Using a classic research article to teach and engage students in an Introductory Biology Course

The scientific literature represents a vital source of information and communication for scientists and thus it is critical for students to learn to use the literature to gain knowledge and write about science. The object of this study was to develop and assess a protocol that integrated the literature into the curriculum of an Introductory Biology course. The model protocol progressed in 4 phases. Students were introduced to the concepts of metabolism in lecture and then applied their understanding in a think‐pair‐share activity where they interpreted data from classic paper on mammalian energetics. Next they wrote a short essay summarizing their interpretations and conclusions. Finally, student understanding and critical thinking was evaluated on an exam where 16% of the questions were related to the journal topic. Mean student performance on the topic‐related questions (69.8%, +/−13.2) was not significantly different from performance on the total exam (72.2% +/−7.7) and 70 students (n=118) scored above the mean on topic‐related questions while 81 students scored above the mean of the total exam. However, the distribution of grades above the mean was significantly different. Forty‐one students scored >80% on the topic‐related questions while only 15 students earned a total score of >80%. This data suggest that the protocol can be used to teach students to use the literature to gain scientific knowledge.