Engaging Introductory Biology Students in Independent Research Projects Based on Critical Analysis (or a Meta-analysis) of Open Questions in the Literature

 

Tested Studies in Laboratory Teaching, 2013, Volume 34

Jean G. Heitz

Abstract

If students are to develop science literacy they must be given multiple opportunities to critically analyze and evaluate information. In our Introductory Biology 151 and 152 labs we require students to: • find, review and critically evaluate background literature • design and conduct experiments • analyze information gained and • communicate what they find in scientific format. This culminates in a semester-long independent project. This paper focuses on the methods I developed to teach students how to conduct a meta-analysis, i.e., how to develop a research question and how to mine data from the literature and critically analyze it.

Keywords:  Meta-analysis, critical evaluation of literature, independent project, library-based research

University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (2012)