Pre-Confrence Micro Brew Session:
Mixing Ideas for Successful Teaching Strategies in Microbiology
Friday, May 30, 8:00 - 10:00 AM
New at ASMCUE this year, this grassroots session is a forum for sharing ideas and thoughts on best practices in microbiology education. Presenters were chosen from submitted abstracts and have been collated into topical areas. Each presenter has a 15-minute time slot in which to discuss best strategies and interesting activities used in the laboratory or classroom. Assessment of the topics presented was not required. Presentations are simple “chalk talks” (i.e. no PowerPoint) in order to facilitate an informal yet productive discussion during the 15-minute presentation period with five minutes for discussion of each topic. Presenters will provide handouts related to their presentation.
Course Development and Assessment
Development and Implementation of Writing Intensive Laboratory Courses
N. Malik. University of Houston, Houston, TX.
The ability to communicate scientific ideas and data in writing is a critical skill valuable to the medical and research communities but not necessarily a skill students adequately develop during their undergraduate experience. To improve the technical writing abilities of our students, we are developing writing intensive laboratory courses where students earn laboratory credit as well as technical writing credit. In our 3000 level genetics and biochemistry courses, students are instructed on elements of good scientific writing with the help of an in-class writing workshop, along with discussion of a recently published journal article related to their course. During the course students write two reports based on the results of their experiments. Although grading of both reports is based on a rubric that is reviewed with the class, attention is paid to giving extensive written feedback on the first report to help students improve the writing of the second report. The University’s writing center participates by providing guidance on grammar and structure of students’ papers and by organizing writing studios where small groups of peers meet weekly to collaborate on the writing assigned in their course. As part of improving writing skills, in-depth coverage of what constitutes plagiarism is also provided. Students submit their papers through Turnitin, a plagiarism prevention program that compares all student papers submitted, to papers submitted in the past and material available on the Internet. As we begin stressing writing in the introductory biology course and maintain focus on writing throughout the laboratory program, we are beginning to see marked improvements in the quality of the students’ writing in the senior level courses. We are developing assessment rubrics to better gauge improvement in technical writing abilities of our students and are working on ways to better train our instructors to provide meaningful feedback to the students.
Development and Implementation of a Microbiology Lecture Common Course Assessment for Pre-Allied Health Students at a Large Multi-campus Community College
C. McAllister. Georgia Perimeter College, Clarkston, GA.
Georgia Perimeter College (GPC) is a five campus community college in metro Atlanta, with a total enrollment of ~22,000 students. Microbiology lecture and lab are the last science pre-requisite courses taken by our pre-allied health students before they begin their nursing, dental hygiene, or other program. During the past year ~1,200 students took microbiology lecture, either face to face or online, taught by 24 different instructors at GPC. To prepare for our next accreditation and to help ensure quality instruction and consistent coverage of important topics from the common course outline, science curriculum committees were charged with developing a common assessment test to be included with the final exam for all lecture sections. Our Microbiology Curriculum Committee opted for a 25 question (multiple choice) assessment. Potential questions were solicited from all instructors teaching the microbiology lecture course. Topic areas were selected from the learning objectives in the common course outline and the number of questions per topic area was determined by the relative time spent covering that topic. Topic areas and number of questions included: Introduction/History (2), staining/microscopy (1), Prokaryote/Eukaryote Classification (1), Metabolism (1), Bacterial Growth (1), Bacterial Genetics (3), Microbial Anatomy/Taxonomy (4), Control of Microbial Growth- Physical, Chemical, Antibiotics (3), Host Defenses (2), Epidemiology (1), Pathogens/Diseases- Bacterial, Viral, Fungal, Protozoan, Helminth (5), Emerging Infectious Diseases (1). Final questions for five different versions of the assessment were chosen by approximately eight members of the Curriculum Committee. After beta testing, the assessment was administered to all lecture sections in the fall 2007 term. Section means ranged from 52% to 75%. Each instructor received the results for his/her own sections from our Office of Institutional Research and Planning. We continue to meet to share ideas so each instructor can improve topic specific teaching, and to increase the overall quality of student learning across all microbiology sections.
An Undergraduate Systems Biology Course Designed Around Saccharomyces Metabolism
J. Ory. King’s College, Wilkes-Barre, PA.
This year I offered for the first time a course in systems biology designed around Integrated Genomic and Proteomic Analyses of a Systematically Perturbed Metabolic Network by Ideker and coworkers. It was a senior level course and the last course required for my department’s molecular biology minor. The goal of the course was to introduce students to genomics and proteomics through the use of DNA microarray technology and two-dimensional protein gel electrophoresis. Time allotment was split evenly between wet lab activities and computational analysis of the collected data. DNA microarray experiments were coordinated with the help of materials from the Genome Consortium for Active Teaching (GCAT). Two dimensional gel electrophoresis experiments required the synthesis of existing protocols with image analysis and online database searching to identify a limited subset of protein expression profiles. Student response to most wet lab activities was favorable, but they were generally less enthusiastic about the actual analysis. Generally, they were intimidated by the sheer volume of data collected and had difficulties knowing how and where to start. Strategies for engaging student interest and encouraging data exploration will be discussed, suggestions or discussion of best practices in similar courses are welcome. Due to technical support and budget limitations, free software was utilized for the entire course. A list of software packages, web resources and databases used for processing and analysis will be provided, along with a class schedule and reagent list.
