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Transcript of Virtual Labs for GE Biology Robert Desharnais & Paul Narguizian California State University, Los...
Virtual Labs for GE BiologyRobert Desharnais & Paul Narguizian
California State University, Los Angeles
Abstract
GE students using FlyLab to conduct genetic experiments.
For more information, visit the Course Redesign ePortfolio for this project at: http://tinyurl.com/vlab-ePort
“I liked the opportunity to put into practice what we were discussing in class and see the
results for myself.”
“I liked the fact that the virtual labs can be taken at home. It gave me a sense of
independence. It made it possible for a lot of people to take this much needed course to
graduate.”
“Fun, interesting, and relevant to what we were learning in class.”
“I liked the ease at which the experiments were manipulated, as well as the simple yet
deep control of the experiment.”
“Really simple to use, and you can go at your own pace.”
Student CommentsCourse Redesign Models
More Information
Contact InformationRobert Desharnais & Paul [email protected]@CalstateLA.edu
Addressing the Bottleneck
Model 1 – All Labs Online
All labs were offered online Fall 2013 & Winter 2014
Drop-in help center staffed 30 hours/week
Nine virtual labs were employed, one for each week of the academic quarter excluding one.
Handout guided students though experiments designed around course concepts.
Students answered multiple choice questions to assess their learning
For 3 labs, students addressed a scientific problem byo formulating a hypothesis;o designing and carrying out
experiments;o analyzing the results;o writing a brief scientific report.
1. Use of on-line labs reduced costs:
2. More students were served:
3. There was a positive impact on time to graduation:
AcknowledgementsThis project was supported by the CSU Enrollment Bottleneck Solution Course Redesign with Technology program.
Biological Sciences
Motivation
General education (GE) laboratory courses are a bottleneck for progress to graduation. At CSULA, a life science course with lab is required of every student. Enrollments in labs are limited to 24 students and each lab must be staffed by an instructor. Labs are taught in specialized facilities which are limited in availability. Many students are unable to register for these courses until their senior year.
GE biology courses are a challenge for non-science majors. Labs are intended to involve students in doing science, but most wet labs are “cook-book” activities. The labs lack engagement and an opportunity for creativity
Virtual labs provide an environment for students to explore scientific concepts by designing and carrying out their own experiments. They provide a hands-on opportunity for GE students to “achieve an understanding and appreciation of scientific principles and the scientific method” as specified in the CSU General Education Breadth Requirements. They are also less costly and can allow increased number of course offerings to relieve graduation bottlenecks.
BIOL 155 Enrollment by Class Level
Freshmen
Sophmores
Juniors
Seniors
Model 2 – Hybrid Flipped Lab
Flipped lab model: guided assignments at home and higher-level group activities aided by instructors in lab.
Student met in-person every other week during Spring 2014 in the physical lab facility whereo instructor introduced lab topic and
software;o students discussed in groups their
answers to the individual virtual lab assignments;
o students worked in groups to formulate hypotheses, design and carry out experiments, analyze results, and produce a brief scientific report.
Off weeks, students worked on individual virtual lab assignments similar to Model 1.
Class was divided into two tracks, A and B, which met asynchronously throughout the quarter:
Week Track A Track B
1Intro to virtual
labNo lab
2 Online exercisesIntro to virtual
lab
3Group report in
labOnline exercises
4 Online exercisesGroup report in
lab
5Group report in
labOnline exercises
6 Online exercisesGroup report in
lab
7Group report in
labOnline exercises
8 Online exercisesGroup report in
lab
9Group report in
labOnline exercises
10 No labGroup report in
lab
Online Labs That Were Used
$127.39
$36.84
$80.57
$0
$20
$40
$60
$80
$100
$120
$140
Wet Labs Online Labs Flipped Labs
Cost
per
Stu
dent
Costs of Different Lab Models
N = 455
N = 1139
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
AY 12/13 AY 13/14
Num
er o
f St
uden
ts
Number of GE Biology Students Enrolled
Spring 2013 Spring 2014
Freshmen
Sophmores
Juniors
Seniors
We redesigned a GE biology course by using existing web-based software to replace traditional wet labs. Two new modes of lab instruction were compared to the traditional offering: (1) all labs online with a “drop-by” help center and (2) a hybrid “flipped lab” model with two tracks of online and in-person labs alternating every week. Both modes included a face-to-face lecture. Engaging inquiry-based exercises were developed around each online activity. Assessment involved the tracking of students’ attitudes and performance using grades and pre-post-class surveys.
CardioLabcardiac physiology
EvolutionLabnatural selection
PopEcoLabpopulation ecology
DemographyLabhuman demography
TranslationLabthe genetic code
FlyLabgenetics of inheritance
Enzymesenzymes & pH
Animal Behaviorisopod behavior
Frog Dissectionanimal anatomy