INTRODUCTORY BIOLOGY 151/152 FACULTY-STAFF MEETING
January 18, 2005
Background Materials
Contents
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III.
Student learning goals and objectives (from May 2004 faculty-staff meeting)
Science content (from August 2004 half-day retreat)
Suggestions for course review (from December 2004 meeting)
I. Student learning goals and objectives (May 2004)
Introductory Biology 151/152 will provide students with a solid foundation in the
fundamental concepts and knowledge base of modern biology and help students develop
the skills that are integral to the process of science. This course provides a coherent
framework for understanding biology and prepares students for their upper-level
courses. We hope also to encourage in students an intellectual excitement for biology
and for science in general.
General comment
Science is hierarchical & historical knowledge builds on knowledge, and process u far
process. We are providing the FOUNDATION upon which the rest of a student’s
biological growth stands. Both process AND content are crucial.
Provide a knowledge base
 Provide exposure to the breadth of the field of biology. Provide knowledge about
the scope of biology—atoms to ecosystems—and about the many ways to be a
biologist. To learn the nature of Nature.
 Provide a coherent framework for understanding major concepts in biology.
 To provide strong grounding/understanding in fundamental concepts of modern
biology. To provide a basic understanding of major biological
concepts/knowledge.
o To have the very basics of biology understood so that all future learning
can strengthen & add to biological knowledge.
o To be able to identify what is known & isn’t known about our
understanding of biology.
 Provide a solid foundation of knowledge base & skills to prepare students for
upper courses. To poise a student well for success in upper level bio courses.
o To introduce concepts & vocabulary to prepare for upper level courses in
biology.
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To give a well-rounded perspective of biology—appreciation of all areas/topics
not just a student’s intended career direction
To educate biologically literate citizens.
Make connections-- within biology and to other sciences
 Make conceptual connections across all levels of organization in biology.
 Emphasize that t biology is about ideas more than facts
 Enable students to be able to cite examples of paradigm shifts in biology
(understand that “facts” change).
 Describe with examples of multiple ways in which biological sub disciplines are
all interconnected.
 Appreciate the central importance of primary producers.
 Make conceptual and content linkages with other learning, especially in
chemistry, physics, applied mathematics
Spark interest/passion/excitement for biology
 Ignite/reinforce a passion for study of biology/nature.
 Communicate that biology is fascinating.
 Get excited about science!
 Spark interest and curiosity about the living world
 Generate interest in how a knowledge of biology is essential to global citizenship
Develop skills
 Practice in what biologists actually do to “study biology” or do research.
Understanding of what biologist do—process of science.
 To understand the scientific method and to know how to critically evaluate
scientific data. Ability to think like a scientist, apply scientific method.
Understand the scientific method. Reason quantitatively.
o To learn how Nature is studied.
o Begin development of scientific/analytical skills—What questions do you
need answers to?
o What information do you need to answer them? What will you do with
that information once you have it?
o Develop skills in identifying/asking questions & determining how to solve
them.
o Be able to integrate disparate information.
 What characterizes biological thinking at a strategic cultural level. E.g. X levels
of analysis. Interest in richness of types.
 Understanding of the scientific process. Process of science—vitally important, but
it can be conveyed fairly quickly, both in lecture & lab—say two weeks. The
basic knowledge & philosophy of each major area should be clearly presented and
they are often different.
 There are many ways of being a valid biologist.
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Provide a learning environment where students can acquire the needed
background and skills necessary to solve biological problem. Provide training—
professional skills (writing, group work, problem solving, stats).
Develop
o learning skills
o communication
o teamwork.
o Practice in using biological knowledge/concepts to solve novel problems.
Use writing to help students get their understanding of biology processes etc.
How to take notes, review material, & take exams.
Understand applications of biology, scientific underpinning of real-world issues
 Application of Biology 151/2 to real world.
 Critical thinking, problem-solving, ability to generate questions surrounding a
problem.
 Understand the science component/underpinning of current issues (e.g. climate
change).
 Use information to critique
o news
o choices – ex. food, lawn care, health.
o “voting”- good citizenship.
 Be able to take a ‘devil’s advocate’ position on issues. (Value of challenge to
status quo).
 Be able to relate information to practical/every day issues. (Communicate with
non-scientists).
