Incorporating Computer Programming & Data Science into a Guided Inquiry-Based Undergraduate Ecology Lab

The biological sciences are becoming increasingly reliant on computer science and associated technologies to quickly and efficiently analyze and interpret complex data sets. Introducing students to data analysis techniques is a critical part of their development as well-rounded, scientifically liter...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The American biology teacher Vol. 81; no. 9; pp. 649 - 657
Main Authors: Rahn, Jennifer, Willner, Dana, Deverick, James, Kemper, Peter, Saha, Margaret
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Reston University of California Press 01.11.2019
University of California Press Books Division
Subjects:
Biodiversity
biological diversity
Computer programming
Computer science
Data analysis
Data science
Ecological effects
Ecological monitoring
INQUIRY & INVESTIGATION
Inquiry method
Inquiry-based lab exercise
Jupyter Notebook
Laboratories
Programming languages
Scientific Research
Students
ISSN:0002-7685, 1938-4211
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:The biological sciences are becoming increasingly reliant on computer science and associated technologies to quickly and efficiently analyze and interpret complex data sets. Introducing students to data analysis techniques is a critical part of their development as well-rounded, scientifically literate citizens. As part of a collaborative effort between the Biology and Computer Science departments at William & Mary, we sought to develop laboratory exercises that would introduce basic ideas of data analysis while also exposing students to Python, a commonly used computer programming language. We accomplished this by developing exercises within the interactive Jupyter Notebook platform, an open-source application that allows Python code to be written and executed as discrete blocks in real time. Students used the developed Jupyter Notebook to analyze data collected as part of a multiweek ecology field experiment aimed at determining the effect of white-tailed deer on aspects of biological diversity. These inquiry-based laboratory exercises generated scientifically relevant data and gave students a chance to experience and participate in ongoing scientific research while demonstrating the utility of computer science in the scientific process.
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ISSN:0002-7685
1938-4211
DOI:10.1525/abt.2019.81.9.649