The power of balancing in a data-rich material world: teaching introductory mathematics and statistics to biology students

Abstract

The present study analyzed the satisfaction level of first-year biology students exposed to two sorts of learning activities while taking an introductory course on quantitative methods. Using a handbook of practices in Quantitative Methods in Biology, first-year Biology students carried out different activities involving data collection, statistical analysis and construction of graphical models. At the end of the term, students were asked to contrast their learning activities with and without the use of virtual learning tools. Most students declared both approaches useful in their learning process, but preferred the production of their own data without the intervention of technology or virtual/computerized tools. The pattern of responses found in the survey, along with the wide array of situations a first-year biology student may well encounter in the future, suggest that learning experiences of biology majors should balance virtualization and empirical work “in the material world”.