Design-based and Interdisciplinary Strategies for Learning in Laboratory Sciences

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This project establishes a design-based inquiry approach to teaching advanced laboratory courses that is interdisciplinary in nature, fosters student and instructor collaboration, and incorporates technology into the learning process. Students in three courses, Cell Biology, Advanced Instrumental Analysis, and Introductory Statistics, collaborate on semester-long research projects investigating questions related to air pollution and lung cell toxicity. This is a relevant topic for southwestern Pennsylvania, where pollution exposure has been correlated with an increase in mortality rates. The students use virtual laboratories and online video tutorials to supplement technical skills and enhance science learning and Web 2.0 interactive collaborative technologies to collaborate throughout the semester.Intellectual Merit: Project activities are based on research published in the literature about how students best learn science and the process of scientific investigation, and how supplemental technology can positively impact learning. The project builds on prior work by the Principal Investigators and is supported by university-wide commitments. The primary pedagogical goals are to: 1. Develop, adapt, and refine design-based inquiry approaches to laboratory experiences that use real-world data and student-developed research studies. 2. Incorporate learning technologies, such as interactive virtual labs and video tutorials into the curriculum. 3. Assess the effect of this approach on student understanding of scientific concepts and processes, higher order skills, and attitudes toward science and research.Broader Impacts: The project directly impacts approximately 150-200 STEM students per year (three-fourths of whom are enrolled in laboratory science courses). The interdisciplinary framework for teaching scientific investigation can be adapted within other disciplines and at other institutions. Project findings and the curricular framework are being disseminated at Seton Hill through a series of teaching and learning forums, to other STEM faculty through conferences at professional society national meetings and publication in peer-reviewed journals, and freely to the general public via the Seton Hill website. The virtual laboratories and video tutorials are being disseminated broadly through cataloging with the National STEM Distributed Learning (NSDL) services.This project is being jointly funded by the Directorate for Biological Sciences and the Directorate for Education and Human Resources, Division of Undergraduate Education as part of their efforts toward support of Vision and Change in Undergraduate Biology Education.