Annual Assessment Report

Biological and Chemical Sciences Major

Spring 2009

 

I.       Executive Summary

 

In the past year the BCS major concentrated its assessment work on the senior experience: the senior thesis and comprehensive exam. In our 12/12/07 meeting (see below for details) to discuss the BCS 402 grades we determined that although we expected our seniors to be able to write “a review paper that examines the primary literature to argue a well-constructed thesis statement,” we had never actually taught them to do that in any of our classes. The major change we made was instituting a “term paper” in Biol 152 that allows the students to complete a similar assignment with guidance from the Faculty teaching the course. However, since this is only one introductory course we have been discussing other options to teach our students this skill (see below for details). We also have discussed the need for a common rubric that all Faculty (we all grade each senior thesis) use when evaluating senior theses. Similarly, we discussed the comprehensive examination and what we hoped it accomplished. To insure that it evaluated overall student learning in our courses and throughout the major experience, we wrote our own questions based on our courses and created an overall “reflective essay” to evaluate student learning, as well as evaluating the oral presentation based on the senior thesis. However, we weren’t happy with the overall exam and have been reevaluating its purpose as well. For the 2009-2010 academic year we may return to the standardized tests (ETS and ACS) to evaluate how our student learning ranks against the rest of the country.

 

II.    Summary of Assessment meetings

 

12/12/07 -  members present: Chris Bailey, Candace Collmer, Amy Godert, Jackie

                   Schnurr, Tom Vawter, Christina Wahl; Meeting lasted 2 hours

 

            At this meeting to discuss the senior thesis grades for BCS 402 we came to the realization that we expected students to write “a review paper that examines the primary literature to argue a well-constructed thesis statement” but had never taught them to do this in any course. Instead of penalizing the students for not learning a skill we never taught them, we focused on how to improve this for the future. We decided that if we created a “term paper” in Biol 152 – a course that all BCS majors are required to take – it would at least remind students that all papers should have an arguable thesis, and would allow the students to become familiar with the primary scientific literature. Our assessment plan has been changed to reflect this change.

 

12/7/07; 2/12/08; 3/4/08 – members present: Bailey, Collmer, Godert, Schnurr, Vawter,

Wahl; Meetings lasted about an hour

 

At these meetings we discussed the comprehensive examination. In the past we had been using standardized exams – the ETS exam for Biology, and the ACS exam for Chemistry – to compare our student learning to other colleges that take the exams and to determine Distinction in the major. However, we weren’t sure that those exams were actually testing the students on concepts we covered in our classes, and they didn’t contain any reflection on what the students gained as part of the BCS program at Wells. We decided to write our own 50 multiple choice question test based on the courses that all BCS majors take, as well as include a reflective essay (see “Data” section of this report for the exam and question).  The reflective essay did not count for any credit, but students needed to complete it before they were able to sit for the test portion of the exam. We still included the oral presentation as part of the comprehensive exam.

 

3/25/08– members present: Bailey, Collmer, Godert, Schnurr, Vawter,

   Wahl; Meeting lasted about an hour

 

At this meeting we evaluated the results of the written test and reflective essay. Unfortunately, no one was happy with the results of the test (the reflective essay was deemed interesting for assessment purposes). We decided to not have any written test for the Class of 2009, and instead evaluate our students based solely on the senior thesis and the oral presentation, as well as completion of the reflective essay. We also decided that for a student to receive Distinction in the major they would have to complete a Research thesis (the other option for the senior thesis research is a primary research project based on lab or field research. We have had no problem with these theses since we teach our students to write lab reports in all of our lab courses).

 

9/3/08– members present: Collmer, Godert, Schnurr, Vawter; Bailey and Wahl are on

             sabbatical leave; Meeting lasted about an hour

 

            At this meeting we discussed the changes to our Assessment Plan as suggested by the Assessment Committee, as well as our focus for the year. Since BCS: Biology is also undergoing a Program Review this year, we started by looking at the BCS Mission and Goals. Also, we were reminded to continue to collect artifacts for our continual assessment.

 

10/1/08; 10/29/08– members present: Collmer, Godert, Schnurr, Vawter; Bailey and

Wahl are on sabbatical leave, although Bailey participated some by email; Meetings lasted about an hour

 

            We worked through the BCS Mission and Goals (see updated assessment plan). Also, we returned to the comprehensive exam discussion. A portfolio of student work that documents the skills we want them to have before they graduate was suggested, but most thought that it may be easier to change some joint courses to include what is really missing in our program: the ability to write “a review paper that examines the primary literature to argue a well-constructed thesis statement”.

 

12/3/08 – members present: Collmer, Godert, Schnurr, Vawter; Bailey and Wahl are on

                sabbatical leave; Meeting lasted about an hour

 

            We continued our discussion of how to insure that our students can propose and defend a thesis statement. The current suggestion is to take our 1-credit BCS 301: Introduction to Research course, and change it to a 2-credit course where the students are expected to create a “mini-thesis” based on a thesis statement that they defend using 5 sources from the peer-reviewed literature. BCS 402 would then be changed to 2-credits, but the students should have a start on their research based on their project in BCS 301.

 

            We also discussed the comprehensive examination, and have come full circle – back to the ETS and ACS exam. The exams allow us to see how our students are learning based on the others in the country, which allows us to see if we are teaching subjects comparable to other biology and chemistry programs. We will still require the reflective essay to be completed before the students take the test, as well as the oral presentation as part of the comprehensive examination.

