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

正在对护理专业学生的生物实验室课程进行重大调整，以便这些学生能够更好地应对他们在以后的临床/专业职业生涯中将面临的挑战。随着最近医疗保健系统的变化和削减，护士承担着越来越多以前分配给医生的责任。护士必须比他们的前辈有更多的技能，以适应他们不断变化的角色和地位。我们的目标是为我们的学生奠定坚实的基础，使他们能够发展批判性思维和解决问题的能力。为了实现这一目标，我们正在实验室实验中采用“主动学习/调查”的方法。用助学金购买的计算机化仪器使学生能够灵活地获取有关被调查对象的背景信息，使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的学生交流，以共享和分析数据。鼓励学生进行初步观察和提出假设，然后通过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。我们的目标是通过鼓励学生根据课程中相应的讲座部分所学的生物学原理设计一系列创新的实验练习，从而摆脱“食谱”式的实验。我们的方法是研究性学习，并：a)培养解决问题和批判性思维的技能；b)提高书面和口头的沟通能力；c)提高计算机能力；d)鼓励法兰克福大学和阿宾顿大学的学生之间的团队合作；e)帮助学生对科学方法及其在临床环境中的含义有一个大致的了解。

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.