Brownell Sara E, Hekmat-Scafe Daria S, Singla Veena, Chandler Seawell Patricia, Conklin Imam Jamie F, Eddy Sarah L, Stearns Tim, Cyert Martha S
*Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305-5020
*Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305-5020.
CBE Life Sci Educ. 2015 Summer;14(2):14:ar21. doi: 10.1187/cbe.14-05-0092. Epub 2015 Jun 1.
We present an innovative course-based undergraduate research experience curriculum focused on the characterization of single point mutations in p53, a tumor suppressor gene that is mutated in more than 50% of human cancers. This course is required of all introductory biology students, so all biology majors engage in a research project as part of their training. Using a set of open-ended written prompts, we found that the course shifts student conceptions of what it means to think like a scientist from novice to more expert-like. Students at the end of the course identified experimental repetition, data analysis, and collaboration as important elements of thinking like a scientist. Course exams revealed that students showed gains in their ability to analyze and interpret data. These data indicate that this course-embedded research experience has a positive impact on the development of students' conceptions and practice of scientific thinking.
我们推出了一门创新的基于课程的本科研究体验课程，重点是对p53基因中的单点突变进行表征。p53是一种肿瘤抑制基因，在超过50%的人类癌症中发生突变。所有生物学入门课程的学生都必须参加这门课程，因此所有生物学专业的学生都要参与一个研究项目作为他们培训的一部分。通过一组开放式书面提示，我们发现该课程将学生对像科学家一样思考意味着什么的概念从新手转变为更像专家。课程结束时，学生们将实验重复、数据分析和合作视为像科学家一样思考的重要要素。课程考试表明，学生们在分析和解释数据的能力方面有所提高。这些数据表明，这种嵌入课程的研究体验对学生科学思维概念的发展和实践有积极影响。
