UniServe Science - CAUT NTDG

UniServe Science, The University of Sydney
Enhancing Australian Science and Mathematics education

CAUT Grants in Biology 1996

45. Teaching laboratory techniques in molecular microbiology

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Teaching laboratory skills to students in molecular biology presents visual difficulties in demonstrating molecular biology techniques due to the extremely small scale of the work to be carried out. Most manipulations described in molecular biology procedures deal with extremely small volumes of liquid and the equipment for this work is designed for viewing by a single operator. Current class demonstration techniques are therefore inadequate. Unless students have access to repeated and visually clear stepwise demonstrations, they suffer repeated failure and frustration. This project will provide an interactive multi media facility with video clips of procedures and detailed descriptions and animations of experimental procedures to be operated by students.
Host Institution James Cook University of North Queensland
Project Leader(s) Dr R J Coelen
Contact Address Biomedical & Tropical Veterinary Science TOWNSVILLE QLD 4811
Telephone (077) 79 5024
Fax (077) 79 1526
email robert.coelen@jcu.edu.au

46. Dynamic ecology: understanding population processes through interactive simulations

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A powerful strategy in helping biology students to develop mental models of dynamic processes like population growth in organisms is to use simulations. This project therefore proposes an innovative combination of simulations with several other strategies to enhance learning. A multimedia program on the World Wide Web will be developed that will allow students to discover how aspects of reproduction and mortality influence population dynamics in example animals, from marsupial mice to elephants. It will include: questions to answer; `what if?' scenarios; reference information on background concepts; images of example animals and their habitats; and illustrated explanations of key concepts.
Host Institution University of Melbourne
Project Leader(s) Dr R Day A/Prof M W Nott
Contact Address Zoology Department PARKVILLE VIC 3052
Telephone (03) 3446262
Fax (03) 344 7909
email robday@ariel.ucs.unumelb.edu.au

47. Improved practical teaching in vertebrate physiological ecology

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Practical work in Vertebrate Physiological Ecology aims to reinforce the concepts delivered in lectures and to provide skills in experimentation, statistical analysis and measurement. However, the delivery of effective practical sessions is constrained by the ethical issues arising from the use of live vertebrate animals as experimental subjects. James Cook University has introduced an integrated program to teach Physiological Ecology in an effective and ethical manner based on computer simulation exercises. After a brief introduction at first year, second year students will work with computer simulations of existing and new practical exercises. Third year students join an on going research project on the water and energy requirements of free-living marsupials. The ethical issues involved in live animal research are discussed informally at second year level and as formal lectures at third year level.
Host Institution James Cook University of North Queensland
Project Leader(s) Dr W J Foley
Contact Address Zoology Department TOWNSVILLE QLD 4811
Telephone (077) 81 4119
Fax (077) 25 1570
email zlwjf@jcu.edu.au

48. Integrated practical/tutorial coursework in first year biology using multimedia resources

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The teaching of biodiversity and organism structure and function in first year suffers from the limited range of examples that can be studied because of resource and logistic limitations. Students also have great difficulty in accurately identifying and describing specimens from written instructions. To overcome these problems coursework that combines practicals using traditional biological material will be integrated with coursework that uses multimedia specimens. Central to the project will be a multimedia atlas of organisms and structures. An integrated series of practical/tutorial worksheets will direct students to specific activities using the atlas with specimens that could not normally be provided in first year. Students will sort through these as self-directed activities. The atlas will be on open access, available to students as a reference against which they can verify the accuracy of their wet practical classwork
Host Institution University of Wollongong
Project Leader(s) Dr K French
Contact Address Biological Sciences Wollongong Northfields Ave N WOLLONGONG NSW 2500
Telephone (042) 213 655
Fax (042) 213 135
email k.french@uow.edu.au

49. Interactive video-based study sessions

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The goal of the project is to improve teaching and learning in undergraduate subjects through the application of video technology. A series of videotapes will be developed for use in study sessions for first and second level students in biochemistry. Study sessions will be conducted with fifteen students and a postgraduate tutor acting as a facilitator. The videotapes will be question-based, interspersed with brief lectures which review the content needed to answer the questions. Each videotape will be 15-20 minutes in length, designed to be covered in a one-hour study session. Following a question, students will stop the tape, discuss the question in the group and then restart the tape to see how the lecturer would answer the question. No new material will be introduced. The tapes will be used only for the purpose of review, allowing students to master concepts they have already encountered.
Host Institution University of Queensland
Project Leader(s) Dr S E Hamilton A/Prof J De Jersey Ms B Kelly
Contact Address Biochemistry Department ST LUCIA QLD 4072
Telephone (07) 365 4611
Fax (07) 365 4699
email hamilton@biosci.uq.oz.au

50. Interactive computer approach to develop student working models of physiological concepts

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The project describes an innovative approach, using computers, to enhance student learning based on knowledge gained from classes in experimental physiology. Students will work individually or in small groups to build a conceptual working model of the area of physiology being studied using a problem-based approach to generate their working models. A computer interface will provide the physiological elements needed by the students who will draw on ideas gained from lectures, reading and experiments, as well as on-screen help, to manipulate the elements and develop their working models, which will then be compared to an expert model. Students will have access to a full range of multimedia resources including computer images of anatomical, histological and pathological specimens, electronic textbook materials, specific in-depth tutorials and self-paced multiple-choice question sessions to guide and assess their progress toward the goal.
Host Institution University of Melbourne
Project Leader(s) Prof P J Harris Mr T Petrovic Dr R E Kemm
Contact Address Physiology Department Grattan St PARKVILLE VIC 3052
Telephone (03) 3445841
Fax (03) 3445818
email pjh@rabbbit.phsiol.edu.au

51. A multimedia approach to problem areas in human health science

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This project entails the development of a multimedia package to address two key learning areas in the conceptual progression of Nursing and Health Science students: Human Genetics and Human Metabolic Cycles. The intention is to build on the basic understanding our students have in respect of levels of organisation of the human body and exploit their natural prejudice to start with the whole organism. In Human Genetics, video footage of people with a particular condition, like Downs Syndrome, could be manipulated frame by frame in a branching self-testing series of point and click operations showing level aberrations and using computer generated animation to show, for instance, sex cell division. A similar approach of arguing from the whole person will be used in Human Metabolic Cycles using footage of obese, anorexic and diabetic individuals, computer generated animation and audio clips from the Biochemist's Songbook to examine the meaning of calorific value of foods at all levels of organisation.
Host Institution University of New England
Project Leader(s) Dr G L Jones Dr P M Whitington
Contact Address Biochemistry and Microbiology Armidale 74 Brown Street ARMIDALE NSW 2350
Telephone (067) 73 3274
Fax (067) 73 8235
email gjones2@metz.une.edu.au

52. A new approach to practical biochemistry using interactive multimedia

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Practical biochemistry courses for medical students are designed to give students an appreciation of the research and principles on which medical treatment is based. They also aim to create an awareness of procedures and potential problems associated with analytical clinical testing. However, instructive and satisfying experimental sessions are often difficult to achieve because of the limited experience of medical students with laboratory equipment and techniques. This project aims to develop a multimedia reference bank of experimental and safety procedures. Extensive use will be made of sound, video and graphics to demonstrate equipment and techniques to ensure that students are familiar with procedures prior to attempting hands-on experimentation. Students will be able to view and study procedures in detail and at their own pace.
Host Institution University of Melbourne
Project Leader(s) Prof B G Livett Dr J Stanley Dr K A Elliott
Contact Address Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Parkville PARKVILLE VIC 3052
Telephone (03)3445920
Fax (03)3477730
email livett@Biochemistry.unimelb.edu.au

53. An interactive multimedia package to assist learning about genetics and gene manipulation

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This project plans to produce an interactive multimedia CD-ROM that will assist learning about genetics, including gene manipulation and its application. Students will be able to explore various aspects of genetics in a teacher independent situation, a particularly important aspect for students who often are in introductory genetics classes exceeding 1000 students. Ideas will be presented to students in an innovative and flexible way and supporting printed material, a glossary and other support will be incorporated into the CD-ROM. The program will include a range of genetic applications to help students to better understand the increasing impact that these applications have on individuals and society.
Host Institution Deakin University
Project Leader(s) Prof M D Martin Ms D Y Gleeson (University of Melbourne) Prof J F Kennear (University of Sydney)
Contact Address Maths Science and Environmental Education Burwood Highway BURWOOD VIC 3125
Telephone (03) 244 6068
Fax (03) 244 6112
email mdm@deakin.edu.au

54. Blood cells revisited by interactive multimedia--Stage 2

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The ability to correctly identify normal and abnormal cells in a blood film and to make a diagnosis is an essential skill for medical scientists and is recognised as a very difficult and time consuming educational task. This project will significantly extend and improve the first stage of a self-paced interactive multimedia package to teach, reinforce and enhance skills by the use of simulated clinical case studies for diagnosis of haematological disease. One major new initiative will be to develop and trial a computer assisted learning program structured to assist students with blood cell identification problems. This interactive program will encourage and teach students to develop a deductive reasoning strategy for the identification of abnormal/difficult blood cell images while working independently. Stage two of this project will also develop an extensive CD-ROM atlas of haematological images for interactive use, expand the number of case studies by a further twenty and develop, test and/or teach additional modes to the program. Host Institution Curtin University of Technology
Project Leader(s) Mr R Oostryck Ms R L Devenish
Contact Address School of Biomedical Sciences Bentley Campus GPO Box 1987 PERTH WA 6001
Telephone (09) 351 7518
Fax (09) 351 2342
email ioostryc@info.curtin.edu.au

55. Raising the dead: interactive multimedia solutions to teaching comparative zoology

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To overcome the difficulties of relating laboratory observations to theoretical concepts and the unavailability of rare key animal groups, this project aims to develop virtual dissection using interactive CD- ROM technology. We will produce two CDs, one focusing on the comparative anatomy of marine invertebrates called echinoderms and the other featuring primitive mammals such as the echidna. The CD-ROM material will allow students to interactively link between dissection and subject areas, and provide them with a thorough, integrated understanding of the diversity of the animal kingdom and how that diversity occurred. The final phase of this project will develop an Internet open learning centre for comparative zoology that will enable wide access by students and educators, and will enable us to receive critical feedback from a broad audience.
Host Institution University of Sydney
Project Leader(s) Dr M B Thompson Dr O Hoegh-Guldberg
Contact Address School of Biological Sciences Building A08 SYDNEY NSW 2006
Telephone (02) 351 3989
Fax (02) 351 4119
email thommo@extro.ucc.su.oz.au

56. Teaching high level problem-solving skills by requiring many outline solutions

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This project will introduce a new kind of computer-mediated interaction into the existing tutorial environment in engineering dynamics, to assist students in solving problems involving the motion of objects. It is proposed that students be asked to build graphical representations of their solution strategy for many examination standard problems, without necessarily solving any of these to the detailed level of numerical answers. The computer would assess the student's strategy by comparing it to maps drawn by experts and also maps drawn by students who performed badly in past exams. In an ordinary one-hour tutorial class students might be expected to solve two examination standard problems to a detailed level. In the proposed environment it is expected that students could solve about four problems in outline, and still have time to finish one of them. The greater part of a tutorial class could thus be spent in high-level problem solving mode. Mr R D Entwistle (Curtin University of Technology)
Host Institution University of Western Australia
Project Leader(s) Prof B J Stone Mr D G Devenish (Curtin University of Technology)
Contact Address Mechanical and Materials Engineering NEDLANDS WA 6907
Telephone (09) 380 3120
Fax (09) 380 1024
email bjs@shiralee.mech.uwa.edu.au

57. The teaching of fish ageing through video imagery

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A major advance in fish ageing has been achieved over the last five years. Accurate fish ageing is a prerequisite to sound management of exploited fish stocks. The main method of fish ageing is through the interpretation of rings on fish ear stones; these rings can be likened to the rings used in ageing trees. The process has in the past been highly interpretative and therefore very difficult and time consuming to teach to a satisfactory standard. This proposal adapts the new research techniques to a teaching situation. Now, for the first time, the teaching of the ageing technique to a high degree of proficiency is made possible.
Host Institution Australian Maritime College
Project Leader(s) Mr M A Wilson
Contact Address Fisheries & Marine Environment Beauty Point PO Box 21 BEACONSFIELD TAS 7250
Telephone (003) 354 445
Fax (003) 834 766
email m.wilson@fme.amc.edu.au

Other Sciences

58. Interactive learning of multi-disciplinary subjects for mixed discipline groups

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In this project the Department of Safety Science will join with established computer learning experts to develop a module `Ventilation and Contaminant Control' which will form part of the reorganised core of the Safety Science postgraduate courses. In addition, a shell will be developed to be used by the Department to prepare subsequent modules. The project will provide more realistic problem based learning scenarios and allow problems to be solved in a realistic way by linking into external databases and information sources,therefore improving access and convenience as well as quality of learning materials for distance and part time students. The module will be a model for the introduction of problem based learning in technical and multidisciplinary areas to mixed discipline groups in our own department and elsewhere in the tertiary educational system and will have general application to teaching industrial technology to professionals with a non-technical background.
Host Institution University of New South Wales
Project Leader(s) Prof J Cross
Contact Address Safety Science Kensington UNSW SYDNEY NSW 2052
Telephone (02) 385 4144
Fax (02) 385 6190
email jcross@unsw.edu.au

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Last Update: Thursday, 07-Feb-2002 14:50:08 EST
URL: http://science.uniserve.edu.au/caut/biol/1996.html