Current Trends in Laboratory Class Teaching in University Bioscience Programmes
Open accessAbstract
Students and academics agree that there is a need to make learning and teaching in the bioscience laboratory more challenging and engaging. During recent years there have been many published accounts of novel laboratory exercises designed to enthuse and stimulate students through active learning. The purpose of this review is to raise awareness of these innovative methods that exploit computer-based approaches, encourage enquiry-based learning and may even involve students in cutting edge research during scheduled undergraduate laboratory classes.
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Written report-based assessments are ubiquitous in undergraduate science laboratories due to their convenience, ease of implementation and being resource-friendly.
“Written report-based assessments are ubiquitous in undergraduate science laboratories due to their convenience, ease of implementation and being resource-friendly (Adams, 2009).”
From Replacing Traditional Written Laboratory Reports with Interactive Oral Assessments: Enhancing Laboratory Skill Assessment in Undergraduate Genetics Education (2026) · cites this paper as Adams, 2009
In “The importance of social interaction during laboratory classes” (page not given), Adams describes an alternative assessment that would eliminate the need for tedious write-ups after every class, indicating that written reports are used in laboratory assessment. The passage does not establish that they are ubiquitous across undergraduate science laboratories or that their use is due to convenience, ease of implementation, or resource efficiency. (LLM, conf=0.78)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredVarious computer-based technologies are now recognized as enabling reform of laboratory teaching practice away from the traditional didactic model.
“various computer based technologies are now being recognized as enabling reform of laboratory teaching practice away from the traditional didactic model [10].”
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Cites
DebBurman, S. K. (2002) · Cell Biology Education · doi:10.1187/cbe.02-07-0024 · Cited by 117 · see citing works
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Research works printed but not linked: 9
- Boomer, S.M., Lodge, D.P. and Dutton, B.E. (2002) Bacterial diversity studies using the 16S rRNA gene provide a powerful research-based curriculum for molecular biology laboratory. Journal of Microbiology and Biology Education 3 (1), 18-25
- Collis, M., Gibson, A., Hughes, I.E., Sayers, G. and Todd, M. (2008) The Student View of 1 st Year Laboratory Work in Biosciences -score gamma? Bioscience Education 11-2 available at www. bioscience.heacademy.ac.uk/journal/vol11/beej-11-2.aspx (accessed 7 January 2009)
- Drew, J.C. and Triplett, E.W. (2008) Whole genome sequencing in the undergraduate classroom: outcomes and lessons from a pilot course. Journal of Microbiology and Biology Education 9
- Hall, D.A. and McCurdy, D.W. (1990) A comparison of a biological sciences curriculum study (BSCS) laboratory and a traditional laboratory on student achievement at two private liberal arts colleges. Journal of Research in Science Teaching 27, 625-636
- Kushner, D.B. (2007) DNA microarrays in the undergraduate laboratory: experimentation and handling large datasets in as few as six weeks. Journal of Microbiology and Biology Education 8
- Luciano, C., Young, M. and Patterson, R. (2002) Bacteriophage: a model system for active learning. Journal of Microbiology and Biology Education 3.
- Merkel, S., Dispensa, M. and Ghiorse, W. (2006) An evaluation of web-based case studies in microscopy. Journal of Microbiology and Biology Education 7
- Rodenbaugh, D.W., Failing, C.J., Fuentes, E., Wagner, A.A. and Yard, B.R. (2007) Having students design and develop laboratory exercises improves student learning outcomes in undergraduate physiology. The FASEB Journal 21, 478.
- Smith, D. (2004) Issues and trends in higher education biology fieldwork. Journal of Biological Education 39, 6-10
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Makransky, G., Thisgaard, M. W., & Gadegaard, H. (2016) · PLOS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0155895 · Cited by 212 · see citing works
Drumm, B. T., Bree, R., Griffin, C. S., & O’Leary, N. (2024) · Advances in Physiology Education · doi:10.1152/advan.00257.2023 · Cited by 8 · see citing works
Della Vedova, C. B., Birbeck, D., & Davey, S. K. (2026) · Research in Science Education · doi:10.1007/s11165-026-10380-3
- Authors
- Adams, D. J.
- Affiliations
- University of Leeds (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Adams, David J.
- ORCID
- Adams, David J.
- Venue
- Bioscience Education
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2009-06
- Volume
- 13
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 1-14
- ISSN
- 1479-7860 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2074383809
- Cited by
- 79
- References
- 1
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 8 · 2015: 3 · 2014: 4 · 2013: 7 · 2012: 9
- FWCI
- 26.91
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Bioscience Education (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Education › Innovative Teaching Methods
- Social Sciences › Education › Science Education and Pedagogy
- Physical Sciences › Chemistry › Physical and Theoretical Chemistry › Various Chemistry Research Topics
- Keywords
- active learning, inquiry-based learning, student engagement, undergraduate research participation, innovative teaching methods
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