NSF Award
0088638
Biological Sciences (61) <br/><br/>In an effort to engage students in critical thinking and to encourage them to act as independent investigative scientists, the department of biology has increased the amount of laboratory time devoted to investigative work and interpretive data analysis across the curriculum. A series of investigative labs with a particular focus on digital data collection are being developed and implemented in a number of biology courses including cell biology, organismal biology, histology, introductory biology and ecology. The long-term process of data collection, photodocumentation and on-going data analysis common to the research environment is being adapted to the needs of inexperienced undergraduates and implemented across the biology curriculum. Eight digital imaging workstations have been purchased and are being utilized by students to collect static and moving images and to facilitate complex data analysis. In addition, students use these workstations to create and maintain digital and print portfolios which reflect the student's undergraduate laboratory experiences and summarize connections between the student's experiences in a variety of courses. The portfolio enhances student ownership of the laboratory experience and increases retention of material from one course to the next. Senior portfolios are evaluated by a committee and five portfolios are selected each year for posting on the World Wide Web. In addition to serving biology majors, this project serves pre-service teachers and in-service teachers through workshops that model inquiry-based instruction, enhance faculty skill in microscopy and image capturing, and integrate the use of technology in education. Partnerships with Native American K-12 students, in-service teachers, and pre-service teachers are centered around the development of pictorial field guides of indigenous plant and animal species thus demonstrating the use of technology in education.
