Finding Some Good in an Invasive Species: Introduction and Assessment of a Novel CURE to Improve Experimental Design in Undergraduate Biology Classrooms.

ABSTRACT: Reports such as Vision and Change in Undergraduate Biology Education call for integration of course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) into biology curricula and less emphasis on "cookbook" laboratories. CUREs, often characterized by a single open-ended research question, allow students to develop hypotheses, design experiments, and collaborate with peers. Conversely, "cookbook" labs incentivize task completion and have pre-determined experimental outcomes. While research comparing CUREs and "cookbook" labs is growing, there are fewer comparisons among CUREs. Here, we present a novel CURE built around an invasive grass, Bromus inermis. We evaluated this CURE's effectiveness in improving students' understanding of the Vision and Change competency relating

SUBMITTER: Laungani R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6022745 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature