Laborpraktikum für Masterstudierende unter Berücksichtigung der Konzepte des forschenden Lernens

Abstract

Laboratory practical courses are an integral part of bioscience classes already at undergraduate level. Usually, the students work according to a pre-defined script and protocol their results to learn basic laboratory techniques. While this structure is well suited for undergraduate studies, adhering to it during graduate studies prevents the advancement of the students to independent scientists. Therefore, here, a laboratory practical course for Master students was conducted based on the principles of research-based learning. By performing a complete bioscientific research cycle, the students acquired competencies required to develop to independent researchers in the future. Specifically, a scientific observation was presented and, together with the supervisors, the students discussed potential derived hypotheses, research questions and experimental approaches to tackle them. Under supervision, they planned, conducted and analyzed experiments. Their results were summarized in a written report resembling a scientific publication. The participants demonstrated a high level of creativity and self-initiative and their feedback was very positive. In summary, research-based learning in the context of laboratory practical courses for graduate students offers a substantially increased learning potential for the students with a similar level of time investment by the supervisors. Hence, teachers should aim to plan their courses according to these principles.