Improving Undergraduate Biology Laboratory Experiences by Performing Experiments with Controlled Environment Chambers

生物科学（61）底特律大学生物系致力于根据国家研究理事会的建议改变我们教授科学的方式。 为了实现我们的目标，我们已经用涉及“科学过程”的练习取代了大部分是“食谱”的实验练习。“因此，我们的学生在实验室课程中设计和执行自己的实验。 这涉及到学生构思一个可测试的假设，并设计实验来测试他们的假设。 在执行实验后，他们根据分析的数据得出自己的结论。 在学生的实验中，受控环境室用于操纵影响整个生物体生理的物理因素。 生物学导论学生探讨植物冷驯化的过程。 这一课程变化采用了主要研究者发明的方法（Baker等人，1994，Plant Molecular Biology），其已被修改用于普通生物学实验室课程（Gelvin和Karcher，1996，生物学实验室教育协会第17届研讨会/会议论文集）。 生态学专业的学生正在调查大气中二氧化碳含量增加对陆地食物链的影响。 这一调查路线补充和调整了水生食物链研究（Urabe和Sterner，1996年，《美国国家科学院院刊》）以及植物学实验室课程的方法，这些方法已成功地利用对模式植物系统的直接研究进行了教学（门罗，1994年，www.jmu.edu/biology/pplab/poster1.html）。 我们的学生正在识别和分析拟南芥中的发育突变体沿着在许多植物物种上开发自己的组织培养再生方案。 此外，本科生在他们的教师监督的独立研究项目中使用这些室。

Biological Sciences (61) The Biology Department of the University of DetroitMercy is committed to changing how we teach science in accordance to the recommendation of the National Research Council. To accomplish our goals, we have replaced laboratory exercises that are largely "cookbook" to exercises involving the "process of science." Thus, our students are designing and executing their own experiments in laboratory courses. This involves the students conceiving a testable hypothesis and designing experiments that test their hypothesis. After executing their experiments, they develop their own conclusions based upon their analyzed data. Controlled environment chambers are used to manipulate physical factors that affect whole organism physiology in our students' experiments. Introductory biology students investigate the process of plant cold-acclimation. This curriculum change incorporates methodology invented by the principal investigator (Baker et al., 1994, Plant Molecular Biology) that has been modified for use in the general biology laboratory courses (Gelvin and Karcher, 1996, Proceedings of the 17th Workshop/Conference of the Association of Biology Laboratory Education). Ecology students are investigating the effects of increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide levels on terrestrial food chains. This line of investigation complements and adapts research on aquatic food chains (Urabe and Sterner, 1996, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences) as well as methods from botany laboratory courses that have been successfully taught using directed research on model plant systems (Monroe, 1994, www.jmu.edu/biology/pplab/poster1.html). Our students are identifying and analyzing developmental mutants in Arabidopsis thaliana along with developing their own tissue culture regeneration protocols on numerous plant species. Additionally, undergraduates use these chambers in their faculty-supervised independent research projects.