Welcome to Biology 112

Please pick up the course outline handout and

blank half-sheet of paper at the front of the room!
Welcome to Biology 112
Your Instructors
201 Wade Bingle Wesbrook 131
202 Rosemary Oh-McGinnis Wesbrook 126
203 Karen Smith Wesbrook 115
Course assistants
Muizz Wahid (203 - this section)
Jimmy Wang (201)
Sandra Kim (202)
Teaching assistants for BIOLOGY 112
Daniel Jun, Hilary Leung
Administrative questions
Karen Smith: Wesbrook Room 115
bacteria@interchange.ubc.ca
What do you need to Purchase?
UBC bookstore:
Textbook:
Biological Sciences
by Scott Freeman:
3rd Custom Edition for UBC.
OK to use 1
st
or 2
nd
Cdn
edition but microbial
growth chapter missing.
NOT OK for 4
th
North
American ed.
What do you need to Purchase?
UBC bookstore:
iClicker device
-ask at the cashier.
-register your iClicker # on
our course management
site called:
Web Access Required
1.
Course Management website
http://resources.connect.ubc.ca/
-use your CWL to access.
2.
Multiple choice question creation website.
Details will be provided later in the term
http://resources.connect.ubc.ca/
Login
Use your CWL :
Campus wide login
Orientation video
If you have a used clicker, the number might be rubbed off. Go to the Barber
Learning Center - they have a site where they can tell you your clicker number
or see Karen Smith in Wesbrook room 115.
Register your iClicker Device
Input your device
number and click
SUBMIT
CONNECT - Weekly Folders
Choose BIOL 112
Folders on the left
menu
Each week will contain a schedule, assigned
readings, pdfs of lecture slides, learning
objectives, pre-class quizzes.
Weekly Schedule and Learning Objectives
Located in Wesbrook room 200.
Room is open all day 8 am 5 pm.
BIOL 112 Graduate Teaching Assistants and
Undergraduate Course Assistants will be present
at various times throughout the week.
Weekly hours will be posted on CONNECT
Mark Distribution
Assessment Method Component Percentage of
Total Grade
Examinations Midterm 1 Exam 10%
Midterm 2 Exam 30%
Final Exam 45%
Learning Activities iClicker Questions 3%
Pre-class Reading
Quizzes
3%
In-class Activities 6%
PeerWise Assignment 3%
Grading Scheme (see page 2 of course outline)
Course Examinations
Midterm 1 held in class on
Wed, Jan. 30
th
Thurs, Jan 31
st
Midterm 2 held in the evening on
Wed, Mar. 6
th
, 2013 at 7 pm.
Final exam scheduled by Enrolment
services. Usually schedule posted mid-Feb.
Typical Week for a BIOL 112 Student
1. On CONNECT starting on Friday at 3 pm
- check out the weekly schedule with assigned
readings, quizzes, learning objectives etc
2. Complete the reading assignment in your textbook etc
3. Complete a pre-class quiz on CONNECT by Monday 2 pm.
4. Print off lectures slides for the week and bring to class.
5. In the lectures, bring your iClicker device, lecture slides
etc. You do NOT need your textbook in class.
Be prepared to interact in many, many types of activities
in class!
The overall goals of the course are to:
promote learning concepts and facts to understand cells
and organisms.
promote scientific thinking.
improve your learning skills.
How will we promote these goals?
By doing active learning exercises!
In-class activities (always with discussion):
Write/draw activities.
Clicker questions.
Investigation activities.
Outside of class activities (individual):
Weekly online pre-class assignments
Peerwise create your own multiple choice questions.
Please note:
For Biology 112, electronic communication devices should
be put away during class. Laptops, iPads OK.
NO phones, cameras, texting, facebooking, tweeting,
movie-watching, game-playing PLEASE!
Our Course Policy:
Regarding Electronic Devices in Class
Why?
These devices and behaviors are distracting to
everyones learning!
What's important for this class?
You need to read material before class.
You will need to take notes in class.
Check weekly folders for additional information.
Be on time for class.
No electronic devices permitted in class turn your cell
phone to silent!
Its your responsibility to remind classmates to not be
disruptive.
Teaching methods only work if you do.
Biol 112 Clicker etiquette:
1. Participation points. Over the term, if you participate in
80% of the in-class questions = full points
(3%, regardless if the answers are right or not).
2. Using other students clicker devices:
a. Only 1 device may be used by any 1 student.
b. You cannot share a device with another student in BIOL 112 even
if they are in another section.
c. Students cannot give their device to another student if they know
they will be absent that day.
This is academic misconduct.
All devices will be confiscated and students reported to the Dean for
academic misconduct.
3. Clickers are fun and a great way to engage in your learning!
You are supposed to discuss the questions asked with the person next to
you. This is actually the important part of learning!
