Promoting Analytical Thinking by Adding Data Collection to Observationally-Based Labs

 

Tested Studies in Laboratory Teaching, 2008, Volume 29

Jessica Goldstein

Abstract

One semester of our Introductory Biology Lab for Biology majors is entitled "Biodiversity Lab" in which students examine many different organisms, focusing on anatomical and morphological differences among members of the animal, plant, and fungi kingdoms. We noticed that our students rushed through these labs without paying careful attention and often commented that they felt it was a waste of time to "just look at something". We thought that students would feel more engaged when they were collecting data to test a hypothesis. Therefore, we asked our students to collect data while they were dissecting organisms, and then perform data analysis using that data set. Students responded positively to these new exercises and appeared more engaged in their dissections. Additionally, students are now learning both anatomical features of organisms as well as basic principles of hypothesis testing and data analysis. The goal of this workshop was to describe some of the new modifications we implemented to convert primarily observationally-based labs into vehicles for hypothesis testing and data analysis, with the hope that participants could use these ideas as a starting point to modify their own laboratory curricula. To aid in this process, participants in this workshop were asked to brainstorm ideas about how to modify a simple observational lab to include hypothesis testing, data collection, and analysis. Three lab exercises and the results of the brainstorming session are described below.

Keywords:  statistical analysis, data analysis, introductory biology

University of Kentucky (2007)