Fall 2010
STUDENT COURSE EVALUATION
MLSCI 240 MICROBIOLOGY LAB
This evaluation gives you the opportunity to express your views on the laboratory component of MLSCI
240 course and how it is being taught. Any input would be greatly appreciated. Please use space below
questions or the back of the sheets for any additional comments.
Circle one response for each item, using the following scale:
1 - almost never
2 - infrequently
3 - occasionally
4 - often
5 - almost always
Valentin Villatoro (Tino) is the lab instructor for this course.
1
2
3
4
5
1. The labs helped me understand important aspects of the subject.
0
0
2
7
16
2. The clinical significance of the labs was emphasized adequately.
0
0
2
13 10
3. The objectives of the labs were helpful in learning the material presented.
0
1
2
10 12
4. The lab instructor was accessible.
0
0
0
3
22
5. The lab instructor was well prepared.
0
0
1
5
19
6. The lab instructor treated the students with respect.
0
0
0
1
24
7. The exams were reasonable in length and difficulty.
0
0
1
13 10
8. The lab instructor evaluated me fairly.
0
0
0
6
9.
19
What aspects of the microbiology lab did you like best and least?
- Best: Doing the tests. I liked doing the unknowns and following my flow charts. Least: Not
enough time to do our first unknowns because we were doing another lab at the same time.
Trying to determine proper colonial morphology – need to have more practice and places to
compare. Can’t tell difference between white & grey, dry & wet, etc.
- Micro intimidates me… but it’s getting better/easier! One thing I find very difficult is the
expectations around written reporting and the shorthand notation used. It feels like we are
expected to know how to report everything the right way, when many of us don’t have any
background in micro. The first week was really had with reporting colonial morphology –
before learning about ANY of the “distinguishing” features of any of the organisms.
- Best – the unknowns. Least – all the memorization involved.
- I liked that we got many opportunities to practice streaking techniques and working on
unknowns. Demo bench sometimes has too much to copy down.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
10.
I liked how we get to see what tests are done for a specific genus and species for a bacteria,
and it’s very hands on. What I like least is sometimes I forget that the bacteria are contagious
or dangerous and I keep touching my face.
Best – working in the lab with unknowns and learning new procedures. Least – sometimes
labs were rushed or were delayed in time.
It was interesting to learn & the unknowns were extremely helpful in learning the material.
Getting to do the tests for a second time was helpful. Keep the quizzes as they really helped
in preparation for final.
Best: the hands on aspect helps clarify what we learn in class. Least: the amount of
memorization required.
I do not like the demo bench. It always feels like I’m missing something. I like that we do
each species one at a time which makes it easier to remember/learn.
I liked all aspects of the lab, especially all the diagnosing parts. I didn’t dislike anything.
The quizzes really made us study and make sure we know the material. The unknowns were
stressful but prepared us for quizzes and the exam.
Best: quick paced with lots of hands on work. Least: lots of material that doesn’t appear to be
highly relevant.
Definitely did not like having 2 different TA’s on the different days. I would rather have the
lab instructor and one other TA. Otherwise I enjoyed learning new things and procedures and
the lectures before lab were really helpful.
I liked learning the order of the tests for each organism and logically why you would be
doing each test in that order. I least liked learning the principle behind each test and the demo
bench items.
Best: hands on learning, lecture than lab format outlined details and important aspects really
well, able to do labs independently at own pace. Least: having two TA’s resulted in a lot of
inconsistencies and confusion. Got better later in the term though.
Growing, identifying, seeing results are the best. Hate the fact many tests we do one, so not a
lot of reinforcement.
The fact that we were allowed to do various tests on different bacterial species and learn how
to evaluate each test. Though that the colonial morphology should have been gone through
more or give us more examples of different types.
Best: the practical (hands on) section, which we were setting up tests.
The different experiments that we do each lab is fun and it helps to understand concepts
behind the reason why we do each test. Fridays are usually short which is a bonus to the labs
on Thursday and Friday.
Best: definitely the funnest lab (except heme, I enjoy them both equally). The unknowns are
fun! It’s like a puzzle! Least: I don’t know. I thoroughly enjoy the labs. Although not eating
dorritos for a while made me sad because of that one bacteria!
I love everything about micro labs. Dealing with the different microbes and learning the
theory and practicality behind the different species, genera, and tests is so interesting. Tino
helps make the labs even better; he’s so enthusiastic and genuinely wants to help, plus he’s
personable and just and all around cool guy. There’s not much I don’t like about the labs.
Best: the hands on learning. I remember better. Least: the demos are good, but I don’t
remember them as well.
Best – doing the tests and plating organisms. Least – some of the demo benches didn’t seem
that useful.
Best – it’s well laid out and organized. Least – smell!
What suggestions would you give to improve the labs?
-
-
-
More info on colonial morphology & comparison plates – α hemolysis, sm vs med vs ty, wh
vs gy, green? Would like to have some plates to view differences side by side.
It would be great if the labs did not go over 4 o’clock each Thursday by like an hour.
Have some of the Thursday labs be shorter so we don’t go past 4:00.
The suggestions would be to have images of what the bacteria look like or a BAP because
white and gray is hard to differentiate.
If the prelab lecture notes (in PowerPoint) could be more consistent, e.g. one week there is
colonial morphology & a flow chart & then another week there isn’t. There is a lot of info on
green pages that was never used, or discussed.
One would be to go over what is done in the clinical lab more so, like more instructions on
direct smears.
More unknowns! Now that the first few are done, we know the procedures and they are really
useful study tools.
Cut down some of the material. It was extremely intimidating at first. Great first semester.
Impressed this is only your first year teaching.
Lab was okay. Maybe explain to TA’s the objectives and procedures before lab too because
sometimes they were unsure.
I would get rid of the demo bench – or give a set of notes along with it so we better
understand what is showing and also so we can study from it more easily.
Have some sort of consistency between two TA’s before teaching the lab to a group.
Somehow a little more reinforcement of test procedures, so many, get mixed up.
Don’t really have any. It was generally informative, fun, and good experience.
Often a few of us would be done and have to wait for the rest to finish before moving on so
sometimes it would be nice to be able to work at our own pace.
Maybe when putting on reagents, etc on bench for us to use number them and a page on table
with the list of reagents and their corresponding number, because I remember for unknowns I
didn’t notice on of plates that were on the bench.
More interactive demos rather than copying the information down at the demo bench.
Give Thursday labs a 3 hour period!
Nothing really. Everything is good already.
Less info on the demos.
Sometimes the theory of the tests in the lab manuals were a little convoluted.
No colored papers! Or at least not neon.