Owls and Rabbits - An Active Learning Exercise to Teach the Nature of Science in an Undergraduate Biology Course

Oct 15, 2026

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An active learning exercise was designed and field-tested for undergraduate biology students to engage with key aspects of the nature of science. The activity places students in the role of wildlife biologists who use sequentially provided evidence to explain the decline of a rabbit population in a state park. Through guided inquiry, students repeatedly form inferences and either retain or reject their initial explanations, addressing observation, inference, and uncertainty. Field testing indicates positive effects on students’ perceived understanding of nature-of-science concepts and their confidence in handling uncertainty.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages6

Reading Time15 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Nature of Science in biology education

Observations, inferences, uncertainty

Procedure

Scenario and roles for students

Evidence-based explanation of population decline

Owls and Rabbits: An Active Learning Exercise to Teach the Nature of Science in an Undergraduate Biology Course Authors: Joshua W. Reid1, Michael L. Rutledge2 1 Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409 USA 2 Department of Biology, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, TN 37132, USA Abstract We developed and field-tested an active learning exercise designed to provide biology students with the opportunity to consider key aspects of the nature of science as a method of inquiry, particularly the roles of observation and inference in the development of scientific explanations and how scientists deal with uncertainty. In the activity students assume the role of a wildlife biologist, using available evidence to best explain the cause of the decline of a rabbit population in a state park. Using a guided-inquiry approach, students are provided evidence in a sequential fashion. After each bit of evidence is provided, they form inferences and either retain their initial explanation or reject it. Results of the field testing suggest that the activity may positively impact students’ perceived understanding of important aspects of the nature of science, and their comfort level in dealing with uncertainty. The investigative, observation/inference-based model utilized shows promise in making the nature of science an organizing theme for the course. Keywords: Nature of Science, Biology, Observation, Inference, Active Learning Introduction Fostering an accurate understanding of the Nature of Science (NOS) by having students engage in authentic disciplinary practices is an important aspect of biology and science education (AAAS, 2011; NGSS Lead States, 2013) . The NOS describes the epistemological foundations that define, and in some ways separate, science from other ways of knowing and includes the methods, characteristics and assumptions of science as a method of inquiry. An accurate understanding of this underlying, structural knowledge of the discipline is a fundamental goal of modern science educational practices (Lederman & Lederman, 2014; McComas, Almazroa, & Clough, 1998) . For students to have a functional understanding of the NOS they must engage in scientific practices that help them appreciate how knowledge is produced in science, the roles of observations and inference, the tentativeness of scientific knowledge, and how scientists deal with uncertainty (Jaber & Hammer, 2016; Kuhn, Arvidsson, Lesperance, & Corprew, 2017) . Engaging students in activities that foster their construction of scientific knowledge requires explicit instruction on what the NOS entails, including the methods of the discipline as well as its characteristics (Lederman & Lederman, 2014) . Scholars in the field (e.g., Lederman & Lederman, 2014; McComas et al., 1998) have identified critical characteristics of the NOS and have encouraged their use in the design of science curricula. Among the important characteristics of science as a way of knowing is that scientific knowledge is durable (supported by multiple evidential lines over time), yet tentative and subject to revision in light of new evidence (McComas et al., 1998) . Highly associated with the characteristics of scientific knowledge are the practices used to construct this knowledge. Among the practices that lead to the durability and tentativeness of scientific knowledge is the making of observations and formation of inferences in the collection and interpretation of empirical data. Scientific explanations ofthe way the natural world works are based on past and current observations (information gathered from our senses) and inferences (conclusions) based on those observations. When new observations of a phenomenon are made, the additional information can result in changed inferences and revised explanations. Importantly, the making of inferences requires an understanding of the role of uncertainty in the making of claims. For example, h

FAQs

What is the goal of the active learning exercise in this paper?

To help biology students consider key aspects of the nature of science by emphasizing observation and inference in building scientific explanations and addressing uncertainty.

How do students participate during the activity?

Students take on the role of wildlife biologists, review evidence in sequence, form inferences after each evidence item, and decide whether to keep or reject their current explanation.

What outcomes did the field testing suggest?

The activity may improve students’ perceived understanding of nature-of-science concepts and their comfort level in dealing with uncertainty.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Blitz