The Advanced Interdisciplinary Research Laboratory Course: Refinements, Reflections, and the Introduction of Earth Sciences

The Advanced Interdisciplinary Research Laboratory (AIRLab) is a team-based multidisciplinary research course that focuses on the development of advanced skills including critical thinking, limits of knowledge awareness, metacognition, autonomy, professional capacity, and decision making in complex...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of college science teaching 2018-09, Vol.48 (1), p.24-29
Main Authors: Laflamme, Marc, Krull, Ulrich J., deBraga, Michael, Piunno, Paul A. E.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Advanced Courses
Cognitive Style
Cooperative Learning
Critical Thinking
Curricula
Decay
Decision Making
Earth Science
Earth sciences
FEATURES
Interdisciplinary Approach
Interdisciplinary research
Laboratories
Measures (Individuals)
Metacognition
Multidisciplinary research
Outcomes of Education
Personal Autonomy
Science Laboratories
Scientific Research
Skill Development
Teaching methods
Teamwork
Undergraduate Students
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Summary:The Advanced Interdisciplinary Research Laboratory (AIRLab) is a team-based multidisciplinary research course that focuses on the development of advanced skills including critical thinking, limits of knowledge awareness, metacognition, autonomy, professional capacity, and decision making in complex environments. For many students, AIRLab represents a first attempt at autonomous research, and as such, instructors emphasize teamwork skills development by way of the Kolb Learning Style Inventory and Agile project management techniques necessary for effective research progress. Recent AIRLab course refinements--by way of the introduction of weekly reflection reports, a new digital project management platform, a revised course marking scheme with greater focus on teamwork contributions, and the inclusion of the Earth Science discipline--has improved student learning and driven the course into new directions of interdisciplinary research. In this case, a novel decay-monitoring vessel was designed, permitting for continuous, multifaceted investigations of decay processes that govern fossilization.
ISSN:0047-231X
1943-4898
DOI:10.2505/4/jcst18_048_01_24