Adaptation and Implementation of Inquiry-based and Investigative Laboratories in a Biotechnology Major for Liberal Arts Undergraduates

加尔文学院正在开设新的四年制生物技术专业。为此，他们将：(1)调整四所大学（东北大学、纽约州立大学-弗莱多尼亚分校、费里斯州立大学和詹姆斯麦迪逊大学）现有生物技术项目的实验室课程；(2)在三门新的以实验室为基础的课程中实施修订后的课程，分别是生物技术导论、细胞和组织培养、DNA技术，以及一门顶点课程，生物技术法规和伦理；(3)介绍先进生物技术仪器的使用。这个新专业牢牢扎根于一个强大的文科传统，它的独特之处在于它包括植物和动物细胞培养的经验，在本科阶段提供先进设备的实际使用，并解决生物技术从业者的社会背景和责任。课程结构反映了卡尔文对文科的关注，强调基于探究的学习，包括从使用基于探究的小组活动的基础生物技术实验室能力的发展到学生设计的实验和数据分析和解释的机会，这些经历贯穿了几个实验室时期。课程序列的高潮是一个学期的学生设计的研究项目与口头和书面交流的结果。

iological Sciences (61) Calvin College is establishing a new four-year Biotechnology major. To do so they are: (1) adapting laboratory curricula from existing biotechnology programs at four universities (Northeastern, SUNY-Fredonia, Ferris State and James Madison), (2) implementing the revised curriculum in three new laboratory-based courses, Introduction to Biotechnology, Cell and Tissue Culture, and DNA Technology, as well as one capstone course, Biotechnology Regulations and Ethics, and (3) introducing the use of advanced biotechnology instrumentation. This new major is firmly rooted in a strong liberal arts tradition, unique in that it includes both plant- and animal-cell culture experiences, provides hands on use of advanced equipment at the undergraduate level, and addresses the social context and responsibilities of biotechnology practitioners. Course structure reflects Calvin's focus on the liberal arts and emphasis on inquiry-based learning by including a progression of experiences from the development of basic biotechnology laboratory competencies using inquiry-based group activities to student-designed experiments and opportunities for data analysis and interpretation that extend over several laboratory periods. The culmination of the sequence of courses is a semester-long set of student-designed research projects with oral and written communication of results.