31st Annual ABLE Conference

8:30am - 9:30am

(1) Understanding the Effects of Exposure to Environmental Contaminants on Normal Zebrafish Development
Mindy Reynolds-Walsh, Washington College

Only recently has it been adequately recognized that substances present in the environment can have adverse effects on developing organisms. Now, with environmental pollutants accumulating at an unprecedented rate, and with pharmaceuticals dominating western medicine, it is particularly important that we understand the effects of the substances to which we are exposing ourselves. Zebrafish (Danio rerio) has become a widely used model system for the study of vertebrate development. This system is particularly amenable for use in the laboratory because of the ease of collection and manipulation and the rapid rate of development. This workshop will discuss a five-week lab in which students use zebrafish to examine the effects of various drugs or environmental contaminants on normal development. In the first two weeks of lab, students examine normal development and compare it to overall development, growth, weight, and behavior of exposed zebrafish. The students collect data on notochord length and dry weight to determine if changes in growth occur in different treatments. The quantitative data is evaluated for statistically significant differences between treatments. In the last three weeks of lab, students write a research proposal for an independent experiment of their choice, carry out the experiment, and present their findings. This lab not only introduces students to the use of animal models, but it also incorporates experimental design and data analysis.

(2) Playing Games: The Importance of Activities in the Classroom
Kristen N. Sargent, Westminster College

My primary goal is to create a board game that increases students’ comprehension and retention of biological facts and concepts by encouraging interaction and discussion. A second, but no less important, goal is to create an engaging learning experience that will pique student interest in the legal and ethical issues surrounding genetic technologies. A lesson plan focused on the genetic and cellular aspects of new genetic technologies was presented to two 10th grade biology classes and two 12th grade AP biology classes. All four classes were presented with the same lesson plan. One class of each grade served as a control, participating in a more traditional oral review the day following the lesson. The experimental class of each grade played the board game in place of the standard review session. A pre/post-test assessment method was employed to determine the effect of playing the board game on student comprehension and retention of material. Both the control and experimental classes showed significantly higher post test scores than their respective pre test scores. This result indicates learning occurred within both the control and experimental groups of each grade. However, the post-test scores of each experimental group increased by a significantly greater amount than that of each respective control group, implying that the students who played the board game experienced an educational benefit beyond the traditional lesson plan and review. Significantly higher test scores coupled with positive reviews from both college and high school students show that this board game achieved its primary and secondary goals. It can be easily modified for college courses as well as adapted to cover other biology topics.

(3) Using computer simulations to prepare students for hands-on labs
Phil Stephens, Villanova University

Many students learn best in a hands-on environment, using kinesthetic and visual strategies. This study tests the notion that interactive computer simulations can be used to provide skills and prepare students for the subsequent hands-on lab. In spring 2009, the Animal Physiology course met in two lab sections, on successive afternoons each week. In all cases, a handout was posted online about one week before the lab meeting. In this study, a (Flash) lab simulation was also given to one section. The students were asked to gather data, produce a graph, and answer questions to show that they had grasped the basic concepts. All students in the class completed an online pre-lab quiz, were observed by a teaching assistant during the lab, and produced a (post-lab) report. This procedure was repeated for a second lab, but this time the other section was given the simulation. Mini-workshop participants will interact with the programs and will be shown data demonstrating that the computer simulations helped students acquire and improve certain lab skills.

(4) Introducing Phylogeny to General Biology Laboratory
Lynette Winters, Piedmont Virginia Community College

Three challenges that instructors face during the first laboratory session in any general biology course are 1) to excite students about the diversity of life 2) to encourage students to think like scientists, and 3) to promote peer interaction among students. In a recently revised introductory lab exercise at Piedmont Virginia Community College, we address all of these challenges in a basic phylogeny construction lab. Students work together to classify four unique shells based on morphological traits and subsequently construct a simple phylogenetic tree illustrating their findings. Each lab group presents its classification to the rest of the class. Most students have an intuitive feeling for "important" traits, and this exercise allows them to articulate why certain traits are more useful in constructing phylogenies than others. The main goal of the session is to present an inquiry based introductory biology lab with hands-on activities and to share how we have successfully incorporated the activity into our biology curriculum.

