ABLE 2019 Mini Workshops

Mini workshops are offered as 90-minute Extended Mini format or traditional 45-minute sessions. Mini workshops are an opportunity to present novel approaches to teaching, but are not limited to wet-lab activities. They may include demonstrations, lectures, simulations, or hands-on activities. All will include discussion and attendee participation. Some 45-minute workshops may be offered twice throughout the day.

Conference attendees will sign up, outside of the conference registration headquarters during the conference, to attend specific workshops. Early sign-up is encouraged, as space is limited and sessions do fill up. Abstracts of sessions are listed below and ABLE members can visit this page for any mini workshop materials that were submitted by presenters. 

8:30-10:00 AM  |  10:30-11:15 AM  |  12:00-1:00 PM  |  1:45-2:30 PM |  3:00-3:45 PM

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Friday, 21 June

8:30-10:00 AM (Extended Mini Workshops)

PCR Cycle Number Analysis- Understanding exponential doubling of PCR product

Sherri Andrews, MiniOne

How does polymerase chain reaction (PCR) create billions of copies of a piece of DNA in only a few cycles? The mechanism of PCR copies each DNA fragment with every cycle leading to exponential doubling of the number of fragments over time. In this hands-on workshop you will set up PCR reactions, remove the reactions for the thermal cycler at given time intervals and then analyze the products on an agarose gel to demonstrate how students will gain an intuitive appreciation for the power of exponential amplification.  Students will then be able to estimate the minimum number of cycles needed to detect a PCR product on an agarose gel.  This laboratory experience will allow students to:

• Understand the molecular mechanisms of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and how gel electrophoresis is used to analyze PCR products
• Understand the purpose of each step in a PCR protocol and interpret a graph of temperature changes over time.
• Recognize that repeated doubling leads to exponential increase of a quantity.
• Identify dependent and independent variables in a scientific study.
• Recognize that every measurement has a detection limit, the minimum level of signal necessary to make a measurement.
• Interpret an electrophoresis gel using the concepts that brightness of a band is proportional to quantity of DNA and distance migrated is proportional to fragment size
• Combine reagents in the correct proportions to set up a PCR reaction
• Program and monitor a thermal cycler
• Cast, load, and run an agarose gel to analyze products of a PCR reaction
• Perform common laboratory calculations

Using the electron transport chain to effectively illustrate protein structure and function

Shane Austin, University of the West Indies

Various elements of protein structure and function are taught throughout biology and biochemistry programs. Learning outcomes range from describing primary structure to as advanced as explaining molecular details of structure-function relationships and mechanisms. Students often experience two-dimensional representations of proteins in textbooks and lectures, however, they are usually unable to use these images to fully grasp the spatial concepts being explained. In this workshop, we will look at multiple ways of overcoming this disconnect. In conjunction, we will use molecular models, Lego bricks and the protein visualisation software PyMOL to experience the wonder of the electron transport chain. Participants will visualise ETC complexes with PyMOL and generate videos to explain mechanics and protein features. Using specific examples of complex I (NADH dehydrogenase) and complex V (ATP synthase) from the ETC to demonstrate various concepts and construct physical models in the session using molecular models and Lego bricks. Specifically, secondary structure, non-covalent interactions, metal ion coordination, reaction mechanism and conformation change. To reinforce the importance of these features we will link each feature to the function of these essential proteins. The workshop is targeted at those teaching protein structure/function to both majors and non-majors.

Introducing Community Ecology and Data Skills with the Bean Beetle Microbiome Project

Lawrence Blumer, Morehouse College; Christopher Beck, Emory University

The Bean Beetle Microbiome Project is a biological and education project based on a CURE using bean beetles Callosobruchus maculatus. Participants will learn about opportunities to participate in our project and will evaluate sample data on insect microbiome community diversity. The purpose of this mini-workshop is to introduce participants to the Bean Beetle Microbiome Project, an NSF-supported project, that will host a series of faculty development workshops for the next four years.  Participants will learn about a course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) that they could implement as a half or full-semester laboratory activity.  In addition, they will be shown how to access microbiome diversity data from the project.  During the workshop, participants will analyze some of these data.  Through this activity, participants will gain experience in working with large datasets and in basic analysis of microbiome community data.  No prior experience with insects, microbes, or community analysis is necessary.  Information about bean beetles and this project may be found at: www.beanbeetles.org.

Using Swirl to make TRUBLE (Teaching with R in Undergraduate Biology Less Excruciating)

Rachel Hartnett, Oklahoma State University

Although R is one of the most recommend statistical software packages in biology, it is very difficult to incorporate into an undergraduate classroom or laboratory setting. R with Swirl is a platform for learning and teaching R in the Rstudio console. Swirl lessons provide a step-by step guide through programming basics, scaffolding for tricky programming functions, and positive reinforcement!  Using swirl lessons allow students to gain basic skills within R at their own pace, and freeing the instructor to focus on other areas of content. And if an instructor is so inclined, R with Swirl can also be used to create custom swirl lessons tailored to an individual lab or objective. In this hands-on workshop, participants will install Swirl, and complete an available Swirl lesson. In addition, this workshop will provide resources to develop your own lesson. Previous experience with R is not required but is recommended. Participants are required to download R and Rstudio beforehand and bring their own laptop. And credit to Paige Parry and Suann Yang, who put together the Make TRUBLE faculty mentoring network within QUBES, and came up with that catchy acronym.

Reaction time significance: from dropping metersticks to Implicit bias tests and the Stroop effect

Laurel Hester, Keuka College

The meterstick drop is a tried and true lab exercise for measuring reaction time – often presented in an inquiry-based format with students testing their own reaction-time hypotheses.  In this mini-workshop, a brief discussion of meterstick-drop lab variations will be followed by participation in other reaction-time lab activities.  Comparison of meterstick-drop results with dot-making results facilitates discussion of how and why reaction time varies by activity. This point will then be emphasized by having participants complete the Interactive Stroop Effect Experiment by Eric Chudler (available online from the University of Washington‚ Neuroscience for Kids‚ website).  The well-studied Stroop effect (Stroop, 1935) uses the time a person takes to read a word list aloud as a proxy measure for cognitive processing. Results show that when a color word‚ meaning and ink-color conflict (e.g. the word “green” printed in red ink), the reading-aloud task time takes longer. The Stroop experiment’s use of read-aloud task time to investigate cognitive processing provides an introduction, in turn, to Harvard’s Project Implicit.  Participation in one of that site’s less controversial implicit bias tests will be the basis for a final discussion of what reaction times reveal and how experimental design of reaction-time tests can be optimized.

Developing, Implementing, and Evaluating Professional Development Initiatives for Graduate Teaching Assistants Facilitating Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs)

Amie Kern, David Esparza, Amy Kulesza, Corrie Pieterson, Seema Rivera, and Jeffrey T. Olimpo, University of Texas at El Paso

Within the last decade, course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) have emerged as a viable mechanism to engage students in authentic scientific opportunities. While numerous studies have focused on student outcomes (e.g., science process skills development) in CURE learning environments, few studies have examined instructor preparation and pedagogy in such contexts. This is especially true for graduate teaching assistants (GTAs), who are frequently tasked with facilitating CUREs, yet who often receive little, if any, professional development (PD) to improve teaching skills that are vital to this type of instruction. In this workshop, we will address this need by engaging attendees in the following activities: (i) a brief introduction to existent GTA PD literature and programs, including sharing outcomes from our own research on CURE GTA PD; (ii) small- and large-group dialogue designed to identify core elements of CURE GTA PD; and (iii) development of a CURE GTA PD blueprint outlining one initiative that faculty can implement on their own campuses (with feedback provided from other participants via a gallery walk).

What’s under your feet? Analysis of Leaf Litter Invertebrate Diversity Using an Updated On-line Key

Vanessa Muilenburg, Lori Hertel, Hope College

Invertebrates are ubiquitous inhabitants of leaf litter in forests. Because of their abundance and diversity, they are an excellent resource for answering open-ended questions about how different attributes in our environment impact diversity.  However, visual identification of invertebrates to standard taxonomic species requires considerable knowledge of morphological traits that only entomological experts possess. Mastery of these taxonomic characters associated with each species is not practical for undergraduate courses.  We present an updated electronic key that identifies invertebrate specimens to morphospecies, which are classified from other related organisms by visual appearance. Participants in this workshop will examine samples of invertebrates collected from leaf litter using dissecting microscopes and then use pictures and answer basic questions in the electronic key to identify the specimens morphospecies. The online key presented is an updated version published by Murray et al. 2002 in ABLE. The key can be accessed and used on smartphones and computers via the following link: https://sites.google.com/hope.edu/leaflitterinvertebrates/home.

An Integrated & Inquiry-based Approach to Exploring Plant Metabolism

John S Peters, College of Charleston

Many introductory biology textbooks, and consequently classes, largely teach photosynthesis and cellular respiration as separate metabolic processes.  The consequence is that students often fail to understand the important connections between these metabolic processes within plants, leading to the common misconception that “animals do respiration, and plants do photosynthesis”.  This workshop will take you outside to explore these connections as we use carbon dioxide gas sensors to estimate leaf NPP, and using more student-directed learning approaches, develop procedures for estimating GPP and respiratory rates.   Ideally, this lab sets the methodological and observational context for a student-directed inquiry-based independent project in which students explore questions related to how genetic, developmental, or environmental factors influence leaf metabolism and therefore productivity.   This workshop will discuss ways to structure this independent project to encourage collaboration and foster scientific intellectual skills, and a general spirit of scientific inquiry.   At the end you will be ‘ABLE’ (sorry I couldn’t help myself) to explore an entire introductory biology curriculum, which uses an inquiry-based learning framework.