Group Learning and Facilitation of Class Discussions
Supplementing Lecture with In Class Assignments to Stimulate Greater Classroom Interaction
M. Domek. Weber State University, Ogden, UT.
I have developed a series of “in class assignments” that are intended to provide: (1) review of lectured material, (2) encourage group study (including the formation of study groups) and (3) provide time for interaction between the instructor and student as well as the instructor and the study group. The course is a three-hour per week introductory microbiology lecture course without a laboratory component. Most students take the course as a prerequisite for acceptance into allied health programs. The course is also used by some to fulfill a general studies science requirement. The enrollment is generally 30 to 60 students. Students have access to the Powerpoint lecture slides online as well as other course material. The course is divided into five units. Within each unit two assignments are provided which cover the material from one or two chapters. The assignments are provided online but the students are encouraged to bring the assignment to class and work on them in small informal groups. During this time the instructor circulates among the small informal groups and individuals (those students who choose not to be in a group). Results: Observations strongly suggest that students who are having the greatest difficulty with the course are more likely to ask questions during these in class assignments sessions than during lecture. During these sessions many students form study groups and these same groups work together outside of class. In addition, after several of these sessions, the lecture sessions take on a more interactive tone. In conclusion, these observations will be the basis for developing an assessment of whether in class assignments actually have their intended effect.
Group Exams as Learning Tools
L. Foster and K. Archer. Trinity College, Hartford, CT.
After an exam is corrected, instructors typically return exams and go over the correct answers in class. While it is important to correct misunderstandings of the material, the involvement of the student in this approach is passive - the student does not actively re-engage with the questions that were incorrectly answered. Inspired by an article on informative testing by Michaelson, Watson and Shrader (1985) , we decided to try having students first take an exam individually, then immediately following that take the exam again as a small group. We had already assigned students to sit in small groups of 4 or 5 for in-class problem-solving, so it was relatively quick to collect the individual exams and get them started on the group exam. Discussions were lively as students worked together to write a single answer, and through their group effort they self-corrected most errors. Invariably group exam grades were higher than that of any individual grade within the group. For course grades, the individual exam scores counted towards 75% of the grade, and the group exam scores contributed 25%. Although the contribution by the group exam scores was significant but small, students perceived them as a way to improve their score overall and were eager each time to tackle the group exam. This activity successfully promoted active student engagement in articulating improved answers, with the group discussion functioning as a peer tutoring opportunity.
The Use of Small Groups to Improve Learning in a Large Lecture Class
S. Gabriel, B. Butcher, L. Salzberg, and S. Merkel. Cornell University Ithaca, NY.
The general microbiology course at Cornell University enrolls over 200 undergraduate students each semester. In this large lecture style classroom many students easily become confused and never understand some of the basic fundamentals of microbiology. To emphasize and promote active engagement of these key concepts and of material which was frequently answered incorrectly on exams, we developed several problem-based exercises which students complete in small groups. This design was chosen to accomplish several pedagogical goals. First, these groups provide a setting where 10-15 students can discuss, debate and teach each other the fundamental concepts covered in lectures. Additionally, the format challenges students to apply their understanding of lecture material to solve an activity based on an experimental scenario. Finally, the iterative process of hearing the material in lecture, doing a pre-group exercise and then working through a problem based on the same topics helps cement students’ understanding of these fundamental concepts. This session will present one of the small group exercises which were developed. Participants will be asked to play the role of an introductory level student in our class for the first five minutes and then we will discuss ways this exercise successfully achieves its goals and how it can be improved. The session handout will include three problem-based exercises as resources for use in your own class setting. The exercises cover the topics of: a) cell envelope structure and function b) electron transport and respiration and c) transcriptional regulation.
Using Short Write-to-Learn Activities to Enhance Learning and Classroom Discussions
H. Smith. Front Range Community College, Fort Collins, CO.
Two short, write-to-learn activities will be presented that instructors can use to enhance the classroom experience and increase the level of student learning on any topic. The first is called a tetrad activity, in which students are asked to consider a topic by answering four questions. This activity is an excellent tool to help students consider all angles of an ethical/controversial topic and stimulate a conversation about that topic. They consider what the selected topic enhances, what the topic replaces, what the topic retrieves from the past, and what the topic would regress into if pushed too far. This activity has been used to start discussions related to germline genetic engineering, phage therapy, and abstaining from recommended vaccinations. The second activity involves helping students to understand the terminology of a course by asking them to consider and write out statements of comparison and contrast. Students’ critical thinking skills are enhanced by expecting them to formulate these relationships between terms in the course instead of rote memorization of definitions. The assessment and classroom use of these two activities are easily modified for different topics, different student populations, and different learning settings. Several specific examples will be presented as well as ideas for modification.
