Title
Using “Research Boxes” to Enhance Understanding of Primary Literature and the Process of Science
Document Type
Response or Comment
Publication Date
7-2019
Publication Title
American Society for Microbiology
Volume
20
Abstract
Helping undergraduate students engage with primary literature and understand the process of science are high-priority skills in most life science courses. Collaborative learning activities that enhance these skills will continue to be in high demand by instructors at all levels. Here we present a “Research Box” learning activity that helps students engage with primary research articles in a guided and collaborative fashion. Students summarize key components of an empirical study in a one-page figure. An assessment rubric is also included that can be easily modified by instructors to meet their specific needs. Assessment data from two institutions reveal that students value this activity and report that it increases their confidence at understanding primary research articles and experimental results. The Research Box activity is easy to implement, can be completed in a single class period, and provides instructors with a well-defined way to assess student comprehension of experimental design and data interpretation.
Issue
2
DOI
10.1128/jmbe.v20i2.1743
ISSN
19357877
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Jeffrey S. Carmichael and Lizabeth A. Allison. "Using “Research Boxes” to Enhance Understanding of Primary Literature and the Process of Science" (2019). Biology Faculty Publications. 15.
https://commons.und.edu/bio-fac/15