Incorporating Investigative Labs & Active Learning Into Non-majors Biology

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Biological Science (61). This CCLI Adaptation and Implementation project addresses the issue of student disengagement in large-enrollment science courses by incorporating two research-based solutions in a non-majors biology course: 1) the incorporation of active learning (via a Personal Response System), and 2) the addition of an investigative laboratory component. Adapting materials developed by Workshop Biology, students enrolled in the laboratory course work in small cooperative groups to execute original investigations in each of the five areas of biology covered (ecology, evolution, genetics, cell/molecular biology, and physiology). Cooperative groups are also utilized in lecture, where students solve conceptual problems posed by the instructor, interpret graphs and tables, or design experiments to address a research question. Issues related to the training of teaching assistants are addressed in this project through the production of online training materials. The impact of these structural and pedagogical changes on students' understanding of scientific inquiry, key biological concepts, scientific reasoning skills, and attitudes about science, technology and the course are assessed using a variety of quantitative (pre-tests and post-tests, exam questions, lecture activities) and qualitative methods (focus groups, open-ended responses to survey questions, classroom observations). This project has the potential to elucidate mechanisms for improving the scientific literacy of populations of students who do not plan to major in science.