A New Biology Lab Curriculum for Nursing Students Emphasizing Investigative Learning Through the Use of Computer Technology

目前正在对护理专业学生的生物实验课程进行重大调整，以便这些学生能够更好地应对他们在以后的临床/专业生涯中所面临的挑战。随着最近医疗保健系统的变化和削减，护士正在承担越来越多以前分配给医生的责任。护士必须比他们的前任有更多的技能来适应他们不断变化的角色和地位。我们的目标是为学生打下坚实的基础，培养他们的批判性思维和解决问题的能力。为了实现这一目标，我们正在将“主动学习/调查”方法纳入实验室实验。用拨款获得的计算机化仪器使学生能够灵活地访问正在研究的主题的背景信息，用他们选择的参数设计实验，并通过服务器与宾夕法尼亚州立大学阿宾顿分校的学生交流，共享和分析数据。鼓励学生进行初步观察和假设，然后在实验过程中使用计算机、计算机数据采集和统计分析，学习如何组织和分析原始数据，就像个人参与临床或基础研究一样。我们的目标是摆脱“食谱”式的实验，鼓励学生根据在课程的相应讲座部分所学到的生物学原理设计一系列创新的实验练习。我们的方法是研究性学习和：a)培养解决问题和批判性思维的能力；b)提高书面和口头的沟通技巧；c)提高计算机能力；d)鼓励法兰克福和阿宾顿学生之间的团队合作；e)帮助学生获得对科学方法论的一般理解及其在临床环境中的含义。

A major restructuring of biology laboratory courses for nursing students is being undertaken so that these students can better meet the challenges they will be faced with later in their clinical/professional careers. With the recent changes and cuts in the health care system, nurses are taking on more and more responsibilities that were previously assigned to physicians. Nurses must have additional skills than their predecessors to accommodate their changing role and status. The objective is to lay a solid foundation for our students so that they will develop critical thinking and problem solving skills. To achieve this goal we are incorporating an "Active Learning/ Investigative" approach to laboratory experimentation. The computerized instrumentation acquired with the grant funds is allowing the students the flexibility to access background information about the subject being investigated, design the experiment with parameters that they have chosen and communicate with students at Penn State Abington via a server to share and analyze data. Students are encouraged to make initial observations and formulate hypotheses, then by using computers, computerized data acquisition and statistical analysis in the experimental process, they learn how to organize and analyze their raw data just as individuals involved in clinical or basic research. Our aim is to get away from "cookbook" type experimentation by encouraging students to design a series of innovative lab exercises based on the biological principles learned in the corresponding lecture component of the courses. Our approach is on investigative learning and: a) Develops problem-solving and critical thinking skills; b) Enhances communication skills, both written and verbal; c) Enhances computer competency; d) Encourages teamwork between students at Frankford and Abington; e) Helps students acquire a general understanding of scientific methodology and its implication in the clinical setting.