Introduction | Abstracts | Proposal Details | Timeline | Publication Information
Introduction
Each lab discussion may be up to 1.5-hours long, with a short break, and will be presented at least once during the conference (Friday, June 18).
The lab discussion format is intended for labs that have been taught at your home institution in an online, asynchronous, format in which the entire or the bulk of the lab is completed independently. Attendees will complete the lab prior to the conference discussion session, on their own, and will then use this session to discuss execution of the lab. This session format can also be used as a means for instructors to share curriculum developed for labs in an abbreviated format or for sharing online activities developed for lab classes.
Lab materials for these sessions will be posted two weeks prior to the workshop so that participants have time to review and/or complete the lab exercise prior to the conference session. During the session itself, the presenter will have the opportunity to present background information and main elements of the lab, and participants will have the opportunity to ask questions and discuss specific aspects of the lab. While many attendees are interested in introductory labs, presentation of intermediate or advanced labs is appropriate as well.
Please note that the sessions will be recorded and posted for conference registrants to view.
Abstracts
Developing laboratory skills digital badges
Megan Cole, Angela Seliga & Mark Walvoord
Specific laboratory techniques such as using micropipettes, performing PCR reactions, or plating microbes can be marketable skills for undergraduates seeking research opportunities. Digital badges could be used to certify achievement of these skills to allow students to easily communicate these skillsets in their CVs or LinkedIn profiles. Prior to the discussion, participants will complete background readings/videos, take a survey, earn a digital badge, and create a free Badgr account. During the synchronous session, participants will work together to identify skills for badges, develop criteria for badge awards, create a digital badge, and discuss implementation strategies for badges across institutions. Participants do not need prior experience with digital badges but should have a strong interest in developing and using digital badges for their lab students.
Items participants will need to complete the activity prior:
Computer, internet access, Badgr account (free)
Do Face Masks Affect Heart Physiology?
Jessica Goldstein
In this workshop, I will describe a simple experiment we implemented in fall 2020 for our introductory biology lab for majors. This experiment was designed to allow students to perform a hands-on heart physiology experiment that required no equipment and thus could be done remotely to adjust for the change in instruction due to the global pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2. We asked students to consider how face masks might affect their heart and breathing rates, physiological parameters that are easy to measure without any equipment. This question is particularly relevant since there is mis-information around how/whether face masks work and what impact they may have on physiological parameters. Furthermore, we reasoned that all students would have access to at least one face mask. While many variations of this experiment can be envisioned, we asked students to consider the impact that the type of face mask might have on heart and breathing rates after exercise. Students were asked to perform jumping jacks (an exercise that requires no equipment) with and without wearing a particular type of mask (e.g. N95, surgical mask, cloth mask, etc.). The type of mask that was available to each student was collected ahead of time and student groups were created based on mask type to make comparisons during data analysis. Students were instructed to measure heart rate by counting their pulse in 30 second time period, and breathing rate by counting the number of breaths they took in 60 seconds. Pooled class data was analyzed using t-tests to determine if the type of mask worn affected breathing rates during exercise. Students compared their results to results found in the literature about similar physiological parameters collected from clinicians wearing masks in a health care setting. Students indicated that they found this experiment engaging, relevant, and enjoyable.