In Class Activities
The Game's a Foot, No it's a Bacterium
M. MacWilliams and M-K. Liao. University of Wisconsin-Parkside, Kenosha, WI and Furman University, Greenville, SC.
Although students are often fascinated by science, it is challenging to introduce scientific concepts via an interesting and informative platform. One means to facilitate learning is to present complex topics in a familiar format. The use of games is an attractive learning vehicle because students are exposed to them in non-threatening, enjoyable settings. Bacterial identification is an important cornerstone of microbiology education. Morphological and biochemical characteristics serve as the basis for identification of both pathogens and environmental isolates. Organism identification schemes make use of dichotomous keys; at each step, a test is run to divide the possibilities into two groups. For instance, when Gram-stained, an organism will appear either Gram positive or Gram negative. Similarly, the child's game Guess Who? involves human identification based on yes-no questions concerning the individual's physical characteristics. This seemingly straight forward game involves more than random questioning and suspect elimination. To win, a player must ask hierarchical, well-reasoned questions embedded with multiple targets. Successful application of this gaming strategy to microbe identification requires the synthesis of multiple concepts. We posit that student engagement in such active learning will increase both interest and retention relative to a standard lecture format. In our presentation we will discuss our microbial identification game as well as an extension of this concept to disease causation (Microbial Clue, a suspect, a virulence factor, and an affected tissue). We hope participants will share ideas for improving these two games and will propose other scenarios to facilitate.
The Use of Crossword Puzzles as a Preparatory Activity to Encourage Student Preparedness
A. Miller. University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH.
Microbiology is taught as a one quarter course at Raymond Walters College. The primary audience is allied health students who are required to have successfully completed 8 credit hours of college-level biology prior to enrolling in microbiology. This prerequisite is designed to ensure that students have been exposed to basic biological concepts and that they have had some prior experience studying for a biological science course. Microbiology has primarily been taught using a traditional lecture style format. In an effort to transition away from traditional lectures toward a more active, learner-centered form of instruction, I have introduced the use of preparatory activities to provide basic course content. One such activity is the use of crossword puzzles that must be filled in prior to class. The crossword puzzles typically cover basic concepts and definitions described within the textbook. The use of such an activity allows me to spend less time lecturing and more time directing students in activities which promote a deeper level of learning.
Glow Little Glow Germ, Glow
J. Strohmaier. Highline Community College, Des Moines, IA.
This activity is a great ice-breaker performed during the first or second class when we begin discussing size and ubiquity of microorganisms. It can be done with any level class and is a great way to introduce the scientific method, get students engaged with the microbial world, and stimulate discussions about transmission of disease. Before class I use my hands to spread glow-germ powder on student sign-in sheets prior to passing them out to the class. I shake hands with many of them in the process. As class begins we discuss the microbial world and the millions of invisible microbes in and on our bodies and surfaces around us. I mention how few influenza viruses transmitted to our nose or eye is required to cause an infection. Then I tell them I have infected them with some simulated invisible microbes. We turn off all of the lights and use the black-light to examine everyone and the surfaces they have touched to show the spread of these microbes. This leads to great discussions about why we should wash our hands, why putting a purse on the kitchen counter after setting it on the restroom floor is problematic, how touching a patient’s bandage and then touching their catheter tube can spread nosocomial diseases, etc. Then I have them get into groups of 2-4 to design and implement their own glow-germ activity using the scientific method. For respiratory care classes I have them do the experiment on a clinical lab activity requiring sterile technique. As an assessment they do a lab write-up and answer questions pertaining to transmission of microbes. Some of the allied health students even designed a Glow-Germ project for their booth at our annual Health Information Fair.
Inexpensive Labs and Novel Lab Tools
Cladistics and the Development of Identification Flowcharts for the Microbiology Lab
J. Hudzicki. University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS.
Cladistics is a method that helps scientists determine how species are related to each other. It assumes that organisms that share a particular characteristic most likely evolved from a common ancestor. For example, if you want to determine how fish, cats, monkeys, humans, and Tyranosaurus rex are related, you could group them based on physical characteristics: Do they have hair? Do they swim? Are they scaly? etc. In the microbiology lab students are asked to differentiate one organism from another based on physical and biochemical characteristics. As part of the learning process, students in the CLS program at the University of Kansas Medical Center are taught about cladistics and perform a simple exercise to illustrate the concept. They are then asked to formulate flowcharts for various groups of bacteria utilizing the cladistic model. Students are given a chart of organisms (i.e. Enteric Gram Negative Rods) and their corresponding physical and biochemical characteristics and asked to develop a flowchart that will allow them to identify an unknown isolate. Once the chart is developed, it is tested on paper unknowns, and later used during the practical lab experience to identify actual organisms. In the real world of clinical microbiology, identification of pathogenic organisms is most often performed using semi-automated instruments that utilize a computer database to generate an identification. But students still need to understand the logic that went into the development of the computer program and by developing their own flowcharts using the cladistics model this process is illustrated. During this exercise student improve their analytical and critical thinking skills, in addition to learning how the organisms they will be tested on are related to each other.
