Fishy beginnings
The course begins with a simple observation
experiment. In groups of three, students were asked
to observe a fish tank which contained either a Dwarf
Shell Dweller Cichlid (Lamprologus ocellatus) or a
Siamese Fighting Fish (Betta splendens) and to
investigate how each behaved. Students could use a
variety of materials, including shells and brightly
colored paper, but were not told what to do with these
materials or what they should try to find out. The aim
of this activity is to introduce students to more open
methods of learning. Most students beginning the
course are used to doing very structured experiments
during science lessons, and expect to receive a list of
instructions and be told what results they should
expect to find.