Enhancing the Biochemistry Curriculum Through Project-based Laboratories

通过基于项目的实验室加强生物化学课程

• 批准号: 0088702
• 负责人: Patricia Singer
• 金额: $ 12.34万
• 依托单位: Simpson College
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2001
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2001-01-01 至 2005-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0088702&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Enhancing; Biochemistry; Curriculum; Through; Project

Biological Sciences (61) Because of the significant advances in biology now being made at the biochemical level we have created a Biochemistry Major, which has been enhanced recently with the addition of a developmental biologist who studies developmentally-driven changes in gene expression. The courses within the biochemistry major are designed so that as students progress through the major they become less dependent on their textbooks and more comfortable with primary literature sources. Gradually, students become genuine participants, not just consumers, in the classroom until finally, in their capstone seminar course, students and faculty are cooperative learners together. This course has brought a new level of excitement for both students and faculty. The current project aims to change the laboratory design and instrumentation available to Biochemistry majors so that these students achieve a similar high level of curiosity, independence, and confidence in the laboratory. We are incorporating three project-based laboratory experiences that allow students to investigate the same questions in the laboratory that they find exciting in the classroom. One project extends through several courses and demonstrates how several disciplines collectively contribute to the understanding of a single biological process. Another project reveals how new biochemical tools are being employed to answer age-old questions in developmental biology. A third project demonstrates how organic chemistry has become increasingly important to our understanding of regulatory processes in organisms. Highly sensitive non-radioactive assays are being widely used in basic research. These are being adapted and being introduced into new areas of investigation for undergraduate laboratories in biochemistry. Access to state of the art research and committed faculty enables students to develop communication and teamwork skills that will be highly valued in their postgraduate careers.

生物科学 (61) 由于生物学现在在生化水平上取得了重大进展，我们创建了生物化学专业，最近由于增加了一位研究发育驱动的基因表达变化的发育生物学家，该专业得到了增强。生物化学专业课程的设计是为了让学生随着专业的进步，减少对教科书的依赖，并更适应主要文献来源。渐渐地，学生成为课堂上真正的参与者，而不仅仅是消费者，直到最后，在他们的顶点研讨会课程中，学生和教师一起成为合作学习者。这门课程给学生和教师带来了新的兴奋。当前的项目旨在改变生物化学专业的实验室设计和仪器，使这些学生在实验室中获得类似的高水平好奇心、独立性和信心。我们正在整合三个基于项目的实验室体验，让学生能够在实验室中研究他们在课堂上感到兴奋的相同问题。一个项目延伸到多个课程，并展示多个学科如何共同促进对单个生物过程的理解。另一个项目揭示了如何利用新的生化工具来回答发育生物学中的古老问题。第三个项目展示了有机化学如何对于我们理解生物体的调控过程变得越来越重要。高灵敏度的非放射性测定正在广泛应用于基础研究。这些正在被改编并被引入生物化学本科实验室的新研究领域。接触最先进的研究和敬业的教师使学生能够培养沟通和团队合作技能，这在他们的研究生职业生涯中将受到高度重视。