Diversity, Adaptation, and Enrichment from Your Water Tap: Isolation and Identification of Thermus
M. Martin. University of Puget Sound, Tacoma, WA.
The described introductory laboratory exercise is an effective way to teach students about several topics of interest to microbiologists: basic techniques, enrichment from environmental samples, specific adaptations to extreme environmental conditions, and biotechnology. Thermus aquaticus and close relatives can be easily and inexpensively cultured from most hot water lines (and other sources) under low nutrient conditions and moderately high temperatures, using standard equipment and supplies (as described in the presented protocol). The target organism can be identified either on plates by colonial morphology and pigmentation, or via microscopy of liquid samples (very large rods). Enrichment is robust, fairly rapid, and is unlikely to select for human pathogens (though standard microbiological procedure should always be followed). This exercise can be modified and adapted to many different levels, depending on the target audience and student/instructor goals. Simple qualitative enrichments followed by microscopic observation do not even require an autoclave. Students and instructors can explore a variety of interesting questions, including survival of Thermus at lower temperatures, biofilm formation by Thermus, isolation of thermostable enzymes from Thermus isolates, and diversity of Thermus-like organisms from diverse sources (at the 16s level). Historically, PCR first utilized a thermostable DNA polymerase isolated from Thermus, so this exercise is also a good teaching/discussion moment for exploring the history of environmental microbiology and biotechnology. In fact, Thermus was originally “co-discovered” by an undergraduate student! In all, this is an inexpensive and interesting student introduction to microbiology from an environmental perspective.
Identification of Agaric Mushroom Genera Using “mushrooms.simons-rock.edu”
D. Roeder. Bard College at Simon’s Rock, Great Barrington, MA.
What exactly makes mushroom genus X, mushroom genus X? Field guides invariably focus on correct species identification but usually ignore the description of generic characters, which led to much student frustration in my Mycology course. I devised mushrooms.simons-rock.edu as a device to help students identify agaric mushrooms to the generic level. The answer to the question posed is microcharacters. During this presentation I will describe the microcharacters and using the website show how they can help in the correct identification of agaric mushrooms.
Microbiology Arts and Literature
Hidden Meanings: Using Familiar Nursery Rhymes to Teach about Infectious Diseases
R. Anderson. Ohio Northern Unive, Ada, OH.
Are nursery rhymes simple riddles for skipping rope, a child’s song for organizing games, or a little bit of innocent nonsense verse? Yes, many are, but some were composed in the aftermath of disaster: outbreaks of lethal diseases that preyed on the young and weak. In the not too distant past, death from infectious disease was responsible for about 90% of all deaths. In a world without antibiotics, vaccines, sterile hospital practices, clean water or sewage disposal, dying of age-related infirmities was rare while death from the childhood diseases of smallpox, measles, diphtheria and whooping cough was too common and feared by all parents. To add to the woes of the last centuries, occasionally major plagues burned through the countryside, villages and cities without heed to class, wealth or age. Through all this tragedy, the children still played. Amidst the ruins, little ones continued skipping, dancing and singing, at times, to little bits of verse. The meaning of these children’s rhymes was at one time unmistakable, but as they were passed through oral tradition, the meanings were often obscured or sanitized. Today, several nursery rhymes still retain some of the bite of the original reality of death and illness from infectious disease. These rhymes can be used to help students remember information about the diseases of syphilis, whooping cough, measles, mumps, smallpox, staph infections, plague, influenza and yellow fever. The purpose of this activity is to provide instructors with an interesting way to present information to students about several common infectious diseases and how students can use this information to help them remember key points about the disease.
What’s Happening in Your “Own Backyard”? Using the New York Times as a Pedagogical Tool for Inner City New York Students.
B. Hallihan. Bronx Community College, Bronx, NY.
New York City is a cosmopolitan city with many educational resources. Yet, the students at Bronx Community College are unaware of what goes on in their city. Generally, the population at the college is older adults with limited science backgrounds. They lack general knowledge of microbes and microbial diseases. How can we engage these students to broaden their knowledge of microbes? The answer is complex, but I have found that the answer lies in encouraging them to read a newspaper. I teach microbiology and infection control to pre-nursing students and I use articles from the New York Times to enhance their awareness to issues happening right in their own backyard. Students submit summaries of articles relating to microbiology. They then present the article orally during class time. I also give writing assignments based on current articles in the New York Times. Examples that are used in the class are: Legionnaires Disease from in a fountain in Parkchester, Bronx; a couple visiting from New Mexico diagnosed with plague in a Bronx Hospital; a Brooklyn man contracted anthrax from animal skins imported from Africa. During this presentation, I will present the articles that I have found to successfully engage the students.
Microbiology and Art: Developing Creativity Amongst First Year Science Undergraduates
J. Verran. Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK.
I give the students a lecture on the links between microbiology and art, encompassing deterioration of art, the beauty of microorganisms, microorganisms in art, and sci-art collaborations. An assignment accompanying the lecture requires students to produce an item illustrating links between the two subjects. Students who sign up for the assignment are required to discuss their product with me, and we negotiate assessment criteria. The flexibility of the assignment enables the students to explore and demonstrate their creativity. Products have encompassed jewellery, silk paintings, photographs, teaching aids, customised lab coats, models, squares for the AIDS quilt, games, music, and many other items. Students are genuinely proud of their achievements, and excited to submit them. Marks are generally good, but there are benefits to the exercise over and above mere numbers or grades. Students (and staff) are enthused. The products have been exhibited, with prizes sponsored by, for example, Leica. Some images have been published in the 2008 Society for Applied Microbiology calendar. Others are reproduced in scientific papers. Not only does the exercise demonstrate very clearly the latent creativity amongst scientists, it also encourages students to think across subject boundaries (history, geography, music are all touched upon in the lecture), to be confident, and to communicate…and to appreciate even more the wonders and versatility of microbiology!
