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Expectations
Program Objectives
- Despite the unique character of each discipline and corresponding academic department, we share a common set of teaching goals.
Employers and admissions committees are looking for candidates who are critical thinkers, cooperative team players, and excellent problem solvers.
Many of these attributes are developed in our laboratory courses in Natural Sciences and Engineering.
- Five major learning objectives in the laboratory courses
contribute to development of these attributes. Review the laboratory
teaching/learning objectives and performance
standards.
These are the real goals of our program, which transcend all
majors, departments, and individual courses, regardless of
content.
- Our Lab Proficiency Scale was developed to promote self-evaluation of competency in key areas: obtaining and analyzing data, communicating information and ideas,
establishing context, integrating and applying knowledge, and maintaining productive work habits and relationships. We've developed surveys (Pre
Lab Self Evaluation of Professional Laboratory Skills and Post
Lab Self Evaluation of Professional Laboratory Skills) to help us improve our laboratory curriculum.
- The undergraduate program is a series of steps. Keep in mind
that a level of performance that would result in a B/B+ or
sometimes even an A at the introductory level, does not (and
should not) translate into a high grade at the advanced level.
We forgive a lot of mistakes early on but you must recall the
lessons learned from these mistakes when you conduct similar
work at an advanced level. Additionally, the criteria we use
to evaluate your performance in an advanced laboratory course
are different from those we use in an introductory course.
Course Objectives
- This laboratory course advances basic laboratory, record keeping, and technical communication skills that were
introduced in Bios 211: Experimental Biosciences. Our emphasis is on the PROCESS of science (i.e., fundamental abilities) rather than the CONTENT (i.e., discipline-specific
lab techniques).
- Thus, I expect you not only to retain and use what you learned in Dr. Caprette's laboratory course, but also to build on that foundation and achieve higher competencies.
Here are some examples of how we are "raising the bar:"
- Lab notebooks will NOT be "checked" each week; we initial the last page each week simply to indicate that you have completed that lab session.
You are responsible for maintaining a research quality notebook that follows the guidelines we have given you.
- You will write a SINGLE research paper that is 30% of your final grade.
- You must work as part of a TEAM as well as function INDEPENDENTLY.
Preparation
- Requirements:
- PRE-requisite = Bios 211: Experimental Biosciences
- PRE- or CO-requisite = Bios 301: Biochemistry
- ***You will need the following items for the FIRST day of
lab:***
- Lab notebook: Chemistry Top 100-set, ISBN 1-930882-00-9 (Hayden
McNeil, orders@hmpublishing.com)
- Sharpie
- Ball Point Pen
- Safety Glasses
- This course is intended to allow you to apply your understanding
of the material by participating in the design of the experiment.
The procedures for experiments are not always "cookbook" and
in some instances serve only as a guide to explain what is
to be accomplished. You must understand the objectives of the
experiments and the theory of the procedures to make rational
decisions to meet the experimental goals.
- You must come to lab prepared--this requires you to READ the experimental protocols on the course web site BEFORE coming to lab, not just print a copy of them and bring it
with you. Bring only the information you need to perform the experiments.
The procedures for each day are available from the Course Schedule page, and you will be given any additional information in the pre-lab lectures.
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Interdisciplinary Web-based Teaching Laboratory Materials pages were developed so that you can continuously advance your
skills as you progress throughout your undergraduate career, even as you take courses from different departments. We hope to eliminate inconsistencies, to reinforce
universal truths, and to impress upon you the interdisciplinary nature of science and engineering.
Examples of reference materials (pdf format) include dimensions and units, graphing, and error analysis and significant figures.
- SPECIAL NOTE: Digital image acquisition and processing tools make manipulation and idealization of raw images an easy task.
Copyright, Acknowledgements,
and Intended Use
Created by B. Beason (bbeason@rice.edu), Rice University, 26 May 2006
Updated 20 August 2008