ABLE 2011 Poster Session

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Poster # 1: On-line laboratories for introductory biology designed to enhance web-based learning (Betty Black and Marianne Niedzlek-Feaver)

The co-authors have developed on-line laboratory exercises for introductory biology that can be used as extensions of wet labs, as lecture-associated homework, or in distance education. Although it is not possible to recreate an entire “wet lab” experience, we have developed a combination of video, simulations, virtual microscopy, and game-like exercises that stress concepts and place students in the role of a working biologist. This presentation illustrates two interactive exercises: one that simulates a field trip to a forest ecosystem, and one that uses the experimental approach to solve a problem in evolutionary ecology. The virtual field trip utilizes an interactive panorama of a forest in the Raleigh area. Students locate habitats within the forest and view linked videos of different plants and animals. To illustrate ecological concepts, students are required to construct a productivity pyramid that places the organisms at the appropriate trophic level. The second exercise uses the application Quandary (Half Baked Software) to provide an interactive “case-study” of natural selection. Students play the role of a biologist in Trinidad and use the scientific method to determine why guppies found in two pools differ in coloration. As the study progresses, students collect data on the guppies and interpret experiments performed both in a laboratory and in the field. They answer questions as the study proceeds to verify their understanding of the material. These exercises may be viewed on our website and are freely available to educators.

Poster # 2: Factors that influence learning gains in inquiry-based laboratory courses (Lawrence S. Blumer and Christopher W. Beck)

Inquiry-based learning in laboratory courses is often thought to lead to increased learning gains as compared to traditional approaches. However, previous studies that have examined learning gains in inquiry-based laboratory courses have done so in single courses at single institutions. To achieve a broader perspective on the factors that influence learning gains in inquiry-based laboratory courses, we used a standard pre-test/post-test approach with students in laboratory courses from five different colleges and universities in courses ranging from introductory biology to advanced courses for majors. At the end of the course, student confidence and student scientific reasoning skills were strongly influenced by their confidence and scientific reasoning skills at the beginning of the semester, as well as their perception of instructional and assessment practices in the course. Gains in confidence and scientific reasoning were significantly related to positive student’s perceptions of authentic laboratory activities. However, other aspects of instructional and assessment practices that influenced post-test scores differed for student confidence and scientific reasoning. As might be expected, STEM majors and those students who had taken more laboratory courses scored higher on the post-test of scientific reasoning skills, although these two factors did not influence student self-efficacy. Interestingly, gender and racial/ethnicity group did not influence post-test scores. Together, our results suggest that instructional practices can greatly influence learning gains in laboratory courses.

Poster # 3: A question-based project that uses a MAP kinase western blot to examine the role of calcium in sea urchin fertilization (Aaron Coleman)

Sea urchin gametes have been a well established model system for studying fertilization and early development for many years. They are also an excellent tool for teaching cell biology in the laboratory, allowing students to make direct connections between biochemical changes in the egg and the macroscopic events of fertilization that are observed under the microscope. Here we describe a three-day laboratory project that examines the role of calcium signaling in entry of the zygote into the cell cycle at fertilization. Sperm binding to the egg triggers a cytoplasmic Ca2+ influx that induces many of the cellular events of fertilization, including egg activation and elevation of the fertilization envelope. The Ca2+ influx can be induced artificially in the absence of fertilization with the calcium ionophore, A23187. MAP kinase is active in unfertilized sea urchin eggs and its inactivation at fertilization is necessary for the zygote to enter the cell cycle. The students are directed to answer the following two questions: 1) Is the Ca2+ influx sufficient to inactivate MAP kinase in the absence of fertilization? 2) Is the Ca2+ influx sufficient for cell division (first cleavage) in the absence of fertilization? The students prepare samples treated with sea water alone, sperm (fertilized) and A23187, for both microscopic observation and Western blot analysis. They observe that while A23187 induces elevation of the fertilization envelope, it does not lead to cell division by 2.5 hours, and therefore Ca2+ is not sufficient for cell division. Immunodetection of Western blot samples with phospho-specific antibodies against MAP kinase shows A23187 does inactivate MAP kinase, and therefore Ca2+ is sufficient for MAP inactivation. The project emphasizes necessary vs. sufficient reasoning to develop analytical skills.

Poster # 4: Utilizing a community cichlid fish tank for animal behavior studies (James Foo, Ronald Orlovsky, Bianca Brown, Samantha Jones, and Kathleen Nolan)

A large 100 gallon fish tank, prominently placed in a public place on display at St. Francis College, has served as a unique opportunity for our students to study animal behavior using cichlids. The tank can be partitioned into 3 viewing regions using vertical stripes of clear adhesive tape. Students can, using timers, view the movement of the fish, one fish at a time. They can record each time a fish moves into a different partition. They might find that some fish are more territorial than others. Separate smaller ten-gallon tanks can then be set up to house individual cichlids. Fish A was introduced into a tank with Fish B, only to see Fish B chase and bite Fish A. The experiment was repeated, but Fish A did not even attempt to face Fish B; it only exhibited avoidance behavior. The reverse experiment was attempted a few days later, in which Fish B was introduced into a tank with Fish A, who became the new aggressor. The fish also changed colors, and their stripes became more prominent. This type of project was an excellent example of the process of science, in which one experiment generated interest in these fish, and prompted many new ideas for future projects.

Poster # 5: Counting “Shmoos:” Identifying the missing yeast mating gene (Ginny G. Hutchins)

This lab module using the response of budding yeast S. cerevisiae to mating pheromone was designed to provide an opportunity for students in a sophomore-level genetics laboratory to formulate and test a hypothesis in 2 lab sessions. During week 1, students are given 2 cultures of yeast treated with a low concentration of mating pheromone; one culture is a “wild type” strain for mating response, and the second strain has a gene deletion for bar1 which encodes an enzyme responsible for degrading the mating pheromone thus rendering the cells more sensitive to the pheromone. Students are not told the specific genetic difference between the 2 strains of yeast, only that 1 is “wild type” and the other contains a single gene deletion; the students are then challenged to collect data in week 1 in order to develop and test a hypothesis that will help determine the function and possible identity of the gene which has been deleted. Students use microscopes to count the % of yeast cells responding to the mating pheromone in each strain by: 1) the presence of mating projections or “shmoo” shaped cells, and 2) “G1 arrest” calculated as a change in the % of cells with buds representing cell cycle progress towards mitosis. Students average data for each of the 2 quantitative measurements of mating response among their group and formulate a hypothesis about the phenotypic and genotypic difference between the 2 strains of yeast. They then design a simple experiment including positive and negative controls in which they modify one variable from week 1 (usually time exposed to pheromone or concentration of pheromone) for the following lab session which will test their hypothesis; the instructor gives feedback on both the hypothesis and experimental design during the first week. In week 2 students perform their independent experiment, again collecting and analyzing quantitative data and concluding whether or not they have supported their hypothesis; students are challenged to describe the function/identity of the deleted gene. This lab module can be enhanced in either week 1 or week 2 by allowing students to perform bioinformatic research using the Yeast Genome site (www.yeastgenome.org); keyword searches can be used to look for similar gene deletion phenotypes for 1 or more mating-relevant genes.

Poster # 6: ABLE history: Past, present, and future (Susan Karcher and Anna Wilson)

Come view some materials–photos, Labstracts, and more– from ABLE’s past. ABLE’s archivists, Susan Karcher and Anna Wilson, will present some of ABLE’s history. We also are seeking your suggestions for how to make this historical information readily available to all ABLE members.

Poster # 7: Connecting to the environment in non-majors ecology (Mary Ann McLean)

Far too many students know little of the ecosystems around them. They have acquired the idea from media and videos that diversity and ecological significance are elsewhere – Madagascar, the Amazon or anywhere but their local environment. They don’t know the species of birds, mammals, plants or insects that surround them. Since protection of the local environment requires a body of interested, concerned and knowledgeable citizens to speak for it, it is vital that students become acquainted with and begin to appreciate their natural surroundings. In non-majors ecology I use field notes following a walkabout to accomplish these goals. During the first week of classes in the fall, we join a local naturalist for a walkabout in the provincial park adjacent to St. Mary’s. He leads the class on a walk across the park, and we stop and talk about everything we see and hear, whether it be a flicker, an invasive shrub, the presence of earthworms, or the difference between 2 poplar species. This simple activity has a profound effect on the students, who begin to realize how much there is to be seen and heard in a place they take for granted. The walkabout prepares students for writing field notes each week. These emphasize observations of the natural world (changing seasons, a spider in the bathtub, location of willows by streams or anything that catches their attention). Field notes are graded every week on the quality of observations and the integration of observations with topics discussed in class. Details will be presented in the poster.

Poster # 8: Using pillbugs and barriers to explore the scientific method in the first introductory laboratory period (Marianne Niedzlek Feaver and Christa Jones)

To examine the scientific method in their first laboratory session, students will design their own experiments with pillbugs (sowbugs, isopods) attempting to gain an appreciation for “decision making “in these organisms. They will access the innate behaviors used by these organisms to navigate around barriers. Previously, students worked with protists, monitoring for two weeks the effects of one species on the other. It has proved difficult to maintain these cultures for two weeks and students have had too much trouble obtaining good samples of protist densities. For two years in a row, we have had to provide simulated data for most student groups as cultures have failed. Students will have access to barriers of various shapes, sizes and consistencies and so will have essentially an unlimited number of hypotheses that they can test. This also avoids, as individual instructors can vary the barriers available, any temptation for students to use data, if not the “report”, produced by past students or fellow classmates not registered in that particular section. We will add a short exercise looking at the effects of nematodes on fungi to compensate in the laboratory period that treats species relationships that focuses on parasites and co-evolutionary relationships to compensate for the experience of the former activities involving protists. The poster will illustrate both laboratories, including the non-destructive sampling procedures developed for nematode, fungal fruiting body and fungal trap densities.

Poster # 9: Extinction 2: A game that examines important concepts in evolutionary ecology (Niedzlek-Feaver and Betty L. Black)

The controversy over gaming in the classroom continues. Do students simply remember aspects of the game such as their pieces, or do they “learn” the embodied concepts? We have obtained permission and developed an on-line version of Extinction, a board game popular among our instructors and students. In Extinction, species battle to survive on the island of Darwinia. Darwinia is divided into several habitats. Any species can migrate into a habitat and compete with or predate on neighboring species. That is if they are dealt the proper “genetic profile” to do so. Infrequently, moves will allow a species to change genes, but since the direction of mutations are unpredictable, a predatory species may suddenly become their neighbors’ favorite prey. As can be imagined, a variety of important ecological and evolutionary topics are covered in this game like atmosphere. Students had to ponder question such as: Which species was most vulnerable to certain man-made disasters? Why did most competitive interactions favor the population with the most numbers? Could you dub your species an r or k strategist ? For homework, instructors have had students investigate what living or fossil organism, their Darwinia species most resembled.

Poster # 10: The effectiveness of carrot seed oil and citronella as repellents of bean beetles, Callosobruchus maculatus (Gabriel Onor and Illya Tietzel)

Bean beetles, Callosobruchus maculatus, can cause problems with the harvesting of beans of farmers. These farmers need an effective repellent of bean beetles in order to protect their beans. Citronella is a natural product from plants that was found to be an effective repellent against insects, even some beetles. Thus it is hypothesized, that citronella will most likely repel bean beetles, also. Furthermore, citronella appeared to be harmless to human beings. Another plant substance commercially available and harmless for humans is carrot seed oil. Maxia A., et al. (2009) reported that carrot seed oil had beneficial anti-fungal activities. We wondered whether carrot seed oil also had repellant functions. To test the hypothesis, bean beetles were placed in containers with cow peas without any repellant (negative control) or with alternatively either citronella or carrot seed oil for several days. Over the time course of the experiment numbers of bean beetles were counted that were close to the beans, that were repelled from the beans with hypothetical repellant, found alive, dead or missing. 3 trials showed, that citronella functioned as a repellant as hypothesized. Interestingly, citronella had also toxic side effects on the bean beetle. Furthermore, carrot seed oil was not showing repellant activities, it rather worked as an attractant. Thus, it is concluded that farmers could use citronella as a repellant, but not carrot seed oil. Future research can address the feasibility to use carrot seed as a decoy attractant to lure bean beetles away from threatened beans.

Poster # 11: CSI: Botany (Karen Romanyk)

The potential use of plants in crime scene investigations is demonstrated in a mini CSI activity to supplement any basic plant anatomy lab that includes secondary xylem. As crime scene investigators, students are presented with a scenario requiring the application of skilled botanical knowledge. This activity allows the students, using information they have acquired from the anatomy lab they have just completed, to distinguish between angiosperm and conifer wood, to recognize different wood cuts and to recognize different types of wood cells. This activity reinforces the information presented in the lab and provides students with an opportunity to apply their knowledge.