Research Pedagogy
Learning Basic Microbiology Laboratory Skills through an Authentic Project
L. Cathcart and A. Smith.University of Maryland, College Park, MD.
In general microbiology lab courses, teaching basic microbiology protocols is a priority. We will discuss a mechanism to teach these in context of their value in an authentic lab situation and with respect to a real world scenario: searching for life on other planets. How would a NASA microbiologist assay for microbes in a soil sample from an extraterrestrial environment? Students work in groups to analyze a mixed sample that has just arrived from a nearby previously invisible planet. Students are asked to understand the role of metagenomics and standard microbiology lab protocols and are guided through the characterization of the three bacteria stocked in a mock sample using both phylogenetic and phenotypic methods. Students receive rDNA data and wet samples of mixed cultures. For phylogenetic characterization students complete a sequence match analysis using the rDNA Database Project site hosted at Michigan State, and research published characteristics of bacteria revealed in the match using The Prokaryotes and Bergey’s Manual. In parallel students complete phenotypic analysis in the lab. Each week students learn a new standard protocol and are asked to apply this to their own research problem: “Are the bacteria in the ‘extraterrestrial sample’ novel or identical to earthly bacteria?” This project covers six lab periods and engages students in learning how to isolate and maintain pure cultures, stain specimens, assess motility, determine metabolic capabilities; utilize selective and differential media, characterize nutrient requirements, and perform assays for enzymes. Students share findings in WIKI reports and comment on the likelihood that the characterized microbes are of extraterrestrial origin. This approach provides a mechanism to teach standard protocols in the context of an authentic microbiology challenge using appropriate tools and resources. We will share details of the approach, student reports, and the case study used for the story line.
Interdiscipline Research Collaboration as an Undergraduate Laboratory Exercise
D. Davis and G. Swiatek.Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ.
As faculty coordinators for our department’s microbiology and biochemistry laboratory courses, we strive to provide our students with an integrated view of the life science disciplines. Instruction and techniques tend to be segregated by discipline even when, as in our case, instructors are in the same academic unit. In an effort to help students appreciate that solving research problems often depends on the use of techniques in another discipline, we have added coordinated exercises to two of our undergraduate laboratory courses. At the start of our current semester we began a collaboration between two of our upper level laboratory courses: Applied Microbiology and Experimental Biochemistry. Students in Applied Microbiology have taken General Microbiology (General Biology and Organic Chemistry are prerequisites for this course). Experimental Biochemistry is a two semester course with the second semester (our current semester) focusing on nucleic acids. Our collaborative exercise proposes the identification of environmental isolates via 16S sequence determination (Experimental Biochemistry) and FAME: fatty acid methyl ester analysis (Applied Microbiology). Students in Applied Microbiology isolated organisms from a compost enrichment via serial quadrant streak plating. Select organisms were subcultured and given to the Experimental Biochemistry class where genomic DNA isolation and rRNA gene sequencing were performed. Students in the Applied Microbiology lab identified the same isolates via fatty acid methyl ester analysis. Students in each discipline, working in small groups, are developing presentations to familiarize the students in the collaborating course with the techniques each used in the identifications. The presentations include theoretical and technical comparison of the two identification techniques as well as data sharing. Students will discuss the limitations, challenges and accomplishments encountered during the exercise. Although collaborative exercises are appropriate and useful for any undergraduate group the techniques and approach we are using is best suited to Microbiology/Biotechnology majors.
Cross-Disciplinary Collaborative Laboratory Activities that Reinforce Chemistry Content Knowledge
M. Furlong and C. Clower.Clayton State University, Atlanta, GA.
Students often have difficulty applying their knowledge of a basic concept they learned in a lower-division course to a research question that is introduced in an upper-division course. This is especially a problem when biology majors are asked to apply their knowledge of chemistry to a problem in an upper division biology course. We have created three problem-based laboratory activities that require biology majors taking microbiology lab to apply their knowledge of organic chemistry and to actually collaborate with organic chemistry lab students to study research questions. In each activity the microbiology students complete a laboratory experiment and report back to the organic chemistry class by either making presentations on their results or writing laboratory reports. Likewise, the organic chemistry students complete and activity and report to the microbiology class. During this presentation we will describe the activities in more detail and present some preliminary results.
Cooperative Annotation of Microbial Genomes Through Wiki-based Model Organism Database (MOD)
K. Murphy, B. Arshinoff, G. Suen, and R. Welch. Waldorf College, Forest City, IA, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, and Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY.
Hundreds of sequenced microbial genomes are publicly available. In fact, genomes of the primary
microbial model organisms have been available for years, and the research communities that study these organisms have designed and implemented Model Organism Databases (MODs) to serve as repositories for annotation data. Because a genome's annotation is never finished, the most accurate MODs require consistent human curation, as well as consistent funding. Microbial model organisms with small research communities can not sustain the perpetual costs of a standard MOD. We have developed the first Collaborative Information Repository Model Organism Database (CIRMOD). Its pilot implementation is xanthusBase (http://www.xanthusbase.org), a CIR-MOD for the bacterium Myxococcus xanthus. XanthusBase operates by wiki-editing principles: any user may edit the annotation, edits are accepted immediately, and all edits are stored permanently. In xanthusBase, it is the registered users who perform the annotation, rather than a team of (expensive) professional curators. We are incorporating xanthusBase into the curriculum of an ongoing undergraduate computer laboratory _ BIO422, Bioinformatics for Life Scientists where students learn basic bioinformatics skills and apply them by improving the annotation of a microbial genome. This year we are working to transform xanthusBase into an educational tool, by incorporating a student level that provides full wiki-editing, but with flags. Under this model, student-level users will be able to annotate the M. xanthus genome in xanthusBase, but their changes must be confirmed by a registered user to become permanent. Future iterations will expand beyond M. xanthus and xanthusBase to include many of the smaller model organisms. Our long-term goal is to link classrooms and researchers; the undergraduate students will benefit from interacting with an expert who studies a particular model organism, and the researcher will benefit from the classroom annotation of their favorite microbial genome.
