A writing-intensive course improves biology undergraduates' perception and confidence of their abilities to read scientific literature and communicate science
A writing-intensive course improves biology undergraduates' perception and confidence of their abilities to read scientific literature and communicate science
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DOI：
10.1152/advan.00138.2012
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发表时间：
2013-03-01
影响因子：
2.1
通讯作者：
Steinman, Lawrence
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Brownell, Sara E.;Price, Jordan V.;Steinman, Lawrence
Brownell SE，Price JV，Steinman L.一个写作密集型课程提高生物本科生的感知和信心，他们的能力，阅读科学文献和交流科学。Adv Physiol Educ 37：70-79，2013; doi：10.1152/2012.-大多数科学家认为，理解主要的科学论文和科学概念的交流是我们可以教的两个最重要的技能，但很少有本科生物学课程明确这些课程目标。我们设计了一个本科神经免疫学课程，使用写作密集型格式。使用初级文献的混合，针对外行和科学家观众的写作作业，以及课堂讨论，我们旨在提高学生的能力：1）理解初级科学论文，2）向科学观众传达科学，3）向外行观众传达科学。我们提供了连续三年的课程，并评估其对学生的感知和信心的影响，使用的组合前和课后的调查问题和编码的开放式回答。学生表现出收益的看法，他们的理解主要的科学论文和他们的能力，沟通科学的科学和外行观众。这些结果表明，这种独特的格式可以教沟通技巧和基础科学本科生物学学生。我们敦促其他人采取类似的形式为本科生物学课程，教过程技能，除了内容，从而扩大和加强本科课程的影响。
Brownell SE, Price JV, Steinman L. A writing-intensive course improves biology undergraduates' perception and confidence of their abilities to read scientific literature and communicate science. Adv Physiol Educ 37: 70-79, 2013; doi:10.1152/advan.00138.2012.-Most scientists agree that comprehension of primary scientific papers and communication of scientific concepts are two of the most important skills that we can teach, but few undergraduate biology courses make these explicit course goals. We designed an undergraduate neuroimmunology course that uses a writing-intensive format. Using a mixture of primary literature, writing assignments directed toward a layperson and scientist audience, and in-class discussions, we aimed to improve the ability of students to 1) comprehend primary scientific papers, 2) communicate science to a scientific audience, and 3) communicate science to a layperson audience. We offered the course for three consecutive years and evaluated its impact on student perception and confidence using a combination of pre- and postcourse survey questions and coded open-ended responses. Students showed gains in both the perception of their understanding of primary scientific papers and of their abilities to communicate science to scientific and layperson audiences. These results indicate that this unique format can teach both communication skills and basic science to undergraduate biology students. We urge others to adopt a similar format for undergraduate biology courses to teach process skills in addition to content, thus broadening and strengthening the impact of undergraduate courses.