Date: May, 2008
Department: Biological Sciences & Geology
Course: BI-202: General Biology I
Curriculum or Curricula: Associate in Science (A.S.) Degrees in Health Sciences, Environmental
Health, and Liberal Arts and Science.
PART I. STUDENT LEARNING OBJECTIVES
For Part I, attach the summary report (Tables 1-4) from the QCC Course Objectives Form.
TABLE 1. EDUCATIONAL CONTEXT
Course: BI-202 - General Biology I
Curricula: Associate in Science (A.S.) Degrees in Health Sciences, Environmental Health, and Liberal Arts and Science.
BI-202 is the second part of a two-semester sequential course in General Biology. This entry-level course is required for the
Health Sciences and Environmental Health curricula and it can be used to fulfill part of the science concentration for Liberal
Arts and Science students. It serves as a preparation for the pursuit of a bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences or
Chemistry, and equally well as a foundation for professional programs (physical therapy, occupational therapy, physician’s
assistant, medical laboratory technology, environmental health, medicine etc.). The course also fulfills the lab science
requirement for other students, but is not recommended, since there are lab science courses designed for the non-scientist
which are of more general interest.
TABLE 2. CURRICULAR OBJECTIVES
Note: Include in this table curriculum-specific objectives that meet Educational Goals 1 and 2:
Curricular objectives addressed by this course:
1. Environmental Health:
Students demonstrate mastery of science required for transfer to BS program in Environmental Health
2. Health Sciences:
Demonstrate an understanding of the principles of Chemistry and how they are fundamental to all living systems.
3.
4.
TABLE 3. GENERAL EDUCATION OBJECTIVES
Gen ed
objective’s ID
number from
list (1-10)
#4
#5
#9
#3
General educational objectives addressed by this course: Select from preceding list.
(1.) use analytical reasoning to identify issues or problems and evaluate evidence in order to make
informed decisions
(2.) reason quantitatively and mathematically as required in their fields of interest and in everyday
life
(3.) work collaboratively in diverse groups directed at accomplishing learning objectives
(4.) communicate effectively through reading, writing, listening and speaking
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TABLE 4: COURSE OBJECTIVES AND STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
Course objectives
Learning outcomes
1. Students will learn how changes in allelic
Students will
a. use stimulations to generate allelic frequencies
frequencies affect the population
2. Students will use equations to analyze and
interpret data.
3. Students will observe prepared slides of
bacteria, and perform gram staining.
4. Students will propose a hypothesis about
ecological succession in aging milk.
5. Students will observe ecological
succession in aging milk.
6. Students will perform bacterial
transformation and observe results of the
transformation the following lab period.
Students will write a lab report in scientific
paper form.
7. Students will observe prepared slides and
live cultures of representative protists and
fungi.
8. Students will describe the distinguishing
characteristics of nonvascular plants and
seedless vascular plants. Students will
describe the organization of cells, tissues and
organs in woody and herbaceous plants.
9. Students will describe the similarities and
differences in organs and body form that
allow invertebrates to carry out body
functions.
10. Students will describe how form and
function are related in a representative
vertebrate, the fetal pig.
Students will
a. use the Hardy-Weinberg equation to reach conclusions about population changes
b. represent data in a bar graph
Students will
a. describe bacterial structure
b. identify gram negative, gram positive and gram variable bacteria
Students will
a. based on knowledge and prior lab exercises students will suggest the dominant
organisms in samples of aging milk.
Students will
a. compare and record environmental conditions in aging chocolate and plain milk.
b. work in groups to analysis data and draw conclusions
.
Students will
a. prepare bacteria cells to take up a plasmid DNA.
b. use knowledge to predict the results of the transformation
c. work in groups to discuss unexpected results.
d. write an individual lab report
Students will
a. observe prepared slides using the low, intermediate, and high powers in compound
microscope
b. make wet mount of selected protists
c. work in groups to compare alga in terms of body form and characteristics
d. groups share observations with the class
Students will
a. examine living plants and dead trees to observe structures in the shoot, leaf and root
b. work in groups to hypothesize about the function of each structure
c. work in groups to prepare a chart comparing structure and function of plant cells,
tissues and organs.
