1. Post-lab Activities
Written
summaries
Worksheets
Apply
mathematical
calculations
Evaluate the
scientific
literature
Create
presentation
slides
In-class Activities
Insect collection
and Identification
Review scientific
literature
Practice
molecular
biology skills
Group
discussions
Pre-lab Activities
Read
exercise
Watch
videos
Complete
interactive
spreadsheet
Draw
images
Practice
math
skills
Perform
virtual
lab
activities
Answer
questions
• A student-centered, discovery-based laboratory
research module
• Based on “Discover the Microbes Within! The
Wolbachia Project”, a program that trains high school
teachers in the process of science
• Goals of the new BIOL1107L curriculum:
• To engage students in the process and application
of science.
• To increase student understanding of core concepts
and skills in molecular biology.
• To increase student understanding of the
interdisciplinary nature of science.
Summary
Analysis of Student Learning and Interest in
Principles of Biology lab (BIOL 1107L)
Acknowledgements
Abstract
• Discover the Microbes Within! The Wolbachia
Project
• Delena A. Gajdosik-Nivens, external evaluator,
developed survey questions and implemented
the surveys using Survey Monkey
• Support for this work has been provided by:
o The National Science Foundation’s TUES program
under award No. DUE-1245077 (Drs. Traci Ness,
Jennifer Brofft Bailey, Geneva DeMars, Melanie Link-
Perez, and Scott C. Mateer)
o Armstrong’s College of Science and Technology
o Armstrong’s Biology Department
o Complete College Georgia
Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations
expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not
necessarily reflect the views of the National Science
Foundation. Department.
Upon completion of the new laboratory
experience:
• Students felt the laboratory structure
enhanced their learning experience
• Students felt their time was well utilized
• Students continue to express interest in BIOL
1107 lab and other biology courses
• Students value research and its applications
in real-world issues
The New BIOL1107L Curriculum
Merveille Grant, Cicely Payne, Dr. Geneva DeMars, Dr. Traci Ness
Department of Biology, Armstrong State University, Savannah, GA
• Surveys were administered during the first and last weeks
of the semesters
• Questions developed by an external evaluator:
– Delivered through SurveyMonkey
– Optional and anonymous student participation
•Compiled results from Fall 2013 through Fall 2014
– Total student responders 476
• Responses scored based on strength of the response
– Not at all (0), Just a little (1), somewhat (2), A lot (3),
A great deal (4)
• An average score was calculated by multiplying the
number of respondents by weight of their response and
dividing by the total number of respondents.
An example is shown below.
[(35*0)+(1*40)+(2*91)+(3*77)+(4*80)]/323 =2.5
Future Work
The Student Research Project
The goals for the student research project were:
• To contribute novel data to the field of Wolbachia research
• To actively engage students in the process and application of
science
Collect local
insects
Identify insects to
Order
Review
scientific
literature
Develop a
hypothesis about
Wolbachia
infection
in insect Order
Extract DNA
from insects
Use PCR to
amplify Wolbachia
and insect target
genes
Gel electrophoresis
to determine if
Wolbachia is
present
Sequencing and
bioinformatic
analysis of
Wolbachia DNA
Group
Presentation
• Continue to collect and analyze post-semester
surveys
• Analyze survey data collected from pre-semester
and exercise –specific surveys
• Look at learning outcomes assessed by other
tools
– Post-lab assignments
– Practicals
– Student presentations
0 1 2 3 4
Thought that my biology lab instructor took
interest in my lab performance
Felt My time was used to the fullest the
biology laboratory
I should do assignments at the last minute*
Post-lab assignments helped understand the
material
Post-lab assignmens helped process
information
Pre-lab assignments helped prepare for lab
Overwhemed by the amount of information
Understood how lab reinforced lecture
Understood purpose of the experiments
Scores
Students Report Lab Structure Enhanced Their Learning
Experience
Responses: Not at all (0), Just a little (1), Somewhat (2), A lot (3), A great deal (4)
*Different response: Completely disagree (0), Somewhat disagree (1), Neither disagree nor agree (2), Somewhat agree (3), Completely agree (4).
0 1 2 3 4
I see the value of Biology
research and lab work in real-
world issues
I am interested in taking more
biology classes
I was excited about my Biology
1107 lab
Scores
Students Value Biology and Research
Applications
Structure of the Lab
Evaluation of Student Attitudes
Data
In the Fall 2013 semester, a new research-based
curriculum was implemented in the Principles of Biology
I (BIOL1107) laboratory course. During the Spring 2015
Semester, we have begun analyzing data collected
during the first two years of implementation. Analyses
have focused primarily on pre/post-tests and pre/post-
semester surveys. In this project, we evaluated student
survey data to determine how the structure of the lab
impacted students’ perceptions of their learning and
their interest in biology courses and research. Students
report that the new laboratory structure enhanced their
learning experience and that they are interested in
continuing to take biology courses. Students also
valued research and its applications to real-world issues
suggesting that the new curriculum is effectively
engaging students in the process and application of
science.
.