Association for Biology Laboratory Education

Enhancing Understanding of Multistep Projects Through Structured Concept Map Activities
    

Lynley M. Doonan and Amanda M. Willard

Advances in Biology Laboratory Education, 2024, Volume 44

https://doi.org/10.37590/able.v44.art49

Poster file: https://doi.org/10.37590/able.v44.poster49

Abstract

Frontiers, Analysis, and Discovery in Biological Sciences is a first-year, research-based laboratory course. Throughout the semester, students work on a research project requiring them to make components of the experiment, such that each step builds off of a previous experiment. Students often have a hard time connecting the individual experiments with the overall goals of the project. To address this, we use a concept map activity to facilitate student discussions around individual steps of the project. The students work in groups to review the current experiment and connect it to previous experiments in addition to the overarching goal of the semester long project. Once a group has created their part of the map and added it to the board, they are tasked with explaining why they made their connections to the rest of the class. This presents an opportunity for the rest of the class to ask clarifying questions and for us to reinforce key concepts and connections.

Keywords:  Concept map, group work, multiple interconnected steps, communication, review activity

University of California, San Diego (2023)