(5) The Freshman "Research" Experience
Ann Yezerski, King’s College

Most freshman laboratory exercises are the "cookbook" types where the students are given explicit instructions, and then provided with the expected result. If and when this pre-assigned result does not occur, the students are often encouraged to identify their own error in the process. This is not how science is conducted "in real life." Actual research never has an expected answer. In fact, if the results of a well-designed experiment differ from the original hypotheses, it does not suggest experimental error, but rather a remarkable outcome. Budding scientists should be able to experience how scientific research is actually conducted. Yet, we fear allowing too much freedom at this early stage in their education, since these young scientists do not yet have the training to create and conduct their own projects. To this end, our biology department has incorporated three week modules in our introductory biology laboratory to introduce the research process. In the first two weeks the students learn some simple techniques on a topic in a manner similar to the classic biology laboratory exercises of the past. However, the final twist is that, in the last week, they design their own original “research” project that utilizes one or more of the techniques they learned. As an example of this methodology, I will discuss the module we created on the topic of plants, where students learn about, and then choose from, simple techniques involving photosynthesis, transpiration, and plant photosynthetic pigments.  

9:30am - 10:30am

(6) Examination of Coral Reef Bleaching Using Aiptasia pallida as a Model
Meriam Ferzli & Marianne Niedzlek-Feaver, North Carolina State University

Using Aiptasia pallida, the tropical pale sea anemone, students can study coral reef bleaching by measuring the effects of various environmental factors on zooxanthellae, photosynthetic symbiotic dinoflagellate algae that inhabit corals and Aiptasia. Aiptasia pallida, like corals, can lose their endosymbionts in response to various stimuli. In this experiment students manipulate several factors which have been associated with coral bleaching, such as changes in temperature and light intensity. By measuring endosymbiont numbers before and during exposure to various temperatures and light intensities, students monitor the effects of these factors over time. Students also look at the role that food plays in preservation of endosymbionts by Aiptasia pallida during the different environmental treatments. Students work collaboratively in their labs and pool their data with data from other lab sessions that run both concurrently and throughout the day and evening, giving them a comprehensive look at endosymbiont numbers during the course of the day. Skills such as experimental design, collecting, organizing, and representing data, and communicating results are an important component of the lab. Students also gain procedural knowledge as they learn how to handle the anemones, identify, and quantify endosymbionts. This laboratory experiment provides the flexibility for customizing to the needs of the course and the availability of resources. It lends itself well for studies in ecological or species relationships, and can be taught using different strategies, ranging from traditional laboratory instruction to inquiry-based learning.

(7) Computerized pre- and post-lab assignments on LON-CAPA
Marielle Hoefnagels, University of Oklahoma

LON-CAPA is a free, online course management system that instructors can use to create individualized quizzes, assignments, and exams for any type of course. In the fall 2008 semester, I used LON-CAPA to administer online pre- and post-lab assignments instead of paper quizzes for my nonmajors biology class. This workshop will show how LON-CAPA works, demonstrate some of the many types of questions an instructor can create in LON-CAPA, describe LON-CAPA's strengths and weaknesses, and present results from the fall 2008 semester.

(8) Natural Selection: A Simple Model of Selection in a Variable Environment
Robert Ketcham, University of Delaware

This activity is derived from the early (1981, Proceedings, vol. 2) ABLE lab by James Waddell called Ecology: Predator-Prey Simulation. Our derivation keeps the original ecological interaction and adds evolutionary consequences. Students act as predators who hunt for prey items in a tabletop arena. The arena, made of aquarium stones and confetti, comes in light-colored and dark-colored versions. The prey population starts as an equal mixture of light- and dark-colored beans; the proportions of the mixture change as student-predators hunt through multiple rounds of foraging and the prey reproduce. We chose beans and adjusted the composition of the aquarium stones so our students typically see directional selection in each arena, which we decided was the most desirable outcome for our freshman-level non-majors lab. In other contexts the general setup would allow students to explore the effects of manipulating these variables on their own. Our students find this to be a very engaging group activity, as was the original Waddell lab.