Fish Two Ways:  Interdisciplinary Investigation of Biodiversity

Robyn Puffenbarger, Kimberly J. Bolyard, Bridgewater College

Biodiversity is decreasing at an alarming rate.  Scientists who manage or conserve aquatic resources need information on what species are present or absent, current population densities, and community and ecosystem interactions.  Traditionally, morphology was used for identification of specimens.  Morphological traits can be challenging for providing reliable data.  Now, molecular information can help assist morphological identifications.  We have developed a multi-lab activity that teaches students how to identify fish species two ways from local streams using morphology and DNA. In our mini-lab, you will handle a preserved specimen to learn critical external features of fishes and how to use a dichotomous key to identify fish species. We will also remove fish tissue for DNA sampling and walk through the PCR, gel and sequencing protocols, finishing up with using a BLAST computer search to identify fish species. We will have time to discuss how to modify the activities presented to suit your needs.  Depending on your course(s), discussions extending the activity might include evaluating systematic relationships among species, geographic variation in morphology among fishes, use of DNA barcoding in eDNA research, and environmental informatics.  Overall, our activity emphasizes the importance of using interdisciplinary methods to identify species while examining biological diversity.

10:30-11:15 AM

Harmful and healthy algae: using algal morphology to differentiate between algal types

Kelsey Andersen, McKenzie Bahl, University of Pittsburgh at Bradford

The purpose of this lab exercise is to learn how to identify different algal types to recognize which species of algae are safe for human consumption. It is designed for students with basic knowledge of algal species as well as prior experience with classifying organisms and identifying morphological features. This exercise is created for individual students, but can also be completed in pairs, and takes approximately one hour to complete. Students will progress through three stations, with the goal being to identify algal morphology and create two fake smoothies (1 healthy and 1 deadly) from the different images of algal types present. Each station is unique: 1) students learn about and label the anatomy of a macro- and microalgae, 2) students are provided with a variety of images of algal types and they must identify the organisms and create a deadly algal smoothie, and 3) students are provided with a variety of images of algal types and they must identify the organisms and create a healthy algal smoothie. This exercise is unique because it teaches students basic algal morphology and familiarizes them with some of the more common healthy and harmful species. In this workshop, participants will have the opportunity to perform the exercise.

Nursing laboratory exercise: Demonstrating the spread of bacterial infection within a hospital setting

Susan Wright, University of Pittsburgh at Bradford

The goal of this lab is to showcase how infections and bacteria are spread throughout the hospital from patients to other healthcare personnel when proper handling protocol is not followed. Since microorganisms are invisible to the naked eye it is very common for humans to be unaware of the transfer of these organisms. This lab is designed for pre-nursing students and students in training. The lab will be conducted with students in groups of 4, and 2 students independent of the groups. Each group will have a patient, nurse, physician, and a family member. Two students who are not assigned to a group will be a hospital liaison and a lab technician. The lab will take approximately 45 minutes to complete. Each group member will be given a card with their characters‚ assigned duties, which they must complete during the exercise. The patient in each group will be given symptoms and the goal of the experiment is to work together as a team to figure out the patient’s diagnosis by completing the assigned tasks on the card each member is given. This exercise simulates a hospital setting, and through the interactions of the different characters and diagnosis of the patient, students will become aware of how easily microorganisms can spread throughout a hospital setting. In this workshop, there will be demonstration of the exercise set up, discussion of the implementation and student feedback.

Digital Badges to Increase TA Training and Recognition

Megan Cole, Emory University

Digital badges can be used to both train and recognize TA pedagogy. Badges are free to use, are implemented online, can be designed to meet your specific needs, and provide a mechanism for TAs to demonstrate on their CV or LinkedIn profiles acquired skills in teaching. Criteria for earning badges can range from simply demonstrating a skill in class, to completing specified training, or earning a certain score for graded work. They are an easy and free way to provide additional training for interested TAs without taking up limited TA meeting time or can be used simply to recognize outstanding TAs for all their hard work. In this mini workshop participants will first discuss uses and implementation strategies for digital badges and will then begin designing their own digital badges that could be implemented in their Fall classes.

Using Improv to Help Undergrads Communicate Science to Children

Julie Collins, University of Wisconsin – Madison

The honors project for our Introductory Biology course requires students to design and lead exploration stations at a local science festival open to the public and geared toward young children. To be successful, our undergraduates must not only master complex scientific content, but also be able to explain it in simple terms. Most of our students have only practiced scientific communication in the context of class presentations or similar formal settings; shifting into dynamic dialogue with a 6 year old can be a challenge. Last year, we began integrating games and practices from improvisation troupes into our honors curriculum. This has helped our students become more comfortable talking about science with a wide range of audiences – and we’ve had a lot of fun in the process. During this mini, participants will hear a brief overview of our approach to Intro Bio Honors then practice several exercises we’ve put into practice. There will be time for discussion about when and how to implement such exercises in other curricula.

Authentic Research for all students at all institution types

Robert Harms, St. Louis Community College Canceled

The efficacy of antibiotics altered by food consumption

Jillian Huff, University of Pittsburgh at Bradford

A major issue in health care is that patients often dismiss important instructions given with their prescribed medications. The directions for many antibiotics imply that they should be taken on an empty stomach. This exercise demonstrates how the consumption of food prior to ingestion of an antibiotic alters its effectiveness. This study is aimed towards nursing students with basic understanding of antibiotic pharmacokinetics. Students will compare the antibacterial effectiveness of a petri-dish containing E. coli and penicillin compared to a dish containing E. coli, penicillin, and cream of wheat. This exercise is designed for student participation in groups of two and requires approximately 1 hr (two 30 min sessions separated by 24hrs) to complete. Our experiment is unique because the majority of available research pertaining to decreased antibiotic effectiveness focuses on bacterial resistance, where this activity focuses on patients who experience reduced efficacy directly related to non-adherence of medication directions. In this workshop, there will be a demonstration of the experimental set up and discussion of the implementation, results interpretation and student feedback.

Lab Notebooks: Efficient Grading and Effective Learning

Jonathan Moore, Pomona College; Theresa W. Lynn, Harvey Mudd College

While critical to good scientific training, effectively teaching good lab notebook skills is challenging, and subsequently grading the notebooks is often a chore. We have developed an exercise and discussion for the first day of lab, and a malleable grading approach that rapidly teaches students good lab notebook skills while keeping the grading time at approximately a minute per student per lab session. During this workshop, we will perform this exercise and discuss its merits, and subsequently discuss the grading approach and its effectiveness.

The Glycolysis Puzzle: From Glucose to Pyruvate and Everything in Between

Alma E. Rodriguez Estrada, Aurora University

Glycolysis is the first stage of cellular respiration where glucose is broken down to pyruvate (pyruvic acid). Glycolysis involves a total of 10 steps through which glucose is split and partially oxidized to pyruvate. The 10 steps of glycolysis might be difficult to understand and remember. However, knowing details about this pathway is essential to learn the later stages of aerobic cellular respiration, fermentation and gluconeogenesis. Furthermore, a solid knowledge of glycolysis is essential in order to understand the regulatory mechanisms of glycolysis and how other sugars and intermediates can enter and leave the pathway. The glycolysis puzzle activity involves group work where the participants are provided with structures, names of enzymes, free energy change values and a worksheet that briefly describes each step of glycolysis. The task is to assemble the glycolytic pathway, discuss the rationale behind each chemical reaction, explore the key regulatory steps and allosteric enzyme effectors, among others.

The hunt for MRSA and ESBLs on campus: an examination of pathogenic bacteria on a university campus through the use of essential microbiology techniques

Sarah Ruffell, University of Pittsburgh at Bradford

The purpose of this laboratory exercise is to collect bacterial samples and identify Methicillin-resistance Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and bacteria containing Extended Spectrum Beta-Lactamases (ESBLs) on a university campus. In this workshop, participants will have the opportunity to collect bacterial samples, analyze images of previously incubated samples, and participate in a discussion of data analysis and interpretation. The complete laboratory activity would occur over multiple days, requiring a minimum of two 3hr lab periods and a maximum of five 3hr lab periods. These lab periods can be scheduled sequentially or weekly throughout the semester, and are designed for upper-year university microbiology students. Students formulate a hypothesis in regards to the presence of MRSA and ESBLs within campus buildings. Over the semester, students make growth media, collect and culture bacterial samples from door handles, and evaluate the bacteria present using morphology. The bacterial samples are collected from door handles, a fomite capable of harboring and allowing the spread of virulent bacteria. Students utilize skills such as aseptic techniques, microbiological culture media preparation, and quantifying bacteria using the standard plate count method. After the completion of the experiment, they analyze their data and create a resolution to the hypothesis they formulated.

12:00-1:00 PM (Facilitated Discussion)

Prioritizing Self-Care – a Facilitated Discussion

Pam Connerly, Indiana University Southeast

Succumbing to illness at the end of the semester is a common occurrence among both faculty and students. We seem to accept cycles of overwork and burnout as a necessary part of the academic calendar. But does it have to be that way? The growth mindset we encourage our students to embrace in the classroom can also be used to explore ways to make our work and personal lives more balanced and sustainable. I want to share my personal take on the importance of developing self-care habits to shift from overwhelming stress, wasted work time, and frequent illness to a greater feeling of balance, more efficient work, and increased joy. In a society that values busyness, it can be difficult to include personal time for rest, rejuvenation, and celebration. As I have been working to build my own personal self-care habits and find ways to encourage them in my colleagues and students, I am feeling more energized and able to do my best work. I will share an annotated bibliography of resources that have been helpful to me as well as facilitating group discussion about these ideas.

1:45-2:30 PM

Evolution of algae: Using algae as an art medium to discuss their evolution

Susan Wright, McKenzie Bahl, University of Pittsburgh at Bradford

The purpose of this lab is to learn the evolutionary history and morphology of algae through the creation of algae pressings and paint. This exercise was designed for undergraduate students who have taken phycology. This activity is 45-60 minutes, split between two days, and can be completed in groups or individually. On day one, students learn about the significant endosymbiotic events that occurred during algal evolutionary history and the resulting phylogenetic tree. Then, students choose a macroalgae and microalgae, from the phyla Rhodophyta, Chlorophytaor Phaeophyta, and create a pressing using their macroalgae. On day two, students create paint from the microalgae and paint on the pressing they made previously. Students then present their final art piece to the class and discuss the evolutionary history of the organisms they selected. This experiment is unique because it educates students on the evolutionary history of algae, while allowing them to use the organisms they’re studying to create an art piece. In this workshop, participants will be presented with an overview of the activity and handouts, a demonstration of the pressing technique, examples of completed artworks, and student feedback.

