Task 1b

The guiding principles for the Life Science 151 biology course are cell theory, homeostasis and genetics as well as the application of the scientific method. The course houses interdisciplinary students from Biotechnology, Biodiversity and Conservation Biology, Medical Bio-Science and Environmental and Waters Sciences, which makes the course very exciting. Indeed, students should have a basic understanding of the underlying principles and the knowledge of scientific skills, and as a result involves a choice of teaching techniques for certain topics, as well as process of skills.

Over the last decades, in biology, the use of the CMAP tool (concept maps) has been shown to be very effective when unpacking complex concepts. In Life Science tutorials and lectures, students are given a topic e.g. on organic compounds and then need to demonstrate how these concepts are linked using phrases. Stewart (1979) and studies thereafter e.g. Liu and Lee (2013) have shown that the usage of concept maps greatly improves students learning and understanding.

In the laboratory and field, students explore topics through experimental research and problem-solving skills. The exploratory nature of experiments and reports involve the regular incorporation of the scientific method, and requires students to have reading and writing skills. Research on reading and writing have shown that student’s perform better in subjects when they are given clear instructions e.g. scientific report writing, drawing, data analysis and referencing (Glynn and Muth, 1994). In Life Science, we build in scientific writing skills through our lab reports and assignments. Furthermore, in our tutorials we infuse reading and writing skills through paragraph writing exercises. Glynn and Muth (1994) express the connection between reading and writing in science teaching:

“Integrated reading and writing activities can play a vital role in achieving a minds-on emphasis in the learning of science. Reading and writing activities can support active, constructive learning, inquiry, and problem solving. Reading and writing activities can help students to cover science content in greater depth, focusing on related ideas and themes. Through reading and writing, students can build upon their prior learning and make real-world connections.” 

Assignments have been shown to improve student’s research skills (DebBurman, 2002). Most scientist use the same basic framework for assignments: question-orientated, hypothesis driven, analyze, organize and presentation of scientific knowledge. Life Science assignments integrate the process of skills with content and through assignments. Furthermore, the use of rubrics in conjunction with our assignments, have been demonstrated to facilitate, guide, and improve performance and “make standards clear and explicit to students” (Luft, 1999; Allen and Tanner, 2006). Since Life Science is a service course for the Science Faculty, Allen and Tanner (2006) describes why use rubrics:

“When information from rubrics is analyzed, a detailed record of students' progress toward meeting desired outcomes can be monitored and then provided to students so that they may also chart their own progress and improvement. With team-taught courses or multiple sections of the same course, rubrics can be used to make faculty standards explicit to one another, and to calibrate subsequent expectations.”

Allen and Tanner (2006) goes on to the explain that rubrics encourage reflective practice of both student and instructor:

“If rubrics are used in the context of students' peer review of their own work or that of others, or if students are involved in the process of developing the rubric, these processes can spur the development of their ability to become self-directed and help them develop insight into how they and others learn (Luft, 1999).”

In general, Life Science is there to make students more aware of their surroundings and how they go about when conducting research. In the end they recognize that they need to be objective, be able to communicate as a scientist. The most important thing is to demonstrate in practice as a scientist the understanding and the application of the scientific method.


 References:
Allen D and Tanner K (2006) Rubrics: Tools for making learning goals and evaluation criteria explicit for both teachers and learners. CBE-Life Sciences Education 5: 197-203.

DebBurman SK (2002) Learning How Scientists Work: Experiential Research Projects to Promote Cell Biology Learning and Scientific Process Skills. Cell Biology Education 1: 154–172

Glynn SM and Muth KD (1994) Reading and Writing to Learn Science: Achieving Scientific Literacy. Journal of Research in Science Teaching 31: 1057-1073

Liu SH and Lee GG (2013) Using a Concept Map Knowledge Management System to Enhance the Learning of Biology. Computers and Education 68: 105–116.

Luft JA (1999) Rubrics: design and use in science teacher education. Journal of Science Teacher Education 10: 107-121.

Stewart J (1979) Concept Maps: A Tool for Use in Biology Teaching. American Biology Teacher 41: 171-75.