Learning to think critically through practical classes

Description

Practical work, in addition to being key to the development of technical skills and illustrating theory, is also important in achieving other aims, such as grasp of concepts, the development of logical thinking and the ability to draw conclusions: aspects which are key to critical thinking. In reality it seems that some students do practicals with their minds in “neutral” while others become so obsessed with ‘the right answer’ that they lost sight of the process. This project will involve the development of new practical classes and revision of existing classes to encourage the development of critical thinking skills in molecular biology practicals. Evaluation will involve student evaluation questionnaires, demonstrating staff evaluation and analysis of summative performance in practical report write-ups.

Outcomes and outputs

• Final project report (pdf format)
• Example of a redesigned practical and accompanying pre-lab questions
• GENIAL project website (a related European-wide project) and software

Links

See also:

• Assessment of practical skills by Peter Klappa
• Read more about practical work and fieldwork in the biosciences

Also by Helen Hooper: Can computer aided formative assessment impact on student performance?