 How to apply their knowledge.
o Scientific method applied to biology.
o Be able to apply scientific method (reasoning) to biological issues.
o Understand the basis of our current knowledge of biology.
o Appreciate the unity of biology due to the “central dogma”.
Science content ideas that were also suggested
 Symbiosis def. & examples.
 Evolution as a unifying concept.
o DNA—RNA—Protein
o + details
o + exceptions
 Major Domains/kingdoms of life—Defin. & Examples.
 Understand how natural selection works. Understand how pops evolve. What a
phylogeny is & how to interpret one. Large patterns, timing, in history of life.
Apply logic to biological problems.
 How we are affecting our environment.
 Be able to articulate the important biological concepts that ? fine. The impact of
human activity on the biosphere and the feed back of that effect on human
civilization (s).
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Evolution as a creative process. What is the raw material? Where is the action?
How chemical/physical laws confine behavior at cellular/molecular levels.
Parallels—how organisms have arrived at different solutions to common
problems.
The history of life on earth.
The “fit” between form and function.
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II. Science content of course sections from August 2004
half-day retreat
Participants: Nicole Parma, Linda Graham, Carlos Peralta, Tony Stretton, Steve Gammie,
Jenny Bauman, Andrea Gargas, Bob Jeanne, Tim Allen, Jean Heitz, Bob Goodman, John
Kirsch, Donna Fernandez, David Baum, Sharon Stern, Dave Abbot, Milo Wiltbank, Stan
Dodson, Monica Turner, Brian Manske
Ecology, Evolution and Diversity
Diversity
 Exposure to life's diversity – 3 domains
 Distinctions among major groups (prokaryotes versus eukaryotes, multiple
origins, multicellularity)
 Unity of Earth's life
 Players in the ecological theater
 Role of organisms in influencing life's diversification (O2, CO2, etc)
 Humans are primates
 Life originated once
 Plastids and mitochondria are endosymbiotic bacteria
 Eukaryotes are a clade derived from a prokaryotic grade (three domains)
 Oxygen in the atmosphere is all due to cyanobacteria
 There are many prokaryotic lineages and many eukaryotic clades beside
animals, plants, and fungi
 Animals, plants and fungi represent independent origins of multicellularity
 Life cycles vary among eukaryotes (animals have just one kind)
 “Invertebrates” are paraphyletic
 Arthropods, mollusks, annelids, cnidarians, sponges, and chordates are
distinct groups of animal
 Land plants are just one of several plant-like eukaryotic lineages
 Humans are mammals and primates and have many features of their closest
relatives
 Life has a deep history (humans a shallow one)
Evolution
 Natural selection and other mechanisms of evolution (e.g. genetic drift)
 Darwin's ideas as paradigm shift
 Evolution is a property of populations, not individuals.
 Hardy-Weinberg and assumptions
 Phylogeny as model of evolutionary pattern
o Tree thinking
o Splitting more common than fusion
 Chance and order
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Speciation
Evolution is not Natural Selection
What is a phylogeny and how are they interpreted
Hardy-Weinberg and its assumptions
Natural selections converts stochastic patterns into order
What Darwin represented a paradigm shift
Genetic drift as an inevitable outcome of finite populations
Speciation is required for a tree-like form
Evolution involves changes in the frequency of genes in populations (not
changes in organisms during their life-cycle)
Natural selection is very effective given enough time
Natural selection can only act on heritable variation
Ecology
(Reference ecology vs environmentalism)
 Definition of ecology
 Type of ecology
 Basic population dynamics (why and how of equations)
 Matter and energy flow and cycling (biotic and abiotic)
 Dynamic ecosystems (SA/V)
 Physiological ecology (adaptations & budget)
o Behavior
 Data collection in ecology
 Interactions
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Cell and Genetics
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Containment – Cell structure and function
Systems
o DNA
o Regulation
o Bioinformatics
Response
o Cell communication
o Metabolism
o Mutation
Propagation
o Inheritance
o Genomics
Evolution
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Student "Views" of Science (vs faculty/scientists)
Evolution, diversity
Models (Uses, limitations)
Levels of "causation"
Systems, emergent properties
Dynamics/Interactions\
Biology is a foreign language
Importance of making assumptions explicit
Quantitation is useful/necessary
Accepted scientific understanding changes over time
Structure is related to function; Function is about evolution, not teleology.