Strategies for Leading Weekly Teaching Assistant Meetings: Undergraduate Student Perceptions after Implementing Pedagogical Change

Audrey Chen, University of California – Irvine

Laboratory course coordinators are tasked with training teaching assistants to deliver quality instruction across laboratory sections.  However, teaching assistants are hired with varied levels of content knowledge, motivation, and awareness of pedagogical best practices.  In this mini workshop, participants will discuss the challenges of training teaching assistants at their home institution and learn strategies to meet these challenges.  To maximize the effectiveness of graduate teaching assistant (TA) instruction, I have changed the Graduate Teaching Assistant Teaching Professional Development (GTA TPD) provided during the weekly preparatory TA meetings for a neurobiology lab at the University of California, Irvine.  The new GTA TPD spends less time performing student experiments and invests more time in standardizing grading practices, training in providing effective feedback, and instruction in active teaching strategies in a collaborative learning environment.  Data on undergraduate student satisfaction and perceptions were collected and will be discussed in the mini workshop.  Participants will discuss the merits and limitations of the implemented pedagogical changes and learn from the collective wisdom of workshop participants.  Handouts will be provided of short pedagogical practices that can be easily implemented into existing teaching assistant weekly meetings.

Experimental design using India Ink to study the effects of phagocytosis in Tetrahymena

Helene d’Entremont, Juan Carlos Lopez, Acadia University

Tetrahymena is a fresh water, ciliated protozoan that is cheap, easy to maintain and well suited for students of all academic levels.  It is an excellent model to gain experience with experimental design and to learn various laboratory techniques.  The Tetrahymena lab has been used and modified in a core Cell & Molecular 2000 level course (~100 students) at Acadia University for the past 2 years.  Every summer, Acadia runs a free, week-long science summer camp to girls in Grades 7 and 8. This laboratory will be one of the workshops offered in August 2019 and will include data analysis. ABLE participants will study the rate of vacuole formation in Tetrahymena using a 5% India Ink solution and compound microscopes (100X or 400X).  Participants will discuss experimental setup based on variables to be tested, controls, limitations and how the lab can be adapted to address student outcomes in different courses. Discussion may also include maintenance of the Tetrahymena culture, creation of rubrics with an array of designs, student collaboration, and management of large data sets and how to make sense of it all.
  *The procedure is a modification of techniques described in Keenan 1984 Vol 4, Bozonne Vol 19 and 21 ABLE proceedings

Redesigning Traditional Labs as Enriched Learning Environments

Winona Gadapati, Western University

An innovative lab curriculum for 1800 students was developed last year to create enriched learning environments through integration and blending of a wide range of online and face-to-face tools, activities, assessments and resources. In the new model, traditional Labs and Tutorials were flipped and offered as integrated ‘Modules’ with stronger emphasis on hypothesis testing, information literacy and communication skills. Each Module consists of 2 face-to-face sessions (2 hr. each) as well as significant online Digital Bridge exercises. Under a newly implemented Specifications Grading system, students are evaluated on over 30 diverse face-to-face and online assessments designed to encourage improvement of skills in ethical practice, scientific information literacy and numeracy, bench instrumentation, statistical analyses, software applications, experimental design and simulation, oral, written and graphic communication as well as metacognition in individual and collaborative learning. This mini-workshop will showcase the 5 newly developed Skills Modules and participants will have an opportunity to interact with some of the resources and discuss the merits and challenges involved in the redesign and delivery process. A summary report of the pre-post redesign data analyses will also be presented.

Biodiversity Stampede: Using postage stamps to teach students about organizing biodiversity

Jillian Huff, University of Pittsburgh at Bradford

Biodiversity is an important topic within ecology, and can be more thoroughly understood and discussed in the context of taxonomy and systematics. These are important skills that can be difficult to engage students, when outdoor sample collection is not a possibility. This lab exercise uses postage stamps with fauna and flora from around the world to discuss topics related to taxonomy. These activities can be completed in 1 hour and can be done in groups of 2-3 students. Students should have an introductory high school knowledge of systematics to complete this activity. Students use the flora and fauna on each stamp to categorize organisms by cell type, 4 classifications systems, and country of origin. This exercise is unique because it allows students to examine the taxonomic characteristics of each organism, while also placing that organism within the larger context of biogeography and biodiversity. In this workshop, participants will have the opportunity to complete the exercise.

Unzipping Your Genes: A Fashionable Tutorial in Gene Expression

Kristina Lackey, Barbara Waring, Tori Tucker, Debra Mauzy-Melitz, University of California – Irvine

Transcription is a very detailed process that is essential for understanding the basis of gene expression. However, undergraduate students are taught this concept during introductory biology courses and are rarely given the opportunity or time to diagram this process in a step-by-step manner. Students will reconstruct the initiation, elongation and termination steps of eukaryotic transcription, using a physical model. Briefly, students must determine the stages of transcription with jean material and cloth pieces that symbolize important components of the transcription machinery. In this workshop, participants will work together to outline the process of transcription in small groups and present their model to others. This module can be used to compare eukaryotic and prokaryotic transcription. Furthermore, this versatile activity be used to simulate errors in transcription that result in disease and elucidate the mechanisms of genetic engineering technologies.

