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    Learning R for Biologists: A Mini Course Grab-Bag for Instructors
    As biology becomes more data driven, teaching students data literacy skills has become central to biology curriculum. Despite a wealth of online resources that teach researchers how to use R, there...

    Keywords: Rdata analysisRStudio

    2013

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    How to Find a Gene: Retrieving Information From Gene Databases
    A strong understanding of distinct gene components and the ability to retrieve relevant information from gene databases are necessary to answer a diverse set of biological questions. However, often...

    Keywords: NCBItranscriptiontranslationGene StructureGene databasesEnsembl

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    Sanger Sequencing by Hand: Using Paper Clips to Demonstrate Chain Termination
    Sanger sequencing is commonly taught with a hands-on approach. Sanger sequencing involves chain termination by dideoxynucleotides, because they are missing the oxygen on the 3’ carbon atom,...

    Keywords: nucleotidessequencingDNAgel electrophoresisChain Termination

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    Real World Scenarios in Non-Majors Biology
    Students in non-majors’ biology courses may not choose careers that require biology content knowledge; however, all will encounter science in their lives. We redesigned a non-majors...

    Keywords: geneticsVaccinesScientific ProcessGMOsviruses

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    When tests disagree, how do I know if I have COVID-19?
    Students will learn about infectious disease and the immune response to infection by investigating different types of tests (PCR, antigen, and antibody tests) to detect the SARS-CoV-2 viral genetic...

    Keywords: geneticsVision and Changeintroductory biologyinfectious diseasemolecular biologycore competenciesRT-PCRviruscore conceptsnon-majors biologySARS-CoV-2antibodyAntigenImmunoReachmolecular DiagnosticsCOVID-19 transmission

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    Three Research-Based Quantitative Reasoning Modules for Introductory Organismal Biology Laboratories
    We have designed three laboratory modules for an introductory organismal biology course with an emphasis on quantitative reasoning and data analysis skills. Module 1 tests for dimorphism in...

    Keywords: allometryplantsAnatomytranspirationdimorphisminvertebrate biologyarthropodsplatyhelminths

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    Analysis of Microbiomes Using Free Web-Based Tools in Online and In-Person Undergraduate Science Courses
    Our understanding of microbiomes, or the collection of microorganisms and their genes in a given environment, has been revolutionized by technological and computational advances. However, many...

    Keywords: microbiomeDNA SubwayCyVerseCourse based undergraduate researchQIIME2ranacapa

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    SEAS CURE: Exploring Coral Biology Across Scales
    Complex biological concepts (like symbiosis and coral biology) that span multiple scales and cross disciplinary boundaries are often difficult for students to understand. This complexity is...

    Keywords: microscopyAnatomySymbiosisMetabolismbleachinginvertebratedinoflagellate

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    Isolation and Functional Analysis of a Pancreatic Enzyme in an Introductory Student Lab
    Structure and function are correlated at all levels of biology. This topic is typically addressed early in an undergraduate class in general or molecular biology before students have gained much...

    Keywords: Protein StructureproteaseEnzymechemical bondscatalysissolubility

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    A Pandemic Pivot: Podcast as an Active Engagement Tool in the Classroom and Beyond
    Higher education in STEM undoubtedly integrates the use of technology as a primary mode for content delivery to undergraduate students. This became especially salient throughout the shift to online...

    Keywords: VaccinesReplication of virusesCOVID-19 transmission

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    Animal Behaviour Case Study Lessons in Communication, Migration, and Parental Care Using the Jigsaw Approach
    Animal behaviour courses integrate concepts across biological disciplines and are particularly well suited for collaborative, student-focused teaching...

    Keywords: case studycommunicationprimary literatureanimal behaviorjigsawParental CaremigrationAnimal BehaviourProximate mechanisms

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    Small Organisms with Big Consequences: Understanding the Microbial World Around Us
    Creating a hands-on lab that conveys important information while simultaneously allowing for student autonomy can be difficult. This is particularly true for the field of microbiology, in which...

    Keywords: disease transmissionmicrobiologymicrobiomeliterature reviewPeer reviewPathogensHealth and WellnessThe Scientific Method

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    Pesticides in My Smoothie Bowl?
    Teaching resources, especially active learning pedagogy, are scarce for toxicology compared to what is available for other disciplines. Ecological and human health risk assessment are...

    Keywords: data analysistoxicologychemical toxicityecological risk assessmenthuman risk assessmentpesticide

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    Sexual Dimorphism CURE: Exploring Melanized Wing Patterns of Pieridae Butterflies
    Teach a Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) using digitized natural history collections data to test hypotheses on sexually dimorphic wing melanization patterns of Pieris rapae...

    Keywords: data analysismorphologyidigbiosexual dimorphismdata managementImageJsexual selectionnatural history collectionsbutterflycourse-based research experiences (CUREs)digitized natural history collectionsQGISmorphometricsBCEENETgeoreferencing

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    Integrating Community Ecology Into the Study of Parasites: Exploring the Effect of Host Behavior on Parasite Transmission Rates
    Organismal life cycles are often presented as a set of facts to memorize in undergraduate biology courses. This approach is cognitively demanding for students and fails to convey how central life...

    Keywords: statisticsspecies interactionsQuantitative reasoninggraphsCommunity EcologyParasitologyfood webs

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    216

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    A Modeling Exercise in Sexual Selection using a Student-Created Bird Species
    Evolution-centered lessons at the undergraduate level can often be jargon-heavy, propagate misconceptions if taught ineffectively, and be uninteresting to students who may not see the relevancy of...

    Keywords: Evolutionfitnesssexual selectionNatural Selectionintersexual selectionmate choice

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    Mock Drug Activity Enhances Student Learning About the Challenges of HIV/AIDS Therapy
    While traditional didactic coursework is important for learning about the scientific aspects of HIV/AIDS, it is difficult to convey social aspects of the epidemic. Due to effective drug therapies,...

    Keywords: drug resistanceRetrovirusViral replication

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    Using Grassy Narrows in a Live Classroom with Clicker Questions and Interactive Histogram: Sampling Distributions, Probability, and Hypothesis Testing
    Students are introduced to concepts of sampling distributions, p-values, and hypothesis testing. Using both simulated and real data for methylmercury level in fish populations, students will...

    Keywords: statisticsmathematicsbiostatisticsecologybiologygraphingp-valuest-testshypothesis testingin-class activityZoologymercury biogeochemistrybiostatistics - generalfish populationqbccBiogeochemical cyclesInterpret graphsConcepts in StatisticsElementary Hypothesis TestingMethylmercurydamsBioaccumulationtraditional dietsmercurymercury poisoningnative peopleindigenous populationCanadahydroelectricexplaining statisticsusing statisticsMake probability calculations

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    6-025-WhalesAndKrill-ModelingScenario
    Students will use Excel to observe qualitative behavior in a simulation of a predator-prey model, with blue whales and krill as the predator and prey populations, respectively.

    Keywords: krillwhalepredatpr-prey

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    Splicing it Together: Using Primary Data to Explore RNA Splicing and Gene Expression in Large-Lecture Introductory Biology
    At the heart of scientific ways of knowing is the systematic collection and analysis of data, which is then used to propose an explanation of how the world works. In this two-day module, students...

    Keywords: gene regulationtranscriptiongene expressioncentral dogmarepressoralternative splicingmRNA processingActivatorTranscription factors

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