“Designing from Scratch”: A Dynamic Interdisciplinary Approach to Engage Upper Level Students in Plant Science Courses

 

M. Valeria Avanzato & John O. Hauptfleisch

Tested Studies in Laboratory Teaching, 2018, Volume 39

Abstract

Plant Science is quite often not the first choice in upper level courses for the undergraduate population. Laboratory sessions are usually restricted to taxonomical identification, the study of physiological processes, as well as microscopy to recognize plant cells and tissues. However, in upper level classes those activities should transcend the pre-digested information and pre-set up experiments with expected outcomes. A mixture of basics and “design from scratch” laboratories would challenge the students to approach plant sciences from a whole different perspective. At Coker College, plant science has joined forces with chemistry to provide students with a full semester research activity. This activity introduces students to the notion of plants as potential antimicrobial agents to treat, and control, human pathogens. Students are responsible for the planning and execution of their experiment. The benefits of the “design from scratch” type of experimentation definitely exceed the perceived downsides of the process (time, additional extracurricular work for professors, use of additional research supplies, negative results after testing, seasonal availability of plant material, etc.) while providing a unique research experience in which ownership of the research by students is successfully achieved.

Keywords:  Botany & Plant Science, Inquiry-based learning, natural products

University of Wisconsin, Madison (2017)