assessing student skills in laboratory and research experiences
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Assessing student skills in laboratory and research experiences. Benjamin D. Caldwell Department of Chemistry Missouri Western State University, St. Joseph, MO April 29, 2014 Experimental Biology 2014, San Diego. BMB Lab Skills. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Assessing student skills in laboratory and research
experiences.
Benjamin D. Caldwell
Department of Chemistry
Missouri Western State University, St. Joseph, MO
April 29, 2014 Experimental Biology 2014, San Diego
What are the expectations (minimum vs. hopes/dreams!) for students completing BMB courses/programs Perform basic tasks adequately vs. designing experiments
Set learning objectives
What are the expectations for students coming into an introductory BMB course? Pre-course survey
Determine assess strategy for achievement of objectives Lab reports, written research/project proposals,
presentations, quizzes, exams, practical exams, etc…
BMB Lab Skills
Focused on basic BMB lab skills and methods
What skills do we want to teach in our courses?
What are our objectives for program?
How in depth can we want go? Introductory, theory, usage, proficient, mastery
First efforts
04/22/23 4
Lab skills Review of matrix and discussion
BMB SKILLS Adapted from BMBEd
Vol. 32, No. 1, pp. 11–16, 2004
WHEN SKILL IS LEARNED AND LEVEL TYPE
Lower Level Courses Upper Level BMB Courses
Quanti-tative
Quali-
tativeLAB TECHNIQUES Theory
Usage
Proficiency
Theory
Usage
Competence
Theory
Usage
Competence
Acid/Base chemistry
Affinity techniques
Amino acid analysis
cDNA
Cell Culture-Aseptic/Sterile Techniques
Cell Culture: Adherents vs. suspension
Cell Culture-Bactierial/insects
Cell Culture-Mamallian
Centrifugation-high speed
Centrifugation-separation and ppt
Centrifugation-subcellular fractionation
Centrifugation-ultraspeed
Characterization of carbohydrates
Characterization of lipids
Characterization of proteins
Chromatography-Affinity
Chromatography-ion exchange
Chromatography-size exclusion
Chromatography-HPLC
Cloning and Selection
Dialysis and Desalting
DNA array
DNA digests
Electrophoresis-DNA.RNA, agarose
Electrophoresis-proteins, PAGE
Enzyme kinetics
Fluorescence/ fluorimetry
Gene expression/transcription
Immunocytochemistry-Blots-Northern
Immunocytochemistry-Blots-Southern
Immunocytochemistry-Blots-Western
Immunocytochemistry-Immunoprecipitation
Immunocytochemistry-Immnofluorescence
Immunocytochemistry- In Situ Hybridization
Ligand-binding, ELISA
Membranes
Microscopy - light
Microscopy - phase
Microscopy - fluorescence
BMB SKILLS Adapted from BMBEd
Vol. 32, No. 1, pp. 11–16, 2004
WHEN SKILL IS LEARNED AND LEVEL TYPE
Lower Level Courses Upper Level BMB Courses
Quanti-tative
Quali-
tativeLAB TECHNIQUES
Theory
Usage
Proficiency
Theory
Usage
Competence
Theory
Usage
Competence
Acid/Base chemistry
C111 C120 C120 C120
C321 C370
C321 C370
C321 C370
C321 C370 X
Affinity techniques C370 C426 370 C370 C370 X
Amino acid analysis C370 B313 B313 X
cDNA B215 B215 B421 B421 B421B215 B421
B215 B421 B421 X X
Cell Culture-Aseptic/Sterile Techniques
B215 B215 B215 B390 B390
B390, B421
B390 B421
B390 B421
B390 B421 B431 X
Cell Culture: Adherents vs. suspension
B205B215
B205 B215
B205 B215
B390 B411 B421
B390 B411B421
B390 B411 B421
B205 B215 B390 B421
B205 B215B390 B421
B390 B421 X X
Cell Culture-Bactierial/insectsB215 B215 B390 B390
B390 B421
B390 B421
B390 B421
B390 B421 X X
Cell Culture-Mamallian B411 B411 X
Centrifugation-high speed B215 B215 C370 C370 C370 C370 X
Centrifugation-separation and ppt C370 C370 X
Centrifugation-subcellular fractionation
B215 B215 C370 C370 C370 C370 X
Centrifugation-ultraspeed
Characterization of carbohydrates
Characterization of lipids
Characterization of proteins C370 C370 C370 C470 C370 X X
Chromatography-Affinity C370 C370 X
Chromatography-ion exchange C370 C426
C370 C426 X
Chromatography-size exclusion C370 C370 C370 C370
X
Chromatography-HPLC C426 C426 X X
Experiments, procedures are available in variety of venues
BMBEd, CBE Life Sci Ed., J. Chem Ed., …
A few lab manuals available FLABB, Boyer, Farrell/Taylor ….
Course design – project based/inquiry based research
Assessment of laboratory skills???
What’s out there on lab assessment?
Assessment of student progress through entire lab course
Pre-course survey – assess student comprehension/retention from earlier courses Includes attitudinal survey + skills assessment
Midterm-assessment Final Exam
First half of course focuses skill building Second half – project based
Protein purification, enzyme kinetics
Our efforts
Pre-course skills survey Use the following scale, circling the appropriate statement that best matches your feeling about the following laboratory related questions. Strongly Somewhat Neutral/ Somewhat Strongly Disagree Disagree No Opinion Agree Agree
1 2 3 4 5 1. I am able to solve basic mathematic problems that require scientific notation or exponents.
