{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,27]],"date-time":"2026-08-27T13:22:41Z","timestamp":1787836961813,"version":"build-2784847793"},"reference-count":16,"publisher":"American Society for Microbiology","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,27]],"date-time":"2026-08-27T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1787788800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-nd\/4.0\/"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,27]],"date-time":"2026-08-27T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1787788800000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/journals.asm.org\/non-commercial-tdm-license"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["journals.asm.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["J Microbiol Biol Educ."],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,27]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>ABSTRACT<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title\/>\n                    <jats:p>Introductory biology courses at 2- and 4-year colleges attract students from diverse disciplines, fulfilling both science prerequisites and general education requirements. Therefore, these introductory classes provide an ideal opportunity to ignite interest in science and introduce students to STEM professions, which will likely expand with artificial intelligence (AI). Unfortunately, densely packed curricula offer no room for career exploration. Science majors often struggle to connect class concepts to their long-term goals, while those with no prior background feel overwhelmed catching up with more experienced classmates. This disconnect can reduce students\u2019 emotional engagement with the course, increase dependence on AI tools, and potentially contribute to course withdrawal. To address these challenges, we developed a student-driven, semester-long podcast project that integrates career exploration into the curriculum with minimal impact on class time and instructor workload. Grounded in educational psychology, this assignment builds personal connection with the course over time and enhances motivation and interest in the field while fostering a sense of community, difficult to achieve in classes with mixed background knowledge. Administering surveys across multiple semesters revealed the high efficacy of this strategy. Eighty-four percent of the students were inspired to explore careers in biology, and 84% expanded their interest in the field. Furthermore, 87% felt motivated by their classmates\u2019 stories, and nearly 90% noted an improved sense of connection with peers.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1128\/jmbe.00280-25","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,7]],"date-time":"2026-05-07T13:00:50Z","timestamp":1778158850000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1128\/asmj-crossmark-policy-page","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Integrating STEM career exploration into busy introductory biology courses through a student-driven podcast project"],"prefix":"10.1128","volume":"27","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0585-4673","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Joanna I.","family":"Giza","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/040hwr020","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"Borough of Manhattan Community College, City University of New York","place":["New York, USA"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Canan","family":"Karaalioglu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/040hwr020","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"Borough of Manhattan Community College, City University of New York","place":["New York, USA"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"235","reference":[{"key":"e_1_3_4_2_2","unstructured":"Biological Technicians. 2024. Occupational outlook handbook. Bureau of Labor Statistics U.S. Department of Labor. Available from: https:\/\/www.bls.gov\/ooh\/life-physical-and-social-science\/biological-technicians.htm. Retrieved 23 Aug 2025."},{"key":"e_1_3_4_3_2","unstructured":"Medical Scientists. 2025. Occupational outlook handbook. Bureau of Labor Statistics U.S. Department of Labor. Available from: https:\/\/www.bls.gov\/ooh\/life-physical-and-social-science\/medical-scientists.htm. Retrieved 23 Aug 2025."},{"key":"e_1_3_4_4_2","unstructured":"Microbiologists. 2025. Occupational outlook handbook. Bureau of Labor Statistics U.S. Department of Labor. Available from: https:\/\/www.bls.gov\/ooh\/life-physical-and-social-science\/microbiologists.htm. Retrieved 23 Aug 2025."},{"key":"e_1_3_4_5_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1128\/jmbe.v17i2.1058"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_6_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1128\/jmbe.v15i2.796"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_7_2","first-page":"9","volume-title":"Rethinking the digital divide: Research proceedings of the 15th Association for Learning Technology Conference (ALT-C 2008)","author":"Nie M","year":"2008","unstructured":"Nie M, Cashmore A, Cane C. 2008. The educational value of student-generated podcasts, p 9\u201311. In Whitton N, McPherson M (ed), Rethinking the digital divide: Research proceedings of the 15th Association for Learning Technology Conference (ALT-C 2008). University of Leeds."},{"key":"e_1_3_4_8_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3390\/educsci15030284"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_9_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s44217-025-00406-9"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_10_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2017.01454"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_11_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1037\/a0026609"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_12_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1207\/s15430421tip4102_2"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_13_2","first-page":"65","volume-title":"Handbook of self-regulation of learning and performance","author":"Hadwin AF","year":"2011","unstructured":"Hadwin AF, J\u00e4rvel\u00e4 S, Miller M. 2011. Self-regulated, co-regulated, and socially shared regulation of learning, p 65\u201384. In Handbook of self-regulation of learning and performance. Routledge."},{"key":"e_1_3_4_14_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s10648-004-0006-x"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_15_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/03075070600572090"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_16_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3102\/00346543070003287"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_17_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/02602930903541015"}],"container-title":["Journal of Microbiology &amp; Biology Education"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.asm.org\/doi\/pdf\/10.1128\/jmbe.00280-25","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.asm.org\/doi\/pdf\/10.1128\/jmbe.00280-25","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,27]],"date-time":"2026-08-27T13:02:56Z","timestamp":1787835776000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.asm.org\/doi\/10.1128\/jmbe.00280-25"}},"subtitle":[],"editor":[{"given":"David R.","family":"Wessner","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"editor"}]}],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,27]]},"references-count":16,"journal-issue":{"issue":"2","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,27]]}},"alternative-id":["10.1128\/jmbe.00280-25"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1128\/jmbe.00280-25","relation":{},"ISSN":["1935-7877","1935-7885"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1935-7877","type":"print"},{"value":"1935-7885","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,27]]},"assertion":[{"value":"2025-11-14","order":0,"name":"received","label":"Received","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}},{"value":"2026-04-07","order":2,"name":"accepted","label":"Accepted","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}},{"value":"2026-05-07","order":3,"name":"published","label":"Published","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}}],"article-number":"e00280-25"}}