iWorx Lab

The iWorx Lab was developed by Mary Williams and Anna Strain for non-major students in Jane Phillip's BIOL 1010 Human Biology class.

Description of Project

The goal of this project is to involve non-major students in authentic research in order to increase their understanding of the process of scientific research. In teams of three or four, students will devise a research question and then set out to answer it. Examples of student-generated questions include:

  • How does listening to music affect brainwaves and heart rate? 
  • How does consuming different foods affect heart rate?
  • How does exercise affect lung capacity? 

Students collect the relevant physiological data using iWorx hardware (which can measure heart rate, brain waves, lung capacity, oxygen levels in the blood, etc.) and analyze it using iWorx software.

In this lab, students will...

  1. Engage in an activity that will familiarize them with recent scientific literature to gain a better understanding of the scientific experimentation process.
  2. Learn how to use iWorx hardware and software for researching physiology and learn strategies for effective of experimental design.
  3. Decide on a testable hypothesis and make an experimental plan.
  4. Perform experiments, record data, and replicate experiments. 
  5. Analyze data and draw conclusions. 
  6. Present the results to peers.

Learning Outcomes

The primary outcome of this lab sequence is for undergraduate non-majors to better understand the process of conducting scientific research. 

Secondary outcomes are to develop science confidence, improve attitudes toward science, and increase interest and knowledge of science (particularly human biology).