Spring, 2009

BIOL 480

Research in Biology

Instructors: Dr. Chadwick

Schedule: By appointment, once a seek

Course Description A supervised research experience involving the development of a research proposal, data collection, and a written paper. Research proposal may be developed in BIOL 380. May be repeated for up to 5 hours.

Objectives: Research in Biology is intended to provide a complete research experience. As a regular college course, Research is the equal of any other course at Southwestern in that credit is earned for accomplishment, and working responsibly and maintaining regular progress are crucial to success. However, since Research differs in many ways from other courses, its independence and individuality present special challenges, and it is important not to mismanage its independence.

The Department requires that each Research student meet regularly with his/her research sponsor, fulfill the time obligations outlined below, and provide a presentation of the semester’s activities at the end of the research project (e.g. seminar, poster or written presentation, submission for publication, etc.). The specifics of these and any additional requirements (e.g. proposal, notebook, deadlines for completion of tasks, interim presentations, etc.) and the way in which the student will be evaluated will vary with each project and will be negotiated and contracted between student and sponsor during the first weeks of the semester. Contracts may be reviewed and revised during the semester.

We expect from our students enrolled in this course a minimum of forty-six hours of work, including outside reading, experiments, conferences, and writing assignments, for each one hour of credit. This expectation guides the minimum time requirements for research courses. For example, if a student enrolls in 4 hours of Biology 480, he/she commits to at least 13 hours of work per week over the course of 14 weeks. It is the student’s responsibility to fulfill this requirement, and it may be beneficial to keep an accounting of time as a part of the notebook.

Aims

1 To introduce students to research experience in the laboratory as a means of preparation for graduate studies and for entry into the active body of research scientists.

2 To develop student interest in modern research techniques in Biology and to promote investigative methods.

Learning Outcomes:

On successful completion of this unit, students should be able to plan and successfully execute a research protocol involving solution of an extant or novel problem in Biology.

Learning and Teaching Strategy:

Student will be exposed to a research environment in which active research and problem solving is an on-going process. The student will be connected with a mentor or mentors and peers who are involved in on-going research and will be instructed in techniques and methods of research. Student will also arrange periodic meetings with the research advisor in which details of the project and progress will be discussed and evaluated.

Overall Assessment Strategy

Because of the experiential nature of the process, the student will of necessity be graded on the basis of outcomes that are expected to be the completion of a corpus of research during the semester. The interaction of the student with the professor on a regular and timely basis will also constitute a measurement of the student’s success.

Assessment Process

Student will be graded on:

1. Attendance at scheduled appointments (50 points)

2. Presentation of summary of final outcomes either as a written document, an oral presentation or a poster session (50 points)