Goal 2.1 states that “students will be able to evaluate, interpret, and apply experimental design and draw valid conclusions from experiments.”
In almost all of the pillar and elective biology classes, I have had the opportunity to design and execute different experiments. Starting in BIOL 120, I had a group project focused around bacterial growth. We were able to start the project design with relatively loose restraints, and we chose to swab door handles around Chichester to see what the most effective mode of cleaning was. We went through all steps of experimental design and finished the project with a class presentation.
In BIOL 251 the next year, my group and I had the opportunity to design a project focused on ecology. We had a lot of freedom when designing this experiment and chose to study how ants interact with each other in different environments. At the end of this project, we presented our research through an oral presentation at the Longwood research showcase. This allowed me to learn a lot more about how to design an experiment effectively with a team, but also design one that is easy to present to a general audience.
Last semester in BIOL 301 I had the opportunity to design another experiment, this time centered around anatomy and physiology. This class allowed us to get very creative in the experimental design, and I learned a lot about moving past mistakes. We ran into a lot of issues when we tried to execute the project, but eventually came to a conclusion. Collecting the data from this experiment was done on computer software, which is something that I have never done before. It was a fun way to learn something new, and allowed me to expand my research abilities.
BIOL 120 Project 1 presentation: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1MCzuMIdsQ-CLSEnGJdPaAsWCndadnQhmKhfGvzO8_iY/edit?usp=sharing
BIOL 251 Final Presentation: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/183kxUDYkJDXWdJLQxeYOPp7ARyTBz0YORzAfOs2ZUm0/edit?usp=sharing