This project is establishing an innovative introductory biology course open to both biology majors and those majoring in other fields. Both lecture and laboratory are integrated as regards teaching approaches used and subject matter covered. Both use an inquiry-based approach to teaching. The particular teaching approach used has been piloted at the institution and found to be superior to other approaches in retaining majors and gaining an interest in and knowledge of the discipline by those students not biology majors. Class time is devoted to group discussions of student-generated questions and peer review of each other's work under the guidance of faculty and experienced upper division students. This experience provides an opportunity for upper division students to enrich their research skills.
Intellectual Merit: Web-based background materials are used to prepare students for investigations, while scenarios and discussion questions are of high quality and connect basic concepts in the life sciences (such as the nature of respiration) to real world problems in subjects ranging from molecular biology to animal behavior.
Broader Impact: The entire department is engaged in faculty development activities to prepare both the upper division students and the faculty for this student discussion-centered mode of teaching and research-centered approach to a student laboratory so the impact will go beyond this institution. In addition the web-based background material prepared for students is being made freely available to facilitate easy adaptation by other institutions.
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