Service Learning and Independent Study
Using Independent Study to Engage Students in the Classroom
D. Anderson. University of Washington, Seattle, WA.
I've always had the students purchase a course pack containing extensive outlines of my lectures. The outlines are formatted with space for writing notes and include the relevant textbook figures. This year, I removed some of the most straight-forward information from each lecture, and instead assigned it as independent study (students still have the outlines/textbook pages to guide them). "Aha", you might say skeptically, "but my students won't bother studying the material before lecture". Well, here's the tactic ? I've followed each independent study section with a series of questions on that material. I then start each lecture by asking some of those questions, randomly calling on individual students by name. The students are well aware that the odds are against being called on, but the mere chance seems to be incentive enough. I can then elaborate on any of the answers as I deem fit. This approach allows me to concentrate on the more difficult topics during lecture, and I have the time to show animations, share more news articles that highlight the relevance of the topic, and answer questions. I've also added review questions at the end of each lecture topic. Students know that they need to come to the next class ready to answer those (as well as the independent study questions).
Bringing the Science Home with Service-Learning: Blogging our Way to Engagement and Understanding
G. Begley and C. Calhoun. Northeastern University, Boston, MA.
Engaging students can be challenging. Service-learning (S-L) allows students to move outside of the classroom and engage actively in community work that informs their thinking about course concepts. They then bring that new understanding, as well as questions that arise from it, back into the classroom. The challenges lie in making the connections clear and in stimulating productive engagement and reflection. We have used several strategies to promote these outcomes in a non-majors microbiology course in which students work with community organizations that have an infectious disease related mission. The first strategy was to employ a trained undergraduate teaching assistant (S-L TA) who served as a liaison among community organizations, the university center of community service, students, and the instructor. The S-L TA facilitated the establishment of Service-Learning partnerships, taking much of the administrative burden off of the instructor, and helped to ensure that students were meeting their service obligations. The S-L TA also modeled professional behavior and appropriate reflection. The second strategy employed in the course was to encourage concurrent group reflection by replacing traditional journal assignments with a web log (blog) on the class web site. Students were required to post an entry every week reflecting on connections among their S-L experiences, reading assignments, lectures, class discussions, and research. Each student was also required to comment on at least one other blog entry each week, promoting interaction and peer learning. Some class time was set aside to discuss interesting topics that arose in the blogs and to clarify points of confusion. Students’ perceptions of the value of the service-learning component were overwhelmingly positive, which had not been the case in earlier iterations of the course in which student reflection was primarily individual and no S-L TA was involved.
Water Quality Analysis for Service and Learning – How to Guide
C. Cooper. Truman State University, Kirksville, MO.
The service learning activity for a sophomore level introductory microbiology course (for three years) has been to sample water from nearby streams that are impacted by municipal waste or corporate agricultural waste. Five to nine water samples were analyzed by students for total heterotrophic bacteria, for Escherichia coli and coliforms, and for several chemical and physical characteristics. Each student selected one of the following components of the service project: 1) Field trip to collect water and conduct chemical/physical analyses streamside and meet rural residents, 2) Quantify Escherichia coli CFU and total coliform CFU using Millipore filtration units and MI broth as described by EPA Method 1604, or 3) Quantify total heterotrophic bacteria (serial dilutions plated onto Tryptic soy agar plates). Chemical analyses such as pH, nitrate, phosphorus, and dissolved oxygen were conducted using portable test kits or instruments provided by the Missouri Stream Team Volunteer Program. Importantly, each student’s service time commitment was limited to one block of 2 - 4 hours outside of scheduled lab periods. Additional service project activities were incorporated into the scheduled lab periods. Students analyzed aggregate class data and presented poster or Power Point slides during their last laboratory meeting of the semester. Student learning was assessed by surveys to determine the impact of various components of the service project on several major course and lab learning objectives. Community partners were also surveyed to determine the extent of the service and impact on the community. Community partners (rural residents), nursing faculty (the course serves the nursing major), city council members, and a local watershed commission were invited to attend the student presentations. All instructional materials will be provided at ASMCUE.
