Presented at the International Union of Physiological Societies' Teaching Workshop 2013 (Bristol, UK). Abstract: We have developed three vertically-integrated inquiry-based practical courses for large cohorts (500-900 students) of early stage physiology students [1-3]. Video recordings of 22 students participating in inquiry classes were annotated by students, highlighting instances of scientific thinking. Most scientific thinking events occurred during development of hypotheses and experimental plans, and during analysis and interpretation of experimental data. However, to their regret, students rarely demonstrated scientific thinking whilst conducting experiments and collecting data. Videos and annotations will be presented; workshop participants will be encouraged to add annotations, to explore how novices and experts critically evaluate evidence of scientific thinking in inquiry-based classes. References 1. Farrand, K., et al. Creating physiology graduates who think and sound like scientists. in Third National Attributes Graduate Project Symposia. 2009. Griffith University, Queensland, Australia. 2. Farrand-Zimbardi, K., et al. Becoming a scientist: the development of students’ skills in scientific investigation and communication through a vertically integrated model of inquiry-based practical curricula. in International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (ISSOTL) annual conference. 2010. Liverpool, UK. 3. Zimbardi, K., et al., A set of vertically-integrated inquiry-based practical curricula that develop scientific thinking skills for large cohorts of undergraduate students. Advances in Physiology Education 37 (4): 303-15, 2013.

1. IUPS TeachingWorkshopJuly 2013
Student self-assessment of the
development of
advanced scientific thinking skills
during inquiry-based physiology
practical classes using
an innovative e-learning tool for
annotating videos
Kirsten Zimbardi, Kay Colthorpe,
Judit Kibedi, Phil Long
The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia

2. IUPS TeachingWorkshopJuly 2013
Science education
for the 21st century workplace
Students need to develop the ability to deal with
novel, complex, unstructured problems
The Boyer Commission (1998) Reinventing
undergraduate education: a blueprint for America’s
research universities.
National Research Council (2003) BIO2010:
Transforming undergraduate education for future
research biologists
President’s Council of Advisors on Science and
Technology (2012) Engage to Excel: Producing one
million additional college gradates with degrees in STEM
Students need to learn to ‘think like a scientist’

3. IUPS TeachingWorkshopJuly 2013
What is “scientific thinking”?
Causal reasoning within a hypothetico-deductive reasoning
framework
1. Assumptions used to build hypothesis
• Based on previous evidence from scientific literature
2. Hypothesis includes a specific cause and specific
measurable outcome
3. Methods designed to test hypothesis
4. Results analysed and presented in relation to
hypothesis
5. Findings interpreted in relation to evidence-based
assumptions
• Expected and unexpected findings
Dunbar and Fugelsang (2006) The Cambridge Handbook of
Thinking and Reasoning, pp 705, 708

4. IUPS TeachingWorkshopJuly 2013
Australian Learning Teaching
Academic Standards
Threshold Learning Outcomes
for Science

5. IUPS TeachingWorkshopJuly 2013
Teaching inquiry skills through
vertically-integrated inquiry-based practicals
across five semesters of physiology
Jones & Yates (2013) LTAS TLO3 Good Practice Guide
Zimbardi et al. (under review) Advances in Physiology Education

6. IUPS TeachingWorkshopJuly 2013
Study context: Learning scientific
thinking through scientific inquiry
Institutional context
Large, research-intensive Australian University,delivering
comprehensive education
Degree context
Majority of students enrolled in a Bachelorof Science (3 year
degree)
Course context
2nd year courses required for major in biomedicalscience
(specialisation in physiology),~400 students/course
Class context
Inquiry-based practicalclasses where students design,conduct
and interpret their own experiments,~80 students/class

7. IUPS TeachingWorkshopJuly 2013
Vertically-integrated, inquiry-based
practical curricula
Cell & Molecular Physiology
Class 1 Class 2 Class 3 Class 4 Class 5 Class 6
Module 1 Module 2
Pilot
experiment+
proposal
Data analysis Experiment
Pilot
experiment+
proposal
Reportwriting
feedback
Experiment
Systems Physiology
Class 1 Class 2 Class 3 Class 4 Class 5 Class 6
Skill building
Skill building +
proposal
Oral proposals Experiment Experiment Data analysis
Videos of students in class

8. IUPS TeachingWorkshopJuly 2013
Research Methods
• Video recordings of classes
• 3 Interviews on experiences of
• inquiry and recipe practicals
• using LTAS TLO3 inquiry and
problem solving skills
• annotating videos for inquiry
and problem solving skills
• Annotations of class videos
• Each student provided at least 3
annotations

9. IUPS TeachingWorkshopJuly 2013
Students annotated videos of themselves to
highlight scientific thinking using the
Threshold Learning Outcomes framework
http://dev.ceit.uq.edu.au/vcop2/course/inquiring-minds

10. IUPS TeachingWorkshopJuly 2013
3.1 - Gathering, synthesising and critically
evaluating information from a range of
sources
Here we are using our knowledge of
physiology and previous studies'
experimental designs to explain
deviations in the results from the
expected values and literature.
After recordingpreliminary test results
and formatting a hypothesis, students
consider some of the biological
mechanisms that may be behind the
results.

11. IUPS TeachingWorkshopJuly 2013
3.2 - Designing and planning an
investigation
'How will we know which is the stronger arm?’
Students discuss how the investigation must
be designed in order to ensure
standardisation.
Students are examining different variables that
might be useful in measuring fatigue. Body
temperature is suggested, and the means of
measuring it looked at, but it is decided that
temperature would be too hard to measure
accurately, and may not indicate fatigue.