Students will
a. observe prepared slides and preserved animals
b. work in groups to prepare a chart comparing excretory system, locomotion, support
system, segmentation, appendages and nervous system organization.
Students will
a. work in pairs to dissect fetal pig and hypothesize about the function of each organ and
organ system
b. work in parts to create and chart comparing structure and function of organ and organ
systems
PART II. ASSIGNMENT DESIGN: ALIGNING OUTCOMES, ACTIVITIES, AND
ASSESSMENT TOOLS
TABLE 5: OBJECTIVES ADDRESSED IN ASSESSMENT ASSIGNMENT
Course Objective(s) selected for assessment: (select from Table 4)
Students will write a report on their bacterial transformation experiment in scientific paper format.
Curricular Objective(s) selected for assessment: (select from Table 2)
Students will demonstrate an understanding of the principles of Chemistry and how they are fundamental to all living systems.
General Education Objective(s) addressed in this assessment: (select from Table 3)
Students will reason quantitatively and mathematically as required in their fields of interest and in everyday life.
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TABLE 6: ASSIGNMENT, OUTCOMES, ACTIVITIES, AND ASSESSMENT TOOLS
Briefly describe the assignment that will be assessed: Over two Students will learn to prepare competent bacterial cells,
prepare DNA, transform bacterial cells with plasmid DNA that contains a marker gene and a selection gene. Working in pairs students will
streak bacteria on prepared agar plates. The following lab period, students will determine if transformation was successful and analyze any
unexpected results. Students will use data to prepare an individual lab report written in scientific paper format.
Desired student learning outcomes
for the assignment
(Students will…)
Briefly describe the range of
activities student will engage in
for this assignment.
What assessment tools will be
used to measure how well
students have met each learning
outcome?
1. Students will learn bacterial transformation
a. In lab 3, students will using sterile
technique prepare competent bacterial
cells, transform bacteria cells, and streak
bacteria on prepared agar plates.
A. Calculation of bacterial transformation
efficiency
2. Students will incorporate lecture material as
background information
3. Students will work in teams to conduct the
experiment, record and analyze data
4. Students will report their group’s results to
the class
5. Students will write and submit individual lab
reports
b. In lab 4, students assess the results of
experiment and determine if transformation
was successful.
c. Working in groups students record data
and report results to the class.
d. Students write individual lab reports in
the scientific paper format.
(GEN ED OBJECTIVES # 2, 3, 7, 9)
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B. Instructor circulates through the lab
monitoring progress.
C. Oral questions
D. Written lab reports
PART III. ASSESSMENT STANDARDS (RUBRICS)
TABLE 7: ASSESSMENT STANDARDS (RUBRICS)
Brief description of assignment: (Copy from Table 6 above)
Over two labs, students will learn to perform a quantitative assay of enzyme activity by measuring the amount of oxygen produced by catalase
reaction, complete a written PreLab assignment, work in teams to determine the optima (pH, Temperature, concentration) for the enzyme
reaction, report their group’s results to the class, perform an in-class analysis of a sample lab report using a rubric and write a report on their
experiment in the scientific paper format.
Desired student learning
outcomes from the
assignment: (Copy from
Column 1, Table 6 above;
include Educational Goals
and/or General Education
Objectives addressed)
Assessment measures for
each learning outcome:
(Copy from Column 3,Table 6
above)
Standards for student performance:
 Describe the standards or rubrics for
measuring student achievement of each
outcome in the assignment.
 Give the percentage of the class that is
expected to meet these outcomes
 If needed, attach copy(s) of rubrics.
1. Students will perform bacterial
transformation.
A. Calculation of bacterial
transformation efficiency
A. All students are expected to complete the table and
graph, and answer the questions.
2. Student teams will conduct the
experiment and analyze data
B. Instructor circulates through the lab
monitoring progress.
B. All students are expected to follow the experimental
procedures.
3. Students will report their group’s
results to the class
C. Oral questions
C. All students are expected to answer questions
regarding their experimental results.
