Assessment

Pre-Labs (2 points per assignment)

• Available as quizzes on Canvas
• Scores will automatically load into your gradebook once completed
• Due ½ hour before the start of lab

In-Lab Investigations (4 points per lab)

• 2 points are completion points – quick flip check during signatures
• 2 points are content mastery demonstrated via signature questions

Quizzes

• Given in class
• Each question must be worth a minimum of 0.25 points and a maximum of 2 points
• Quiz questions should assess student understanding of the lab learning outcomes. Please be prepared to identity which learning outcome your quiz question assesses.
• About 20% of the quiz should be composed of ‘higher order thinking questions’ based on Bloom’s Taxonomy.

PTC Results and Discussion/ Press Release (10 points)

• Due week 6
• Students will write a results and discussion section and a press release regarding the PTC analysis conducted in class.
• Rubrics for both assignments are available in the lab manual and on the Canvas site.

Terrestrial Ecology Project (44 points)

• Students will participate in a course-wide project at the Oak Creek Watershed where they will study plant community ecology at the site to evaluate the effect of false brome invasion. Students will develop their own scientific question based on the data collection procedure, collet data during week 7 following the outlined procedure, analyze data in week 8 and write up a final report which is due week 10.
• See lab manual for details and rubrics.

Skills Tests – Using Pipettes (10 points) and Chi-Square Test (10 points)

• Students must meet with a TA individually either during lab or during the lead TA’s office hours to demonstrate their ability to use a microscope and make a wet mount slide (see rubrics in lab manual for more details).
• Skills tests should be scheduled by the TAs (see guidelines on Canvas).
• These tests are pass/fail – no partial credit available, but 2 attempts possible.
• First attempt must be completed by week 8 of the term.
• Final attempt must be completed by week 10 of the term.

Scientific Communication Assignments (2 points each for a total of 4 points)

• Students will take pictures of things that we explore in lab, create meaningful captions for each picture and post them to social media to teach the general public about what students are learning in lab!
• The first post is due by week 5 and the second by week 10
• See manual for more details and rubrics.

Sample Syllabus

Biology 223: Principles of Biology Laboratory Syllabus

Spring 20XX

Section 025: Tuesday 8am – 10:50am, Room 226, Weniger Hall

Lead TA:

Email:

Office Hour:

TA Mailbox Room: Weniger 114C

Credits: 4

Assistant TA:

Teaching Intern:

Office Location: Weniger 139 (Vole Hole)

CRN: 50238

Pre/Co-Requisite: Life Science Major, CHEM (see course catalog for specific course numbers)

Required Materials

Kayes, L. et al. 2019. Socio-Scientific Issues in Biology, Hayden-McNeil (available in bookstore)

Learning Outcomes and Concepts

1. Apply the process of science through hypothesis development and experimentation.

2. Use quantitative reasoning to analyze biological problems.

3. Analyze socio-scientific issues by exploring their complexity, examining issues through multiple perspectives, and applying scientific evidence to support claims.

4. Demonstrate the ability to use biological skills that are practiced by today’s biologists, including microscopy, PCR, bioinformatics, modeling, simulation, and electrophoresis.

5. Explain how the growth and behavior of organisms are activated through the expression of genetic information in context.

6. Explain the processes of mutation, selection and genetic change as they apply to evolution and the diversity of life.

7. Give specific examples of how organisms and the environment interact and modify each other.

8. Communicate effectively as a scientist and across other disciplines.

9. Work collaboratively with peers to achieve the above outcomes

Student Expectations

I expect you to attend class on time and for the full lab session, participate by asking and answering questions, prepare for class by completing reading and prelab assignments, and adhere to safety protocols in the laboratory environment.

TA Expectations

I am here to facilitate your learning of the laboratory and course material and to be a resource for you! You can expect that I will assess your knowledge and grade your work fairly, start and end class on time, and return graded work in a timely manner.

Communication Policy

My official OSU email is silvaden@oregonstate.edu. Please email me from only your official student accounts or through Canvas. I will respond to emails sent during the week within 24 hours, and weekend emails by Monday noon at the latest.

