experiences for students,
as reflected by this student comment on an evaluation of the writing
assignments: “My thoughts have become more organized, which
is extremely important in scientific writing. Also, the assignment
to explain the article to a layperson prepares pre-med students for
the work they will do with patients.”
Doing It All - Writing, Presenting, and Discussing
in 201: 2005–2007
Recently, Dr. Gustin and Dr. Dan Wagner, the new co-instructor
for the course, have shaken up the course again—this time
with an innovative technique that is rarely used in large lecture
science
classes. They replaced eight of the regular class meetings with
small-group discussion meetings. The class is divided into 16 groups
of about
a dozen students each; each group selects its own name and meets
in a small conference room or lab space. The groups discuss a pre-assigned
topic covered only superficially in lecture. Group members prepare
for discussion by referring to lecture notes, reading the textbook,
web articles, or other sources, and relating the discussion topics
to other courses, personal experiences, or potential research applications.
The groups are student-led, with one student responsible for presenting
a short explanation of the topic, while another mediates the discussion
as a discussion leader. A trained group leader (who has taken BIOS
201 in the past) observes the process, keeps each group on track
by correcting any inaccuracies, and assesses individual participation
and group performance. The group leaders are not mini-instructors,
however—they let each group work through its own process.
Most students seem to enjoy the discussion process and have reported
that it helps them keep up with the material, understand concepts
more deeply, and raise interesting questions. The process could
become a model for teaching biology elsewhere. As one student
wrote on an end-of-semester evaluation, “It was an active form
of learning that sets a good example for other courses at Rice
as well as other universities around the country.”
Today BIOS 201 discussion groups learn how to
research a topic, present information to teammates, and work through
problems
in a collaborative environment. BIOS 202 students continue
to delve
into the scientific literature, reading and summarizing original
research. Their experiences in the 201 discussion groups prepare
them for independent response to articles. As a result of this
year-long communication-intensive course, bioscience majors
will be better prepared to solve research problems, work as
part of
a laboratory team, and contribute to publications and presentations.
Introductory Biology is preparing Rice bioscience majors for
their bioscience careers at Rice and beyond.