Course Redesign for BIOL 1406: Cellular and Molecular Biology

Active Learning During Class

Both lecture and lab classes are small, containing from 16 to 32 students. Lectures generally meet twice per week for a total of 150 minutes and labs meet once per week for a total of 160 minutes.

LECTURE - our lecture classrooms were completely remodeled for the course redesign. To facilitate group work and cooperative learning, rows of individual desks and chairs facing the front of the room were replaced with tables and chairs that accommodate groups of 4 students facing each other. Each student is provided with an individual computer connected to the Internet.

A library of problem-solving activities and discussion questions was developed for each lecture module. Students spend part of the lecture period working in small groups to complete their assigned problems and/or discussion questions. Student groups use the Blackboard Discussion Forum to post and explain their answers to the rest of the class. During the balance of the lecture period, the entire class works together to review and discuss the material covered in the lecture module. This may include instructor and/or student presentations, discussion of pre-class assignments, discussion of in-class group assignments, and an opportunity to ask and answer questions.

LAB - during lab, students work in groups of 2 to 4 students to complete "hands-on" experiments that utilize many important lab techniques in cellular and molecular biology. Each group is responsible for working together to complete the lab procedures within the allotted time, collect and analyze their data, make conclusions, and turn in a written report.