 

12/15/08 – members present: Collmer, Godert, Schnurr, Vawter; Bailey and Wahl are on

                sabbatical leave; Meeting lasted 2 hours

 

            At this annual meeting to discuss the BCS 402 senior theses, which had the same weaknesses as those from the past year, we agreed with the changes suggested above: BCS 301 needs to be changed to a 2-credit course to give the students practice with writing a literature based thesis. However, we also brainstormed some skills that students need to learn in BCS 301 and 402:

·       The ability to develop a good thesis statement.

·       The use of proper citation format.

·       The ability to find useful peer-reviewed literature, which will probably require a field trip to the Cornell library so that the students are sure to find literature to get them started.

·       The ability to keep a journal, with proof, to demonstrate what they accomplished each week, as well as what they hope to do the following week. This will insure that they are spending the appropriate amount of time on their thesis.

The faculty will also make some changes: students must declare a research advisor to aid with understanding difficult subject matter, and we will develop a common rubric.

 

III. Plan for the 2009-2010 school year

 

BCS will work on the following for the next school year:

·         Changes to BCS 301 and 402 to reflect discussions as outlined above. The goal is to have students write literature-based theses that are based on an arguable thesis statement and supported by peer-reviewed literature. Course objectives for each course will be revised accordingly.

·         Development of a common rubric to evaluate both literature and research theses.

·         Using the results of the ETS and ACS exam in the comprehensive examination, we will evaluate student success in the various subsets of biology and chemistry.

·         For each of our classes, Faculty will continue to assess student learning based on stated course objectives. Hopefully, once we ‘solve’ the senior experience issues we can begin to focus our assessment on student learning in each of our courses to strengthen the overall academic program.

 

IV. Updated Assessment Plan

 

Instead of resubmitting our current plan and making this document even longer, we will outline the major changes we made to our plan and only submit the updated version.

·         We changed our Mission statement to better reflect what we actually hope students learn from our program.

·         We changed our goals so that they are more focused and not just a reiteration of what we said in the Mission.

·         We aligned our goals with the Wells Academic Program Goals.

·         We changed our program objectives and outcomes to remove any idea that simply taking a course fulfilled our learning outcomes. We also tried to focus on student learning and not faculty teaching objectives.

·         We clarified our ‘criteria for success’.

·         We clarified the language between “program objectives” and “course objectives”, and will work on including links to each course and its materials as they become available.

 


 

Student Learning Assessment

 

Biological and Chemical Sciences Major

Spring 2009

 

 

Wells College Mission Statement

The mission of Wells College is to educate students to think critically, reason wisely, and act humanely as they cultivate meaningful lives. Through Wells’ academic program, residential atmosphere, and community activities, students learn and practice the ideals of the liberal arts. The Wells experience prepares students to appreciate complexity and difference, to embrace new ways of knowing, to be creative, and to respond ethically to the interdependent worlds to which they belong. Committed to excellence in all areas of its reach, Wells College equips students for lifelong learning and for sharing of privileges of education with others.

 

Wells College’s Five Institutional Goals

1.      Provide an educational experience that supports students as unique individuals engaged in the study and practice of the liberal arts.

 

2.      Maintain an excellent faculty that is skilled in teaching, dedicated to rigorous intellectual development, and actively committed to pursuing new knowledge and learning strategies.

 

3.      Develop students’ intellectual curiosity, analytical and critical capabilities, and aesthetic awareness and creativity.

 

4.      Provide a rich community environment that fosters awareness and sensitivity to social diversity and encourages responsible action in an interdependent world.

 

5.      Develop self-confident individuals who exercise sound judgment and have the knowledge and skills for thoughtful decision-making.


 

Wells College’s Academic Program Goals

A Wells education enables students to:

 

1.      examine enduring and contemporary questions that shape human understanding

 

2.      use the scholarly and creative traditions of the liberal arts and contemporary technologies to locate and evaluate information

 

3.      communicate reasoned points of view to inform and persuade a variety of audiences

 

4.      incorporate an understanding of diversity in their academic work and as members of a learning community

 

5.      develop an appreciation of languages and cultures in a global context

 

6.      acquire knowledge based on scholarship and research about women

 

7.      engage in collaborative practices in the classroom, in campus life, and in the community at large

 

8.      develop thorough knowledge of basic principles, methods of inquiry, and current issues in an academic field of study

 

 

 


The Major in Biological and Chemical Sciences

 

Mission of the Major

 

The major in biological and chemical sciences provides students the opportunity and the guidance to build for themselves a foundation in the fundamental areas of biology, the study of life, and chemistry, the study of matter, with particular emphasis on the areas integrating biology and chemistry. Students engage in active learning as they apply the scientific method towards understanding the natural world. Students think critically when evaluating data as well as issues related to biology and chemistry in society, and they learn to write and speak effectively about science and scientific issues. Students are prepared for a variety of careers as well as advanced study in graduate school or any of the health professions.

 

Goals

 

  1. Provide students the opportunity and the guidance to learn the fundamental principles of biology and chemistry and how they integrate with each other.
  2. Engage students in practicing the process of science – planning, executing, and evaluating.
  3. Train students to communicate scientific work in a clear, coherent manner in both written and oral form.
  4. Help students to understand the importance of diversity in the practice of science through collaborative learning where different perspectives are valued and evaluated.
  5. Challenge students to think critically and quantitatively in evaluating data and to apply that skill to issues arising in the world around them, including ethical conflicts surrounding particular scientific theories, technologies, or applications.

