Digital Labcoat: An Active Learning Tool for Teaching the Scientific Method in the Social Sciences

Abstract

Active learning methods have established themselves as the "gold standard" of teaching, and are recommended as part of good teaching practice. In high-enrollment university courses, incorporating active learning activities can be difficult, as they are often a resource-intensive undertaking, requiring large time commitments on the part of the instructor. By turning to online technologies, it may be possible to introduce low-cost implementations of active learning activities. To this end, we have created a web application called Digital Labcoat -- a tool for introductory social sciences courses that implements active learning methodology to engage students in the scientific method and improve scientific literacy. The present study examines the use the Digital Labcoat software in large university courses, and assesses its success at achieving its educational goals. The results establish Digital Labcoat as a feasible assessment tool that is associated with increased student understanding of the scientific method.