Service-Learning in Biology, Partnerships in Industry and Community Health
B. Smith-Keiling. Augsburg College, Minneapolis, MN.
Service-learning (SL) provides a meaningfully way to connect student learning to community service. It is important to integrate SL as part of the course and not as an add-on, and to ensure that both students and community gain from the experience. This presentation will address two different SL projects: an industrial microbiologically-linked lab project with an ethanol plant, and an immigrant public health education project infused throughout the degree program in entry- and upper-level courses, and through internship opportunities. In both cases, key steps in the process will be addressed. For example, these topics will be discussed: seeking and obtaining funding from Campus Compact and Learn and Serve America grants at the institutional level, engaged department level, and student citizen scholars; identifying the needs in the community; finding community partners, particularly through the assistance of community liaisons; assuring learning outcomes are met; and assuring the value of the community service component. In the industrial case students learned about microbial biochemical fermentation, industrial applications, and environmental impacts while the community partner received information from the projects, participated in a community forum, and benefited from positive public relations. In the immigrant health case, entry level through senior students learned about local non-native English speaking immigrant populations, primarily Somali, and their health needs coupled with introductory microbiological knowledge. Students in an upper-level microbiology course applied advanced microbiological knowledge to develop health education modules. Student interns strengthened community connections, disseminated health modules, and acted as peer-mentors. In both cases, students were assessed through pre-post surveys, reflections, and written/oral competency evaluations. Students and partners reported gained knowledge of microbiological topics and an overall positive view of the service-learning project. Coordinating a successful service-learning project is not always a simple task. Following several steps along the way can facilitate the process and help promote success.
Student Collaboration and Outreach in Microbiology
SMART: Students Modeling a Research Topic
J. Kiely and C. Vessalico. Stony Brook University, Mount Sinai, NY and Malverne High School,
Malverne, NY.
Scientists get to be creative, do problem-solving and explore conundrums, but students in introductory courses often miss out on the fun. SMART protein modeling projects engage students in active learning and involve them in current research while reinforcing key concepts in biochemistry (http://www.rpc.msoe.edu/cbm/). Teams of students use x-ray crystallography data and computer software to design a color coded model of a protein, which is then built by The Rapid Prototyping Facility at The Milwaukee School of Engineering. The students search the scientific literature for information on the structure and function of the protein. They also meet with a scientist to discuss related research. The program culminates with a public presentation of the model by the students. This is a problem-based learning activity that encourages teamwork, independent learning and critical thinking. The course structure can be customized for students of all levels of knowledge, skill and interest. SMART Protein Modeling has been introduced at universities across the country and we have been using it for two years at Stony Brook University. We will present our experience working with high school students designing a model of the protein NFκB. The Malverne High School SMARTeam designed a model of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) to complement research on the anti-cancer effects of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS). NF-κB is a transcription factor found in mammalian cells. It is involved in the response to stimuli such as: cellular stress, pathogen infection, and ultraviolet irradiation. The protein is normally found in the cytoplasm as a heterodimer composed of two subunits (p60 and p65); upon activation, it moves into the nucleus, where it binds to DNA and activates transcription. Nitric-oxide modified aspirin (NO-ASA) modifies specific residues in NF-κB and blocks its activation. Research scientists at Stony Brook University are currently testing NO-ASA as an anti-cancer agent.
Dear Microbiology Penpal: The Values of Having College Students Write to High School Students
A. Reese. Cedar Crest College, Allentown, PA.
The goal of this project was to help college microbiology students acquire a better understanding of microbial organisms beyond bacteria, fungi, and viruses by having them write a letter to a high school microbiology class. Each student adopted a protozoa, slime mold, water mold, algae, archaea, or helminth organism from a list on the first day of class. In this short summary writing-to-learn style of exercise, the students were charged with: explaining how their adopted microbes were different from those in other more familiar categories, describing what was special or interesting about their microbe, and setting a writing example to the high school students. To add to the project significance and impact, the letters were sent to a high school class for feedback in the areas of interest, clarity, writing, and scientific information. The college students seemed to enjoy and benefit from the assignment done in this way. They reported that they spent more time making sure that their letters could be understood by the high school students and said that they found this approach more informative and interesting than simply reporting information on their organism. The high school students were reported to discuss grammar and writing more than usual, as now they were in the position of critiquing work of those at a more advanced school level. They also seemed to enjoy reading and learning about the microorganisms. This letter project was one in a series of adopt-a-microbe projects throughout the semester. The purpose of these projects was to have the students become familiar with specific microbial examples to help them make connections with lecture concepts. Other projects included a poster about an adopted bacterium, a press release for the general public about an adopted fungus, and a creative project about an adopted virus.
Class Wiki Encourage Student Collaboration
R. Robson. Morningside College, Sioux City, IA.
Wiki are websites where all members of the site can add or edit content. In undergraduate courses, wiki can be used to foster collaborations between students and to facilitate class discussion. Students in microbiology and immunology courses at Morningside College were provided with memberships to wiki specific to each course. The wikis were administered by the course instructor. Students were required to post on the wiki to earn a small fraction of their overall course grade. Students used wiki in each course to share class notes, collaborate in literature searches for class papers, and study for exams. On anonymous surveys, 79% of microbiology students (n=32) and 65% of immunology students (n=20) described the class wiki as somewhat useful or “extremely useful,” and students in both courses reported that the availability of notes on the class wiki had no impact on their course attendance. A variety of free wiki hosting sites exist, and little technical expertise is required to set up a course wiki through such sites. The ease of administering a wiki combined with its perceived usefulness to students makes wikis a novel teaching tool for microbiology courses.