 

Alignment of BCS goals with the Wells Academic Program Goals

 

 

 

BCS Goal

Wells APG

1

2

3

4

5

1

 

 

 

 

ü   

2

ü   

ü   

 

 

 

3

 

 

ü   

 

 

4

 

 

 

ü   

 

5

 

 

 

 

 

6

 

 

 

ü   

 

7

 

 

 

ü   

 

8

ü   

ü   

 

ü   

ü   

 


Required of all BCS majors

 

BCS 301 – Introduction to Research

BCS 402 – Senior Research Paper in BCS

BIOL 151L – The Biology of Cells

BIOL 152L – The Biology of Organisms

CHEM 107L – General Chemistry

CHEM 108L – Chemical Analysis

CHEM 213L – Organic Chemistry I

CHEM 214L – Organic Chemistry II

 

Comprehensive Examination

 

 

We will focus our program assessment on the courses and comprehensive examination that are required of all our majors. We also have specific course objectives for each of our courses (not included here), and these will be discussed when we undergo assessment of each of our concentrations.

 

 

Alignment of BCS Goals, Program Objectives and Learning Outcomes

 

Goal 1: Provide students the opportunity and the guidance to learn the fundamental principles of biology and chemistry and how they integrate with each other.

 

Program Objective 1: Knowledge. Students will acquire a working knowledge of basic principles and critical information in the biological and chemical sciences.

 

            Learning Outcome: Students' working knowledge of basic principles is assessed through exams, projects, case studies, problem sets and laboratory reports.

 

            Assessed By:

COURSE

COURSE OBJECTIVE

Specific Assignments (see attached)

BCS 301

1, 2, 6

Presentation, annotated bibliography

BCS 402

 

 

BIOL 151L

1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Exam questions, lab reports, oral reports, debates, problem sets

BIOL 152L

1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Exam questions, labs, term paper

CHEM 107L

1, 2, 3, 4

Exam questions, labs

CHEM 108L

1, 2

Exam questions, labs

CHEM 213L

1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7

Exam questions, case studies, labs

CHEM 214L

 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9

Exam questions, projects, labs

Comps

1

Written Exam


Goal 2: Engage students in practicing the process of science – planning, executing, and evaluating.

 

Program Objective 2: Critical Thinking. Students will develop creative and critical thinking as they apply scientific reasoning toward understanding the natural world.

 

            Learning Outcome: Students participate in inquiry-based lab activities, engage in case studies, analyze problem sets, and conduct directed and independent research projects, culminating in a senior thesis.

 

 

            Assessed By:

COURSE

COURSE OBJECTIVE

Specific Assignments (see attached)

BCS 301

1, 2, 3, 6

Presentation, annotated bibliography, in class exercises

BCS 402

1, 3

Thesis

BIOL 151L

2, 3, 4

Labs, written and oral lab reports, debates, problem sets

BIOL 152L

1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Exam questions, labs, term paper

CHEM 107L

1, 2 ,3 ,4

Exam questions, labs

CHEM 108L

1, 2

Exam questions, labs

CHEM 213L

2, 3, 4, 6

Exam questions, case studies, labs

CHEM 214L

2, 3, 4

Exam questions, projects, labs

Comps

1

Written exam

 

 

 

Goal 2: Engage students in practicing the process of science – planning, executing, and evaluating.

 

Goal 3: Train students to communicate scientific work in a clear, coherent manner in both written and oral form.

 

Program Objective 3: Skills. Students will be active participants in learning the skills necessary for work in the fields of biology and chemistry.

 

Learning Outcomes: As BCS majors students learn

a) basic laboratory and field techniques, including appropriate qualitative/quantitative analysis.

b) to work in collaboration with others

c) to apply the scientific method to investigate the natural world

d) to use, evaluate, and appropriately cite the scientific literature

e) to communicate the results of scientific investigation (oral and/or written)

f) to recognize that many problems require cross-disciplinary approaches


 

Assessed By:

 

a) basic laboratory and field techniques, including appropriate qualitative/quantitative analysis.

 

COURSE

COURSE OBJECTIVE

Specific Assignments (see attached)

BCS 301

2, 6

Presentation, annotated bibliography

BCS 402

1, 3

Thesis

BIOL 151L

2, 3, 4

Labs and lab reports, problem sets, debates

BIOL 152L

1, 4, 5

Exam questions, labs

CHEM 107L

2, 3, 4

Exam questions, labs

CHEM 108L

1, 2

Exam questions, labs

CHEM 213L

3, 5, 6, 7

Exam questions, case studies, labs

CHEM 214L

3, 5, 6, 7, 9

Exam questions, projects, labs

Comps

 

 

 

b) to work in collaboration with others

 

COURSE

COURSE OBJECTIVE

Specific Assignments (see attached)

BCS 301

5, 6

Presentation, annotated bibliography

BCS 402

1, 3

Thesis

BIOL 151L

2, 3, 4

Labs, debates, and oral and written reports

BIOL 152L

1, 5

Exam questions, labs

CHEM 107L

1, 2, 3, 4

Exam questions, labs

CHEM 108L

1, 2

Exam questions, labs

CHEM 213L

1, 4, 5, 7

Exam questions, case studies, labs

CHEM 214L

1, 4, 5, 7, 9

Exam questions, projects, labs

Comps

 