A simple, quantitative peroxidase assay demonstrating enzyme inhibition with L-cysteine

Michael Mitsch, Bryan White, Okanagan College

In this workshop participants will carry out a simple enzyme assay using the robust horseradish peroxidase and the indicator guaiacol which can be detected and quantified using a visible spectrophotometer at 470nm.  This assay uses buffers (NaPO4), substrates (H2O2) and equipment already widely used and available in most first year laboratory experiments and is a cost effective addition to current experiments.  In addition to determining and comparing specific activity under a variety of traditional variables (pH, temperature) participants will use L-cysteine, reported in the literature to be a non-competitive inhibitor of peroxidase.  L-cysteine demonstrates a unique inhibition pattern in our assay losing its inhibitory characteristics in a concentration and time dependent manner, presumably due to the absorption of O2 produced by horseradish peroxidase (competing with the guaiacol indicator) producing cysteine sulfinic acid.  This gives the instructor a range of options to demonstrate enzyme inhibition as well as an opportunity for investigations and self-directed experimentation by the students with a more challenging result to analyze.  This assay lends itself to further development (kinetics and zymograms) and may be expanded to fulfill the needs of more sophisticated upper level biochemistry courses.

Identifying fresh water zooplankton using DNA barcoding technique

Jie Ren, Oklahoma State University

DNA barcoding has emerged as a powerful approach for determining which species are present in an environment or sample. DNA barcoding has many advantages over traditional taxonomic approaches to identifying organisms, including use with any life stage, reliability, and no need for taxonomic expertise.  The barcode library has expanded over the past decade to contain sequences of over 100,000 species, because the technique is affordable and easy to learn. DNA barcoding is increasingly common as course-embedded undergraduate research experiences. In this presentation, we describe a DNA barcoding lab course offered as an honors add-on to our introductory animal biology class. The wet laboratory experience prepares freshmen for their own research projects and provides publication quality data useful in the research of many OSU faculty and as contributions to DNA barcoding libraries. We focused on identifying freshwater zooplankton, which are the basis for many aquatic food webs and common indicators of water quality. Students obtained plankton samples from scientists conducting research on invasive species and community structure, extracted DNA from individual zooplankton, PCR amplified the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) gene, sent cleaned PCR products for sequencing, then searched a barcode library for the resulting sequences thus identifying the organisms.

Going back to show and tell: Using your research to engage undergraduates

Alexa Roemmich, Lorrayne Serra, Debra Mauzy-Melitz, University of California – Irvine

Smaller community active learning discussion sections are one of the best opportunities for students in a large lecture to practice and master course material. However, graduate students are frequently reluctant to serve as teaching assistants, because they might not know how to structure a discussion or engage students with the material. A solution to this setback is to incorporate graduate student’s research into their discussion sections which will engage both TA and students. This solution also gives TAs confidence in developing their own lesson plan. In this workshop, we will demonstrate a sample active discussion for introductory biology undergrads based on a graduate student’s research. We will also provide guidelines for graduate students to consider when planning with their own discussion plan. By the end of this workshop, attendees will be able to identify guidelines for simplifying real-world research into modules for undergraduates, and create a class activity integrating personal research and course objectives. This activity is best suited for graduate students leading smaller discussions within a larger lecture course (and those who mentor them), but is relevant to anyone who wishes to bring real-world research and experimental data into an introductory course.

Dazed and Diffused: A hands-on approach to understanding diffusion in biology

Adam Stabell, Nicholas Roussel, Eric Tarapore, Debra Mauzy-Melitz, University of California – Irvine

Whether through gas exchange in the lungs during respiration, neurotransmission across the synapses, or water molecules moving across the cells lining your intestines – diffusion and osmosis play a critical role in everyday life. Primarily taught in physics and chemistry classes, this key concept is often overlooked in biology labs. While diffusion is important for understanding chemical and physical processes, it is equally important for understanding many biological processes. Fostered by an activity that emphasizes and demonstrates key concepts of diffusion and osmosis, this active learning exercise allows students to creatively use common laboratory and household items to devise a simple and practical example of diffusion. To reinforce this activity, we conclude with a discussion of other examples of diffusion and osmosis created using these items allowing students to visualize the many ways that these simple items can demonstrate such an important concept. Participants will be given a variety of miscellaneous items that they will then use to demonstrate diffusion in this guided activity.

3:00-3:45 PM

Demonstrating the effects of global warming on microalgal carbon dioxide uptake

Kelsey Andersen, University of Pittsburgh at Bradford

The purpose of this exercise is to measure how efficiently microalgae are able to consume carbon dioxide in varying environments. This exercise is designed for undergraduate biology students and prerequisite knowledge includes introductory chemistry and biology courses. This exercise uses pH monitors to record the change in carbon dioxide concentrations in water with and without the microalgae Spirulina. Determination of pH will be used to illustrate carbon dioxide fluctuations. Carbon dioxide will be deposited into both containers by blowing bubbles into a straw for one minute, and then pH will be monitored every minute, for fifteen minutes. To gather additional information about the effect of water temperature on the efficiency of carbon dioxide uptake by microalgae, three environmental conditions will be created with varying water temperatures (warm, cold, and room temperature). Each group will monitor carbon dioxide uptake under three environmental conditions, and will determine how changing water temperatures affected carbon dioxide concentrations. This experiment is novel because it can be used to determine what geographic locations microalgal populations are optimal for carbon cycling and how water temperature affects carbon dioxide uptake. In this workshop, participants will have the opportunity to perform the exercise.

