Inquiry-Based Laboratory Course Improves Students’ Ability to Design Experiments and Interpret Data

Abstract

We redesigned our intermediate-level organismal physiology laboratory course to center on student-designed experiments in plant and human physiology. Our primary goals were to improve the ability of students to design experiments and analyze data. We assessed these abilities at the beginning and end of the semester by giving students an evaluation tool consisting of an experimental scenario, data, and four questions of increasing complexity. To control for nontreatment influences, the improvement scores (final minus initial score for each question) of students taking both the laboratory and the companion lecture course were compared with those of students taking the lecture course only. The laboratory + lecture group improved more than the lecture-only group for the most challenging question. This evidence suggests that our inquiry-based curriculum is achieving its primary goals. The evaluation tool that we developed may be useful to others interested in measuring experimental analysis abilities in their students.

Science Processes Skills Acquisition & Relationship thereof with Academic Level & Students' Attitude towards the Laboratory

“…Nevertheless, the students' academic level, their academic knowledge and skills development at their University studies contribute, for sure, to equip them with science processes, especially if they are subject to theoretical and practical subjects which work to equip the students from gaining such skills in addition to scientific knowledge. (Myers & Burgess, 2003;Brownell, Kloser, Fukmi & Shavelson, 2012). Therefore, this study aimed at identifying firstly the acquirement degree of science processes among students who are enrolled in life sciences section at Al-Hussien Bin Talal University, and whether this degree differ by academic level thereof.…”

Reinventing the Ames Test as a Quantitative Lab That Connects Classical and Molecular Genetics

“…While data analysis has long been a staple of student learning, recent research demonstrates that students become most engaged and learn best when they have a hand in the design of experiments as well as in the execution and analysis of resulting data (Hake 1998;Merkel 2003;Handelsman et al 2007). Inquiry-based labs have been shown to improve students' research skills in biology (Myers and Burgess 2003). Further, as suggested by BIO2010 (National Research Council 2003), biology curricula should explicitly build the quantitative skills of budding biologists.…”

A Molecular Genetics Laboratory Course Applying Bioinformatics and Cell Biology in the Context of Original Research

“…As a consequence, many laboratory courses have shifted away from "cookbook" exercises toward an inquiry-based model, allowing students to feel the self-investment and excitement that comes with discovery of new knowledge (Stukus and Lennox, 2001;Eberhardt et al, 2003;Mitchell and Graziano, 2006). Multiweek, inquiry-or research-based projects have been demonstrated to be an effective means of stimulating student interest and enhancing skills in experimental design and interpretation (Myers and Burgess, 2003;Gammie and Erdeniz, 2004;Howard and Miskowski, 2005;Mitchell and Graziano, 2006;Goyette and DeLuca, 2007). In addition, there is an increasing need to incorporate the use of bioinformatics tools into such projects and into undergraduate biology classes in general (NRC, 2003).…”