Implementation and Evaluation of an Undergraduate Inquiry-Based Research Laboratory Curriculum in Microbial Ecology

生物科学(61)。该项目正在开发和评估一门基于探究的微生物生态学本科实验室课程，该课程面向大型大学的生命科学专业。它为本科生提供了在课堂上反映合作科学社区的不同小组中工作的机会，并评估假设、设计实验和分析在微生物学、群落生态学、分子生物学、生物信息学和/或系统发育学领域开展的合作学生项目产生的数据。这一系列的三门课程以引导式探究方法开始，在这种方法中，学生建立了一个概念框架，用于应用与微生物生态学研究有关的科学方法，并逐步进入对自我产生的问题的独立的、假设检验的探索。该项目的智力价值在于(1)开发了研究实验室课程，这是在大型大学环境中教授科学探究和让学生参与科学研究的重要模式，(2)提供了关于该课程方法有效性的有价值的信息的强有力的评估计划，以及(3)开发了专门的、开放源码的数据库，用于存储和共享学生研究项目的结果，并用作学生生物信息学调查的调查工具。该项目的广泛影响包括开发了一个可移植和可扩展的基于探究的课程模式，课程结构为围绕研究项目建立实验室课程提供了一个框架，重点放在任何多种主题上。该项目被视为朝着生命科学领域更大规模的机构努力迈出的第一步，预计每年将影响数千名学生。此外，对该项目的广泛评估提供了有关这一方法在改善生命科学专业招收和留住学生方面的有效性的数据，特别是代表人数不足的少数族裔和妇女。最后，正在通过出版物和在国家会议上的介绍来传播该项目的成果。

Biological Sciences (61). This project is developing and evaluating an inquiry-based undergraduate laboratory curriculum in microbial ecology that is geared toward majors in the life sciences in a large university setting. It is providing undergraduates opportunities to work in diverse groups within the classroom that are reflective of the collaborative scientific community, and to evaluate hypotheses, design experiments, and analyze data generated by collaborative student projects conducted in microbiology, community ecology, molecular biology, bioinformatics, and/or phylogenetics. The three-course series begins with a guided-inquiry approach in which students build a conceptual framework for application of the scientific method as it pertains to research in microbial ecology, and progresses into an independent, hypothesis-testing exploration of self-generated questions. The intellectual merit of the project lies in (1) the development of the research laboratory curriculum, an important model for teaching scientific inquiry and for engaging students in scientific research in a large university setting, (2) a strong evaluation plan that is providing valuable information about the effectiveness of this curricular approach, and (3) the development of a dedicated, open-source database for storing and sharing results of student research projects and for use as an investigative tool for students' bioinformatics investigations.Broader impacts of the program include the development of a portable and scalable inquiry-based curricular model, with the structure of the curriculum providing a framework for building laboratory courses around research projects focusing on any multitude of topics. The project is seen as a first step toward a larger-scale institutional effort in the life sciences that is projected to affect thousands of students per year. In addition, the extensive evaluation of the project is providing data on the effectiveness of this approach at improving recruitment and retention of students, particularly underrepresented minorities and women, in life sciences majors. Finally, the results of the project are being disseminated through publications and presentations at national meetings.