 

 

c) to apply the scientific method to investigate the natural world

 

COURSE

COURSE OBJECTIVE

Specific Assignments (see attached)

BCS 301

1, 2, 6

Presentation, annotated bibliography

BCS 402

1, 3

Thesis

BIOL 151L

2, 3, 4

Labs, debates, and oral and written reports

BIOL 152L

1

Exam questions, labs, term paper

CHEM 107L

1, 2, 3, 4

Exam questions, labs

CHEM 108L

1, 2

Exam questions, labs

CHEM 213L

1,2, 5, 6, 7

Exam questions, case studies, labs

CHEM 214L

1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 9

Exam questions, projects, labs

Comps

 

 

 


 

d) to use, evaluate, and appropriately cite the scientific literature

 

COURSE

COURSE OBJECTIVE

Specific Assignments (see attached)

BCS 301

2, 3, 4, 6

Presentation, annotated bibliography

BCS 402

1, 3

Thesis

BIOL 151L

2

Read literature that supports labs

BIOL 152L

1

Exam questions, labs, term paper

CHEM 107L

4

Exam questions, labs

CHEM 108L

1

Exam questions, labs

CHEM 213L

3, 6

Exam questions, case studies, labs

CHEM 214L

3, 6, 9

Exam questions, projects, labs

Comps

 

 

 

e) to communicate the results of scientific investigation (oral and/or written)

 

COURSE

COURSE OBJECTIVE

Specific Assignments (see attached)

BCS 301

6

Presentation, annotated bibliography

BCS 402

1, 2, 3

Thesis

BIOL 151L

2, 4

Labs, debates, and oral and written reports

BIOL 152L

1

Exam questions, labs, term paper

CHEM 107L

4

Exam questions, labs

CHEM 108L

1

Exam questions, labs

CHEM 213L

5

Exam questions, case studies, labs

CHEM 214L

 5, 9

Exam questions, projects, labs

Comps

5, 6

Oral Presentation

 

f) to recognize that many problems require cross-disciplinary approaches

 

COURSE

COURSE OBJECTIVE

Specific Assignments (see attached)

BCS 301

5, 6

Presentation, annotated bibliography

BCS 402

1, 3

Thesis

BIOL 151L

3, 4

Debates, analysis of ethical case studies

BIOL 152L

1, 5

Exam questions, labs, term paper

CHEM 107L

1, 2, 3, 4

Exam questions, labs

CHEM 108L

1, 2

Exam questions, labs

CHEM 213L

2, 3

Exam questions, case studies, labs

CHEM 214L

2, 3, 9

Exam questions, projects, labs

Comps

 

 

 

 


Goal 4: Help students to understand the importance of diversity in the practice of science through collaborative learning where different perspectives are valued and evaluated.

 

Program Objective 4: Interconnectedness and Diversity. Students will learn to recognize and appreciate the diversity of the natural world and the interconnectedness of disciplinary approaches towards studying it.

 

            Learning Outcome: Students work in groups, allowing them to appreciate the importance of different perspectives and ideas to solving scientific problems.

 

 

Assessed By:

COURSE

COURSE OBJECTIVE

Specific Assignments (see attached)

BCS 301

5

Presentation, annotated bibliography

BCS 402

 

 

BIOL 151L

2, 4

Collaborative oral and written projects

BIOL 152L

2, 4

Exam questions, labs

CHEM 107L

 

 

CHEM 108L

 

 

CHEM 213L

2

Exam questions, case studies, labs

CHEM 214L

2

Exam questions, labs

Comps

3

Written Examination

 

 

Goal 5: Challenge students to think critically in evaluating data and to apply that skill to issues arising in the world around them, including ethical conflicts surrounding particular scientific theories, technologies, or applications.

 

 

Program Objective 5: Social relevance. Students will develop an understanding of issues related to biology and chemistry in society.

 

            Learning Outcome: Students consider the applications of science in society through case studies and real world scenarios that explore different social, political and ethical viewpoints.

 

Assessed By:

COURSE

COURSE OBJECTIVE

Specific Assignments (see attached)

BCS 301

 

 

BCS 402

1

Thesis

BIOL 151L

4

Case studies and discussions

BIOL 152L

1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Exam questions, labs, term paper

CHEM 107L

 4

Exam questions, labs

CHEM 108L

1

Exam questions, labs

CHEM 213L

2

Exam questions, case studies, labs

CHEM 214L

2

Exam questions, labs

Comps

4

Written Examination

 

 

Means of Assessment of Outcomes

 

Student artifacts will be continually collected throughout the academic year by the faculty member teaching the targeted courses. Each faculty member will evaluate if the students learned what was expected, based on each assignment. Percentages of how well the student answered/completed the activity will be calculated, and students will be considered proficient if 70% of the students demonstrated a passing grade on the assessed activity. This proficiency simply allows the faculty to assess student learning based on the completed activity, and is not tied to the final grade in the course, which may contain other determinates such as attendance and participation in class.

 

How Assessment Data will be utilized

 

The Biological and Chemical Sciences major meet often – we have weekly BCS meetings that usually include some discussion of assessment. The major is working through important questions: are we teaching what is necessary for our students to learn? How do we know what is appropriate/needed to be taught? What is the purpose of the comprehensive examination and how can we be sure that it is accomplishing what we want? What is our role in fulfilling the overall Wells curriculum, especially the General Education requirements?  At these meetings we discuss if our students, both majors and non-majors, meet our assessment goals, and if not, how to improve student learning for the future.

