title: An evaluation of two hands-on lab styles for plant biodiversity in undergraduate biology.
abstract: We compared learning cycle and expository formats for teaching about plant biodiversity in an inquiry-oriented university biology lab class (n = 465). Both formats had preparatory lab activities, a hands-on lab, and a postlab with reflection and argumentation. Learning was assessed with a lab report, a practical quiz in lab, and a multiple-choice exam in the concurrent lecture. Attitudes toward biology and treatments were also assessed. We used linear mixed-effect models to determine impacts of lab style on lower-order cognition (LO) and higher-order cognition (HO) based on Bloom's taxonomy. Relative to the expository treatment, the learning cycle treatment had a positive effect on HO and a negative effect on LO included in lab reports; a positive effect on transfer of LO from the lab report to the quiz; negative impacts on LO quiz performance and on attitudes toward the lab; and a higher degree of perceived difficulty. The learning cycle treatment had no influence on transfer of HO from lab report to quiz or exam; quiz performance on HO questions; exam performance on LO and HO questions; and attitudes toward biology as a science. The importance of LO as a foundation for HO relative to these lab styles is addressed.
authors.affiliation: *Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309 john.basey@colorado.edu.
authors.forename: John M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Basey
authors.affiliation: *Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309.
authors.forename: Anastasia P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Maines
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407.
authors.forename: Clinton D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Francis
authors.affiliation: *Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309.
authors.forename: Brett
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Melbourne
mesh_terms: D001290:Attitude; D044822:Biodiversity; D001695:Biology / Q000193:education*; D003071:Cognition; D003625:Data Collection; D004521:Educational Measurement; D006801:Humans; D007753:Laboratories; D010944:Plants; D013334:Students; D014495:Universities