A Written Media-Review Project That Reinforces Introductory Biology Topics & Promotes Critical Thinking

Evaluating the veracity and reliability of online media in science is an integral part of developing critical skills in science. Moreover, the 1st year biology courses should provide an avenue for students to acquire these skills for academic success. This study evaluated whether students (n = 90) exposed to an apparently credible website were able to distinguish whether a species existed as part of two short online activities. Surprisingly, a high number of students did not question the species in the initial activity and assumed it was real. However, most as part of the second assessment did report it was false. Some students failed to recognize the species as fake and thought the species was real even after watching a parody or satirical video on YouTube. All students agreed that critical thinking in science was important and the majority of students gave positive feedback on the activity. Potential explanations for students’ inability to adequately assess information included students completing the assignment quickly and lack of further research. This kind of activity is recommended to expose the 1st year biology majors to critical thinking skills and accurate assessment of online information in science.

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A Model of Student Success: Coaching Students to Develop Critical Thinking Skills in Introductory Biology Courses

International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning ◽

10.20429/ijsotl.2007.010210 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 1 (2) ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Susan Chaplin

Keyword(s):

Critical Thinking ◽

Student Success ◽

Thinking Skills ◽

Critical Thinking Skills ◽

Introductory Biology ◽

Biology Courses

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Using Iterative Group Presentations in an Introductory Biology Course to Enhance Student Engagement and Critical Thinking

The American Biology Teacher ◽

10.1525/abt.2017.79.6.450 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 79 (6) ◽

pp. 450-454

Author(s):

Anna Aguilera ◽

Jesse Schreier ◽

Cassandra Saitow

Keyword(s):

Critical Thinking ◽

Thinking Skills ◽

Critical Thinking Skills ◽

Introductory Biology ◽

Group Presentation ◽

Group Presentations ◽

Before And After ◽

Control Section ◽

Introductory Biology Course ◽

Class Presentation

In this study, we examined two types of group presentation assignments for use in a large, introductory biology course. Students were placed into groups of 6 to 8 members, and tasked with researching a topic and preparing a 10-minute in-class presentation. The assignments varied by course section; in the control section, each group's topics were selected to complement the course topic, whereas in the iterative sections, each group's topic would derive from the previous group's presentation. Students’ critical thinking skills were assessed before and after the semester's presentations, and exit surveys were conducted. Results show that students in the iterative group performed better than control on exam questions, and overall interest in biology was high in both groups as a result of the presentations. Overall, performing group presentations in an iterative style enhanced learning by mimicking the scientific process of inquiry and discovery.

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