Introductory Biology Labs: An Investigative Approach

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The goal of this proposal is to provide the equipment needed to teach new and innovative labs in introductory molecular and cellular biology. In collaboration with Dr.David Becker at Pomona College, new introductory biology labs that are designed "to stimulate students" interest in science and to introduce them to the investigative nature of science are being developed. All too often, introductory biology labs are simply a series of "cookbook" labs that do not stimulate students' creativity or natural curiosity. These boring labs, in association with lectures that stress memorizing facts, turn many students off to science. These new labs first introduce students to basic concepts. The students then design, perform, and analyze their own experiments, building upon what they have learned in class and in the course. The labs are designed in modular units of two to three weeks duration. The first week or two of each lab module are devoted to exercises that teach the students the basic techniques and illustrate fundamental principles in this area. The second and/or third weeks of a module, the students design and carry out their own experiments. They then interpret their data and prepare a report. As the term goes on, students will be encouraged to develop more and more sophisticated experiments. This approach to introductory biology labs should challenge students and introduce them to the excitement of scientific investigations.