What is the approximate ratio of the number
of human cells to microbial cells in/on your
body?
A. 1 human cell per 100 microbes.
B. 1 human cell per 10 microbes.
C. 1 human cell per 1 microbe.
D. 10 human cell per 1 microbe.
E. 100 human cells per 1 microbe.
What is this course about?
Its an introduction to modern biology. We are going to
be talking about things that are critical for all of biology:
cells and how they and their parts function.
Since all of life is cellular, cell function is at the root of
all living things.
Well often use bacteria as examples of cells. WHY?
Todays Activity
Here is our first in-class activity called
Replicating Thing
What to do:
-read the activity/instruction yourself.
-think about some solutions.
-talk with your neighbours and work together!
-write your full name and student # on the
half sheet of paper.
-write your ideas on the half-sheet.
Assume youve gotten a job with a mad scientist.
This person wants to create a non-organic thing
which might be a machine or some kind of device
(its not clear).
But the thing can self-replicate. That is, if left on
its own it will make copies of itself and the copies will
be able to make copies of themselves.
To start this task you decide you need to make a list
of the properties this thing must have.
Confer with your neighbours and make the list.
Write the ideas on the half sheet. Well collect ideas
and see what we get.
Replicating thing criteria:
Generate a container Membranes (wall)
Gather raw material
Gather or make parts Proteins
Gather and transform energy
Have a set of instructions DNA
Pass instructions to replicas Proteins and DNA
Mechanism to read the instructions RNA and proteins
Replicating thing criteria:
1. Generate a container
2. Gather raw material
3. Gather or make parts
4. Gather and transform energy
5. Have a set of instructions
6. Pass instructions to replicas
7. Mechanism to read the instructions
By these criteria which of the following are self-replicating things:
1. Human skin cells
2. A human being
3. Bacteria (E. coli)
4. Self pollinating plants
5. Viruses
A. All 5
B. 1, 3, 5 only
C. 1, 2, 3, 4 only
D. 2, 3, 4 only
E. 1, 3, 4 only
What is a concept?
Concepts are ideas that
Organize or categorize.
Are building blocks.
Are mental representations or abilities.
Where can I find concepts?
Weekly schedule topics.
Learning objectives.
Pre-class quiz questions based on
readings.
Ideas emphasized in lectures.
Ideas emphasized in clicker questions.
How do you know what you are
" supposed to know" for this class?
Example Learning Objective from Week 2:
Contrast lag phase, exponential phase, stationary phase
and death phase in terms of division rate, cell composition
and cell viability.
You need to decide:
What does contrast mean?
What information are you supposed to contrast?
Where is this information?
How can this information be used to make a question for
the exam?
How do you use learning objectives?
Example:
Contrast lag phase, exponential phase, stationary phase
and death phase in terms of division rate, cell composition
and cell viability.
What this is asking:
1. What are the properties of cells in these 4 stages?
You need to look in the written sources for this information as
well as in lecture material.
2. How are these properties similar?
3. How are these properties different?
4. Why would cells have these differences?
Finally ask your self- and your study partners:
What sort of multiple choice or short answer question
might be asked about this?
Learning at University
Consider this investigation:
Focusing on how students study
Gurung et al, Jan. 2010
Researchers asked
What is the best advice to give students regarding
how to study?
Journal of Scholarship of Teaching & Learning. Jan. 2010 Vol 1,
No. 1 pp 28- 35
Correlated Study Techniques and Grades
Study behaviors associated with HIGH exam scores:
Attending classes.
Answering study questions (e.g. from study guides
like learning objectives).
Use practice exams to study.
Explained problems using course material.
*120 students in a introductory psychology class
Correlated Study Techniques and Grades
Study behaviors associated with LOWexam scores:
Reviewing lectures notes.
Highlighting material to review later.
Using other study materials (not associated with the
course)
Reading the textbook AFTER the lecture.
NOTE: Number of study hours did not relate to exam scores!!
Overall Result?
No strategies
work all the time,
for all students,
in all classes!
This is consistent with all the literature!
Discussing the Course Material with
other BIOL 112 Students.
Use the discussion board on CONNECT!
The discussion board allows you to interact with other
students and talk about the material.
Course assistants (CAs) will be monitoring the
discussion board for appropriate content AND will
provide assistance when needed.
Questions for the CAs and TAs ? Go to the Learning
Centre in Wesbrook room 200 during their hours!
Also see CONNECT for
Recommendations from previous BIOL
112 students as to how to approach
studying for BIOL 112
e.g., study in groups.
I now need to discuss the concepts more with
other students instead of just reading the
material on my own.
Weekend Reminders
Check out week 2 folder on CONNECT for
assigned readings, discussion topics,
learning objectives.
Complete readings.
Do CONNECT quiz before Mon 2 pm.
Pre-class Assignment Week 2
Print lecture slides for Monday/Tuesday.