20. Developing a New Activity: STUDENT APPROVED

Abstract

Do you have an idea for a new activity or laboratory exercise that you would like to incorporate into your course but feel unsure as to how it will be received by your students? This was our concern when developing first-year biology labs for a biology majors’ course at University of Windsor. Through a Centred on Learning Innovation Fund (CLIF) grant at our institution, we were able to form new and revised laboratory exercises, incorporating on-line, active, and reflective components. But, would the students like the labs? Which labs should be replaced? Using student surveys and a ‘trial’ lab, we were able to collect information about the new lab, as well as the old labs. It was a revelation to witness the enthusiasm and the appreciation first-year students had for being involved in the development of the labs. The goal of this essay is to identify the benefits and costs of incorporating a new activity into a course, as well as describing the process that we developed, which includes student input as an important component in the development of the activity.