ERIC Number: EJ1461850
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025-Dec
Pages: 17
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: EISSN-2731-5525
Available Date: 2025-03-10
General Education Biology Labs: A Delphi Study of Student Learning Outcomes
Dayna Jean DeFeo1; Sarah Gerken2; Trang C. Tran1; Dmitry Khodyakov3; Arlene Fink4
Discover Education, v4 Article 55 2025
Introductory biology courses at most colleges and universities have two components: a lecture and a lab. However, for students who are not majoring in biology and taking the introductory course as part of their general education requirements, the distinct role of the lab has not been clearly articulated. We performed an online modified-Delphi study of student learning outcomes (SLOs) for non-majors biology. We engaged 73 biology faculty experts from institutions across the US in four iterative rounds to identify, rate, discuss, and re-rate ten SLOs for non-majors biology labs on the dimensions of importance, feasibility, and distribution of responsibility between lab and lecture. On average, the panel achieved consensus around eight SLOs as "important." All of the SLOs were rated as "feasible" under optimal teaching and learning contexts, but the panelists noted that current institutional constraints render some as less feasible. Our analysis suggests that labs share many SLOs with lectures, but there are also some SLOs that are unique to the lab. Our study provides recommendations for coordinated strategies and efforts between lecture and lab activities to promote more rigorous learning and better attainment of those outcomes.
Descriptors: Biology, Science Instruction, College Faculty, Outcomes of Education, Teaching Methods, Majors (Students), Delphi Technique, Introductory Courses, Undergraduate Students, Teacher Attitudes, Laboratory Experiments, Lecture Method, Learning Processes
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research; Information Analyses
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: 1University of Alaska Anchorage, Center for Alaska Education Policy Research, Institute of Social and Economic Research, Anchorage, USA; 2University of Alaska Anchorage, Department of Biological Sciences, Anchorage, USA; 3RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, USA; 4University of California, Los Angeles, USA