The C.R.E.A.T.E. Approach to Primary Literature Shifts Undergraduates’ Self-Assessed Ability to Read and Analyze Journal Articles, Attitudes about Science, and Epistemological Beliefs

The C.R.E.A.T.E. (Consider, Read, Elucidate hypotheses, Analyze and interpret data, Think of the next Experiment) method uses intensive analysis of primary literature in the undergraduate classroom to demystify and humanize science. We have reported previously that the method improves students'...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:CBE life sciences education 2011-12, Vol.10 (4), p.368-378
Main Authors: Hoskins, Sally G, Lopatto, David, Stevens, Leslie M
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Attitude
Comprehension
Critical Thinking
Data Analysis
Education, Medical, Undergraduate - methods
Educational Measurement - methods
Evaluation Methods
Female
Higher Education
Humans
Knowledge
Learning
Likert Scales
Literature
Male
Periodicals as Topic
Primary Education
Reading Ability
Science - education
Scientific Principles
Student Attitudes
Students
Surveys
Surveys and Questionnaires
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Summary:The C.R.E.A.T.E. (Consider, Read, Elucidate hypotheses, Analyze and interpret data, Think of the next Experiment) method uses intensive analysis of primary literature in the undergraduate classroom to demystify and humanize science. We have reported previously that the method improves students' critical thinking and content integration abilities, while at the same time enhancing their self-reported understanding of "who does science, and why." We report here the results of an assessment that addressed C.R.E.A.T.E. students' attitudes about the nature of science, beliefs about learning, and confidence in their ability to read, analyze, and explain research articles. Using a Likert-style survey administered pre- and postcourse, we found significant changes in students' confidence in their ability to read and analyze primary literature, self-assessed understanding of the nature of science, and epistemological beliefs (e.g., their sense of whether knowledge is certain and scientific talent innate). Thus, within a single semester, the inexpensive C.R.E.A.T.E. method can shift not just students' analytical abilities and understanding of scientists as people, but can also positively affect students' confidence with analysis of primary literature, their insight into the processes of science, and their beliefs about learning. (Contains 1 figure and 6 tables.)
ISSN:1931-7913
1931-7913
DOI:10.1187/cbe.11-03-0027