Small-group Microbiology (BIOL 150) Research Projects
Date: Spring and summer 2008
Reflection written July 1, 2008
Standard: National Science Education Standards A-D. These standards state that science teachers will plan inquiry-based science programs that will guide and facilitate their students’ learning while providing students with the time, space, and resources needed for learning science. Additionally, science teachers will engage in ongoing assessment of their teaching.
Description: Microbiology (BIOL 150) is taught every spring, and is required for all pre-nursing and pre-respiratory students. Students who are interested in physical therapy and dentistry also take the course, although they are in the minority. Class size ranges between 30-40 students, of which 90% are pre-nursing students.
In spring 2008, I modified the laboratory portion to include a more inquiry-based segment. This modification was in response to literature that suggests that open-inquiry laboratory sessions enhance the learning of science concepts. Additionally, Nursing and Respiratory students will likely never work in the clinical lab, negating the necessity of memorizing numerous laboratory techniques. Therefore, the first half of the semester is now spent learning basic microbiological techniques such as Gram-staining, aseptic techniques for cell cultures, and biochemical testing of bacteria. This portion of the semester occurs in a traditional “cook-book” manner with assessment occurring via weekly laboratory reports. In the second half of the semester, students work in pairs to design and execute an independent research project. Only time and resources limit the projects, although the experiment must be related to microbiology. I work closely with the student groups during the planning phase to ensure basic safety and appropriate difficulty of the projects. Students are then responsible for implementation, data collection and analysis. Following completion of the projects, all students must submit a formal laboratory report written in standard journal format. They must also create a poster which they use in their oral presentation to their classmates. Assessment of the paper, poster, and oral presentation is based on scientific accuracy and methodology, clarity, and creativity.
Students in the spring 2008 Microbiology course enjoyed the laboratory small-group projects. Several students stated that the projects were the best part of the lab, and even brought their friends to see their completed posters. It was also observed that the students who were not as “engaged” during lecture were very enthusiastic about their projects, consistent with data that suggests that weaker students can be very successful using active learning strategies.
Following the initial success of this project, the same format was used in the 2008 summer Microbiology (BIOL 150) course. This course is not usually offered during the summer, but was offered in the summer of 2008 in response to requests by the Respiratory and Nursing departments. Although the summer schedule required the students to execute their projects in a shorter time frame, the students were able to complete projects of sufficient complexity (see sample pictures). Again, the students enjoyed the ability to design their own learning projects. Based on the success of this project in two sessions of Microbiology, I plan to continue the use of this inquiry-driven laboratory component in future Microbiology courses.
Analysis: I chose to include this artifact in my portfolio for two reasons. First, it represents a dramatic modification of the existing course. Although I was convinced of the power of inquiry-based learning, I was hesitant to implement it due to concerns regarding resources, time, and space. I was particularly concerned that the resource limitations would prohibit satisfactory project development, and that the personal time-commitment would be too great and would detract from other teaching responsibilities. I was pleased to be wrong on both counts, and I am delighted in my students’ success; hence the inclusion of this artifact in my teaching portfolio.
The second reason I have included this artifact is because it illustrates my competency with NSES Standards A-D. These standards state that science teachers will plan inquiry-based science programs that will guide and facilitate their students’ learning while providing students with the time, space, and resources needed for learning science. Additionally, science teachers will engage in ongoing assessment of their teaching. This artifact illustrates how I have planned an inquiry-based program that guided students’ learning, while providing them with time, space, and the necessary resources to learn science. It also demonstrates an alternative assessment method, since the students are assessed on the posters and oral presentations, in addition to the formal laboratory paper. This artifact also illustrates my ongoing assessment of my teaching; upon examination of the “average” student taking Microbiology, it was apparent that the existing laboratory component of the course was not fulfilling the needs of the students. These students are better served by the use of an inquiry-based laboratory component that allows them to follow their own areas of interest, while practicing their oral and written communication skills.
Appraise: The modification of the Microbiology laboratory to include an inquiry-based segment is of professional benefit since it fulfills the previously mentioned NSES standards while more closely aligning the course with my goal to include active learning strategies in all my courses. As previously stated, there were significant resource, time, and space limitations prior to implementation of the small-group projects. Although these continue to be areas of concern, the resulting student engagement, enthusiasm, and creativity have convinced me that this is a worthwhile investment of time, space, and resources.
The addition of the inquiry-based laboratory component to the course has expanded the walls of the laboratory to include the metropolitan DC area. Although this is of great benefit to the students, it also increases the potential risks they face. This was illustrated during the summer of 2008 when several students sampled an unexpected pathogen during the course of their small-group project. This incident allowed for additional emphasis to be placed on the importance of personal safety precautions, emphasizing the need for students and scientists to be aware of safety issues and limitations. It was therefore a good teaching moment, further illustrating the power of inquiry-based learning. In the future, I plan to continue to closely monitor student projects to address this additional safety concern.
Transform: The addition of the small-group projects to the Microbiology laboratory required me to relinquish a large amount of control to my students. This was difficult for me, so it was of great professional benefit to me to have this project be successful. The success of the project has encouraged me to continue to try “risky” teaching projects if the perceived benefits to the students are substantial.
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For directions for the small-group research projects, click here.
To see pictures of student presentations, click here.