A Biology Program to Develop Investigative Learning and Critical Thinking at a Small, Rural University

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9451925 Knight The aim of this project is to foster critical thinking and improved scientific writing among rural undergraduate biology students. Development will be effected through a program of courses that encourage research and learning which is progressively more independent of faculty and more in collaboration with other students. Much basic equipment has been purchased for this project with private donations; however, an infrared gas analyzer, an analytical oxygen analyzer, a carbon dioxide sensor, and electrophoresis equipment are needed to expand the exposure of students to technical instrumentation and provide a wider range of opportunities for original student research in plant physiology, human and animal metabolism, and molecular and cellular biology. The project is significant because it is a departure from the traditional approach to teaching biology at this small university. The project is a comprehensive strategy affecting the style and content of most biology courses. This new biology program is expected to attract more students into biology at the University of the Ozarks and enhance the rate of alumni matriculating into graduate and professional schools.