1 2 3 4 5
3. I can accurately determine the correct number of significant digits in a number.1 2 3 4 5
029.0
3.211.545 x
79. Complete the following mathematical equation, and give your answer with the proper number of significant digits.
a. 4.0 x 105
b. 4.00 x 105
c. 4.00367 x 105
d. 400,367
Complete the following mathematical equation, and give your answer with the proper number of significant digits
Pre-Course Survey Sample QuestionsAttitudinal Question: I am able to solve basic mathematical problems that require scientific notation or exponents
Strongly Disagree
Somewhat Agree
No Opinion
SomewhatAgree
Strongly Disagree
0% 0% 0% 35% 65 %
Attitudinal Questions: I can determine the accuracy and precision of a micropipette from data.
Strongly Disagree
Somewhat Agree
No Opinion
SomewhatAgree
Strongly Disagree
6% 0% 12% 23% 59 %Pre-test: 6% Could correctly determine accuracy/precisionMid-term: 47% could determine accuracy/precision
029.0
3.211.545 x
Pre-test: 24% Could correctly perform calculationMid-term: 88% Could correctly perform calculation
1. Density2. Calculating Averages3. Understand Accuracy4. Understand Precision5. Understand Equipment Tolerances6. Recognize Units: Molarity7. Recognize Solution & Dilution Properties8. Can Perform Dilution Calculations9. Understand Concepts of Acidity10. Can Perform pH Calculation from Molarity11. Can Calculate [H+] from pH Data12. Understand How Buffers Maintain pH
I understand & can Identify dependent variables 0 0 6 54 40 69
I understand the differences between accuracy & precision 0 0 0 27 73 48
I understand basics of chromatography 0 19 21 29 31 67
I can generate a standard curve & determine concentrations of unknowns.
0 6 15 46 33 42
I understand the need for more than 1 type of protein assay 8 13 21 44 15 56
I understand the need for more than 1 type of protein assay 8 27 23 35 6 67
I understand the basic concepts & importance of enzyme kinetics
13 35 27 19 6 73
I understand how electrophoresis is used to separate protein/DNA
8 2 10 23 56 54
Str
ongly
Dis
agre
e
Str
ongly
Agre
e
Som
ewhat
Dis
agre
eNeu
tral
/No
Opin
ion
Som
ewhat
Agre
e
Lab T
ask
Quest
ions
(% C
orre
ct)
Given: Formal report on purification of protein characterization Introduction to the enzyme Materials and Methods Data and results
No Conclusions or Discussion
Final Exam
Exam Question 5
What type of experiment was used to detect the presence of the enzyme specifically in fractions collected from the gel filtration column? What substance and physical property were measured directly in this experiment to detect the presence of ATPase acivity?
Learning Objectives:• Demonstrate understanding of enzyme assays and assay methodologies.• Demonstrate ability to compare data from different types of experimental procedures and data.
Exam Question 8
Were the pipettes used in the protein assays all accurate and precise? Indicate which pipettes were accurate, precise, both or neither. Also, indicate why any pipettes were determined to not be accurate or precise.
Learning Objectives:• Demonstrate ability to perform basic statistical calculations and comparisons.• Demonstrate understanding of the concepts of accuracy vs. precision.
Exam Question 9What are the Km and Vmax values for the enzyme in the presence of MgATP and the analog CrATP. Which compounds binds more tightly to the enzyme, MgATP or CrATP, and explain how the data support your conclusion.
Learning Objectives:• Demonstrate understanding of enzyme kinetics and inhibition.• Demonstrate ability to use data to perform biochemical calculations
Exam Question 10Write a conclusion paragraph for this lab report. Be sure to comment briefly on a) the steps and procedures used to purify the enzyme, b) methods used to specifically identify fractions containing the protein, and c) compare the relative kinetics of the enzyme using MgATP or CrATP binds more tightly to the enzyme and possible mechanism of inhibition as demonstrated by the presented data.
Learning Objectives:• Demonstrate ability to synthesize concluding statements based on a large body of work using different laboratory methods and multiple forms of data representations.• Demonstrate the ability to communicate effectively.
Class Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q5 Q6 Q7 Q8 Q9 Q10 Bonus Q's
Average Exam
Score (%)Spring 2010 92.2 76.3 92.5 75.6 66.7 64.4 68.1 80.4 56.3 81.5 70.4 79.2
Spring 2011 95.6 68.0 83.5 75.7 73.2 73.5 68.5 81.4 69.7 84.6 65.2 82.9
Student Performance on final exam questions.
Scores represent percentage of students receiving full credit for each question.
Able to identify areas still needing improvement (indicated by yellow) include:
• Interpreting graphic data (Q’s 2, 6, 9) – graphical/SDS-PAGE results• Comprehension of enzyme assays and kinetics (Q’s 5, 9)• Performing biochemical calculations (Q’s 7, 9)
Final Exam Results
Conclusion- Course wide approach to assessing and tracking student achievement of introductory biochemistry laboratory lab skills
Future work:Incorporate attitudinal component into final
exam study, possibly include exit interviews
AcknowledgmentsDr. Melissa Daggett, MWSU Biology Department
Merrill Schaeffer, MWSU/Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica
CHE 370 Students, MWSU