The Laboratory!!!

What do you think of these types of resources?

Think about the educational benefit of doing this type of simulation vs. a wet lab:

a. what types of thinking are required to do this lab?

b. what types of content knowledge?

c. What does this lab allow you to do that you wouldn't be able to do without it?

d. what claims does the program make about teaching and learning (ie, does it talk about inquiry? independent learning?) and what is your take on these claims?

Direct online access to science information and learning tools. It seems like a very simple concept that could be easily added to any middle or high school science classroom or enabled by securing a computer lab for the necessary periods. What I like most about this is the Youtube possibilities. Many times in my own education, the videos we watched were ancient and outdated. By the time a video is created and sold and then "approved" for use as part of a curriculum, it is no longer "new information." Today's technology gives us access to things almost as they happen which can bridge the gap that existed yesterday. We still need to be careful that what is used is accurate information, but the more current science we can bring to the classroom will only enhance the application side of the fundamentals of science.

I looked at a number of projects, and even worked through creating my own project, but for the sake of this, we will keep it to the cell and mitosis project. Overall, I felt it was grade level appropriate. The lab design involves a holistic approach in that it uses medicines from plants to treat diseases. The ability to do that is the combination of many different science fields so students should be ready to grasp that concept as they do this lab. Moderate problem solving and observation skills are also necessary.

The content involves the phases of cell division so a basic understanding of cell structure such as membrane, nucleus, chromosomes and the idea that almost all growth is achieved by cell division is required as background. Students should understand a working definition of cancer and how that relates to growth. It would also be beneficial if students understand that many of our medicines have been derived from plants and a brief discussion of that process has occurred. It would also be helpfull to use any students in the class that can comfortably share their experiences with cancer, if possible.

If you were to replicate this lab as a wet lab in a high school classroom, it would be a longer term project if it was really designed to replicate this lab. With limited class times and repetition, it would be difficult to maintain adequate controls to replicate outcomes and have most of the students get something out it. The hands on experience would be great, but as a wet lab this would be reserved for an AP class to work on over the period of a couple weeks at least. With this lab as a simulation, students can partner up and work in a computer lab or at lab stations in the room if possible. They can start and stop without worry of ruining an experiment and can start over if necessary. It does bring the holistic nature of science together nicely where as with wet labs, students need to be more focused on controlling their own activities so that outcomes can be achieved and may miss the bigger picture. Even with the user license, it is cheaper to use the technology that is available in the computer lab rather than all of the equipment that would be necessary. Students can also finish this at another location rather than being tied to the science lab, its availability, and the instructors time. What they do miss out on is lab procedure. This really is what you are supposed to learn from wet labs. The content of the lab is important, but the discipline necessary to provide consistent outcomes is also important. At some point, students need to be ready to deal with irreversible outcomes. It does also eliminate some of the "yuck factor" that usually comes with wet labs.

In the project description it states that students "actively explore" and "discover through their inquiry." I cannot wholly agree with this. They do get to make some choices in this project and make their decisions based on the outcomes that they observe, but the outcomes are completely controlled. The exploration and discovery are simplistic. At no point is there "bad data" or something that will be an outlier. Also, if all the labs are done on a computer, the physical movements involved are all the same. The only stimulus that is being activated is visual. In wet labs, all five senses are usually involved whether we want them to be or not. Many parts of this lab are no different than using a video with a hand out, but since it is on a computer, I would expect a higher completion rate as the students are not just passively absorbing information but navigating through it. It is more active than a handout, but not as active as a wet lab.