Human ABO blood type and eye color – using SNPs to design allele-specific PCR

Eric S. Calhoun, Kali Prillwicz, Patrick Jungling, Brianna Ricker, Irfan Khan, Senan Susan, Jason Papciak, Michael P. Martin, Alma College

Large-scale human genotyping has recently become big business as companies such as 23andMe and ancestry.com use DNA from customer saliva to assess single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Of course, examining 600,000 variants is well beyond the scope of undergraduate teaching laboratories. However, we have developed inexpensive protocols to genotype human DNA over a few laboratory periods; these traits include ABO blood type and eye color. Two primers, differing only at the SNP, were paired with a common reverse primer in separate reactions in order to produce a product of unique length (when compared to the other allele-specific reactions). Gel electrophoresis was the only downstream step that was required for analysis. Students may use their own DNA samples. Additionally, commercially-available human genomes can be substituted, used as controls (especially for rare homozygotes), or used to generate Unknowns. Participants in the workshop will analyze student-generated data, learn how to design primers, and navigate the Coriell Institute’s 1000 Genome Project database in order to find suitable homozygous and heterozygous samples. Please bring a laptop if possible.

How Neanderthal are you?

Jill Callahan, Saint Peter’s University; Kathleen Nolan, St. Francis College

The recent sequencing of the Neanderthal (Homo neanderthalenis) genome in 2010 has revealed 99.7% homology with Homo sapiens. In this interactive mini-workshop, participants will examine several physical traits believed to be common in Neanderthals. We will discuss the use of genome sequencing services as a personalized learning tool for student engagement in the area of hominid evolution. Participants will also work in groups to make intersecting Venn diagrams with colored acetates that depict genetic overlap among modern humans, Neanderthals, and, an additional hominid group, the Denisovans. The Venn diagrams are based on DNA motifs that are found in the genomes of the three hominin species Homo sapiens, and the archaic Neanderthals and Denisovans. Some of the motifs found in common among all three species were found in regulatory genes for tooth development. Over 60 motifs studied were found in humans alone, including genes involved with neurological development. Attendees will be invited to share their overlap with the Neanderthal genome or share information from their ancestry tests as time permits. One proposed Neanderthal trait is the decreased likelihood of sneezing after eating dark chocolate. We will test that hypothesis by providing participants with a dark chocolate sample.

Enhanced understanding of triacylglyceride digestion and saponification using physical and computer modeling

Daniel Fried, Saint Peter’s University

This mini-lesson uses handheld molecular models and computer modeling to enhance learning of the lipase mechanism and saponification. Students begin by viewing specially designed animations that review covalent bonding, hydrophobicity, hydrophilicity, and the ester hydrolysis mechanism. Students then pair up and apply their knowledge to construct molecular models of fatty acids. Groups then combine to build triacylglycerides by esterifying a glycerol model with three fatty acids. This tactile experience reinforces organic chemistry concepts and allows students to experience the conformational flexibility of long alkyl chains. Students then view and explore 3D structures of a lipase enzyme docked to its substrate, using the molecular modeling software PyMol. A worked up Protein Data Bank structure will be provided to students who wish to bring laptops and view the structure themselves. Active site geometry and enzyme mechanism are then discussed and demonstrated using animations. The lesson culminates in students performing a handheld chemical reaction in which they physically hydrolyze their triacylglyceride models using a hydroxide model as a nucleophile. This reenacts the attack by serine in the enzymatic mechanism or sodium hydroxide in saponification. The mechanism of soap as a cleaning molecule is then discussed using visual aids and animations.

Closing the gaps – Introducing focused in-class activities to improve student learning

Jean Heitz, University of Wisconsin – Madison

Since 2013, we have worked increase student learning and close grade gaps among students in Introductory Biology 151. The methods we used included:
– Introduction of in-lecture active learning activities designed improve students’ analytical and problem-solving skills
– Increasing the numbers of these activities from 3 to 6 after 3 years
– Adding optional evening study skills development sessions for students
– Adding Inclusion and Diversity training for teaching assistants (TAs) to further improve the interactive environment in the classroom.

As a result of these interventions, average student exam scores increased by 4.5%, no gap in gender achievement remained after 2 years, and there were comparable ~10% increases in the proportions of students achieving  80% among both first and non-first generation students. When considering student ethnicity, however, while both male and female students from well-represented ethnicities achieved 12-20% average increases in exam scores, respectively, under-represented ethnicities achieved and maintained more modest, non-significant average gains.

In this mini workshop, I will introduce the data we have gathered. However, the primary focus will be on the development of the activities used to produce the improvements in student learning. Participants will examine a subset of the activities and determine how they are organized and how this organization is designed to build student learning. Participants will then be given time to brainstorm in small groups how they could use these examples in development of their own in-class activities to increase student learning.

