Enhancing Instructional Opportunities of Modern Molecular Genetic Techniques in Biology at an Undergraduate Liberal Arts University

分子遗传工具在学术界和工业界的应用越来越广泛。像许多其他系一样，这个系提供了一个非常好的传统细胞生物学课程，但一直无法提供涉及分子技术理论或应用的课程。因此，许多生物专业的学生在没有利用这些重要工具所需的背景知识的情况下继续攻读研究生学术课程和工业工作。生物科学系正在努力纠正这一不足，开设了两门新的分子生物学课程，其中包含强大的实验室组成部分，专注于解决基本生物学问题的现代分子遗传学方法。这两门课程都强调亲身实践，并容纳了来自不同生物教育背景的学生。第一门课程涉及课程中的传统分子主题，并利用实验室中以项目为导向的方法。学生们以小组形式工作，使用各种现代分子技术复制已发表的研究计划。这种方法通过将技术放在适当的上下文中来增强教学，提高学生的兴趣，并鼓励团队合作技能。第二门课程让学生了解在生物学的许多领域中使用的不同DNA指纹技术的理论和实践。这些练习为学生提供了广泛的分子技术的实际工作知识，并特别熟悉DNA指纹分析。完成这门课程的学生将准备在从生态学到法医学的生物科学领域学习这项高度实用的技术。这两门课程都旨在加强目前的高级生物学课程，为学生进行独立研究项目做准备，为其他本科生机构的类似努力提供示范，并为K-12教师的外展计划提供基础。

Molecular genetic tools are employed in an ever-increasing variety of fields in both academia and industry. This department, like many others, has offered a very good program in traditional cellular biology, but has been unable to offer courses addressing the theory or application of molecular techniques. Thus, many biology majors proceed to graduate academic programs and industrial workplaces without the background necessary to take advantage of these important tools. The Department of Biological Sciences is working to correct this deficiency by offering two new courses in molecular biology with strong laboratory components concentrating on modern molecular genetic approaches to basic biological questions. Both courses emphasize a hands-on approach and accommodate students from a wide range of biology education backgrounds. The first course deals with traditional molecular subjects in the lecture and makes use of a project-oriented approach in the laboratory. Students work in small groups using a variety of modern molecular techniques to duplicate a published research program. This approach enhances instruction by placing techniques within their appropriate context, increases student interest, and encourages team working skills. The second course exposes students to the theory and practice of the different DNA fingerprinting techniques being used in many areas of biology. These exercises provide students with a practical working knowledge of a wide range of molecular techniques and a particular familiarity with DNA fingerprinting. Students completing this course will be prepared to pursue this highly practical technology in areas of biological science ranging from ecology to forensics. Both courses are intended to enhance current upper-level biology courses, prepare students for independent research projects, serve as models for similar efforts at other undergraduate institutions, and provide the basis for outreach programs to K-12 instructors.