 

 

Specific Course Objectives and Assessment Measures for Required Courses

 

The alignments with the overall BCS program objectives are located at the end of each course objective in parentheses. Each course objective – with the exception of the Comprehensive Examination and BCS 301 and BCS 402 – has an assessment measure associated with it. For the Comprehensive Exam and BCS 301 and BCS 402, the assessment measures are located in the bulleted list below the list of specific course objectives. Artifacts of many of these are located in Stratton 315. 

 

Comprehensive Examination

 

Written Exam

  1. To assess the overall student learning of basic principles in the Biological and Chemical Sciences (1)
  2. To assess student development of creative and critical thinking in application of scientific reasoning toward understanding the natural world. (2)
  3. To assess student recognition and appreciation of the diversity of the natural world and the interconnectedness towards studying it. (4)
  4. To assess student understanding of issues related to biology and chemistry in society. (5)

 

  • The comprehensive examination for the Class of 2008 was a written examination of approximately 3 hours duration to the taken the second Friday after Spring Break. The exam consisted of questions covering material from courses taken in common by all BCS majors. Additional questions were drawn from courses taken in common only by students within each of the 3 concentrations within the major. The exams were evaluated by the faculty in BCS, and each faculty member reviewed answers pertaining to her or his area of expertise. Also, students were required to complete a reflective essay (please see attached) as well as an oral presentation based on their senior thesis research.
  • The comprehensive examination for the Class of 2009 will simply be a reflective essay (please see attached) as well as an oral presentation based on their senior thesis research.
  • The comprehensive examination for the Class of 2010 will include the reflective essay and the oral presentation, as well as completion of the ETS exam (biology) or ACS exam (chemistry).

 

 

Oral Presentation

  1. To know how to condense a paper into an oral abstract. (3e)
  2. To be competent in choosing helpful visual aids. (3e)

 

  • Faculty use a rubric to assess student senior presentations. Rubric is under construction.

 

 

 

BCS courses

 

BCS 301: Introduction to Research

  1. Articulate the power of the scientific method for understanding the world. (1, 2, 3c)
  2. Design a research project based on observations and past work on the subject. (1, 2, 3a, 3c, 3d)
  3. Read, comprehend, and present orally journal articles in your field. (1, 2, 3d)
  4. Develop an annotated bibliography. (3d)
  5. Think critically and creatively as a member of a team. (3b, 3f, 4)
  6. Focus your interests on a capstone project. (1, 2, 3a-f)

 

  • Oral presentation based on peer-reviewed literature.
  • Annotated bibliography that will focus future senior thesis research.

 

BCS 402: Senior Research Paper in Biological and Chemical Sciences

1.      To complete an in-depth review of the current literature on a research question (the “capstone project”) developed with the faculty advisor. (2, 3a-f, 5)

2.      To assemble, rehearse, and deliver a scholarly oral presentation of findings to a community of peers. (3e)

3.      To gain the skills necessary to work independently and to think critically and in depth about a topic in the discipline. (2, 3a-f)

 

  • Student’s thesis.

 

Biology Courses

 

BIOL 151L: Principles of Biology I – The Biology of Cells

 

1.  For each student to master enough of the basic information about the biology of the cell to build a "big picture" about how cells work. (1)

         

          See, for example, answer keys to Chem Quiz (Fall, 2005), Exam I (October 30, 2005), Exam II (October 28, 2005), Exam III (November 21-22, 2005), Final Exam (December 15, 2005 – Part I).

 

2.  For each student to experience the process of science – to ask a question, to design and conduct experiments, to analyze the data, to communicate the results both orally and in writing (2, 3a, 3c, 3e)

 

          See, for example, the instructions and grading keys for two major lab reports:

                    1) Oral and Written reports on “Independent Investigations on the Enzyme
                             Tyrosinase” and

                    2) a) Short oral and written reports on “The Alcohol Dehydrogenase Gene in
                             Drosophila” – see instructions on page 4 of the lab (“Lab 8”)

                              description

                        b) Written report – “Drosophila Lab Report” – on the genetic analysis of a

                              mutant

 

3. For each student to develop critical thinking and cooperative learning skills. (3b)

 

                    For “critical thinking,” see for example Genetics Problem Set – problems

                     and answer key;  also, see example of “clicker” thought question during

                    class time, and answer sheet from student responses

 

                    For “cooperative learning skills” see instructions for Oral report on

                    “Independent Investigations on the Enzyme Tyrosinase”; see instructions for

                    Oral report on “The Alcohol Dehydrogenase Gene in Drosophila” – page 4

 

4.  For each student to see the applications of the biology of the cell to the world around us, and to consider the ethical implications of related technology (3f, 5)

 

                    See, for example, description of Lab #1, Resource Packet, and Hand-In Sheet

                    – “Embryonic Stem Cells, Cloning, and the Law”   an ethical analysis of a

                    bill passed by the US Congress, but vetoed by President Bush, on research

                    on human embryonic stem cells

 

                    See, for example, the description of the student debates on two case studies –

                    - whether or not “Intelligent Design” should be taught in the public schools

                    as part of science classes, and whether or not transgenic plants should be

                    planted on the outskirts of a small town

 

