This project introduces new instructional and assessment formats into a large (over 2000 students per year) introductory lecture and laboratory course for non-major undergraduate students in biology in order to improve the students' scientific literacy and engagement in scientific processes. The methods being employed include: (1) modification of the laboratory curriculum towards an inquiry-based format that addresses contemporary scientific issues and relates them to common student experiences; (2) adaptation and implementation of new student assessment formats including the Science Writing Heuristic (Keys, Hand, Prain, & Collins, 1999, Journal of Research in Science Teaching, v36, p1055) and a Scientific Literacy Test (Norris, Phillips, & Korpan, 2003, Science Education, v87, p224) to help foster a clear understanding of scientific concepts and the nature of scientific investigation through writing, collaborative learning, and formative assessment; (3) use of articles about scientific topics to provide opportunities for discussion and debate of contemporary scientific issues; (4) development of a graduate student training program to insure high quality instruction for the inquiry-based labs and new assessments; and (5) extensive evaluation of the impact of the new activities and assessments on student learning.
The intellectual merit of the project is found in its conception of what a high quality biology laboratory learning experience should encompass in parallel with rigorous research on the effects of the changes instituted on student learning.
The broader impacts of the project include: (1) the creation and dissemination of well documented new approaches to course curriculum and assessment applicable to large introductory courses; (2) the potential for rich teaching and learning opportunities for students with little aptitude or interest in science; and (3) dissemination of these methods to other college faculty both at the University of Georgia and at other institutions.
