Dr. Rebekka Darner
Associate Professor
Office
EDW Edwards Hall 309
Office Phone
Email
- About
- Education
- Awards & Honors
- Selected Research
Current Courses
BSC 599.005 Research In The Biological Sciences
BSC 499.005 Independent Research For The Master's Thesis
BSC 290.041 Research In Biological Sciences
BSC 599.005 Research In The Biological Sciences
Research Interests & Areas
I am a science education researcher, and I conduct research with the overarching goal of fostering civic-minded scientific literacy through holistic learning experiences.
BSN Nursing
Illinois State University
Normal, IL
Ph D Mathematics and Science Education
University of California, San Diego and San Diego State University
MS Ecosystems Biology
Eastern Michigan University
BS Biology
Western Illinois University
Strand Diversity Award
Dean of Students
2017
Impact Award
Illinois State University
2017
Kenneth A. and Mary Ann Shaw Fellowship for Excellence in Teaching
College of Arts & Sciences, ISU
2015
Faculty Fellow
Center for Teaching, Learning, & Technology, ISU
2015
National Academies Education Fellow in the Life Sciences
National Research Council
2010
Grants and Contracts
Louis Stokes New STEM Pathways Implementation-Only Alliance: Southern Central Illinois Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (SCI-LSAMP)
Rebekka Darner, Mahua Biswas.
National Science Foundation. August 1 2024 - May 31 2025
A Technology-Enable Navigation Solution for Visually Impaired Pedestrians
Rebekka Darner, Elahe Javadi, Elham Buxton.
Illinois State University. October 2023 - June 2024
Repowering Schoools
Rebekka Darner, Matt Ryan Aldeman, Jin Jo, Kara Baldwin, Matthew Hagaman.
U.S. Department of Energy. May 1 2022 - December 31 2022
An ethnographic investigation of future STEM teachers' development of disciplinary practices
Rebekka Darner, Kara E Baldwin.
Scholarship of Teaching & Learning University Research Grant. 2018 - 2019
COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: Asynchronous Discussions to Engage Students in Scientific Argumentation
Rebekka Darner Gougis, James R. Wolf.
National Science Foundation. August 15 2017 - August 14 2020
ISU Noyce Scholarships for STEM Teachers from Under-Represented Groups
Rebekka D Gougis, William Hunter, Lorsbach Anthony.
NSF. February 2 2016
Illinois State University's Noyce Scholarships for STEM Teachers of Under-Represented Groups . $1,444,790
William J Hunter, R Darner-Gougis, A W Lorsbach.
National Science Foundation. July 2015
A Future Teacher and a Graduate Student’s Differential Benefits of Participation as a Member of an Educational Research Team: A comparative case study
Rebekka D Gougis, Janet Stomberg.
Scholarship of Teaching & Learning Small Grant Program. August 2014 - May 2015
TUES: The use of high-frequency data to engage students in quantitative reasoning and scientific discourse
Catherine O'Reilly, Rebekka Darner, .
NSF. 2013 - 2016
The use of high‑frequency data to engage students in quantitative reasoning and scientific discourse
Rebekka Darner, Catherine M. O'Reilly.
NSF. 2013 - 2016
Conference Proceeding
STUDENTS WORKING WITH “BIG” DATA ENGAGES AND EMPOWERS THEM IN THEIR LEARNING: A PROJECT EDDIE DEMONSTRATION
Thomas Meixner, Dax Soule, Rebekka Darner, Catherine M. O'Reilly, Megan Kelly, Paul Meister, Diana Garcia Silva, Brittany Ciancarelli.
Geological Society of America, (2022), 10.1130/abs/2022am-381098
CURRICULAR FLEXIBILITY AFFORDED BY PROJECT EDDIE MODULES FOSTERS QUANTITATIVE LITERACY AMONG A VARIETY OF STUDENTS
Thomas Meixner, Dax Soule, Rebekka Darner, Catherine M. O'Reilly.
Geological Society of America, (2019), 10.1130/abs/2019am-341212
BOARD # 392: LSAMP: A roadmap for institution collaboration during Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Partnerships (LSAMP) program development
Ashleigh Wright, Holly Golecki, Jacqueline Henderson, Rebekka Darner, Nafisa Ibrahim, Brenda Wilson, Loralyn Cozy, Brian Bellott, Mahua Biswas, Alejandro Lleras, Narendra Jaggi, Michelle Edgcomb Friday, Terrance Bishop, Catherine Lipovsky.
ASEE Conferences, 10.18260/1-2--55766
Journal Article
The CURE-Comm Framework: A Guide for Infusing CUREs with Science Communication
Ebenezer Korkor, Rebekka Darner.
Journal of College Science Teaching, 54 (4), 319-327, (2025), 10.1080/0047231x.2025.2472145
Advanced biology students’ individual conceptions of scientific researchers after participating in biomedically relevant CRE
Ashley L. Waring-Sparks, Rachel Sparks, Rebekka Darner, Nathan T. Mortimer.
