Dr. Tom McConnell
<b>Department: </b>Biology<br><b>Research Area: </b>Science Education
Department: Biology
Research Focus: Dr. McConnell manages a BSU website called the Science Teaching Resources Integrated Design Studio (STRIDeS) Project that is a content source for teaching science using short online resources like videos, animations, games, and online publications. My current research/scholarly production involves developing new and engaging content to be included on that site.
My research/scholarly project in the Spring 2026 semester will focus on creating "digital storytelling” content for teaching biology concepts about ecosystems and sustainability in tropical environments (Puerto Rico). While teaching in a study abroad program, I will be recording videos and photos of tropical ecosystems and issues related to sustainability. I am looking for a Teacher-Scholar candidate who can help support this type of work.
The goal of my work is to produce and publishing online digital content that can be used in classrooms to help teach science concepts. The content will include short videos with narration, text overlays, and possibly illustrations. Products will be posted in sites like YouTube, Instagram, and other social media, with a focus on short stories to fit a trend in publication and research done by students.
The project will also likely lead to conference presentations at state, regional and national levels, and may lead to publication of at least one journal article
Potential Student Project(s): The Teacher-Scholar candidate will help write scripts, record audio, help edit video and text overlays, and create short social-media-sized posts that will be posted and published through a BSU blog website. The project will use Adobe Express and other apps selected by students. The exact topic to be included in the content will be selected by the student and the faculty advisor, so the student will play a key role in designing the products.
Some potential topics may include an exploration of a bioluminescent bay or a rain forest ecosystem, stories about sustainable agriculture in the tropics (coffee, pineapple, other indigenous crops), or restoration of ecosystems like mangrove swamps and coral reefs.
One possible activity could include a Spring Break trip to Puerto Rico to assist in collecting video and photos and researching topics as part of the BIO 299X Tropical Ecology course, but this course is not a requirement.
Attributes/skills/background sought in undergraduate: The ideal candidate will have some background knowledge in biology or ecology, or some experience in creating and editing video or online content. Some experience or interest in education is helpful, but not required.
Strong writing and proofreading skills are important, and candidates need to be comfortable enough with apps on the computer and smart phone to learn to use Adobe Express. Experience in other apps for illustration, photo editing and web design, such as Canva, Photoshop, or any web editor, is a plus, but the project will help teach these skills. No coding experience is necessary.
Mentoring Plan: The student researcher will work 5 h/week on the project including 1h of 1-on-1 interaction with me. My plan to mentor a student in this project will begin with a meeting in Fall 2025 to talk about potential plans and to introduce the student to Adobe Express. The student will then work in Spring 2026 to brainstorm topics, select and edit video clips, and write text and narrated content while assembling the digital stories. The student will also publish content and share links to a blog managed by the mentor.
The mentor and student will meet at least once a week via Zoom to discuss plans, review work in progress and troubleshoot technical problems. Dr. McConnell will be teaching in San Juan, Puerto Rico, so face-to-face collaborations can only happen if the student is part of the study abroad program, but the work can be done virtually, so this is not a requirement.
The mentoring may continue after the Spring 2026 semester in the form of submission of manuscripts and presentation proposals that result from the work done in Spring 2026.
Contact: 765-285-8840, FB119