9354728 Fuller Students in each course in a collaborative laboratory project (CLP) apply the special skills, etc. they are learning in that course to a research project. Thus, introductory biology students use basic techniques to provide some data for a project while more advanced students use their special expertise to quantify a different element of the research. For example, a CLP on the effects of nutrients and zooplankton on phytoplankton communities is designed as a collaborative project for the introductory biology, the phycology and the ecology courses. The introductory students take samples and quantify zooplankton; ecology students analyze the water chemistry and quantify zooplankton; and the phycology students quantify the phytoplankton. Each student brings an expertise to the project and all make a significant contribution to the scientific endeavor. This approach requires interaction among students and faculty and fosters a cooperative learning environment that pairs students with students, faculty with students and faculty with faculty. This "community of learners" extends beyond a single course to encompass all levels of the curriculum. Furthermore, students appreciate the relevance of their results, recognize the relatedness of different sub-disciplines within biology and are introduced to the types of skills/techniques that they will participate in if they continue in biology. These CLPs make the science that students do more substantive, interesting and meaningful, and more sophisticated at all levels. This approach to teaching science more accurately reflects how science is done, and can serve as a model for how science is taught in all disciplines.
