Curriculum Samples

Teaching: Curriculum Samples

Biology 331: General Microbiology, offered every fall and spring.

Course Evolution Statement:

Since Fall 2001, this Biology Degree core course has undergone major transitions - all initiated by me either as a result of grant-supported curriculum development projects or department-defined degree alterations. The first significant changes were made to 331 in Fall 2004, including formally designating 331 as a writing intensive (W) course, and increasing lab contact (from 1X3 hours/week to 2X2 hours/week) and overall course credit (4 to 5). Although 331 had previously included an adequate amount of formal (e.g. research paper) and informal (e.g. lab notebook record-keeping) writing (all of which was presented in my last file's presentation of 331) I revised my former single medical research paper (in which students summarized 3 different papers that investigated 3 different pathogens using 3 different molecular methods) to 2 different and separate research paper assignments that better reflected lecture content: a genome research summary and an epidemic analysis paper. Meanwhile, I shifted molecular research method summaries into lab, developing new assignments in which students located and described research data using specific methods - including downloading original data images from on-line journal articles that use advanced/expensive methods like microarrays and FISH.

In terms of increasing lab contact hours, a significant impetus for this credit/course change was the 2002 renewal of my NSF/MO grant, which provided funds for new equipment and release time so I could incorporate more advanced molecular methods (DNA isolation, fingerprinting, sequence analysis, and bioinformatics) into 331. Previously, these methods had only been available to a small number of advanced majors (2-10/year) who elected to take Molecular Biology (Bi475). For a variety of reasons, I increased the lab to 2X2 hours/week. In general, bi-weekly meeting times are more standard for majors-level microbiology labs because session one is typically devoted to culture setup, session two (following growth) to analysis. In addition to allowing me to significantly expand culture-dependent activities (see lab curriculum advances, later below), the new lab schedule has proven ideal for culture-independent (i.e. molecular-based) activities.

Over the course of 2004, departmental retreats and discussions determined that Biology Degrees should be divided into more specialty track options (e.g. pre-professional health, molecular/cell, botany, ecology, etc.). In addition to being asked to develop a new majors-level course and lab in Microbiology Ecology (to be required for the ecology track, approved and likely to run in 2009), I also proposed an advanced majors-only Medical Microbiology course (an elective for both pre-professional health and molecular/cell tracks, approved and scheduled to run in 2007). As a result of these new courses - and to concomitantly reduce what seemed to be an inflating Biology Degree core - I returned 331 back to 4 credits via the elimination of 1 lecture hour; these changes came into effect in fall 2005 and have been truly satisfactory to teach given that I believe a robust, active, and hands-on lab should comprise half of my course experiences.

Course Materials Evolution Statement

In terms of lecture revisions and advances, I will summarize with the following. Since my last review, I have continued to use emerging editions of Brock's Biology of Microorganisms (the best in the field, in my professional opinion - and after reviewing 3 other options). Although the price of this text is great (over $120 for a new edition), the bookstore and I have worked hard to maintain old editions a year beyond their expiration. I also plan on using this text for my new Microbial Ecology course so students do not have to buy another expensive book (as an aside: Medical Microbiology will require a different text and I have already chosen a reasonably-priced paperback). 331 was the second course I converted to Powerpoint (in 2004), which I have maintained (but adjusted annually) ever since. Although students are provided with note outlines for all lectures (either for sale in the bookstore or on-line), they know that I add and annotate slides with text-supported images and verbal commentary, all of which is helpful for exam pointers and hints. I also make a strong point to do chalk-talks during or at the end of about a third of my lectures, emphasizing cell structures and processes, and study tables students should develop to synthesize names, classification, and significance of the many organisms covered in this diverse course.

As with my previous file, I continue to write and provide my own original lab procedures, a cost savings that, in part, makes up for the expensive text. Since 2001, I have made significant changes as a result of expanded lab time/credit and new equipment. Case in point: for my last review, student teams completed only 5 projects: introductory methods, genetic transformation, a 4-week enrichment/identification project (1 of 4 different projects - river, phototrophs, nitrogen fixation, or soil), an on-line project working with DNA sequence databases and phylogenetic trees, and isolating plasmids. Now, student teams complete 10 projects, developing illustrated on-line reports for each assignment using grant-acquired lab computers and digital cameras. 60% of the lab projects are devoted to culture-dependent methods, with all student teams completing ALL of the following: introductory methods (more emphasis on enumeration and microscopy), soil (more emphasis on antibiotics and enzyme biotechnology), river (dual emphasis on bioremediation and waterborne bacterial illness), phototrophs (new fluorescence microscopy and spectrophotometry equipment), nitrogen cycling (new lithotrophs and anaerobe enrichments), a new yeast/fermentation lab that emphasizes industry quality assurance testing. The remaining 40% of the lab projects are devoted to culture-independent/DNA-based methods, with all student teams completing ALL of the following (all using original research samples from my ongoing NSF/MO-supported Yellowstone project): plasmid isolation, gel electrophoresis/DNA fingerprinting, DNA sequence analysis/PCR, DNA-based identification using on-line database information. To address occasional student concerns about team-based projects, I have added individual assignment components to ALL projects (e.g. turning in purified culture streak plates) and on-line reports (the aforementioned methods-based research data assignments) - which better tracks and rewards personal responsibility. This schedule has allowed me, over time, to shift significant former lecture content (e.g. biotechnology, DNA-based identification/classification approaches, waterborne diseases) into the lab. It should be noted that 331 labs have been featured in national meetings presentations (both NSF and ASM), and 2 on-line/peer-reviewed curriculum-based publications (with 2 more in preparation); specific abstracts and papers are provided in the Research/Publications section.