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Assessing biology students' critical thinking abilities using a skills‐based classification model
Author(s) -
Walton Kristen L.W.,
Rybarczyk Brian J.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.23.1_supplement.632.11
Subject(s) - test (biology) , identification (biology) , mathematics education , process (computing) , computer science , division (mathematics) , data science , psychology , biology , mathematics , paleontology , botany , arithmetic , operating system
Our upper‐division course, Molecular Basis of Disease, requires students to synthesize content from disciplines ranging from physiology to molecular biology and genetics. Analysis of data from primary literature is emphasized to engage students with the scientific process. This requires students to know a considerable amount of technical information, experimental techniques, and basic biological concepts. We find that students' knowledge of experimental techniques such as RT‐PCR, western blot, and microarrays varies substantially. Therefore, we designed a pre‐ and post‐test instrument based on a model for classifying students' skills to measure their abilities at analyzing scientific data and improvement of these skills over time. The instrument addressed basic data observation abilities, identification of appropriate controls, interpretation of data from multiple experiments, and ability to predict results from experiments or propose follow‐up experiments. Students' scores on the pre‐test ranged from 40% to 90% correct, with synthesis and prediction questions the most frequently missed. Individual student gains in data analysis skills were determined by comparing pre‐test and post‐test scores. We propose that integration of primary literature in upper‐division courses can improve students' data analysis skills and promote analytical and critical thinking about scientific content.