Journal of Microbiology and Biology Education, 25 (3), (2024), 10.1128/jmbe.00183-23
Asynchronous student engagement in analysis of climate data achieves learning objectives related to climate change understanding, statistical competence, and climate anxiety
T Meixner, B Ciancarelli, EP Farrell, Garc\'\ia, Silva D, T Josek, MM Kelly, Paul Meister, D Soule, Rebekka Darner.
Journal of Geoscience Education, 1--11, (2023)
Fostering Scientific Literacy with Problem Sets that Generate Cognitive Presence and Fulfill Basic Psychological Needs
Guang Jin, Rebekka Darner, Alicia Wodika, Jianwei Lai.
Journal of College Science Teaching, 52 (7), 85-94, (2023)
Do emotions, nature relatedness, and conservation concern influence students’ evaluations of arguments about biodiversity conservation?
Iresha Jayasinghe, Rebekka Darner.
Interdisciplinary Journal of Environmental and Science Education, 17 (1), e2230, (2020), 10.29333/ijese/9157
Using Culturally Relevant Pedagogy to Reconsider the Genetics Canon
Rachel Sparks, Kara Esther Baldwin, Rebekka Darner.
Journal of Microbiology and Biology Education, 21 (1), (2020), 10.1128/jmbe.v21i1.1901
How Can Educators Confront Science Denial?
Rebekka Darner.
Educational Researcher, 48 (4), 229-238, (2019), 10.3102/0013189x19849415
EDDIE modules are effective learning tools for developing quantitative literacy and seismological understanding
Dax Soule, Rebekka Darner, C. M. O'Reilly, Nicholas E. Bader, Thomas Meixner, Catherine A. Gibson, Russell E. McDuff.
Journal of Geoscience Education, 66 (2), 97-108, (2018), 10.1080/10899995.2018.1411708
Using Large Data Sets for Open-Ended Inquiry in Undergraduate Science Classrooms
Catherine O'Reilly, Rebekka Darner, J L Klug, C C Carey, D C Richardson, N E Bader, D C Soule, D Castendyk, T Meixer, J Stomberg, K C Weathers, William Hunter.
BioScience, (2018)
Analysis of high-frequency and long-term data analyses into undergraduate ecology classes improves quantitative literacy
Jennifer L. Klug, Cayelan C. Carey, David C. Richardson, Rebekka D. Gougis.
Ecosphere, 8 (3), (2017), 10.1002/ecs2.1733
Simulation modeling of lakes in undergraduate and graduate classrooms increases comprehension of climate change concepts and interest in computational tools
Cayelan C Carey, Rebekka D. Gougis.
Journal of Science Education and Technology, (2017)
Using large datasets for open-ended inquiry in undergraduate classrooms.
Catherine M O'Reilly, Rebekka Darner, J L Klug, C C Carey, D C Richardson, N E Bader, D C Soule, D Castendyk, T Meixner, J F Stomberg, K C Weathers, W J Hunter.
Bioscience, 67 (12), 1052-61, (2017), https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/bix118
Post-Secondary Science Students' Explanations of Randomness and Variation and Implications for Science Learning
Rebekka Darner Gougis, Janet F Stomberg, Alicia T O'Hare, Catherine O'Reilly, Nicholas E Bader, Thomas Meixner, Cayelan C. Carey.
International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, (2016), 10.1007/s10763-016-9737-7
Students, Meet Data: Using publicly available, high-frequency sensor data in the classroom
Nicholas Bader, Dax Soule, Devin Castendyk, Thomas Meixner, Catherine M. O'Reilly, Rebekka D. Gougis.
(2016)
A Model for using environmental data-driven inquiry and exploration to teach limnology to undergraduates
Cayelan C Carey, Rebekka D Gougis, Jennifer L Klug, Catherine M O'Reilly, David C Richardson.
Limnology and Oceanography Bulletin, 24 (2), (2015), 10.1002/lob.10024
A model for using environmental data-driven inquiry and exploration to teach limnology to undergraduates
C C Carey, R Darner-Gougis, J L Klug, Catherine O'Reilly, D C Richardson.
Limnology and Oceanography Bulletin, 24 (2), 2-5, (2015), 10.1002/lob.10020
Influences on students’ environmental self determination and implications for science curricula
Rebekka Darner.
International Journal of Environmental and Science Education, 9 (1), 21-39, (2014)
An empirical test of self-determination theory as a guide to fostering environmental motivation
Rebekka Darner.
Environmental Education Research, 18 (4), 463-472, (2012), 10.1080/13504622.2011.638739
Self-Determination Theory as a Guide to Fostering Environmental Motivation
Rebekka Darner.
The Journal of Environmental Education, 40 (2), 39-49, (2009), 10.3200/joee.40.2.39-49
Self-determination theory as a guide to fostering environmental motivation
R Darner.
