1. LB73 - Implementation of Biotechnology Projects of Different Inquiry Level to Promote Career Success of Non-Science Majors Paloma Valverde, PhD; Sciences Department, Wentworth Institute of Technology, Boston MA 02115
Abstract
Technical Skill Building
Graded Outcomes
Independent Projects
Wentworth Institute of Technology is an undergraduate teaching institution that emphasizes experiential learning and career success by implementing Externally-collaborative, Project-based, Interdisciplinary Curricula for Learning (EPIC-L) pedagogy and through inclusion of two required coops in all programs. In this work, an EPIC-L course named Directed Study in Biological Research is described. This 4-credit course has been offered since Fall 2012 as part of the biology and bioinformatics minors and is taught entirely at one of the biology labs for a minimum of 6 hours per week. Students were enrolled in first, second or third year of biomedical engineering, civil engineering and computer science programs. Extensive reading assignments prior to class combined with just-in time informal discussions and assignments were used instead of traditional lectures. Biotechnology laboratory projects involving living organisms (planarian, daphnia, bacteria or eukaryotic cells in culture) or advanced biotechnology instrumentation were proposed by either the professor, the students or external collaborators invited to the lab. The different projects varied in their degree of inquiry and creativity with those of lower inquiry level being used to teach lab skills and provide practice in scientific writing and proper lab documentation whereas those of inquiry level 3 or pure research gave students the opportunity to implement their own ideas and present their work to the rest of the class and at conferences. Students' Learning reflections, written and oral students' work examples and laboratory practicums demonstrate that this pedagogy helps students gain soft and technical skills important for their academic and career success in undergraduate STEM programs.
A. Preparing Solutions, Bacterial Transformation of pGlo, Basic Bioinformatics, GFP Purification and Characterization of GFP Fluorescence [1,2]
B. PCR, DNA Electrophoresis, Primer Design & Programming PCR machine [3]
Two to four take-home exams
Just-in time assignments (paper labs, virtual labs, short questions to be collected; In-class discussion)
Lab Design and/or development of step by-step procedure on how to use laboratory instrumentation or lab software
Power-point presentation of an independent research project
Submission of an abstract to a peer-reviewed conference (or write a lab report about a lab project performed in the lab or write a minireview research article)
Setting up and Performing lab projects of increasing difficulty (or more than one project at the same time)
Writing learning-gain reflections (narrative style) about each of the modules of the course and rating learning gains
Lab skill development, soft-skill improvement and writing a resume for internship applications
A. Molecular Biology/Bioinformatics, Pharmacology & AP Planarian Polarity/Movement/Regeneration [5,9,10]
Using Planarian
EST Databases
Studying AP Polarity,
Regeneration and Gene Expression
RT-PCR
Planarian Full-length
Homologue
RNA
cDNA
B.Silk Fibroin Protein for Biomedical Applications and Fluorescence [11]
C. Food Hydrocolloids Reactions & Special Diets [12]
Background
D. Eukaryotic Cell Culture and Cell counting
Non-Graded Outcomes
References
Students’ presentations
at the 5th & 6th Annual Polytechnic Summit, SABER2013, INTED2013, 1st WIT Expo 2014, EB2015 [examples 6-8]
[1]
[2]
[3]
[4]
[5]
[6] Miller KL, Stephenson M, Tan Y, Valverde P. Proceedings INTED 2013 Valencia, Spain, pp
[7]
[8]
[9]
[10]
[11]
[12]
C. Stem Cells and Planarian Regeneration [4,5]
Objectives
1)To design and execute experiments with living organisms and bioinstrumentation
2)To introduce students to data analyses
3)To practice with different levels of laboratory inquiry, multitasking and collaboration
4)To use different types of scientific communication
Paloma Valverde, PhD. Department Chair Sciences Department, Wentworth Institute of Technology; 550 Huntington Avenue, Boston MA