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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.
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
Particular emphasis will be placed on the development, execution
and interpretation of experimental protocols as is standard
practice in a research laboratory.
What is different about this module?
What is different about this module?
Standard practical module:
Isabelle Smythe
Requirements:
Predictable outcome
Knowledge of fundamental techniques
Logistics of classes with large numbers
Standard practical
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?
…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 experiments
outline 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 experiments
outline of protocol for the first
•Assessment
30% for write-up
70% 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 experiments
outline of protocol for the first
•Assessment
30% for write-up
70% based on lab performance
(thought, planning, execution, interpretation)
•What they can expect from us
to ask as many questions as they wish
(but to expect further questions in response)
The first day
This may have been a mistake…………
The first day
This may have been a mistake…………
..and it IS fairly chaotic…
As the module progresses…..
Proficient
Observant
Confident
Creative
Independent
Enabled
Practicalities
Practicalities
Small numbers
Practicalities
Small numbers
Feasibility
Practicalities
Small numbers
Feasibility
Demanding!
Practicalities
Small numbers
Feasibility
Demanding!
Rewards
Students:
Practicalities
Small numbers
Feasibility
Demanding!
Rewards
Students:
Ownership
Practicalities
Small numbers
Feasibility
Demanding!
Rewards
Students:
Ownership
Taste for bench work
Practicalities
Small numbers
Feasibility
Demanding!
Rewards
Students:
Ownership
Taste for bench work
Excitement of science (addiction!)
Practicalities
Small numbers
Feasibility
Demanding!
Rewards
Students:
Ownership
Taste for bench work
Excitement of science (addiction!)
Awareness
Practicalities
Small numbers
Feasibility
Demanding!
Rewards
Students:
Ownership
Taste for bench work
Excitement of science (addiction!)
Awareness
Average 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