Lyman Briggs College, Michigan State University, East Lansing, USA.
Adv Physiol Educ. 2012 Dec;36(4):325-35. doi: 10.1152/advan.00017.2012.
In this study, we compared gains in student content learning over a 10-yr period in which the introductory biology laboratory curriculum was changed in two ways: an increase of inquiry and a reduction of content. Three laboratory formats were tested: traditional 1-wk-long cookbook laboratories, two 7-wk-long inquiry laboratories, and one 14-wk-long inquiry laboratory. As the level of inquiry increased, student learning gains on content exams trended upward even while traditional content coverage taught decreased. In a quantitative assessment of content knowledge, students who participated in the 14-wk-long inquiry laboratory format outscored their peers in both 7- and 1-wk-long lab formats on Medical College Admissions Test exam questions (scores of 64.73%, 61.97%, and 53.48%, respectively, P < 0.01). In a qualitative study of student opinions, surveys conducted at the end of semesters where traditional 1-wk laboratories (n = 167 students) were used had low response rates and predominately negative opinions (only 20% of responses were positive), whereas those who participated in 7-wk (n = 543) or 14-wk (n = 308) inquiry laboratories had high response rates and 71% and 96% positive reviews, respectively. In an assessment of traditional content coverage in courses, three indexes were averaged to calculate traditional forms of coverage and showed a decrease by 44% over the study period. We believe that the quantitative and qualitative data support greater student-driven inquiry in the classroom laboratory, which leads to deeper learning in fewer topic areas (less teaching) and can reap gains in scientific thinking and fundamental understanding applicable to a broader range of topic areas (more learning) in introductory biology.
在这项研究中，我们比较了学生在 10 年的学习中在内容上的收益，在此期间，生物学导论实验室课程以两种方式进行了改变：增加探究和减少内容。我们测试了三种实验室格式：传统的为期 1 周的食谱实验室、两个为期 7 周的探究实验室和一个为期 14 周的探究实验室。随着探究水平的提高，即使传统的内容覆盖范围减少，学生在内容考试上的学习收益也呈上升趋势。在对内容知识的定量评估中，参加为期 14 周的探究实验室的学生在医学院入学考试（MCAT）问题上的得分均高于参加 7 周和 1 周实验室格式的学生，得分分别为 64.73%、61.97%和 53.48%（P < 0.01）。在一项对学生意见的定性研究中，在使用传统的为期 1 周的实验室的学期末进行的调查（n = 167 名学生），回复率低且主要是负面意见（只有 20%的回复是正面的），而参加 7 周（n = 543）或 14 周（n = 308）探究实验室的学生的回复率较高，分别有 71%和 96%的正面评价。在对课程中传统内容覆盖的评估中，平均使用了三个指标来计算传统形式的覆盖，结果表明在研究期间减少了 44%。我们认为，定量和定性数据支持在课堂实验室中进行更多的学生驱动的探究，这导致在更少的主题领域（更少的教学）中进行更深入的学习，并能在更广泛的主题领域（更多的学习）中获得科学思维和基本理解的收益。