Using Biointeractive Spreadsheet Data Analysis Tutorials to Teach Inquiry Lab Skills

Angela Hodgson, North Dakota State University

Since transforming our introductory biology course to inquiry labs, one of the biggest challenges that we’ve faced is teaching students to use technology for analysis and interpretation of experimental data.  This challenge has been two-fold.  First, most of our students lack any experience working with spreadsheet or statistical analysis programs, and second, students in our courses must bring their own computers to class, necessitating use of free programs that will run identically on all computer platforms.  Our solution to these challenges has been to incorporate the Biointeractive Spreadsheet Data Analysis Tutorials, Google Sheets, and a free Google Sheets add-on for statistical analysis. The tutorials are designed to teach students to use Google Sheets or Excel for essential data analysis skills such as organizing data, using formulae and functions to calculate statistical values including mean, standard deviation, standard error of the mean, 95% confidence intervals, plotting graphs with error bars, and performing t-tests.  During this workshop, participants will explore the tutorials in a ‘learner lens’ to analyze data using Google Sheets or Excel. Afterwards, you will view the tools in an ‘educator lens’ and discuss methods for assessing student mastery of spreadsheet skills and where this might fit into your course.

Bringing Everyday Experiences to Science Classrooms: Role of ‘Anchoring Phenomena’ in Technical and Procedural laboratories

Harini Krishnan, Florida State University Canceled

Burning Issues: A Case-based Approach to Integrating a Multitude of Ecological & Conservation Biology Concepts

John S Peters, College of Charleston

Constructivist learning theory teaches us that our students are active constructors of knowledge.  They do not come to our biology classes as blank slates, rather they come with all kinds of ideas about the natural world, many of which they internalize from cultural memes and popular media.  Depictions of forest fires in the news, like the recent Camp Fire that destroyed Paradise, CA, send powerful messages to our students about forest ecosystems, fires, and our own relations to these ecosystems.  This workshop will introduce you to a case study, which challenges and helps students overcome misconceptions they have about forests and fire.  The case study explores ecological concepts such as keystone species, trophic cascades, succession, competition, disturbance and biodiversity in the context of how human developments impact some forest ecosystems.   The workshop will take you on a virtual field trip to what once was the largest forest ecosystem (60-90 million acres) in all of North America that was dominated by a single tree species.  You will also explore how to modify SimBio’s popular Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis lab simulation from a more verification-style lab into an inquiry-based exploration, in which students use the findings from their own experiment in order to understand the role that periodic disturbances have on biodiversity, integrity and ecosystem services.

 

An apple a day: A novel way to introduce students to the scientific method

Debra Mauzy-Melitz, Oren Wellner, University of California – Irvine

How does a scientist form a hypothesis? What are the important steps in the process? Can you change your hypothesis? These questions are not well understood by students. In this mini, we will explore how a very simple hypothesis can be improved based on a pilot experiment and literature review. The activity will start with the question does a red apple have more seeds than a green apple? We will progress through the common steps used to design a hypothesis, test our initial hypothesis in a pilot experiment, compare our results to what is known in the literature and finally to modify our hypothesis. Along the way, the activity will point out the importance of observational skills when collecting data as well as the importance of understanding the limitations of an experimental design. Participants will determine how many seeds they have in a real apple. The results will be discussed with respect to how the procedure might be modified and what equipment and skills would facilitated the collect of the data. The group’s results will then be compared to another group’s results (results from undergraduate courses). We will then perform a simple background search to learn more about apple seeds and how seeds develop. We will end by modifying our hypothesis and determining the scientific merit of the new hypothesis compared the original question. The Seeds in an Apple activity has been tested in class sizes of 30 to 400 students, 6th grade to juniors in college. The activity is appropriate for both science and non-science majors.

Integrating Indigenous and Western Science

Marcy Darby, Persephone Lewis, University of San Diego

Indigenous knowledge is the local knowledge that is unique to a specific location (place based) and passed from generation to generation by word of mouth and cultural practices. It has been the basis for agriculture, food preparation, health care, education, conservation, and the wide range of other activities that sustain societies in many parts of the world. Courses that engage both Indigenous and Western knowledge systems can be used to make science education more inclusive and appealing to Indigenous and non-Indigenous students. Integrating Indigenous and Western Science, Biol 117, is a new lecture/lab course for non-majors to be piloted in the fall 2019 semester. It fulfills Core Scientific & Technological Inquiry (STI) and Diversity Inclusion & Social Justice (DISJ) requirements for the University of San Diego. The course covers general biological concepts from a Western scientific viewpoint, while concurrently engaging Indigenous ways of being in relationship with natural world. The focus of this presentation and discussion is to share how we have integrated the guiding principles of indigenous research: reciprocity, respect, relevance, and responsibility with the inquiry-based laboratory (and field) component of the course. Specifically, participants will examine one of the longer experiments (Antimicrobial Activity of Native Plants Used by Southern California and Northern Baja Indians) developed for the course and identify how the four guiding principles have been integrated. The course philosophy, description, learning outcomes, and lab/lecture schedule will be available to participants who are interested, to facilitate curriculum or single lesson development based on indigenous cultures important in participants’ home localities.