5.  For each student to sharpen the skills of learning how to learn, and to continue the process of life-long learning in biology (1, 2, 3b)

 

                    See, for example, description of Lab #1, Resource Packet, and Hand-In Sheet – “Embryonic Stem Cells, Cloning, and the Law” –  where students are directed to talk about the issue in this lab, to make diagrams to explain the techniques involved, to present the techniques to the class, and to write down their decisions whether to vote yes or no on the bill – all different ways of working on the information, with the hope that several of these (but not necessarily the same ones) will be particularly effective for every student)

 

 

 

BIOL 152L - Principles of Biology: The Biology of Organisms

 

  1. Understand science as a process and how it applies to the study of biology (1,2,3a-f,5)

·         In the Rapid Radish lab, students design and conduct an experiment to answer a simple question about plant growth.

·         The term paper

  1. Understand the importance of evolution to explain the diversity of organisms. (1,2,4,5)

·         Labs for the field trips to the Paleontological Research Institute’s Museum of the Earth, Rosalind Gifford Zoo, and Cornell’s Botanical Conservatory

·          Natural Selection Lab

·         Exam questions (for example, 2007 Exam 1 questions 26, 27, 30, 31, 32)

·         Discussion of homology associated with fetal pig dissection and plant and animal diversity displays

 

 

  1. Understand the basics of phylogeny and its importance in understanding relationships among organisms. (1,2,4,5)

·         Labs on the use of Dichotomous keys, as well as field trips.

·         Exam questions (for example, 2007 Exam 1 – question 28; 2007 Exam 3 – question 28, 29)

 

  1. Understand taxonomic relationships among organisms (Bacteria, Archaea, “Protists”, Plants, Fungi, and Animals), as well as the development of anatomical and physiological structures and their functions. (1,2,3a,4,5)

·         Dissection of the fetal pig

·         Exam questions (for example, 2007 Exam 2 - question 25; 2007 Exam 3 - question 28, 29; 2007 Exam 4 - questions 26-28; 2007 Final Exam - question 79)

 

  1. Understand the interconnections among sub-disciplines within biology, including evolution, anatomy, physiology, botany, zoology, ecology, and conservation biology. (1,2,3a,3b,3f,5)

·         Field trip to Paleontological Research Institute’s Museum of the Earth

·         Term paper

·         Exam questions, specifically 2007 Final Exam - question 79

 

 

 

 

 

Chemistry Courses

 

CHEM 107L - General Chemistry

 

1. Think about/understand nature at the atomic and molecular level. (1,2,3a,3b,3c,3f)

 

 

            See, for example, answer key to Exam #1 (28 September, 2006), questions 3 & 6

            See, for example, answer key to Final Exam (December 11, 2006), questions 3, 4

                        &7

 

2. Understand and use the mathematics of chemistry. (1,2,3a,3b,3c,3f)

 

 

            See, for example, answer key to Exam #1 (28 September, 2006), questions 1, 2, 4

                        & 5

            See, for example, answer key to Final Exam (December 11, 2006), questions 1, 5

                        & 6

 

3. Understand the role of energy (heat and electromagnetic radiation) in determining the properties of atoms and molecules. (1,2,3a,3b,3c,3f)

 

            See, for example, answer key to Final Exam (December 11, 2006), questions 1, 2

                        &7

 

4. Effectively perform laboratory experiments and then clearly communicate the goals and results of these experiments to an outside audience. (1,2,3a-f,5)

 

See, for example, "Writing for General Chemistry Laboratories"; handout shows what is expected of students.

See, for example, "Slake, Smelt & Slake, Ltd."; example of letter from client, plus lab instructions

See, for example, "GenChemCo Industries" letters; first letter shows a well-written student letter with my comments; second letter is example of a less-well-written student letter (no comments are given on this one as this letter is used during peer-editing exercise).

 

CHEM 108L - Chemical Analysis

 

1.      Continue to work on the goals from Chem 107L (1,2, 3a-f,5)

2.      Understand the dynamic and predictive properties of chemistry. (1,2,3a,3b,3c,3f)

 

            See, for example, Chem 108L Exam #1 (8 March 2007), questions 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5

 

 

 

CHEM 213L - Organic Chemistry I

Chemistry 213L is the first semester of a two-semester lecture and laboratory class.  The lecture portion of the class teaches students the fundamental concepts in organic chemistry. In the laboratory section students practice important techniques used in the organic chemistry lab.  A pre-requisite for the course is general chemistry (Chem108L), and students in the class are typically in their sophomore year.  This is a core class in the BCS major and is taken by students in all three major concentrations.

 

1.      Recognize how the structure of carbon based molecules can aid in predicting reactivity, including acid/base and nucleophile/electrophile chemistry.(1,3b,3c)

-       These are assessed on the in-class exams and quizzes.  I have given a specific example from one of the exams.  Questions 5 and 6 test the students’ knowledge of acids/bases as well as nucleophiles.

-       Relevant artifacts:

o   Chem213L final exam - Questions 5 and 6

o   Chem213L in-class exam #3 - Questions 8, 9, and 10

2.      Evaluate how organic chemistry plays a role in our lives and how it is all around us. (1,2,3c,3f,4,5)

-       I typically use case-studies and in-class exercises that the students work on in groups.  The exercises are not typically collected, but the worksheets the students are given illustrate how this objective is met.

