Association for Biology Laboratory Education

Progressive Concept Mapping in Lab: Building Connections All Semester Long
 

Krystal K. Gayler & Marielle Hoefnagels

Tested Studies in Laboratory Teaching, 2017, Volume 38

Abstract

One challenge in learning biology is conceptualizing how the pieces of a complex story fit together. A typical exam might cover chemistry and cells before the course moves on to genetics and inheritance, but students may never understand how those units relate to each other or to evolution and ecology. To address this issue, we implemented a semester-long concept mapping project in our non-majors biology lab. Early in the semester, small groups of students created concept maps covering the basic concepts of cell chemistry. After review, a corrected map was pushed out to the entire class. When it was time to build the next section, students started with the correct map and added concepts related to DNA, proteins, cell division and inheritance. A few weeks later, we added evolution; ecology came last. This exercise demonstrated the continuity between the textbook, the lab, and the lecture, an aspect previously missing from the class.

Keywords:  concept mapping, introductory biology, iPad, classroom technology

University of Houston (2016)