Microbe Library
http://www.microbelibrary.org/index.asp
Dear Microbiology Educators;
As you prepare for the spring semester, MicrobeLibrary is pleased to offer freely recently published Curriculum Collection activities and a Journal of Microbiology and Biology Education (JMBE) article.
Curriculum Collection activities are peer-reviewed and promote active learning in undergraduate microbiology. The classroom activities and laboratory exercises are developed by faculty at diverse institutions and include inquiry-based field-tested materials, student-driven activities, case-based problems, and ideas for independent and/or research projects. All activities require an assessment of student learning.
JMBE features articles driven by outcomes-based research in student learning. JMBE recognizes educators who are at the forefront of cognitive research in microbiology and biology education.
The activities and article below are available freely in pdf format at the MicrobeLibrary website until March 1. Please incorporate these ideas into your curriculum or share them with colleagues who may be interested.
Finally, we wish to extend our thanks to the authors of the materials and reviewers. Without submissions from the biology education community and committed reviewers, MicrobeLibrary could not continue to grow.
Sincerely,
Jean A. Cardinale
Chair, Curriculum Resources Editorial Committee
Alfred University, Alfred, NY 14802
Jeffrey Byrd
Co Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Microbiology and Biology Education
St. Mary's College of Maryland, St Mary’s City, MD 20686
Christopher Woolverton
Co Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Microbiology and Biology Education
Kent State University, Kent, OH 44242-0001
NEW RESOURCES
Curriculum Collection
Active learning classroom and laboratory exercises
Modifying the Kirby-Bauer Antibiotic Susceptibility Exercise to Promote Active Learning (pdf)
By D. Sue Katz and Kathryn Leyva
The Kirby-Bauer antimicrobial susceptibility test can be modified to provide students the opportunity for enhanced learning by comparing their data and discussing the ramifications of their results. The active learning helps students to identify and correct several common misconceptions. The misconceptions addressed include: that the particular organism they tested will give invariable results, that any culture of a species is identical to other cultures of that species, that differences in technique will not be reflected in the experimental results, and that sensitivity testing is not a necessary adjunct to appropriate treatment.
Build A Bacterium Scavenger Hunt (pdf)
By Janelle Hare
In this activity, each student is provided with a worksheet and three index cards. Each card indicates a different cell part (e.g., lipopolysaccharide, capsule, DNA). Students are placed in small groups and given a written scenario regarding a bacterium with a certain goal it must carry out. They must work together to decide what cell parts are needed to form the basic structure of any cell as well as to carry out the specific functions required by their scenario. To “build” their bacterium, they must negotiate and trade index cards with other groups to acquire their desired cell parts.
Journal of Microbiology and Biology Education (JMBE)
Articles driven by outcomes-based research in student learning
Development of Higher-Level Cognitive Skills In a Learner-Centered Lab on Extensions of Mendelian Inheritance Using Drosophila (pdf)
By Pamela A. Marshall
Students can have difficulty comprehending complex concepts in science. They can memorize the definition but do not understand the underlying biological principles. In the Fundamentals of Genetics course at Arizona State University at the West campus, students grapple with the topic of “extensions of Mendelism.” Additionally, in lab, students are challenged by scoring phenotypes that are not binary. Both of these concepts require that students understand not only inheritance but also the principles of protein structure and function. A genetics laboratory exercise was developed that combines study of some extensions of Mendelian inheritance with practice in manipulating Drosophila melanogaster and scoring subtle and variable phenotypes. Students analyze Drosophila with mutations that demonstrate some extensions of Mendelian inheritance: temperature sensitivity, variable expressivity, incomplete penetrance, multiple alleles, dosage compensation, and gene dosage effect. The phenotypes in some of these mutants differ from individual to individual and are difficult to discern; thus, students also gain experience in investigating challenging phenotypes. Pre- and postlab assessments indicate that performing this exercise increased students’ mastery of the molecular basis of extensions of Mendelian inheritance and their abilities in scoring and manipulating flies. This is a discovery-based lab exercise in which students examine some extensions of Mendelian inheritance and gain experience in analyzing complex traits in Drosophila.
UPCOMING DEADLINES
February 1 – Submission deadline for JMBE manuscripts
March 1 – Submission deadline for FOME Spring Issue
March 1 – Submission deadline for Curriculum and Visual Collections
MicrobeLibrary.org Updates are brought to you by Erica Suchman, Chair of the ASM Committee on Technology-Enhanced Education.