WikiED Biology: A Model to Incorporate Web 2.0 Tools and Inquiry to Deepen Student Understanding of Biology

• In Event: Roundtable Session 29
  In Roundtable Session: Investigating Different Ways of Knowing and Learning Inside and Outside the Science Classroom

Abstract

Research indicates a need for change in the instructional methods used to teach undergraduate science. In response to this need, we developed a course that combined Web 2.0 tools with science inquiry to allow biology majors to develop a question, research the answer, and synthesize their findings on a web-based platform. In this paper we use a phenomenological approach to illustrate our findings from three iterations of the course. One web-based project was chosen each year to represent the “essence” of that year’s work, and narratives were written based on instructor notes, screenshots, and student assignments. Over the course of the project, students showed evidence of increased depth of biology content knowledge and increased skill in using technology and inquiry.

Authors

• Jennifer Kreps Frisch, Kennesaw State University

• Paula C Jackson, Kennesaw State University

• Meg C. Murray, Kennesaw State University