular attention to their alignment with principles from Universal Design for Learning. Current research efforts are studying the use of podcast resources in the context of narrative learning theory, and students working with me develop and publish podcasts in conjunction with educators at other institutions who develop the accompanying resources. I also maintain another group of research projects that are generally encompassed in the area of plant reproductive ecology.
Much of the current work with my students on these projects is investigating the evolution and ecology of heterocarpy in the genus Grindelia (the gumweeds). Many species in this genius produce two or more structurally and ecologically distinct types of fruits. This bet-hedging strategy allows plants to contribute to a local seed pool with offspring that are dormant and colonize new sites with offspring that germinate immediately. We want to know how this system evolved and how its function may be shaped by changing environmental conditions. I am also interested in continuing studies exploring reproduction and establishment of individuals in the rare tree species Alnus maritima (seaside alder).
Hasley, A.O., Jenkins, K.P., Orndorf, H., Gibson, J.P. (in press) Tactile Trees: Demystifying Phylogenies for Everyone with Universal Design for Learning. American Biology Teacher.
Jenkins, K., Mead, L., David Baum, Daniel, K. L., Bucklin, C. J., Leone, A., Gibson, J. P., Naegle, E. (2022). Developing the BETTSI: A Tree-Thinking Diagnostic Tool to Assess Individual Elements of Representational Competence. Evolution 76: 708-21.
https://doi.org/10.1111/evo.14458
Gibson, J.P., K. Shelton. 2021. Introductory Biology Students’ Opinions on the Pivot to Crisis Distance Education in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Journal of College Science Teaching 12-18. https://doi.org/10.1080/0047231X.2021.12290537
Prud'homme-Généreux, A., J.P. Gibson, and M. Csikari. 2019. Creating a Video Case Study. Journal of College Science Teaching 48: 46-53. https://doi.org/10.2505/4/jcst19_048_04_46
Gibson, J.P. and T Mourad. 2018. The growing importance of data literacy in life science education. American Journal of Botany 105(12): 1–4. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajb2.1195
