Online Strategies To Improve Quantitative Skills in Microbiology Laboratory Classes

Biology is an increasingly quantitative science. Thus, it is important that undergraduate biology curricula include frequent opportunities for students to practice their quantitative skills. This can create a substantial grading burden for faculty teaching online and/or large enrollment courses, but the “formula question” feature present in many learning management systems (LMS) offers a solution. Using this feature, faculty set up a basic scaffold for an algebraic word problem, and the LMS can then automatically generate and grade many different versions of the question. In this paper, we describe the use of “formula questions” in an undergraduate microbiology course and specifically focus on how the strategic use of algebraic word problems at multiple points throughout the semester can help build quantitative literacy. Key to the success of this approach is that faculty provide a review of foundational mathematical skills early in the semester, even in upper-level classes. This should include reacquainting students with formatting conventions (e.g., rounding and scientific notation), familiarizing them with any idiosyncrasies of the technology platforms, and demonstrating how to solve math problems using spreadsheets. This initial effort increases student success when more complex problems are introduced later in the semester. Though the tips summarized in this paper focus on undergraduate microbiology teaching laboratories using Canvas, the approach can easily be modified to help students develop their critical thinking and quantitative reasoning skills at other levels and in other disciplines.