Demonstrate and evaluate lab activity about antimicrobial sensitivity

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Science Education

Background:

• Hands-on laboratory activities are crucial for developing scientific skills in primary and secondary education.
• Assessing student learning and activity effectiveness in science labs requires robust evaluation tools.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and evaluate a laboratory activity focused on microbial susceptibility to antimicrobial agents.
• To develop and implement a scoring rubric for quantifying student responses and assessing the activity's impact.

Main Methods:

• Students conducted a laboratory experiment testing the susceptibility of microorganisms to various antimicrobial agents.
• A novel scoring rubric was designed to quantify student observations and conclusions.
• The rubric was used to evaluate student performance and the overall educational value of the lab activity.

Main Results:

• The laboratory activity effectively demonstrated microbial susceptibility to different antimicrobial agents.
• The developed scoring rubric provided a quantifiable method for assessing student understanding and engagement.
• Data analysis indicated that the scoring rubric successfully measured student benefit from the activity.

Conclusions:

• The proposed lab activity is a valuable tool for teaching microbial susceptibility and scientific skills.
• The scoring rubric offers an effective means to evaluate student learning and the efficacy of science education activities.
• Integrating such assessments enhances the pedagogical value of practical science education.