Adventures along the Road to Inquiry: The Journey So Far?

 

Tested Studies in Laboratory Teaching, 2015, Volume 36

Hans D. Lemke, Michael J. Keller, & Jeffrey L. Firestone

Abstract

The concept that students learn more effectively by doing than by being told what to do has prompted a move toward the increased use of active learning in the classroom and open-inquiry in the laboratory. At the University of Maryland we are in the process of transitioning away from "cookbook" fixed-inquiry exercises and toward more open-inquiry experimentation in our introductory biology labs. Having worked through administrative and logistical hurdles, the first truly open lab experiences proved as challenging as expected, but also demonstrated an unexpected level of student enthusiasm and ability of teaching assistants to guide students and make it a positive experience.

Keywords:  Curriculum design, Inquiry, ecology lab, molecular biology lab

University of Oregon (2014)