2.2 Students will be able to analyze data quantitatively and develop testable models of that data
Goal 2.2 Reflection
Being able to analyze data quantitatively and develop testable models from that data is a hard skill to obtain. You have to be proficient in statistics as well as have common knowledge of online databases that will compute your data for you. I felt lost when I was first introduced to this side of biology. My lower level classes did not require us to use our data in this way. We used our data in more of a visual way such as bar graphs and pie charts. My upper level classes required us to productively calculate our data. I hadn’t taken statistics since I was a sophomore in high school, and by the time I needed this old skill I was a sophomore in college. I also did not know how to use the databases or even how to access them. It seemed like impossible tasks to handle at the time, but my professors worked diligently with my group and I to ensure success.
The first two classes that I encountered the need for these skills was Genetics and Ecology and Evolution. During Genetics we were asked to perform an experiment on gene expression in Drosophila (fruit flies) with the WDS gene (will die slowly gene). Once we ran our experiment, we had to use statistics, gene databases, computational databases, and genome editing databases. It was a lot of work and a very hard task to conduct. Once all of the data was computed and proficiently collected, we were able to draw conclusions from our experiments and other similar researched experiments. Before I was able to run an experiment like this, I had to create an experimental design and lab report stating the importance of this project. I had to collect data and information on the WDS gene and analyze its effects on the Drosophila cells. This report directly analyzed previous data and helped me develop a testable hypothesis for the project.
In Ecology and Evolution, we were asked to compare Periphyton (organisms that live on rocks and other surface objects) that were found in two different water areas. We ran statistical analysis on the data, used multiple databases to collect information on the organisms found, and used online computational databases to compare the results between both bodies of water.
My skills in these areas are stronger than when I first arrived at college, but I still feel the need to strengthen them. I have taken other classes which required these skills as well, but they did not challenge me and my abilities like these classes did. I do feel confident enough to say that if I worked in a field or lab that required me to use my knowledge and execute these skills, I would be able to do so effectively. Longwood gave me the ability to analyze data quantitatively and develop testable models, and I can use these two skills in more parts of my life than science.