I also might poll students about the expected result of a process or experiment, and then take some time to explore the variety of assumptions behind their different answers. This allows them to see the assumptions, both explicit and implicit, behind any interpretation of data. This also reinforces the idea that biology and science are very human exploits, with our hypotheses being the consensus best guesses . Even with such diverse backgrounds, my students still need to learn and share a common knowledge base in the course of our semester together. Other times, it s a series of written questions where I have students work in groups to stretch what they have learned to diagnose an illness, explain a phenomenon, or form a hypothesis and test a new concept.
Biology is, after all, an expanding series of questions.
In all of these approaches, I try to gently push my students to tap their latent curiosity to take possession of the material we explore. To make concepts more concrete, I often blur the line between lecture and lab. I ve had groups of students test reflex speeds, or measure osmotic changes, or interpret a slide or video image, to emphasize particular concepts during lecture. Conversely, I often have students present oral reports or review papers on appropriate topics during lab time. One of my most important goals is to help students establish criteria and abilities for judging scientific explanations proffered by various media sources.