SIMULATING A RESEARCH ENVIRONMENT IN AN UNDERGRADUATE GENETICS LABORATORY

To address many of the recognized problems in undergraduate science ed ucation, we have developed a one-semester (15-week) undergraduate gene tics laboratory course that focuses on the research process as opposed to recipe-style experiments. The course was designed to accommodate a total of 120-150 students with no more than 20 students in a single c lass. During the course of six experiments, each group of two students formulates hypotheses, designs experiments to test the hypotheses, an d collects and analyzes date. Complex techniques and elaborate protoco ls are kept to a minimum with techniques used later in the semester ba sed on those learned earlier. After each experiment, students share re sults and try to explain differences in their date, They write lab rep orts that include introduction, materials and methods, results, and co nclusion sections. Instructors serve primarily to stimulate thinking. An enthusiasm for, and appreciation of science is, we believe, strongl y enhanced by this course. Although this is a genetics laboratory the some research process oriented strategies could be used in the laborat ories of other disciplines to stimulate student interest in science.