Student Projects
Student Project: Find a Recent Scientific Paper and Write a 3-page Summary
N. Acheson. McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
We offered a one-semester course in Fundamental Virology to approximately 125 students in the second year of a three-year B.Sc. program in microbiology and immunology at McGill University. During the second week of the course each student was required to choose a specific virus from a set of virus families that were covered in course lectures. We divided our class into four or five equal groups and assigned different sets of virus families to each group. Students were asked to search the scientific literature, find a recent (<3 yr) research paper concerning that virus, and write a three-page summary of the paper, to be submitted along with a photocopy of the paper near the end of the term. We organized an in-class introduction to online searching of the scientific literature, provided by a resource person from our Health Sciences Library. We also presented a lecture on how to read a research paper and some hints on how to write a coherent summary of a such a paper. Students’ summaries were corrected and graded by course instructors, and the corrected papers were returned to students at the end of the term. Papers counted for 10% of the overall course grade. This project introduced students to online searching and to reading and understanding original research papers. Students received written feedback on their summaries, including comments on the appropriateness of their conclusions and on their writing skills or lack of them. Students were generally enthusiastic about this project, as it went beyond classroom learning and allowed them to delve into the “real world” of scientific research. The project was not onerous either for students or for instructors; each instructor had about 25 3-page summaries to read and correct, and we often found the research papers interesting and the summaries fun to read.
The Student-led Conference Style Symposium as a Technique for Developing Oral Presentation Skills in a Moderately Sized Microbiology Course
E. Aho. Concordia College, Moorhead, MN.
Concordia College is using an integrated approach to teach scientific research, writing, and speaking skills throughout our biology curriculum. General microbiology (biology 407) is a moderately sized course by our institutional standards, with 35-50 students per classroom section. Communication-related assignments in this course focus on oral presentation. I have recently instituted a student-led conference style symposium format for developing library/literature research skills and scientific public speaking skills in this class. This activity has generated a great deal of interest and excitement among students, and seems to have fostered a deeper sense of individual connection to course material. We hold four symposium sessions in icrobiology each semester. Every student is responsible for delivering one symposium talk and serving on a conference committee that plans one 100-minute symposium. Each symposium consists of a series of 5-minute presentations describing recent research in a particular area of microbiology. Past symposium themes have included avian influenza, bioterrorism, vaccinology, probiotics, and astrobiology. Each conference committee selects topics, serves as presenters for their session, develops a conference logo, prepares a conference packet with a program and one-page summary sheets for each presentation, and hosts a 15-minute pre-symposium reception. Conference committee participants are graded individually on the quality of their research and their oral presentation, and as a group on the conference organization. The material discussed at the symposia is also included on course exams. The symposia have allowed each student to develop their speaking skills and to establish a sense of unique expertise in an area of current research in microbiology. The symposia also provide students with an opportunity to collaborate with their peers and gain an introductory sense of conference organization, planning, and participation. The conference sessions also provide a flexible format for integrating new developments in microbiology into our general microbiology curriculum.
Microbe of the Week: Using Student Presentations on Specific Microbes to Illustrate Concepts in Class
A. Bernhard. Connecticut College, New London, CT.
Each week, a student presents a Microbe of the Week to the class in a 10-12 minute oral presentation. The presentations include a full description of the microbe, a photo of the microbe, the metabolism (including carbon, energy, and electron sources), the habitat(s), an interesting factoid about the microbe, and why the microbe was chosen for that week (i.e. what concept(s) does it illustrate?). In addition, the student must present a brief description of a recent study from the primary literature that involves the assigned microbe. This activity not only reinforces specific concepts and topics covered in class, it also helps students develop skills for critical thinking, interpreting primary journal articles, and giving oral presentations. Grading is based on content, organization, and delivery. I particularly emphasize the importance of capturing the audience's attention at the beginning of the talk and driving home one or two main messages during the talk. During the Micro Brew Session, I will discuss how I determine the order of student presentations and give examples of microbes I have used in the past to illustrate various topics.
Microbial Disease Presentations, a New Twist to Save Class Time, Enhance Group Participation, and Provide an Opportunity for Peer Assessment
A. Sprenkle. Salem State College, Salem, MA.
A standard practice in microbiology education for nursing or allied health majors is to assign a ‘microbial disease presentation’ for each student to research and present in poster, paper, or oral format. After trying various formats for several semesters, each time being dissatisfied with the learning outcomes, a new approach was attempted to increase the level of understanding and engagement of the class as a whole. Instead of allowing the students to choose a pathogen, 2 topics of clinical importance were selected by the instructor, and all students prepared a research presentation on the same topic. From semester to semester two topics are chosen from the following group MRSA/MDROs, Clostridium difficile, Tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS. Groups are assigned randomly using the WebCT/Blackboard Learning System tool for group selection, and each group of students prepares a PowerPoint presentation along the topic guidelines above, working entirely via WebCT, so that no common meeting times are necessary. The finished PowerPoint presentation is submitted electronically to the instructor, and then groups are chosen by lottery to present ONE of the slides from their presentation. Students are assessed on an individual basis from the quality of the PowerPoint content and appearance, as well as oral presentation/question and answer quality for 70% of the grade. The remaining 30% is peer evaluation within groups, collected anonymously via survey monkey. Students have the option to ‘vote a group member off the island’ (again, anonymously), and all group members voted out of groups will be grouped together for the second presentation for the semester. Preparation of one topic is hoped to significantly increase class interaction/discussion and retention of information on a clinically relevant microbial pathogen, at the same time minimizing instructor grading time and shifting peer evaluation to assess the quality of the student’s effort in a group activity.
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