Journal of Environmental Education, 40 (2), 39-49, (2009)
Sharing the Land: Attracting Native American Students to the Geosciences
Eric M. Riggs, Eleanora Robbins, Rebekka Darner.
Journal of Geoscience Education, 55 (6), 478-485, (2007), 10.5408/1089-9995-55.6.478
Other
LSAMP: A Roadmap of Institutional Collaboration During the Development of Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP) Program
Holly M Golecki, Jacqueline Henderson, Rebekka Darner, Nafisa A Ibrahim, Brenda Anne Wilson, Loralyn Cozy, Brian J Bellott, Mahua Biswas, Alejandro Lleras, Narendra Jaggi, Michelle Edgcomb Friday, Terrance Bishop, Catherine Lipovsky.
2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, (2025), 10.18260/1-2--55766
Presentations
Pedagogical Tools Developed to Foster Accuracy-Oriented Reasoning
Guang Jin, Alicia Wodika, Rebekka Darner, Jianwei Lai, Jared Cihlar, Maddie Moore.
20th SENCER (Science Education for New Civic Engagements and Responsibilities) Conference (Virtual), online, August, 2020
"Science Literacy for General Education at ISU: A Pilot Study"
Guang Jin, Alicia Wodika, Rebekka Darner, Jianwei Lai, Jared Cihlar, Maddie Moore.
Illinois State University Annual Teaching & Learning Symposium, Normal IL, January 8, 2020
Design and Implementation of AI Learning Cycles for AI Education in K-12
Elahe Javadi, Allison Meyer, Rebekka Darner.
AAAI 2019 FALL SYMPOSIUM SERIES, Arlington, VA, November, 2019
Prospective Noyce Teacher Candidates’ Pedagogical Orientations towards Inquiry Science Teaching
Rebekka Darner, Frackson Mumba, Baldwin E Kara, William Hunter, Lorsbach Anthony.
National Association of Researchers in Science Teaching, San Antonio, TX, April, 2017
How do science graduate students benefit from conducting educational research?
Rebekka D Gougis, Janet F Stomberg, Alicia T. O'Hare.
National Association of Research in Science Teaching, Baltimore, MD, April 15, 2016
The Hidden Curriculum behind Applying to Graduate School in the Sciences
Rebekka Darner Gougis.
Women in Science Seminar Series, Macomb, IL, December 9, 2015
Environmental data-driven inquiry and exploration (Project EDDIE): Modules that engage students in quantitative reasoning and scientific discourse using large, high-frequency and sensor-based datasets
Devin Castendyk, Nicholas Bader, Dax Soule, Thomas Meixner, David Richardson, Cayelan Carey, Rebekka Darner Gougis, Catherine Gibson, Jennifer Klug, Catherine O'Reilly.
Geological Society of America annual meeting, Baltimore, MD, November 4, 2015
Environmental data-driven inquiry and exploration (Project EDDIE): a model to engage students in quantitative reasoning and scientific discourse.
David Richardson, Devin Castendyk, Nicholas Bader, Cayelan Carey, Rebekka Darner Gougis, Randy Fuller, Catherine Gibson, Jennifer Klug, Thomas Meixner, Catherine O'Reilly.
Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting, Baltimore, MD, August 16, 2015
Do Pre-Service Elementary Teachers Learn to Make Evidence-Based Claims When Doing Inquiry-based Labs?
Rebekka D Gougis, Elizabeth Quinn, Janet Stomberg.
National Association of Researchers in Science Teaching Annual Conference, Chicago, IL, April 6, 2015
Does an in-class note-taker help freshman take better notes in a general education course?
Rebekka D Gougis, Emma Kombrink, Pamm Ambrose, Rebecca Elliott.
2015 University-wide Scholarship of Teaching & Learning Symposium, Normal, IL, January 7, 2015
The Use of High-Frequency Data to Engage Students in Quantitative Reasoning and Scientific Discourse
Devin Castendyk, Nicholas Bader, Cayelan Carey, Rebekka D Gougis, Randy Fuller, Catherine Gibson, Jennifer Klug, Thomas Meixner, Catherine M O'Reilly, Janet F Stomberg.
Geological Society of America Annual Meeting, Denver, CO, October 27, 2014
Student and Mentor Perceptions of Undergraduate STEM Research Experiences
Rebekka D Gougis, Janet Stomberg.
2014 University-wide Teaching & Learning Symposium, Normal, IL, January 8, 2014
Supporting Pre-service Teachers’ Self-efficacy toward Teaching Science in Our General Education Science Courses
Rebekka D Gougis, Elizabeth Quinn.
2014 University-wide Teaching & Learning Symposium, Normal, IL, January 8, 2014
Research in Progress: Online Discussions as a Tool to Engage Students in Authentic Scientific Argumentation
Rebekka L Darner, Kristine L Callis, James R Wolf.
Americas Conference on Information Systems 2013, Chicago, IL, August 17, 2013