Table 3.

Differences in the way concepts in experimental design were taught and assessed in the courses surveyed with the BEDCI^a

	Experimental design-related concept assessed by BEDCI
			Biological		Extraneous	Independent	Random	Purpose of
Class	Controls	Hypotheses	variation	Accuracy	factors	sampling	sampling	experiments
First-year general	∼	✔	✔	✘	✔	✘	✘	∼
First-year coordinated	∼	✔	✔	✘	∼	✘	✘	∼
First-year science	✔	✔	✔	✘	✔	✔	∼	✔
Third-year laboratory	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	∼	✔

^a✔ = taught explicitly (students gain practical experience in labs/tutorials/field trips and are assessed on their understanding in at least one aspect (homework, oral presentation, lab report, midterm, final, etc.). ∼ = taught implicitly (students are assessed on their understanding in a nonspecific way; they learn about the concept in lectures/tutorials and must allude to it when answering assessed questions). ✘ = absent (students are not exposed practically, and it is rare for these concepts to be taught implicitly).