Mother Nature Pharmacy: A Biological Separations and Bioassay Exercise for the Non-Major Undergraduate Laboratory
To most non-majors, the vast majority of laboratory exercises make little, if any, real sense. We wanted to develop a multiple-week exercise that would engage the students with a real world example of applied biological research that involves both molecular and organismal components. During the course of this laboratory series (three laboratory periods) students will prepare an extract of the rhizomes of the common bloodroot, Sanguinaria canadensis, separate the extracted compounds with 2 and 3-dimensional paper chromatography, and finally, test the separated compounds for antimicrobial activity with a simple zone inhibition assay.
Dept of Biology, Wingate University, Wingate, NC
P199 • Jennifer Greenwood, Lisa Krueger, Dawn Wilkins, Tom Blanchard
Reelfoot Lake in northwest Tennessee is a shallow, nutrient-rich, soft-bottomed lake that was formed by the New Madrid Earthquakes of 1811-1812. Many unique aquatic, wetland, and terrestrial environments comprise the lake and its surroundings. The College of Engineering and Natural Sciences at the University of Tennessee at Martin operates the Reelfoot Lake Environmental Field Station (RLEFS), a year-round research and teaching facility near the shores of Reelfoot Lake in Samburg, TN. The facility hosts two laboratories/classrooms, accommodations for 22 people, basic aquatic and terrestrial field equipment, and small motor boats and canoes. RLEFS is near a wide variety of terrestrial and aquatic habitats, federal and state wildlife areas, and is in close proximity to the Mississippi River. A new summer course program was established in 2012 at RLEFS which has offered 2-3week Maymester courses (Aquatic Macroinvertebrates, Field Herpetology, and Geology of the Greater Reelfoot Lake Ecosystem) and 5-week courses during the June summer term (Freshwater Algae, Field Ornithology, and Aquatic and Wetland Plants). All courses have a day-long format designed to give students an intensive, focused field experience. RLEFS also hosts overnight field trips for courses from visiting institutions. RLEFS facilities support varied research interests. Recent research projects have included studies of sedimentation rates of the lake, diatom diversity, heron rookeries, amphibian and reptile distribution, fish diets, Barred Owl vocalizations, and crayfish parasites. We encourage anyone interested in participating in research activities, field trips, or teaching a course at RLEFS to contact the director, Tom Blanchard.
Dept of Biological Sciences, University of Tennessee at Martin, Martin, TN
|
P200 • Bradley R. Reynolds, Thomas P. Wilson
Lessons Learned Using Transformational Leadership and Reflective Journaling: A Case for Hands-on Herpetology
Technology has made our lives faster, better, and increasingly multidimensional. When we immerse ourselves in technology, however, we risk losing our connection to nature and a proper perspective on our place in the natural world. In an effort to combat nature deficit disorder, we integrated field work and hands-on-herpetology into our instruction of a non-laboratory lecture course. Specifically, we evaluated the impact of transformational leadership, experiential learning, and reflective journaling on the conservation ethic of non-science majors in an introductory survey course. We used a paired t-test to compare the students’ conservation ethic before and after the course. Data suggest that for the lecture-only group, their ethic scores were not statistically different when compared to their scores prior to the experience. The ethic scores for the field group were statistically different when compared to their initial scores. Our field group also displayed an increase in empathy for salamanders while the lecture-only group did not. However, an independent-samples t-test showed no significant difference in conservation ethic between the lecture-only and field groups. Further, analysis of the reflective journals indicated recurring themes, including confronting fear, recognition of life’s interconnectedness, the importance of small changes and of educating others, and evidence of true empathy. Structured interviews revealed transformational leadership and experiential learning did positively impact students, while reflective journaling had a lesser impact. This study suggests that transformational leadership, experiential learning, and reflective journaling are powerful tools that educators may be able to use to positively impact student conservation ethic.
Dept of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Chattanooga, TN
|
P201 • Suzanna L. Brauer
Adding Universal Design for Learning (UDL) to a Junior-Level Undergraduate Microbiology Course Increased Student Grades, but Not Student Ratings of the Course
The key principles in Universal Design for Learning (UDL) are to provide multiple means of 1) representation, 2) action and expression and 3) engagement (www.cast.org/udl). During the fall semester of 2013, the curriculum of a junior-level undergraduate class in microbiology was modified to integrate UDL concepts into the curriculum. Throughout the semester, students were provided more choices in homework assignments, more opportunities to research and/or present topics of interest and more opportunities to utilize hand-on models while solving problem sets. Compared to the previous semester in which the course was taught, student rating of the course stayed the same. In contrast, mean grades increased by one percentage point, median grade increased by two percentage points and the percentage of students earning an A (≥90% of the points) increased from 22% to 44% compared to the previous semester. Overall, adding assignments and activities that adhere to UDL principles resulted in a moderate improvement in course design and appeared to enhance student learning.
Dept of Biology, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC
|
P202 • John A. Mecham
|
Share with your friends: |
