Progressive Concept Mapping in Lab: Building Connections All Semester Long
Tested Studies in Laboratory Teaching, 2017, Volume 38
Krystal K. Gayler & Marielle Hoefnagels
Abstract
One challenge in learning biology is conceptualizing how the pieces of a complex story fit together. A typical exam might cover chemistry and cells before the course moves on to genetics and inheritance, but students may never understand how those units relate to each other or to evolution and ecology. To address this issue, we implemented a semester-long concept mapping project in our non-majors biology lab. Early in the semester, small groups of students created concept maps covering the basic concepts of cell chemistry. After review, a corrected map was pushed out to the entire class. When it was time to build the next section, students started with the correct map and added concepts related to DNA, proteins, cell division and inheritance. A few weeks later, we added evolution; ecology came last. This exercise demonstrated the continuity between the textbook, the lab, and the lecture, an aspect previously missing from the class.
