Using research to teach an "introduction to biological thinking"

Abstract

A course design for first-year science students is described, where the focus is on the skills necessary to do science. The course uses original research projects, designed by the students, to teach a variety of skills including reading the scientific literature, hypothesis development and testing, experimental design, data analysis and interpretation, and quantitative skills and presentation of the research in a variety of formats. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.