STUDENT PERCEPTIONS ABOUT INQUIRY-BASED SCIENCE LABORATORY EXPERIENCES

A review of 811 student evaluations of the undergraduate general education course "Explorations in the Sciences" (AS 2600 offered to non-science majors) revealed a significant majority (79%) believed that the goals of the course were achieved.

Youngstown State University adopted a new general education model in the Fall 2000 that required all undergraduate students to have a science laboratory experience. This outcomes-based, general education model expected students to: a) be able to understand and appreciate the natural environment and the processes that shape it; b) be able to realize the evolving interrelationship among science, technology, and society; c) understand the scientific method. In support of these goals, the natural science departments developed a multidisciplinary laboratory that required students to participate in the scientific process by investigating natural phenomena. Five-week laboratory modules were designed to encourage students to propose hypotheses and make predictions about demonstrations or guided exercises. Over a semester, a student transitions through three modules in different disciplines.

Students responded to this transition very positively, expressing it as unique (63%) or enjoyable (60%) verses confusing (6%) or fearful (5%). Seventy percent rated their laboratory experience fun or highly informative. Students especially enjoyed working in teams (81%), and 79% felt that they truly got to ananyze data and draw their own conclusions. On a scale of 1 to 10 (10=most favorable), summation of student responses averaged 7.4 for satisfaction, 8.0 for design, and 9.0 for instruction. Entry/exit evaluations revealed a substantial increase (67%) in student comprehension of the scientific method.