(9) Do Color Cues Affect Flavor Perception?
Kathleen A. Nolan, St. Francis College

In this workshop, participants will test the hypothesis that color cues influence flavor perception. While blindfolded, tasters will sample five different types of Skittles candy, and a partner will record the perceived flavor of each. The subject will next taste the candy with eyes open and again the perceived flavor will be recorded. These results will be added to a growing database that began with college and high school students in the St. Francis College Summer Science Academy. Tasters will discuss how this can be turned into an inquiry-based lab for their students. This experiment is appropriate for all levels, from non-science majors to anatomy and physiology students. It might even be included as an exercise in food chemistry and/or nutrition.

(10) Enzyme Activity Simulation
Nancy Pencoe, University of West Georgia

Students have a great deal of difficulty understanding how enzymes function due to the abstract nature of molecules in general and of enzymes in particular. This simulation was developed as a pre-lab activity to introduce students to the concepts of enzyme kinetics and inhibition. Prior to the simulation, students viewed animations and discussed the role of enzymes in chemical reactions and the factors that influence enzyme activity. During the simulation, students become the enzyme "chipcolorase" which catalyzes the conversion of yellow substrate chips into green product chips in timed intervals. The simulation examines 1) the specificity of enzymes; 2) the reaction rates of enzyme-catalyzed vs. nonenzyme-catalyzed reactions; and 3) the effects of competitive and non-competitive inhibitors on enzyme reaction rates. The time for completion of this activity is approximately 35-45 minutes.

1:00pm - 2:00pm

(11) Human Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) Determination
Sarah Deel, Carleton College

SNPs are single nucleotide polymorphisms; they represent the simplest type of genetic variation between individuals. A SNP refers to a specific location in the genome where at least 1% of the individuals in a population have a different nucleotide. This Mini will be a follow-up to the Major Workshop "Human Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) Determination." You do not need to participate in the Major to attend the Mini. I will present an overview of the lab procedures and we will interpret results from ABLE participants' DNA analyses. We will discuss published population data for this particular SNP and see how ABLE members' data compare. I will briefly describe our use of a case study we developed to set the context for our students' understanding of SNP analysis. http://www.sciencecases.org/snp/snp.asp

CANCELLED (postponed to next year) - Mini #21 will be repeated in its place
(12) Using Microsoft Excel to Analyze Fingerprint Data
Rosemary H. Ford, Washington College

The distinct patterns of fingerprints formed by dermal ridges and the counts of those ridges based on pattern type will be analyzed using Microsoft Excel. In the workshop actual data from classes representing two population sizes, a small sample (16 people), and a larger one (more than 140 people) will be used. Because the frequency of the three fingerprint patterns (loop, whorl, and arch) of a general population is known, the Chi square test will be used to determine if either population represents a sample of the general population. For analysis of the total ridge count (TRC), Excel will be used to prepare histograms, and calculate means and standard deviations for both populations. The histograms demonstrate the continuous inheritance pattern of this trait, and the derived statistics will be used to conduct an unpaired t test that will test whether the male TRC differs significantly from that of females. The analyses will be compared with published data and then discussed. This lab is successful because students like using their own data for analyses and it teaches basic skills using Excel that are useful in other laboratory projects.

(13) Natural Selection: A Simple Model of Selection in a Variable Environment
Robert Ketcham, University of Delaware

This activity is derived from the early (1981, Proceedings, vol. 2) ABLE lab by James Waddell called Ecology: Predator-Prey Simulation. Our derivation keeps the original ecological interaction and adds evolutionary consequences. Students act as predators who hunt for prey items in a tabletop arena. The arena, made of aquarium stones and confetti, comes in light-colored and dark-colored versions. The prey population starts as an equal mixture of light- and dark-colored beans; the proportions of the mixture change as student-predators hunt through multiple rounds of foraging and the prey reproduce. We chose beans and adjusted the composition of the aquarium stones so our students typically see directional selection in each arena, which we decided was the most desirable outcome for our freshman-level non-majors lab. In other contexts the general setup would allow students to explore the effects of manipulating these variables on their own. Our students find this to be a very engaging group activity, as was the original Waddell lab.

(14) Internet Instruments (videos, animation, simulations and assignments) that can be used to prepare students for lab, test understanding, or extend the laboratory experience
Marianne Niedzlek-Feaver & Betty L. Black, North Carolina State University.