-       Relevant artifacts:

o   Rubbers and Raincoats in-class exercise*

o   A Case-study: Thalidomide: The pros and cons*

3.      Become familiar with the techniques used by an organic chemist in the lab and learn how to keep a good lab notebook. (1,2,3a,3d,3f)

-       Keeping a good lab notebook is essential for scientists and the students’ ability to write in one is assessed by grading them.  Each laboratory exercise teaches the students a new technique in organic chemistry.

-       Relevant artifacts:

o   Chem213L Lab Notebook sheet and grading rubric

o   Week 1 – Introduction to Techniques in the Organic Chemistry Lab (technique: melting point) and example lab notebook

o   Week 2 – Fractional Distillation (technique: distillation) and example lab notebook*

o   Week 3 – Extraction and Crystallization of Benzoic Acid and Triphenylmethane (techniques: extraction, crystallization) and example lab notebook*

o   Week 4 and 5 – Extraction of Caffeine from Tea (techniques: extraction, sublimation, thin layer chromatography) and example lab notebook*

4.      Identify trends in mechanisms and reactivity to reduce the amount of memorization needed (1,2,3b).

-       There are a number of reactions that must be learned in organic chemistry.  To aid the students in recognizing trends, they must complete a reaction notebook.  This exercise highlights important trends in reactivity as well as reaction mechanisms.

-       Relevant artifacts:

o   List of topics/information needed in your notebook

o   Chem213L Student Reaction Notebook

5.      Work together to solve a problem that has not been previously encountered and present the information to the class. (3a,3b,3c,3e)

-       In their final lab project, students are given a new reaction that they have not previously seen in lab.  They are to use the skills developed previously in lab as well as the knowledge gained in class to work through the problem.  The information must be presented to the class.

-       Relevant artifacts included:

o   Chem213L Final Lab Project handout

o   Chem213L student grading rubric and presentation

o   Chem213L Acid catalyzed hydration of 1-hexene and student presentation

o   Chem213L Oxymercuration/reduction of 1-hexene and student lab notebook

o   Chem213L Free Radical Polymerization Reactions and student lab notebook

6.      Work through a series of organic transformations in the lab and in class (a multi-step reaction sequence). (1,2,3a,3c,3d)

-       These are assessed both in the lab and in-class on the exams, quizzes and in-class exercises.

-       Relevant artifacts:

o   Chem213L – in-class exercises*

o   Chem213L – Synthesis of Aspirin from Oil of Wintergreen*

7.      Apply knowledge of reactions learned in class to laboratory exercises. (1, 3a-c)

-       This is actually done in a number of the labs, but I will give a specific example.

-       Relevant artifacts:

o   Chem213L – Acid catalyzed hydration of 1-hexene and student lab notebook

 

 

CHEM 214L - Organic Chemistry II

Chemistry 214L is the second semester of a two-semester lecture and laboratory class.  The lecture portion of the class teaches students the fundamental concepts in organic chemistry. In the laboratory section students practice important techniques used in the organic chemistry lab and learn how to search the primary scientific literature.  A pre-requisite for the course is the first semester of organic chemistry (Chem213L), and students in the class are typically in their sophomore year.  This is a core class in the BCS major and is taken by students in all three major concentrations.

 

1.      Recognize how the structure of carbon based molecules can aid in predicting reactivity, including acid/base and nucleophile/electrophile chemistry.(1,3b,3c)

-       These are assessed on the in-class exams and quizzes.  I have given a specific example from one of the exams. 

-       Relevant artifacts:

o   Chem214L Final exam – question 1

2.      Evaluate how organic chemistry plays a role in our lives and how it is all around us. (1,2,3c,3f,4,5)

-       Here I show how handouts are used to relate information to students as well as how exams and labs are used to test the ability of the students’ ability to work through problems relevant to their lives.

-       Relevant artifacts:

o   Chem214L Final exam - Question 6

o   Chem214L – Multi-step synthesis of N-methyl prozac and student lab notebook*

o   Chem214L – Useful chemistry… making soap and student lab notebook*

3.      Become familiar with the techniques used by an organic chemist in the lab and learn how to keep a good lab notebook. (1,2,3a,3d,3f)

-       In order to illustrate some of the important spectrophotometric techniques used in organic chemistry, I have the supplement my lecture with in-class exercises that are completed as the lecture progresses.

-       Relevant artifacts:

o   Chem214L – 1H-NMR worksheets*

4.      Identify trends in mechanisms and reactivity to reduce the amount of memorization needed (1,2,3b).

-       There are a number of reactions that must be learned in organic chemistry.  To aid the students in recognizing trends, they must complete a reaction notebook.  This exercise highlights important trends in reactivity as well as reaction mechanisms.

-       Relevant artifacts:

o   Chem214L Student Reaction Notebook

5.      Work together to solve a problem that has not been previously encountered and present the information to the class. (3a,3b,3c,3e)

-       In their final lab project, students are given a new reaction that they have not previously seen in lab.  They are to use the skills developed previously in lab as well as the knowledge gained in class to work through the problem.  The information must be presented to the class.  They must also identify a viable alternative synthesis to the one they will be carrying out using the primary scientific literature.

