Brewing for Students: An Inquiry-Based Microbiology Lab

Abstract

In an effort to improve and assess student learning, there has been a push to increase the incorporation of discovery-driven modules and those that contain real-world relevance into laboratory curricula. To further this effort, we have developed, implemented, and assessed an undergraduate microbiology laboratory experiment that requires students to use the scientific method while brewing beer. The experiment allows students to brew their own beer and characterize it based on taste, alcohol content, calorie content, pH, and standard reference method. In addition, we assessed whether students were capable of achieving the module learning objectives through a pre-/posttest, student self-evaluation, exam-embedded questions, and an associated worksheet. These objectives included describing the role of the brewing ingredients and predicting how altering the ingredients would affect the characteristics of the beer, amongst others. By completing this experimental module, students accomplished the module objectives, had greater interest in brewing, and were more likely to view beer in scientific terms. Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education.

Battle of the Bacteria: Characterizing the Evolutionary Advantage of Stationary Phase Growth

“…The GASP module is just one of the activities encountered by the students during the course. Other parts of the curriculum include the isolation and identification of bacteria, examination of antibiotic resistance in the isolated bacteria, characterization of worm capture by a nematophagous fungus ( 10 ), and a brewing module ( 11 ). The GASP module was scheduled for the last half of the course, and was performed simultaneously with the fungus and brewing experiments.…”

“…In addition, exams included material from all other topics covered during the course. To compare performance between module-specific questions and questions covering other topics that have been previously assessed ( 10 , 11 ), some of which have been used for a considerable amount of time in the course and are much more established, we separated questions into lower Bloom’s levels (Bloom’s 1–2) and higher Bloom’s levels (Bloom’s 3–6). Bloom’s taxonomy is used as a means to characterize different types of thinking required to answer a given question ( 2 , 7 ).…”

Reaching a Large Urban Undergraduate Population through Microbial Ecology Course-Based Research Experiences

“…The interest in fermentation and fermented foods cuts across cultural and experiential lines, with lively discussions in the lab about beer, wine, cheese, yogurt and culturally traditional fermented foods, promoting multicultural dialogue and inclusivity in the classroom. Lab courses that incorporate fermentation biology in the form of beer and wine analysis provide an opportunity to capture students' interests and offer training in lab techniques, experimental design, and scientific literacy (39,40). Kombucha fermentation has also been used to teach analytical chemistry in a traditional lab setting, though not as an inquiry-based, CURE-style course (41).…”

Personal microbiomes and next-generation sequencing for laboratory-based education

“…Inquiry-based learning uses open-ended questions or scenarios to provide students with a glimpse of genuine research, while also providing enough direction and structure to focus their learning (Hofstein and Lunetta 2004;Blanchard et al 2010;Puttick, Drayton and Cohen 2015). Inquiry-based microbiology experiments have been reported for a wide range of topics selected to enhance student engagement, including beer brewing (Sato et al 2015), oral hygiene (Geiger-Thornsberry 2016) and endophytes from rainforest plants (Strobel and Strobel 2007). Inquiry projects provide ample opportunities for hands-on experiences and self-direction, while allowing the level of support to be tailored to the needs of a particular class.…”