Items participants will need to complete the activity prior:
computer, internet access, MS Excel or Google Sheets
BioBits® Antibiotics Resistance Lab: visualizing how antibiotics work and mechanisms of antibiotic resistance
Jessica Stark and Ally Huang
The rise of antibiotic resistance and the potential impact it can have on human health is a topic of growing concern. It is important to understand the scientific concepts behind the issue, so we can better make personal and policy decisions concerning the use of antibiotics. In this asynchronous workshop led by BioBits co-developers Jessica Stark (Stanford University) and Ally Huang (miniPCR bio), participants will have the opportunity to perform the BioBits® Antibiotics Resistance lab and learn how this hands-on activity can be used to visualize how antibiotics work and mechanisms of antibiotic resistance. In the activity, participants will express a fluorescent protein, learn how to inhibit this protein synthesis through the addition of antibiotics, and experimentally assess how the antibiotics themselves can be inhibited by naturally occurring mechanisms. Protein expression will be carried out in the BioBits® cell-free system, which allows participants to express proteins by simply adding the relevant DNA to the freeze-dried, cell-free BioBits® pellet. The pellets contain all the necessary molecular components for protein expression, allowing for a quick and easy reaction that does not require cell culture, complicated protocols, or expensive equipment. The lab requires only a micropipette and a blue light transilluminator, making it easy to complete at home. After completing the lab activity on their own, participants will join the lab discussion, where we will review the lab results, go over the biological concepts covered in the lab, share our experiences in running this activity with teachers and students, and discuss how to implement and teach the lab in the laboratory or distance learning settings. (miniPCR bio will distribute the reagents and equipment, as well as provide technical support, for participants to perform the lab at home).
Items participants will need to complete the activity prior:
Participants will need gloves, micropittes, and pipette tips. Additional materials will be shipped to those registered by the early bird deadline.
A Six Elements Method for Teaching Scientific Writing at Scale
A. Daniel Johnson
Scientific communication helps students learn to state problems and present claims precisely, summarize evidence to support those claims, and demonstrate their reasoning. Regular scientific writing with expert feedback is particularly effective at developing critical and applied thinking process skills. We developed a data-rich Six Elements Method for teaching scientific writing in our multi-section introductory biology courses. It is based in education research and proven practices from the Writing Across the Curriculum/ Writing in Disciplines (WAC/WID) literature. The general method can be repurposed to a variety of courses. In 2020, we tested our approach in online labs, and found it works equally well with only minor adjustments. This workshop and discussion will focus on instructor pre-training, active learning exercises for students, and bins-based grading. Participants will complete two activities that we use as pre-workshop assignments. The first activity is an undergraduate text annotation exercise. After completing it, participants will see how we use compiled data to adjust our writing instruction strategy. For the second pre-session activity, participants will use our bins-based grading model to score 3-4 sample student reports from our archives. This is the same training exercise that we use to prepare graduate TAs to grade student reports. The synchronous discussion will focus on participants’ questions about the process, and their local implementation challenges. Challenges, suggestions, and possible solutions collected from participants will be included in the final workshop article.
Items participants will need to complete the activity prior:
computer, internet access
Measuring Evolution: Peppered Moths
Randi L Mewhort and Doug Mewhort
This lab is designed to be done by students asynchronously using two websites that each differently illustrate the classic natural selection example of the peppered moth. The exercise was developed as on online alternative to Marion’s (2020) lab. While Marion’s (2020) lab was the inspiration, we modified the direction of the lab to best fit the online environment in combination with our learning goals The learning outcomes for this lab are to experience natural selection through the first simulation, to use Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium as a null hypothesis for populations at specific times, and evaluate if populations have experienced evolution (significant changes in allele numbers) over time using the second model. While a peppered moth simulation was available on the NetLogoWeb site, it did not accurately represent the population or genetics of the moths as it used asexual reproduction. We modified the program to more accurately simulate the population and provide students with a more realistic representation of these difficult evolutionary processes.
Items participants will need to complete the activity prior:
computer, internet access, Google Drive (link will be sent)
Food fights and avian interactions: investigating dominance hierarchies at bird feeders
Kathy Winnett-Murray and Lori Hertel
Birds play major roles in many significant ecosystem functions and provide rich opportunities for sharpening the observation skills of undergraduate students exploring ecology, behavior, and general biology. In this investigation, students collect data on displacements at bird feeders, using natural field sites and/or live web cams, to model dominance hierarchies using the Clutton-Brock Index (CBI) modified to use for interspecific interactions. Students then analyze data to explore a variety of questions about bird behavior and interspecific interactions that may include student-generated hypotheses. Examples of questions included in this exercise are whether dominance hierarchies are transient or consistent across sites, how species composition may vary among feeder locations, and comparisons of behaviors that may derive from either bird or site-specific characteristics.
