Purposeful Integration of Laboratory and Lecture in an Advanced Cellular Biology Course

 

Tested Studies in Laboratory Teaching, 2014, Volume 35

Lisa Prichard

Abstract

Laboratory instruction in biological science courses should integrate with the lecture components. However, both students and instructors frequently treat these components as separate and non-related entities. Students fail to see the connections and relevance between lab and lecture and are unable to apply information learned in one setting to the other. Curriculum is often designed so that each portion can be delivered independently and by different instructors, negating the value of presenting the concepts in an authentic and cohesive manner. An opportunity arose to more purposefully integrate these components during the development and presentation of a third year advanced cellular biology course. In it, content and assessments were specifically designed to dovetail between all course components using ‘cellular differentiation' as the overall theme.

Keywords:  advanced cellular biology

University of Calgary (2013)