An Investigative Laboratory to Confront Common Misconceptions in Life Science

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We propose to develop an investigative-type biology laboratory for non-majors based on commonly held misconceptions about life science. Each laboratory session will center on a single naive preconception commonly held by students. The students will formulate a null hypothesis and design and perform experiments to test this preconception. Students will obtain results which conflict with their preconceptions, allowing them to discover for themselves that logical experiments do not support their naive beliefs. Improvement in general scientific literacy should occur as a result of active student participation in all phases of this unique process. This new investigative approach will require an intensive graduate assistant training program for successful implementation.