Poster # 12: Using C. elegans to teach transmission genetics in a large introductory biology lab (Penny Sadler and Diane C. Shakes)

Transmission genetics is a core topic in most introductory biology courses and yet many students rarely think about genetics beyond Mendel’s classical experiments with peas. In our introductory biology laboratory course at the College of William and Mary, we expand students’ notions of transmission genetics by using C. elegans as the model system to determine whether an “unknown” Unc mutation is linked or unlinked to a known Dpy marker. In a course that serves not only biology majors but also neuroscience majors, pre-meds, and non-majors, the students see direct relevance in studying mutations with direct links to human neurological conditions. Our genetics module is a four-week session that culminates in a writing workshop designed to aid students in writing their first formal lab report. The first week serves as an introduction to best practices in using a dissecting scope, sexing the worms, distinguishing single mutant morphological phenotypes, and setting up a Po cross with 1mm long males and hermaphrodites. During the second week, the students score their P0 cross, set up their F1 crosses, and practice distinguishing wild type, single mutants and double mutant hermaphrodites. During the third week, the students score their F2 progeny, analyze their data, and test their data set against a null hypothesis that the two genes are unlinked using Chi-square. The format of the lab report is introduced and discussed as a class. During the fourth week, student teams meet with their lab instructor to go over a rough draft of their lab report. This one-on-two time dedicated to improving the content of the report allows for correction of major misconceptions and errors in formatting the report. The fourth lab week is also dedicated to a self-guided online Wormbase bioinformatics exercise which is designed to help students formulate their ideas for the future directions sections of their lab report. The poster will also present student learning objectives and assessment, and discuss the logistics of preparing the materials that enable over 400 freshmen carry out a series of genetic crosses during a four week lab module under the guidance of masters level graduate teaching assistants and a single, full-time lab coordinator.

Poster # 13: Physiology boot camp: An intensive staff training model for laboratory courses with high enrollments (Angela M. Seliga and Girija I. Bhonsle)

Laboratory courses are typically taught by graduate student Teaching Fellows (TFs) with or without previous teaching experience or background in the course assigned. We recruit Undergraduate Assistants (UAs) as resources for the TFs and the current students. Since Fall 2009, there have been 6-8 TFs and 10-20 UAs per semester and post-semester staff evaluations consistently suggested a need for more intensive training. The Physiology Boot Camp model was piloted in Fall 2010 as a full day of training prior to the start of teaching. Session 1 included policy and ethics skits, Session 2 incorporated role-playing while actively teaching, and Session 3 was a modified version of the first lab experiment. New TFs were required to attend all 3 sessions, but all others were advised based on experience. Based on staff evaluations completed after the first week of teaching, UAs, regardless of experience, compared to repeat TFS, viewed Sessions 1 and 3 as significantly more relevant, and felt the clarity and adequacy of the material for Session 3. It was expected that new TFs would receive as much benefit as the UAs, but there were relatively few new TFs in the past year. It is important to note that time spent training and evaluating the staff was reduced from approximately 5-10 hours per week to 2-3 hours per week. While Boot Camp was designed for upper-level courses with a support staff, each training session is easily adaptable for lab-based courses with a variety of teaching staff members.

Poster # 14: To romp through the kingdoms, or not to romp through the kingdoms: That is the question! (Kenneth Sossa)

Traditionally, college curricula include a general biology II course that entails a procession through the kingdoms of life. These courses focus on animal and plant taxonomy, and may cover some biological processes, i.e. respiration, reproduction, etc. Here, we present an alternative to teaching this type of course. We base this method on work by biologist John Tyler Bonner (Why Size Matters: From Bacteria to Blue Whales, 2006) and others who illustrate the limitations and advantages of size on life processes within organisms. Through lecture and laboratory exercises, we develop specific size rules, e.g. the metabolic rate of an organism is directly proportional to its size. Students discover how size governs generation time, digestion, etc. through observations, measurements, and data analysis. We employ several organismal examples per size rule to illustrate the unity and diversity of life. Centered on the theme of size, this course has brought to the fore front the kingdoms of life as well as key biological mechanisms.

Poster # 15: Modular Digital Course in Undergraduate Biological Education (William Grisham, Natalie A. Schottler, and Lisa Beck McCauley)

Digital labs need not be demonstrations, simulations, or cookbook exercises. Rather, digital labs can and should be inquiry-based. Scientists routinely create digital data and digital tools when modeling phenomena. We have repurposed these actual data and modeling tools to create completely digital modules, thus melding science research and education. All of these modules are inquiry based—students gain from genuine experiences in doing actual studies. These materials should provide instructors the ability to provide good quality laboratory experiences regardless of resource limitations. These digital modules include materials for teaching bioinformatics, investigating the effects of hormones on early CNS development, and the neurophysiology of circuits (Swimmy). We are providing these digital lab teaching tools described for free at http://mdcune.psych.ucla.edu.