Teaching Philosophy

My goal in the class is to provide students with ...

Diversity Statement

The College of Science strives to create an affirming climate for all students including underrepresented and marginalized individuals and groups. Diversity encompasses differences in age, color, ethnicity, national origin, gender, physical or mental ability, religion, socioeconomic background, veteran status, sexual orientation, and marginalized groups. We believe diversity is the synergy, connection, acceptance, and mutual learning fostered by the interaction of different human characteristics. Harassment, discrimination, or offensive language will not be tolerated. Please do not hesitate to contact me in person, by email, or anonymously (by dropping a note in my mailbox) if you experience or witness harassment or feel that your learning environment is unsafe.

Academic Dishonesty

Academic dishonesty is defined in the Code of Student Conduct (link). The specific academic integrity policy for BI22x is outlined on page x of your lab manual. You will be held to the expectations outlined in both policies throughout this course. Be aware that we will be submitting assignments via TurnItIn throughout the year; assignments with similarity scores over 30% will not be graded. Any violation of the Academic Dishonesty Policy will result in a zero for that assignment. In lab we are asking you to work cooperatively, but that does not mean copying one group member’s answer. You may discuss answers, but each student’s work must be in their own words.

Reach Out for Success: University students encounter setbacks from time to time. If you encounter difficulties and need assistance, it’s important to reach out. Consider discussing the situation with an instructor or academic advisor. Learn about resources that assist with wellness and academic success at oregonstate.edu/ReachOut. If you are in immediate crisis, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting OREGON to 741-741 or call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255)

General Lab Etiquette

No food or drink in the lab

No cell phone use, music players/headphones or other electric devices (unless used for legitimate educational purpose)

Our lab room is used by many students throughout the week so please be sure to leave your work station cleaner than when you found it. Make sure that any equipment or microscopes you use are clean and supplies are put away when you’re done. If something is running low or you use the last of a given item, please let us know! Please also review the laboratory expectations and policies on page vi of your lab manual—you will be quizzed on this in Mastering Biology.

Students with Disabilities

Accommodations are collaborative efforts between students, faculty and Disability Access Services (DAS). Students with accommodations approved through DAS are responsible for contacting the faculty member in charge of the course prior to or during the first week of the term to discuss accommodations. Students who believe they are eligible for accommodations but who have not yet obtained approval through DAS should contact DAS immediately at 541-737-4098.

Evaluation of Student Performance

*You must attend and complete every lab to receive points for that lab! However, there are 4 extra points built into the lab grading scale for extra credit. This means that you can miss 1 lab without penalty. If you attend all labs you will receive extra credit for your efforts (4 pts). In other words, there are 154 pts available but your lab grade will be out of 150 pts. You are still responsible for the content covered in that lab on your quizzes and exams. NOTE: You are not eligible for this extra credit if you have to miss a lab for either excused or unexcused absence. There are no make-up labs.

Late work policy

Students are expected to turn in assignments on time. Students are penalized 10% per day for late papers. No late papers are accepted after the lab instructor starts the grading

Lab Schedule and Due Dates

End of Term Due Dates

TBA:

Final Exam: Meet in Weniger 226 1/2 hour before the start of the exam. Return all papers to students.

Wednesday, June 10, 2020 @ 10:30AM

1. Lab Grades due to course coordinators by 10:30am via email (please follow instructions below).
2. TI Evaluation due by 10:30 am via Qualtrics

Friday, June 12, 2020 @ 5PM

GTA Activity Logs

Turn in via Google Spreadsheets. No need to send via email.

Instructions for Final Grades

1. Download your gradebook from Canvas as a .CSV file
2. Delete the following columns
   1. ID (leave SIS User ID column intact – this is their student ID)
   2. All columns with (read only) in the ‘points possible row’
3. Delete the row ‘points possible’ and ‘test student’
4. Fill all missing grades with 0 (do not leave blanks)
5. Save the file with the following convention:

TALastName_Sec0XX_BI223_LabGrades_TermYear

Example: Kayes_Sec010_BI223_LabGrades_Spring2020

Email to the course coordinators prior to 10:30am on Wednesday of finals