Developing Nontraditional Biology Labs to Challenge Students & Enhance Learning

Laboratory experience and skills are not only essential for success in science studies, but are the most exciting and rewarding aspects of science for students. As a result, many biology teachers have become critical of the efficacy of cookbook-type laboratory activities as well as the purposes, practices, and learning outcomes of lab experiments conducted in this regimented way. In our proposed lab approach, instead of asking students to compare and contrast living cells from various kingdoms, we ask that students design and conduct lab experiments to obtain the empirical evidence to disprove both Schleiden’s and Schwann’s generalizations that all living things, including plants and animals, are composed of identical units called “cells.” Students must then write up their findings in a paper intended for publication in a peer-reviewed scientific journal. Through this process, students learn the scientific method; concepts such as testability, falsifiability, and repeatability; and the requirements of communicating scientific findings through peer-reviewed publication.