Development of a Year-long, Research-based Laboratory Integrated within Core Genetics and Cellular & Molecular Biology Courses

该项目扩展和丰富了一个学期的研究为基础的分子生物学实验室课程到一个新的为期一年的研究为基础的课程，强调实验设计和执行，数据解释，以及书面和口头陈述技能作为课程的组成部分。 为期一年的方法已经试行，初步评估研究表明，本科生完成两个学期的系列显着的学习收益。 为期一年的计划将由所有生物学专业完成，并将分布在两个课程：遗传学（BIO 231）和介绍细胞和分子生物学（BIO 335）。在这两门课程中，实验室涵盖的具体内容领域将主要反映各自的父课程;在BIO 231期间，学生将开发和完善实验方法，以进行和分析微阵列实验，研究渗透压对酵母细胞的影响。这些数据将在下学期的BIO 335中用作路线图，在那里他们将克隆参与渗透胁迫的候选基因，并最终设计和进行基于细胞的功能测定，以测试整个学期产生的假设。该项目还试点增加了一个服务学习选项，一个科学推广计划，以服务于纽约市的高需求学校，作为课程的一个特点。智力优势：学生在这些修订课程采用跨学科的方法，依靠现代基因组，分子和细胞生物学方法，包括RNA测序技术，回答一个明确的生物学问题。 跨学科方法在所有STEM学科中越来越受到重视。 此外，写作部分代表了一种趋势，开始成为提高学生学习成绩的有效途径。 该项目的评估结果应添加到什么是已知的有效方法，以提高本科生物实验室，并为学生和教师从介绍研究型学生实验室的利润。 比较学生在教育考试服务局生物专业实地考试中的成绩，沿着使用调查和焦点小组以及写作作业来评估对学生学习的影响，以评估学习和态度的变化。更广泛的影响：服务学习组件的试点增加了该项目的更广泛的影响。 该项目正在参加团结与种族平等委员会对Lopatto博士的调查，从而为关于学生实验室研究成果的国家数据库作出贡献。 该项目由生物科学局和本科教育处教育和人力资源局联合资助，作为其支持本科生物学教育愿景和变革努力的一部分

This project expands and enriches a semester long research based molecular biology laboratory course into a novel year-long research based curriculum that emphasizes experimental design and execution, data interpretation, and written and oral presentation skills as integral components of the course. The year-long approach has been piloted and preliminary assessment studies demonstrate significant learning gains by undergraduate students completing the two semester series. The year-long program will be completed by all biology majors and will be spread over two courses: Genetics (BIO231) and Introduction to Cellular and Molecular Biology (BIO335). In both courses, specific content areas covered in lab will predominantly reflect the respective parent courses; during BIO231 students will develop and refine experimental methods to conduct and analyze a microarray experiment to study the effects of osmotic stress on yeast cells. These data will be used as a roadmap in the following semester in BIO335, where they will clone candidate genes involved in osmotic stress and ultimately, design and conduct cell-based functional assays to test hypotheses generated throughout the term. The project also pilots the addition of a service learning option, a science outreach program to serve high-need schools in New York City, as a feature of the course.INTELLECTUAL MERIT: Students in these revised courses employ an interdisciplinary approach, relying upon modern genomic, molecular and cell biology methodologies, including RNA-Seq technology, to answer a well-defined biological question. Interdisciplinary approaches are increasingly being emphasized in all STEM disciplines. In addition the writing component represents a trend that is beginning to emerge as an effective way to improve student learning gains. The results of the evaluation of this project should add to what is known about effective ways to improve undergraduate biology laboratories and for students and faculty to profit from introduction of research-based student laboratories. Comparison of student scores on the Educational Testing Service Major Field Test in Biology are being used to assess effects on student learning, along with the use of surveys and focus groups, as well as the writing assignments to assess both learning and attitudinal changes. BROADER IMPACTS: Piloting of the service learning component adds to the broader impacts of this project. The project is participating in the CURE survey of Dr. Lopatto, thus contributing to a national data base concerning the outcomes of research-based student laboratories. Results are being widely disseminated through regional and national workshops and disciplinary annual meetings and publications.This project is being jointly funded by the Directorate for Biological Sciences and the Directorate for Education and Human Resources, Division of Undergraduate Education as part of their efforts toward support of Vision and Change in Undergraduate Biology Education