Unity and Diversity
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Integrating systems
Homeostasis and feedback
Sensory Perception
The molecular basis of complexity (Evolution)
Structure – Function relationships
Transport systems: Bulk flow/plumbing
Cell communication
Gas Exchange
Water relations
Transport Systems: Pumps/Channels/transporters
Roles of Models and Quantitative Biology
Role of Paradigms
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Notes from general discussion at end of session
What’s missing?
ethology
animal development
immunology
Ideas for unifying
Consider presenting the notion of a system at the beginning of 151
Emergent properties; all levels of scale; and evolution as explicit themes
Consider providing a broad picture of the history of biology meaning how we came to
know/understand what we know today? Possibly touch again at the end of 152?
 Explanations in science change—need to appreciate current state of
knowledge, and that it will change
Scientists make observations and develop questions or problems based on these
Students approach the class, etc. as wanting to know answers/solve problems
Question of uncertainty
Problem solving
How would you attack the problem?
What do you need to know to solve the problem?
What don't we know?
Ideas of models/paradigms – cast this as an opportunity
Understand model; recognize that it doesn't necessarily apply to all
organisms
Learning basic ways of learning/understanding systems
Statistical hypothesis testing
Role of quantitative models and experimental model systems in science—models as
rigorous representation of knowledge and as testable hypotheses. Quantification is
essential in science.
Biological structure and function are related!
Biology as a foreign language—lots of new terms, need to learn the language—why we
have it!
Systems
Containment – Inherent properties of components and interactions
Various levels of complexity: Flows/Feebacks
Response = properties of components
Propagation = dynamics
Idea of systems
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Dynamics
Interactions – Homeostasis/feedback
Range of scales – Ecosystem to molecules
Evolution
-Diversity├
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Molecules
Organisms
Ecosystems
Major transitions: Single celled → Multicelled → Vast diversity
Levels of organization
Emergent Properties
Basket of molecules and cells → organisms with properties different from
individual components (It's not the description of the component parts, but
how they interact.)
Causation – Two levels of:
1) How it works – proximate
2) What is it for, i.e. what is the adaptive value – ultimate
Linguistics (e.g UUU) vs Thermodynamics (mechanisms required to put them together).
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III. Suggestions from 151/152 for questions/issues to
address in a program review
Participants: Sarah Christofferson, Jean Heitz, Allison Kolby, Sheila ___, Herb Wang,
Elaine Klein, Brian Manske, Tony Stretton, Sharon Stern, Karen Steudel, Steve Gammie,
Donna Fernandez, Edgar Spalding, John Kirsch, Carlos Peralta, Seth Blair, Stan Dodson,
Andrea Gargas, Tom Sharkey, Bob Goodman, Monica Turner
Course audience and goals:
 Who are out students?
 What role does 151-152 play for undergraduates in biology?
 How well does 151-152 prepare students for subsequent courses etc?
 Hard look at syllabus/content.
 Facilitating a learning community.
 Content – Lab focus – How to develop a more cohesive lab experience?
 Professional skills development for students
 Advantages of writing requirement?
 152 research experience?
 Statement of vision for course?
Nuts and bolts—how it operates:
 Lecture size – 200 vs. 400
 Documentation about 151-152
o Syllabus
o Faculty
o Enrollment
o Organization
 Is lab/lec/discussion paradigm the best?
 Integration within and between sectionsLab/Lec/Discussion integration
 Documentation of learning
 Adequacy of faculties?
 Resources available to keep labs up to date.
 Is budget appropriate compared to other courses?
 Is staffing appropriate?
 Mechanism to get faculty together to think collectively on issues of
content/pedagogy etc.
 How can we get better evaluations from students?
o Focus groups?
 Comparison with other courses on campus – large enrollment and biology courses
peer institutions
 TA workload issues? Coordinator workload issues, and how positions are
structured?
Administration and adaptation
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How do we set up mechanism to encourage change over time?
Chain of command?
To what extent and how well are chairs compensated?
Elimination of Comm B requirement from CALS?
Teaching load issues – faculty
How does the course want to define faculty participation
Faculty ownership/commitment/recruitment. Correct distribution from
contributing units?
Comment: How to preserve what is good in the face of expansion? Be careful to retain
what is good/valuable! Beware of change for its own sake.
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