12. IUPS TeachingWorkshopJuly 2013
3.3 - Selecting and applying practical
techniques to conduct an investigation
After the collection and recording of the EMG of
a student's bicep brachii whilst performing the
two different methods of exercise, students
interpret the results to conclude which
method would be the most effective for the
purpose of the experiment.
Based off our knowledge of the experimental
design and its possible flaws, we are
discussing an appropriate method for
analysis.

13. IUPS TeachingWorkshopJuly 2013
3.4 - Collecting, accurately recording and
interpreting and drawing conclusions from
scientific data.
Here we are discussing whether our
experimental design is similar to
other studies in certain aspects,
such as whether our exercise
classifies as endurance, to
determine whether we can relate
their findings to results we should
see in our experiment.

14. IUPS TeachingWorkshopJuly 2013
Students are reasoning collaboratively
in the inquiry-based classes
Students were able to find examples where they
were using each of the four areas of inquiry
skills described in TLO 3
Many of students’ reasoning steps incorporate
several TLO3 skills
Students at 2nd year show an awareness for the
need for literature and experimental evidence
to support their claims

15. IUPS TeachingWorkshopJuly 2013
Acknowledgements
& invitation to contribute
Funding
UQ Teaching and Learning Fellowship
Centre for Educational Innovation & Technology
Thank you to our 2nd year students
To view and contribute to annotated
videos, please contact:
Kirsten Zimbardi
k.zimbardi@uq.edu.au
http://dev.ceit.uq.edu.au/vcop2/course/inquiring-minds

16. IUPS TeachingWorkshopJuly 2013
References
Boyer Commission. The Boyer Commission on Educating Undergraduates in the Research University: Reinventing
Undergraduate Education: A blue print for America’s researchuniversities Stony Brook, NY: 1998.
Elliott, K., Boin, A., Irving, H., Johnson, E. and Galea, V. 2010. Teaching scientific inquiry skills: A handbook for
bioscience educators in Australian universities. Sydney,Australia, Australian Learning and Teaching Council.
Baxter Magolda, M. B. 1999. Creating contextsfor learning and self-authorship: Constructive-developmental
pedagogy. Nashville, TN: Vanderbilt University Press.
Dunbar, K., and J. Fugelsang. 2005. "Scientific Thinking and Reasoning."In The Cambridge handbookof thinking
and reasoning, edited by Holyoak and Morrison, 705-725. New York, NY: Cambridge UniversityPress.
Farrand, Kirsten, Judit Kibedi, Kay Colthorpe, JonathanP. Good, and Lesley J. Lluka. 2009. Creating physiology
graduates who think and sound like scientists. Paper read at Third NationalAttributes Graduate Project
Symposia, at Griffith University, Queensland, Australia.
Farrand-Zimbardi, Kirsten, Kay Colthorpe, Jonathan P. Good, and Lesley J. Lluka. 2010. Becoming a scientist: the
development of students’skills in scientific investigation and communication through a vertically integrated
model of inquiry-based practicalcurricula. Paper read at InternationalSocietyfor the Scholarship of Teaching
and Learning (ISSOTL) annualconference,at Liverpool, UK.
Kuhn, Deanna. 2005. Education for Thinking. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
NationalResearch Council(2003) BIO2010: Transforming undergraduate education for future research biologists.
Washington, DC: The NationalAcademies Press
President’s Councilof Advisors on Science and Technology(2012)Engage to Excel: Producing one million additional
college graduates with degrees in STEM. Washington, DC
Zimbardi, Kirsten, Andrea Bugarcic, Kay Colthorpe, Jonathan P. Good, and Lesley J. Lluka. (under review) "A set of
vertically-integrated inquiry-based practicalcurricula that develop scientific thinking skills for large cohortsof
undergraduate students." Advancesin Physiology Education.

17. IUPS TeachingWorkshopJuly 2013
Vertical integration across the three
inquiry-based practical curricula
Vertical
progression
Course 1 Course 2 Course 3
Course names
and timing
Increased
specialisation
Cells to Organisms
(BIOL1040)
Year 1, Semester 2
IntegrativeCell andTissueBiology
(BIOM2011)
Year 2, Semester 1
Systems Physiology
(BIOM2012)
Year 2, Semester 2
Project duration Increase 6x 3hr classes 2 blocks of 3x 3hr classes 1 block of 5x 3hr classes
Guidance Reduction
LabTutor provides specific
scaffoldingfor eachstageof the
experiment from hypothesis to
discussion.
Manuals for experimental
paradigm.
Example research questions and
experiments.
Skill building experiments in the
first 2 classes.
Studentsuseprimary literatureto
developresearchquestions and
experiments.
Student
ownershipof
research
question
Increase
4 set topics for which students
begin by choosing ahypothesis
from a set of examples and end
with designingtheir ownmethod
and hypothesis.
2 broad fields for which students
can designtheir ownexperiment
or choose from a set of example
experiments.
Studentsare givenfreedom to
investigateanyaspect of
cardiovascular, respiratory, renal
and metabolic physiology in
responseto a wide range of
perturbations.
Scientific
method
Increasein
complexity
Hypothesis generationand
experimental design.
Detailing the methods,statistical
analysis, interpretationof results.
Integrationofexperimental design
and findings with primary literature
Scientific
communication
More
advanced
aspects of
scientific
writing.
Written reports.
Strategicquestions scaffoldentire
report writing process.
Written proposals andreports.
Emphasis ongenre conventions
for methods and results
Oral proposals,writtenreports.
Emphasis onintegrationofprimary
literature in introduction,methods
and discussion.
Assessment
artefactsused
for analysis
3 reports scaffoldedin “prompt –
answer” format
1 report usingformal structure of
scientific articlegenre
1 report usingformal structure of
scientific articlegenre
Modelled on “Research Skills Framework” Willison and O’Regan (2007)