-       Relevant artifacts included:

o   Chem214L Final Project - Presentation handout and grading rubric

o   Chem214L Student rubric and presentation (3-Step Preparation of Polystyrene from Ethylbenzene)

6.      Work through a series of organic transformations in the lab and in class (a multi-step reaction sequence). (1,2,3a,3c,3d)

-       These are assessed both in the lab and in-class on the exams, quizzes and in-class exercises.

-       Relevant artifacts:

o   Chem214L Final exam - Question 4

o   2-Step Semi-microscale Preparation of a Cinnamate Ester Analog instruction sheet and student lab notebook

7.      Apply knowledge of reactions learned in class to laboratory exercises. (1, 3a-c)

-       This is actually done in a number of the labs, but I will give a specific example of how the NMR lectures and worksheets are integrated into the labs.

-       Relevant artifacts:

o   Addition of I2 to 4-pentenoic acid – with a twist! and student lab notebook*

8.      Identify synthetic routes to complex molecules using reactions encountered in class. (1,2)

-       Assessing the students’ ability to do this is done using exams, quizzes and in-class exercises.  A few examples are given below:

o   Exam Question 10

o   Chapter 15 in-class exercise – Diels-Alder Reactions

o   Chapter 10 in-class exercise – Retrosynthesis

o   Electrophilic Aromatic Substitution in-class exercise

9.      Choose a problem to study in the lab and design methods using the primary scientific literature to solve the problem utilizing the scientific method. (1,2,3a-f)

-       The students are first given a worksheet describing how to examine the scientific literature.  Their ability to search and use the primary literature is done through the writing of a proposal, where they must use and properly cite references.

-       Relevant artifacts:

o   Chem214L library worksheet

o   Chem214L final project overview

o   Chem214L final project synthetic proposal

o   Chem214L – example of a final project (grading rubric and proposal) – Preparation of Polystyrene from Ethylbenzene

 

V.    Data

 

Data used by the BCS major to make the changes to the senior experience:

·         BCS 402 theses from Fall 2007 and Fall 2008.  Related to BCS goals 2, 3, 5. Students did not demonstrate the ability to propose and argue a thesis based on peer-reviewed literature. Theses are available in the Stratton copy room. Below is the term paper assignment for Biol 152 to partially address this problem.

 

Instructions for the Term Paper

 

The term paper in BIOL 152L will consist of a literature review or library research paper on a biological issue selected from a list of topics provided to the class early in the semester.  Each student must choose a topic by 3 March.

 

The paper must be between 6 and 8 pages in length, double spaced, in 12-point type with appropriate margins.  It should begin with a title page, including the title, your name, the name of the course, the instructors’ names and the date.  Documentation or citations of the literature should follow the APA style (American Psychological Association), in which references to sources are given in the text as the author’s name and the date of publication, e.g. (Jones, 1990) or “Jones (1990) found that . . .”.  Do not use direct quotations in your paper, but paraphrase the information you take from your sources.  Give only the author(s) and year of publication, not page numbers.  At the end of the paper there should be a “Literature Cited” section in which all the works cited in your paper (and no others) are listed alphabetically by the first author’s last name.  You should refer to at least 6 appropriate publications of the literature.  Although you may find some information in books, the most current information and the most easily accessible will be from periodicals or “journals”.  You may use web-based versions of published papers from journals (e.g. “JStor”), but you may not cite unreviewed webpages such as “Wikipedia” or websites from courses at other institutions or from individuals, nor may you cite dictionaries, encyclopedias or other general reference texts.

 

A complete draft of your paper will be due at the beginning of class on 14 April.  With the draft of your paper, you must submit photocopies of the pages that served as sources of information cited in your paper with the appropriate sections highlighted and the publication information (journal name, volume, pages) clearly indicated.  (Many journals have this information printed on each page.) The draft will be edited and returned to you.  The final, corrected version of your paper will be due at the beginning of class on 5 May.

 

 

·         Comps grades from Class of 2008. Related to BCS goals 1-5. Written exam was not liked by the BCS Faculty, so changes were made. Below is the assignment, including the reflective essay that we will continue using in the future. Essays are available in Stratton 315.

 

Wells College

            BIOLOGICAL AND CHEMICAL SCIENCES

2008

 

COMPREHENSIVE EVALUATION

 

Instructions

 

Comprehensive evaluation in Biological and Chemical Science for 2008 will be comprised of two major components: a written exam and an oral presentation based on the Senior Research Paper.  The written exam will consist of two parts: a take-home component for which each student will be asked to write a short essay reflecting on how the major in Biological and Chemical Sciences might be integrated into the student’s life; and an objective exam composed of multiple-choice questions.  The objective exam will be taken on Friday 4 April, beginning at 2 PM and will last 3 hours.

 

The question on which the reflective essay is to be written is given below.  You are to write an essay of at least 2 but no more than 3 pages and submit it to the BCS faculty member at the beginning of the period set aside for the objective exam on 4 April.  The essay should be word-processed and printed, double-spaced, in an appropriate font (12 point), with appropriate margins.

 

PART I

Reflective Essay

 

Science is "a way of knowing," a very powerful tool for understanding the world we live in and for managing the world for our benefit. One of the objectives of the Major in Biological and Chemical Sciences is for students to understand and experience firsthand the process of science.  Write a 2-3 page essay (at least 2 pages, no more than 3) in which you explain in some depth your understanding of the process of science and give examples (more than one) of your experiences in the BCS major that have allowed you to understand and apply this process to your own work. Finally, speculate on ways in which your deeper understanding of science and its applications in society might affect your life.