4. 6. Students will write and submit
individual lab reports
(GEN ED OBJECTIVES # 2, 3, 7, 9)
F. Written lab reports
F. See Rubric below;
Projected Outcome: 80% A, B or C
BI-202 LAB REPORT RUBRIC
Format
(4 points)
Introduction
(4 points)
Methods
(3 points)
Results
(4 points)
Discussion
(4 points)
References
(1 point)
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








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
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Followed lab report format; size 12 font
Neat and organized with no spelling/grammar errors
Brief review of relevant background information
Original writing (no copying lab hand out verbatim)
Hypothesis clearly stated
Step-by-step list or description of how experiment was performed
Independent and dependent variables clearly identified
Organized written summary of results
Data presented in graphs/tables with appropriate labels
Detailed explanation of results
Conclusions follow data (no wild guesses)
Discuss real world applications of the experiment
Hypothesis is rejected or accepted based on the data
Reasonable explanation for any errors
At least two references
All references are relevant and appropriate
4
Grade
100-90
89-80
79-70
69-60
Below
59
Points
18-20
15-17
12-14
9-11
0-8
PART IV. ASSESSMENT RESULTS
TABLE 8: SUMMARY OF ASSESSMENT RESULTS
Desired student learning outcomes:
(Copy from, Column 1,Table 6 above;
include Educational Goals and/or General
Education Objectives addressed)
1. Students will learn bacterial transformation
Student achievement: Describe the group achievement of each
desired outcome and the knowledge and cognitive processes
demonstrated.
A. All students successfully performed the assay, completed the table and graph,
and answered the questions. The following process/knowledge abilities were
demonstrated:
•
understand and evaluate procedural knowledge
•
understand and evaluate factual knowledge
•
understand and evaluate conceptual knowledge
2. Students will incorporate lecture material as
background information
B. For student learning outcome, 85% of students were able to apply lecture
material to the bacterial transformation experiment
•
understand and evaluate factual knowledge
•
understand and evaluate conceptual knowledge
3. Students will work in teams to conduct the
experiment, record and analyze data
C. All students were able to follow the experimental procedures. The following
process/knowledge abilities were demonstrated:
•
understand and evaluate procedural knowledge
•
understand and evaluate factual knowledge
4. Students will report their group’s results to
the class
5. Students will write and submit individual lab
reports
(GEN ED OBJECTIVES # 2, 3, 7, 9)
D. All student groups were able to answer questions regarding their experimental
results. The following process/knowledge abilities were demonstrated:
•
understand and evaluate procedural knowledge
•
understand and evaluate factual knowledge
•
understand and evaluate conceptual knowledge
E. On learning outcome # 6, 73% of students achieved C or higher. These results
very close to the projected outcome. The following process/knowledge abilities
were demonstrated:
•
understand and evaluate procedural knowledge
•
understand and evaluate factual knowledge
•
understand and evaluate conceptual knowledge
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TABLE 9. EVALUATION AND RESULTING ACTION PLAN.
A. Analysis and interpretation of assessment results:
What does this show about what and how the students learned?
Students working in teams successfully performed bacterial transformation and wrote individual reports in the scientific paper format.
B. Evaluation of the assessment process:
What do the results suggest about how well the assignment and the assessment process worked
both to help students learn and to show what they have learned?
A. All students successfully performed the transformation experiment, completed appropriate calculations. Instructors monitored
group progress and offered suggestions. Students who were not following the correct procedures were encouraged to repeat the
experiment.
B. All students were able to follow the experimental procedures. Sufficient time was allotted so that students who were not initially
successful could repeat the experiment.
C. All student groups were able to answer questions regarding their experimental results. Each group resented a graph of their results
to the class and then answered questions during a whole class discussion.
D. On the individual lab reports, 90% of students achieved C or higher. These results exceeded the projected outcome, perhaps
because some of these students had experience doing lab reports in BI 201.
C. Resulting action plan:
Based on A and B, what changes, if any, do you anticipate making?
The assignment selected for assessment in the Spring 2008 pilot, was first implemented in fall 2007.
A, B, C & D No changes are needed.
E. Greater emphasis will be placed on classroom management. Timely completion of the experiment depends on the students’
organizational and laboratory skills. Those who complete the exercise early can work with the instructor in assisting those having
difficulty so that sufficient time can be allotted for analysis of the sample lab report.
F. BI-202 instructors will meet to discuss the possibility of a pre-lab assignment.
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