Enabling students to find experiments fun and just a little bit addictive.....

Liz Smythe

Department of Biomedical Science

BMS385 Practical cell biology

Aim: This module aims to provide third level students with experience of research laboratory work in cell biology.

BMS385 Practical cell biology

Aim: This module aims to provide third level students with experience of research laboratory work in cell biology.

Objectives: By the end of this module students should be able to: *Describe the principles of experimental design and the stages of development of a practical protocol* interpret and present data in a format used in a research environment

BMS385 Practical cell biology

Aim: This module aims to provide third level students with experience of research laboratory work in cell biology.

Particular emphasis will be placed on the development, execution and interpretation of experimental protocols as is standard practice in a research laboratory.

Objectives: By the end of this module students should be able to: *Describe the principles of experimental design and the stages of development of a practical protocol* interpret and present data in a format used in a research environment

What is different about this module?

What is different about this module?Standard practical module:

Requirements:Predictable outcomeKnowledge of fundamental techniquesLogistics of classes with large numbers

Isabelle Smythe

Standard practical

Problem: what if we need to go back to first principles?

Standard practical

Problem: what if we need to go back to first principles?

….or want to try something more elaborate?

Standard practical

…yes we did that in Level 1 but it was set up for us so I didn’t really pay attention…

So what do we do?

So what do we do?

Introduction •The principle of experiment design

hypothesis, experimental set-up,data interpretation, re-evaluation of hypothesis

So what do we do?

Introduction •The principle of experiment design

hypothesis, experimental set-up,data interpretation, re-evaluation of hypothesis

•The principle behind the specific experiments

So what do we do?

Introduction •The principle of experiment design

hypothesis, experimental set-up,data interpretation, re-evaluation of hypothesis

•The principle behind the specific experiments•What we expect from them

three related experimentsoutline of protocol for the first

So what do we do?

Introduction •The principle of experiment design

hypothesis, experimental set-up,data interpretation, re-evaluation of hypothesis

•The principle behind the specific experiments•What we expect from them

three related experimentsoutline of protocol for the first

•Assessment30% for write-up70% based on lab performance(thought, planning, execution, interpretation)

So what do we do?

Introduction •The principle of experiment design

hypothesis, experimental set-up,data interpretation, re-evaluation of hypothesis

•The principle behind the specific experiments•What we expect from them

three related experimentsoutline of protocol for the first

•Assessment30% for write-up70% based on lab performance(thought, planning, execution, interpretation)

•What they can expect from usto ask as many questions as they wish

(but to expect further questions in response)

This may have been a mistake…………

The first day

This may have been a mistake…………

The first day

..and it IS fairly chaotic…

CreativeProficient

Independent

Observant

Confident Enabled

As the module progresses…..

Practicalities

PracticalitiesSmall numbers

PracticalitiesSmall numbersFeasibility

PracticalitiesSmall numbersFeasibilityDemanding!

PracticalitiesSmall numbersFeasibilityDemanding!

RewardsStudents:

PracticalitiesSmall numbersFeasibilityDemanding!

RewardsStudents:Ownership

PracticalitiesSmall numbersFeasibilityDemanding!

RewardsStudents:OwnershipTaste for bench work

PracticalitiesSmall numbersFeasibilityDemanding!

RewardsStudents:OwnershipTaste for bench workExcitement of science (addiction!)

PracticalitiesSmall numbersFeasibilityDemanding!

RewardsStudents:OwnershipTaste for bench workExcitement of science (addiction!)Awareness

PracticalitiesSmall numbersFeasibilityDemanding!

RewardsStudents:OwnershipTaste for bench workExcitement of science (addiction!)AwarenessAverage students can perform very well

Feedback

I thought all my University courses would be like this one

Module taught me what science is really like…

I enjoyed the module because I was treated like an equal

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Bruno Orsi, Trinity College, Dublin