Integration of Investigative Molecular Biology Laboratory Exercises into the Undergraduate Curriculum

许多本科理科课程的一个主要缺陷是缺乏探究性的实验室练习。学生通常会被海量的信息淹没，并学习如何在实验室中实施特定的技术，但对科学过程却知之甚少。从历史上看，分子生物学在UCA的生物系课程中很少受到关注。为了改善这种情况，将实施分子生物学教学计划，而不是单独开设分子生物学课程。在这样做的时候，分子生物学将以这样一种方式融入我们的课程，即高级课程中的经验将建立在以前课程中所学到的概念和技术的基础上。生物学专业、健康科学专业和职前生物学教师将在两门较低级别的课程中进行探究性分子生物学实验。这些练习的目的是促进在大一课程中学习基本概念和研究技术，如移液和电泳法，这些技术直接导致在大二水平的遗传学课程中进行简单的克隆和质粒图绘制项目。生物学专业的学生将在高级实验分子生物学课程中以这些经验为基础，开设一个实验室，作为为期一学期的基于发现的基因克隆项目。任职前的生物教师将使用他们学到的概念和技术来开发将在他们的中学课堂上使用的分子生物学实验室练习。重点将放在所有层次的假设形成、独立学习和分析思维上。获得的设备也将用于进行本科生研究项目的学生。拟议中的项目将让寻求各种职业的学生体验观察和发现的兴奋。对这些课程改革的描述和评估将通过在教育期刊上发表、编写实验室手册和在万维网上张贴来传播。

A major deficiency in many undergraduate science courses is the lack of inquiry-based laboratory exercises. Students typically are inundated with vast quantities of information and learn how to carry out specific techniques in the laboratory, but learn very little about the process of science. Historically, molecular biology has received little attention in the Biology Department curriculum at UCA. To improve this situation, a molecular biology teaching program will be implemented as opposed to a stand alone molecular biology course. In doing so, molecular biology will be integrated into our curriculum in such a way that experiences in advanced courses will build upon concepts and techniques learned in previous courses. Biology majors, health science majors, and pre-service biology teachers will perform inquiry-based molecular biology experiments in two lower division courses. The exercises are designed to facilitate learning of fundamental concepts and investigative techniques such as pipetting and elecerophoresis in the freshman course that lead directly into a simple cloning and plasmid mapping project to be performed in the sophomore level genetics course. Biology majors will build upon these experiences in a senior level Experimental Molecular Biology course with a laboratory designed as a semester-long, discovery-based gene cloning project. Pre-service biology teachers will use concepts and techniques that they have learned to develop "take home" molecular biology laboratory exercises to be used in their secondary level classrooms. An emphasis will be placed on hypothesis formulation, independent learning, and analytical thinking at all levels. Acquired equipment will also be used by students conducting undergraduate research projects. The proposed project will allow students seeking a variety of careers to experience the excitement of observation and discovery. Descriptions and evaluation of these curriculum innovations will be disseminated through publication in educational journals, d evelopment of a laboratory manual, and posting on the World Wide Web.