In fall 2008, an on-line laboratory component was added to the distance version of Introductory Biology that treats cell and developmental biology, so that students could earn full credit for the course without attending campus laboratory sessions. The laboratory was very well received by students. We wish to discuss our efforts at ABLE for two reasons. ONE: The success of the distance lab caused us to design a hybrid lab where we feel the students will be able to experience the "best" of an on campus and distance lab. TWO: Most of the success of the distance lab rest on the instruments developed for on line delivery such as videos, animations, simulations and most important the concept-application oriented weekly assignment. These instruments can be used to test understanding, extend a laboratory experience or to prepare students for upcoming laboratories in on campus offerings. As enrollments swell, classroom laboratories are subject to several problems. For example, lab instructors often feel they need to spend considerable time discussing underlying concepts, instruments and protocols to be used so that all students are "on the same page". The instruments designed for the distance environment, such as a instructor programmable spectrophotometer, can be used in a traditional lab setting to minimize this and other problems and in a hybrid laboratory environment should enable students to experience a richer hands-on experience. CDs will be provided so that participants can leave with all the simulations and animations developed for this course.

(15) Offering academic assistance to students in your biology lab
Mark Walvoord, University of Oklahoma

Despite the more active learning involved in laboratory sections compared to lecture sections, some students still desire or need extra-curricular assistance to succeed in our biology courses. In fact, there are organizations and societies devoted to such academic assistance. These staff may appear on your campus in “Learning Centers,” “Student Services,” or “Tutoring Centers,” and are seeking ways to help you help your students succeed. This learning assistance is usually setup to help the best students get better and the worst students be the best they can be through “student success” talks, free tutoring, or simply study-friendly environments. Using the experience of members of these societies as a guide (e.g. ATP, CRLA, NCLCA), we have setup "UC Action" as an initiative both to: 1) meet the needs of our students in biology (and other) courses, and to 2) increase the retention and graduation rates at our university as a whole. Come discuss how to setup a similar program at your institution, or critique the program at ours.

(16) Teaching Heritability Using Butterfly Images: Real Organisms, Real Measurements
Joanna Vondrasek (Piedmont Virginia Community College) and Susan Paulsen (University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill

We will demonstrate a free, downloadable program that uses digitized images of parent-offspring pairs of butterfly wings (Precis coenia) as a platform for students to measure real traits and calculate heritability measurements. There is an on-screen data capture tool, and students are able to choose the trait they wish to measure, such as eyespot diameter or distance between wing bars, and export measurements into a statistical package. The basic lab is suitable for introductory majors biology and sophomore level genetics classes. More advanced genetics classes can perform more detailed analyses of heritability such as which categories of traits have higher heritabilities. Activities based on this program can be used in lab or as lecture supplements.
Note: offered again in Session Four

2pm - 3pm

(17) Enzyme Exercises Designed for Both Laboratory and Internet Environments
Betty Black, Marianne Niedzlek-Feaver, and Jason Wingate, North Carolina State University

We have developed a flexible laboratory exercise that illustrates the principles of enzyme activity and can be used in introductory biology for biology majors or non-science majors. Additionally, the exercise can be utilized in distance education to bring elements of the laboratory experience into the Internet environment. The exercise employs intestinal maltase to illustrate release of glucose from maltose over time as well as the effects of temperature, enzyme concentration and substrate concentration on enzyme activity. The enzyme is easily prepared by homogenizing a small segment of mouse or rat intestine. Intestine can be stored for a year at -20°C and used repeatedly as needed. For non-science majors, the assay utilizes a glucometer (the type used by diabetics) to directly measure glucose concentration at the end of a 15-45 minute incubation period. For courses where experience with more sophisticated equipment is desired, reagents are added to produce a colorimetric reaction with glucose and absorption is measured with a spectrophotometer. This version of the assay utilizes a standard curve and provides experience in calculating enzyme activity from the raw data. For distance education, we have video graphed the major procedures in both versions of the assay and have produced java simulations that allow students to interact with the glucometer or spectrophotometer to obtain data for analysis. The versatility and relatively low cost of this exercise should make it attractive for use in the introductory biology laboratory.

