Final Report
Principle Investigator: Dr. Jennifer Zettler (Professor of Biology)
Co-Investigator: Drs. Melanie Link-Pérez (Assistant Professor of Biology) and Traci Ness (Associate
Professor of Biology)
Title: Six-Legged Science: Determining the Ability of Students to Accurately Identify Insects in
Principles of Biology (BIOL 1107L) Laboratories
Project goals: Students in Principles of Biology I (BIOL 1107L) each collect insects and then
identify their specimen as a critical initial step for a semester-long research project for the
course. We used monies provided by Armstrong’s Teaching and Learning grant to purchase the
materials needed to confirm the accuracy of BIOL 1107L students’ insect identifications. In fall
2013, students used an exhaustive on-line insect identification tool that students found to be
difficult to navigate without entomological training. By spring 2014, we created a custom
dichotomous key that was ready to be adopted for use in BIOL 1107L. Anecdotal evidence from
instructors suggests that this custom tool was easier to implement in the classroom. To compare
the accuracy of students’ identifications, an Armstrong undergraduate student, Cicely Curtis, ran
nine PCR experiments from 117 insect samples. She then performed enzymatic purification of
all amplified products and submitted 570 samples for DNA sequencing. By comparing the
sequencing data to the students’ identifications, we can determine their accuracy rate. Cicely
will continue with the analysis until spring 2016.
Outcomes: Data from this project were presented in two research conference presentations.
“Laboratories engaging in the application and process of science (LEAPS) promotes
student critical thinking skills” Mateer, S.C., Brofft Bailey, J., DeMars, G., Link-Perez,
M.A., Curtis, C. *, and Ness, T. was presented at the 2015 Gordon Research Conference
(Lewiston, ME) and was presented at the 2015 USG Teaching and Learning Conference
(Athens, GA).
The manuscript, “Insect models and a key to their identification” Zettler, J.A., Ness, T.,
Mateer, S., Link-Perez, M.A., Brofft Bailey, J., and DeMars, G. will be submitted in
September 2015 to The American Biology Teacher. We expect at least one other
manuscript to be produced directly from the foundations of the data generated by this
project. We plan to publish a research article that summarizes of the accuracy of student
identifications with its CO1 barcoding gene.
*Armstrong undergraduate student