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Home » Educator Resources » Online Courses » Let’s Experiment

Let’s Experiment

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“Let’s Experiment: A Guide for Scientists Working at the Bench” (LE) is a free 6-week online course designed to help guide participants through the process of planning and executing experiments in biology. In the online course, scientists from a variety of backgrounds give concrete steps and advice to help participants build a framework for how to design experiments. Through the course, participants develop a general approach to experimental design and understand what they are getting into before they begin.

Here is a high level description of what participants learn in this course:

  • The elements of a well-designed experiment, including variables, controls, sample size and replication.
  • An introduction to experimental variability, sample size estimation, data analysis, and p-values, and how to seek help when needed.
  • Insights into their potential bias as an experimenter, how that affects reproducibility, and how to prevent it from impacting the design and execution of an experiment.
  • Experimental tips and best practices on reagent authentication, keeping a good laboratory notebook, and getting an experiment to work.

This page is for educators to access the whole or parts of the course to use in their own teaching.

Course Let’s Experiment: A Guide for Scientists Working at the Bench (Self-Paced)
Course Link
https://courses.ibiology.org/courses/course-v1:iBiology+LE+SP/about

We encourage all educators to register for the online course and review it in the online platform to read the full course text and see the course components in context.

Syllabus
Download Syllabus


Course syllabus document (PDF) that describes an outline of the course content.

Educator Guide
Download Educator Guide


This guide is meant to demonstrate how iBiology’s online course “Let’s Experiment: A Guide for Scientists Working at the Bench” (LE) can be used in multiple settings to assist educators when teaching experimental design. It includes examples of how to use the course content in teaching.

Full Course Content Document
Download Full Course Content


This is a google doc version of the entire course. This document contains all learning objectives, lessons, graphics, links to videos and assessments. Educators can copy and paste, download, or make a copy of this document to use for their own teachings.

Assessment-Only Document
Download Assessment Document


This is a google doc version of all assessments of the course. Educators can copy and paste, download, or make a copy of this document to use for their own teachings.

Course Level Course content is for life science undergraduate and graduate students needing training in experimental design.
Educator Audience Faculty, administrators, laboratory PIs, and research mentors looking for resources to help teach life science trainees rigorous, reproducible and transparent experimental design.
Preliminary Data Thumbnail image of LE poster Let’s Experiment Poster
Legend:
Assessment question
Discussion prompt
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Transcript Text Resource
Module 0: (Introduction)
Course Trailer
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Term Sheet
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Module 1: An Introduction to Experimental Design
The Art and Practice of Experimental Design
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Case Study: Neil’s Investigation of Root Growth
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Case Study: Ana’s Investigation into Mechanisms of Breast Cancer
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What experiment to do next?
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Flowchart: What Experiment To Do Next?
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Flowchart: What Experiment To Do Next? (White background)
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Case Study: Neil’s Experiment
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Neil’s Experimental Setup
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Case Study: Ana’s Experiment
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Ana’s Experimental Setup
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Choosing a Model System
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Case Study: Neil’s Model System
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Case Study: Ana’s Model System
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Assessment questions for Module 1
Discussion questions for Module 1
Module 2: Key Elements of Experimental Design
Keeping Track of All the Variables
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What Are Your Controls?
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Case Study: Neil’s Internal Controls
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What is Variation or Noise?
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How to Think About Replication
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Variation Between Samples
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Ana’s Replicates
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The Importance of Sample Size
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Assessment questions for Module 2
Discussion questions for Module 2
Module 3: Account for Bias
Be Rigorous and Transparent
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Case Study: Neil’s Initial Bias
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Don’t Be Wed to Your Hypothesis
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Be Aware of Measurement Bias and Blind Yourself
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Think About Your Data and How to Analyze It
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Clarifying the P-Value
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Assessment questions for Module 3
Discussion questions for Module 3
Module 4: Gear Up to Do the Experiment
Familiarize yourself with the protocol
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Pay Attention and Write It Down
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Case Study: Neil’s Approach to Recordkeeping
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Neil’s Lab Notebook Template (Google doc)
Assessment questions for Module 4
Discussion questions for Module 4
Module 5: Getting the Experiment to Work
Pilot Your Experiment
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Getting an Experiment to Work
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Troubleshooting Framework (Google doc)
Case Study: Neil’s Problem with Gravity
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Case Study: Ana’s 100 Clones
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Optimize Your Experiment
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Signal to Noise Graphic
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Figure : Dose Response Curve
Source: Int J Nanomedicine. 2013; 8: 4277–4290.
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Decreasing Noise
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Case Study: Ana’s Variability in Tumor Growth
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Validate Your Results Through Orthogonal Approaches
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Assessment questions for Module 5
Discussion questions for Module 5

Tell us what you think…

We have put together these resources in an attempt to be helpful, so we very much would like to know what you think, and/or how you might be using them. We would also like to know what you think is missing or what could be better. Please reach out to us at courses@ibiology.org and gives your thoughts and feedback. Thank you!

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This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute of General Medical Sciences under Grant No. 2122350 and 1 R25 GM139147. Any opinion, finding, conclusion, or recommendation expressed in these videos are solely those of the speakers and do not necessarily represent the views of the Science Communication Lab/iBiology, the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, or other Science Communication Lab funders.

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