(18) The Best of Both Worlds: Teaching with a Tablet PC
Jessica Goldstein & Sarah Salm, Barnard College

When teaching a lecture course, the instructor must make a choice between using the chalk board, which generally creates a more interactive atmosphere, and using some type of presentation software (usually Powerpoint), which diminishes student interaction but allows for the presentation of complex text book figures. We’d like to present a solution to this dilemma –a tablet PC. With a tablet PC, an instructor can combine the best aspects of chalk board teaching with Powerpoint teaching. We’ll discuss the impact that using a tablet PC has had on our teaching and also on the student’s responses to our courses. In addition, we’ll demonstrate the use of a tablet PC, as well as less expensive options for converting existing laptops into a tablet-like PC.

(19) Teaching Field Biology Courses Abroad
Judy Guinan, Kathleen Nolan, Ruth Beattie, St. Francis College

We will present the logistics, benefits and pitfalls of teaching a field biology course abroad. The three of us have taken students to Belize, Panama, Honduras, and Australia to snorkel on the coral reefs and explore terrestrial forests. This field experience was supplemented with lecture material, readings and written assignments such as book reports. Several different approaches can be taken when teaching a field biology course abroad. They include: (1) working with an independent education facility that caters solely to students (Belize Marine Tropical Research Education Center); (2) operating with an institute of marine science that is part of a resort (Anthony’s Key Resort in Honduras and the Roatan Institute of Marine Science; (3) collaborating with a scientific research organization that also accepts visiting courses at their facilities, such as the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) in Panama; and (4) partnering with a consortium.

(20) Case Studies in Peer-facilitated Workshops
Ralph Preszler, New Mexico State University

We have modified the structure of our introductory biology course by replacing one of our three weekly lectures with a required peer-facilitated workshop. In this workshop, I will present an assessment of this change in our curriculum and I will share examples of workshop activities. The examples of workshop activities will focus on two case studies: 1) an application of the study of population growth to conservation biology, and 2) an application of Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium and behavioral analyses to the study of balancing selection. Student and instructor hand-outs will be provided for both activities. I also will provide an updated assessment of the effects of our workshops on student learning. In comparison to pre-workshop semesters, the first three semesters of our revised course structure has resulted in improved student grades, especially of female students and under-represented ethnic minority students. Student performance on exam questions recycled from pre-workshop semesters into workshop semesters suggests that these improved grades are a result of increased learning rather than a change in grading schemes. In this ABLE mini-workshop, I hope to extend these analyses through the Spring of 2009, to present results from the first 5 semesters of this workshop course structure.

(21) The Use of Slide Culture to Study Individual Cell Activity
Kate Verville, Washington College

Growth of microorganisms on a solid culture medium that has been layered onto a microscope slide (slide culture) allows for microscopic observation and analysis of the growth and division of individual cells. Depending on the slide design and the organism studied, slide culture can also allow certain physiological characteristics and cell behaviors to be observed and analyzed. This workshop will focus on the use of slide culture as a tool in the teaching laboratory and for undergraduate research projects that enables students to gain information about microorganisms that could not be obtained in more traditional plate or liquid culture systems. Participants will explore this tool through preparation of slide culture systems; by microscopic analysis of cultures systems previously inoculated with bacteria, fungi, and slime molds; and by analysis of previously generated images, including time-lapse photography, and data. Discussion will focus on the use of slide culture to demonstrate basic cellular processes (e.g. cell division) and in easy-to-design student experiments that examine questions such as the effect of environmental factors on cell growth and division.

(22) Teaching Heritability Using Butterfly Images: Real Organisms, Real Measurements
Joanna Vondrasek (Piedmont Virginia Community College) and Susan Paulsen (University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill

We will demonstrate a free, downloadable program that uses digitized images of parent-offspring pairs of butterfly wings (Precis coenia) as a platform for students to measure real traits and calculate heritability measurements. There is an on-screen data capture tool, and students are able to choose the trait they wish to measure, such as eyespot diameter or distance between wing bars, and export measurements into a statistical package. The basic lab is suitable for introductory majors biology and sophomore level genetics classes. More advanced genetics classes can perform more detailed analyses of heritability such as which categories of traits have higher heritabilities. Activities based on this program can be used in lab or as lecture supplements.
Note: offered again in Session Three