Using discovery for the CURE: A general biology curriculum series to promote high-level cognitive skills and an understanding of medicine from an environmental perspective

    

Renee Rosier, Jessica Brzyski, and Nicole McAllister

Advances in Biology Laboratory Education, 2025, Volume 45

https://doi.org/10.37590/able.v45.art57

Supplemental Materials: https://doi.org/10.37590/able.v45.sup57

Poster file: https://doi.org/10.37590/able.v45.poster57

Abstract

Discovery- and research-based learning was implemented in General Biology I and II Lab courses. The curriculum aimed to help students develop higher-order cognitive skills (HOCS), which are considered standard competencies for STEM undergraduate students. Preparation for upper-level courses was also considered when designing the curriculum in regards to the introduction and development of lab skills, critical thinking skills, and science communication skills. The use of research projects facilitated the achievement of these goals. In the General Biology I Lab course, students identify and characterize medicinal properties of a plant of their choice in a discovery-based learning approach, and in the General Biology II Lab course, students investigate the environmental effects of medicinal micropollutants in a CURE setting. The design of this lab series challenges students to think about medicine from different perspectives (plant-based medicines and medicines as micropollutants). Both labs in the series required students to participate in journal clubs (reading and critiquing scientific literature related to their research), present their research findings in low- and high-stakes oral and poster presentations, and design their own experiments at the end of each lab course. Preliminary data using pre- and post-surveys suggest an increase in student self-confidence in HOCS and hands-on laboratory skills, as well as a change in their understanding of plant science as relating to medicine. Future studies will follow up on these preliminary results and focus on studying the impact of this curriculum change on student confidence, learning of laboratory and scientific skills, and appreciation for plant science. Overall, we report the implementation of discovery- and research-based learning using research projects that aim to promote higher-order thinking skills, prepare students for upper-level courses, and nurture an appreciation for environmental science and how it can be linked to medicine.

Keywords:  CURE, discovery-based learning, plant science, general biology, higher-order cognitive skills, environmental science, thematic-learning, liberal arts

University of Maryland (2024)