Course Syllabus
Course: BIOL 2915
Division: Natural Science and Math
Department: Biology
Title: Undergraduate Research
Semester Approved: Spring 2018
Five-Year Review Semester: Spring 2023
End Semester: Spring 2024
Catalog Description: This course provides an opportunity for students to apply knowledge and techniques learned in classroom settings to actual research experience. No more than six students will assist one faculty member in that person's research. Students will receive faculty direction for at least one hour a week and lab research participation will usually range from two to four hours weekly. A short summary will be required to be presented to a small, in-lab seminar of interested students and faculty at end of semester. An additional fee is required for consumables.
Semesters Offered: TBA
Credit/Time Requirement: Credit: 2; Lecture: 1; Lab: 2
Repeatable: Yes.
Prerequisites: BIOL 1610 & BIOL 1615 or Permission of the Instructor
Justification: Actual hands-on experience in lab and field research has given a significant number of Snow College Biology students the opportunity to enter into research programs at transfer institutions such as Utah State University, Brigham Young University, University of Utah, etc. A number of professional programs require such research as a prerequisite for admission. This course is repeatable and will be under the direction of individual faculty members engaged in research.
Student Learning Outcomes:
Undergraduate research students will develop good research habits, particularly in making observations, note-taking and data-recording, and data analysis along with integrity of process. Students will demonstrate this through technique and equipment demonstrations, written summaries, lab notebook completion, and oral presentations.
Undergraduate research students will practice and perfect techniques specific to a given research project. Students will demonstrate this through technique and equipment demonstrations, written summaries, lab notebook completion, and oral presentations.
Undergraduate research students will be encouraged to draw connections to research in professional publications. Students will demonstrate this through technique and equipment demonstrations, written summaries, lab notebook completion, and oral presentations.
Undergraduate research students will prepare a short summary to be presented to a small, in-lab seminar of interested students and faculty. Students will demonstrate this through technique and equipment demonstrations, written summaries, lab notebook completion, and oral presentations.
Content:
Content will be specific to the particular research topic addressed. Some examples of previous undergraduate research include root beer fermentation parameters, diatom culture, cellulose synthase gene PCR and analysis, cloning of plasmid color markers into public expression vectors, cloning and analysis of mutant color genes, analysis of Serratia marcescens mutant pigment-overproducer, sunscreen tests using Serratia marcescens, isolation of Salmonella contaminants in turkey agricultural systems, etc.
Key Performance Indicators:
Students in the undergraduate research lab are assessed in the following ways:
Attendance 20 to 40%
Lab Notebooks 20 to 40%
Research Techniques and Equipment Demonstrations 5 to 20%
Short Summary 15 to 25%
Oral Presentation 0 to 10%
Representative Text and/or Supplies:
These will be handouts, research papers, etc. specific to the research project.
Pedagogy Statement:
This course will use hands-on lab and field experiences.
Instructional Mediums:
Lecture/Lab
Maximum Class Size: 6
Optimum Class Size: 2
