A Remote Introductory Biology Lab Using Backyard Birdwatching to Teach Data Analysis and Communication

Abstract

Asking questions, designing experiments, collecting data and interpreting those data, and communicating the results are some of the most important concepts an undergraduate biology lab can teach students. When the SARS-CoV2 pandemic forced our institution to transition to online learning in the middle of the spring 2020 semester, I was faced with the dilemma of converting a large laboratory course normally structured around active and guided inquiry labs, into an online course, while still covering the planned subject material. To that end, I developed this multi-week lab exercise featuring birdwatching to give students a chance to collect real-world data and use that large, complex dataset to answer an ecological question of their choosing. For this exercise, students were instructed to watch birds at their homes or where they were quarantining, and record a number of different parameters and observations twice a week for three weeks. All records were compiled across the entire class of 347 students. Students were then asked to pick an ecological question that could be addressed with these data, and use the full dataset and a PivotTable to generate a chart summarizing the data relevant to their question. The final project consisted of developing an infographic summarizing the key question and findings of their study in language geared toward the birdwatching public. This exercise gave students the opportunity to explore the scientific process including hypothesis development, data collection, analysis and summarization while still feeling connected to a larger class project. <em>Primary image:&nbsp;</em>Mockingbirds are one of the most common songbirds identified by students in this project. This image was taken by the author and is her own work.