Cory Kohn

Education Specialist of Biology

Email: ckohn@kecksci.claremont.edu
Office: Keck Science Center 4B
Phone: 909-607-4018
Web Site: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=j2itYWsAAAAJ

Educational Background

B.S. & B.A., University of Pittsburgh
Ph.D., Michigan State University

Courses Taught

Introductory Biology Labs: BIOL 43L, BIOL 44L

Research Interests

Biology education research — Curriculum Development, Inquiry-based Learning, Science Identity, Assessment Development
Biology research — Evolutionary Biology, Phylogenetics, Population Genetics

Selected Publications

1. Louise S Mead, Cory Kohn, Alexa Warwick, Kathryn Schwartz. (2019). Applying measurement standards to evolution education assessment instruments. Evolution: Education and Outreach 12: 5.
   Abstract – Over the past 25 years a number of instruments have been published that attempt to measure understanding and acceptance of evolution. Science educators have been administering these instruments and reporting results, however, it is not clear these instruments are being used appropriately. The goal of this paper is to review these instruments, noting the original criteria and population for which evidence of validity and reliability was assessed, and to survey other publications that report their use, examining each for evidence of validity and reliability with subsequent populations. Our hope is that such a comprehensive review will engage researchers and practitioners in a careful examination of how they intend to use a particular instrument and whether it can provide an accurate and meaningful assessment of the desired outcomes. We encourage the community to administer evolution education assessments with the consideration of an instrument’s measurement support and past use with similar populations. We also encourage researchers to add additional evidence of validity and reliability for these instruments, especially if modifications have been made to the instrument or if its use has been extended to new populations.
2. Cory Kohn, Michael J Wiser, Robert T Pennock, James J Smith, Louise S Mead. (2018). A digital technology-based introductory biology course designed for engineering and other non-life sciences STEM majors. Computer Applications in Engineering Education 26: 1227-1238.
   Abstract – STEM education reform stresses the importance of a comprehensive understanding of science fundamentals and the development of science and engineering practices. As such, many engineering students must complete a core set of courses, including biology; however, this course is often designed for life sciences majors. One solution to this mismatch is to create an introductory biology course targeted to non-biology STEM majors that introduces students to biology through a computational lens. Avida-ED is a digital evolution software platform in which populations of digital organisms undergo actual –not simulated– evolutionary change, making evolution come alive through its observation in action. Integrating Avida-ED provides a unique and novel approach to engaging engineering students in biological concepts within a computational environment, allowing them to exercise science and engineering practices in an authentic research experience. The design of this one-semester course, “Integrative Biology: From DNA to Populations,” including its incorporation of a digital evolution lab, creates a way for computational science and engineering students to engage with biology within a context that is familiar and interesting.
   Article – https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/cae.2198