Items participants will need to complete the activity prior:
computer, internet access, MS Excel, MS. Powerpoint, calculator
Development of an Inquiry-Based Laboratory Lesson Focusing on the Usage and Benefits of Rain Gardens
Jacquelyn Lomino and Brian M Forster
Runoff occurs during storm events when rain lands on impervious surfaces. The harmful effects of runoff can include physical property damage and the transportation of pollutants through stormwater drains into local waterways. One way to mitigate these effects is through rain gardens. A rain garden can absorb runoff since they are typically placed in a depression in the ground. The garden is made up of a mixture of soil that allows the runoff to infiltrate into the ground easily. It also includes a collection of native plants to help promote biodiversity and help filter any pollutants the runoff might have collected. At our university, we have two rain gardens. We have designed an inquiry-based laboratory activity for non-science majors taking an environmental science class to compare and contrast the two gardens. Students examine the topography, soil and biodiversity of the two gardens. Students also investigate whether any water pollutants are found in the gardens. Based on these measurements and observations, the students then decide which rain garden they feel is more effective in mitigating stormwater runoff. This lab has been offered both in a face-to-face setting as well as online due to COVID-19. Participants in this session will complete the lab activity portion using the online version. Participants will also see how this activity can be adapted for rain gardens in or around their universities.
Items participants will need to complete the activity prior:
computer, internet access, Google Maps, Adobe Acrobat Reader
Proposal Details
The proposal deadline was December 31, 2020 (extended from November 30). The application process included an online Application Form which incorporated the upload of a PDF or MS Word document containing:
- Workshop title and name(s)of presenters
- Abstract describing the proposed workshop (300 words maximum)
- Student laboratory handout (what students in the class would be given)
- A list of equipment and supplies needed for a class of 25 students
- Notes for the Instructor on how the experiment works
- Sample results
- A description of how you will present the laboratory to conference participants
- Student/TA evaluations of this exercise as a learning experience (optional)
Proposers were asked to specify any software or site access requirements on the application. Collaboration with commercial vendors is appropriate for this conference. Proposers also listed any basic supplies to which a participant will need access (with attention to the fact that participants may not have access to specialty items).
The host may ask presenters to contact commercial vendors for participant access during the session to software or websites. If access cannot be acquired, the presenters may be asked to present their workshop in a different format.
Timeline
- Proposal deadline was December 31, 2020 (extended from November 30)
- Notification of acceptance by selection committee by February 1, 2021
- Conference program announced on the ABLE website around the beginning of March 2021. This announcement will include the abstract from your application. Each Major workshop is given one conference registration fee waiver. This waiver of registration does not include the required ABLE membership fee for the membership year following the conference (currently $35).
- Binder materials (electronic form of student lab exercise, instructor notes, preparation instructions, equipment and materials list, information about sources and suppliers for materials, and if possible student evaluation feedback on this lab) due in April 2021 usually – an email will go out to primary presenters giving the exact date. We strongly suggest this material follows the format needed for our annual publication, Advances in Biology Laboratory Education, to save you additional editing later. For samples see previous articles and the specific Publication guidelines for Major Workshops. The binder materials will be submitted to the conference host committee.
- During July or August 2021, you will be sent the peer review comments about your workshop to guide your final edit of the chapter before submitting to the publication editor.
- Edited chapter of your lab due by October 1, 2021, submitted via the ABLE website, for our annual publication
- Upon publication (~May 2022), each workshop will receive a $200 honorarium.
Publication Information
Lab Discussion leaders are expected to submit a complete manuscript for publication in the conference proceedings following the conference. Please see https://www.ableweb.org/volumes/ for samples of Advances in Biology Laboratory Education (formerly Tested Studies in Laboratory Teaching). Manuscript guidelines and due dates can be found in the author guidelines. In addition to the peer review screening during the selection of workshops, three other peer review stages give the presenter useful feedback before the laboratory exercise is published in the conference proceedings:
- A short session evaluation is solicited from the approximately 20 participants at the end of the workshop sessions;
- A more detailed written assessment is solicited from 2 participants in the workshop sessions;
- The Proceedings Editors review the manuscript and provide final suggestions.