Table 3.

Lake Forest College precourse skills perception before and after taking Cell Biology

	Lake Forest College:
	perception of precourse skillsa
	When asked after taking course	Increase or decrease in perception	Degree of significance
Statements common to precourse and postcourse survey
S1. I can effectively communicate contemporary scientific  research orally to my peers.	2.68	↓	0.05
S2. I can effectively communicate contemporary scientific  research in writing to my peers.	2.81	↓	0.01
S3. I am knowledgeable about what a “primary research  article” is and what its purpose is in the scientific world.	3.38	↓	0.05
S4. I can effectively read and comprehend a primary  research article for myself.	2.38	↓	0.001
S5. I can effectively communicate findings of a primary  research article to my science peers.	2.28	↓	0.001
S6. I can effectively communicate findings of a primary  research article to my nonscience peers.	2.29	↓	0.001
S7. I can effectively integrate and synthesize information from  several related primary research articles.	2.19	↓	0.001
S8. I am knowledgeable on how scientists communicate  scientific information with each other and with the public.	2.91	↑	ns
S9. I am knowledgeable on the state of current research in  the field of cellular and molecular biology.	1.76	↓	0.01
S10. I have the skills to read primary research articles in  scientific fields other than cell and molecular biology.	2.90	↓	0.05
S11. I am interested in doing an undergraduate research  internship and/or senior thesis in a scientific field.	3.95	↓	ns
S12. I am contemplating a future career that involves  scientific research or health professions.	4.53	↑	ns
S13. It is important that I am familiar with primary research  and that I connect what I learn from understanding  primary research to lecture and laboratory-based  instruction.	4.29	↓	0.05

Scale: 1 = Strongly disagree; 2 = somewhat disagree; 3 = neutral or no opinion; 4 = somewhat agree; 5 = strongly agree.