Promoting Online Students’ Understanding of Scientific Process Mary V. Mawn SUNY Empire State College July 17, 2009

Research question Can the review of primary literature in an online genetics course promote student understanding of how scientific information is acquired and interpreted?

Study Context The study site is an online genetics course, in which students are asked to select and review articles in topics in genetics. Students report that they enjoying these reviews (provides breadth), but they also report not feeling connected to their classmates. These online discussions “feel” difficult to participate in. Each participant needs to read many articles before being able to constructively participate in the discussion. Finally, the reviews have been rather superficial, and students often select articles which are not from primary sources.

Why is this interesting? The U.S. Dept of Education (2009) stated in recent report: “Policy-makers and practitioners want to know about the effectiveness of Internet-based, interactive online learning approaches and need information about the conditions under which online learning is effective.” “…the field lacks a coherent body of linked studies that systematically test theory-based approaches in different contexts.” With the growing number of campuses moving their instruction to the online environment, studies are needed that demonstrates effective teaching practices and its impact on student learning outcomes. Without the benefit of a physical lab space, how can science “process” skills be effectively taught in an online environment?

Experimental Design Pre/Post-course surveys will be administered that measures student views for how scientific information is acquired. Teams of four to five students will be formed, and each group will discuss research articles of increasing complexity. These discussion interactions will be characterized using Bloom’s taxonomy. Students will be asked to reflect on their views of scientists early/late in the semester. Students will complete a capstone project where they synthesize information and demonstrate the progression of a research study. This project could take the form of a grant review board or a research paper.

Reference U.S. Department of Education, Office of Planning, Evaluation, and Policy Development. (2009). Evaluation of Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning: A Meta- Analysis and Review of Online Learning Studies, Washington, D.C. Retrieved July 6, 2009 from: practices/finalreport.pdf practices/finalreport.pdf