Syllabi: Immunology (BIOL 494) and Senior Seminar (BIOL 491)
Date: Fall 2007
Reflection written July 3, 2008
Standard: National Science Education Standard F: Teachers of science actively participate in the ongoing planning and development of the school science program.
Describe: The following syllabi demonstrate my contributions to the development of the school science program.
Briefly, the Immunology (BIOL 494) course is a new course. It was first taught in the fall of 2005, and is of particular relevance for the students interested in medical or graduate school. In the fall of 2007, I added several case studies to the course in order to enhance student engagement.
The Senior Seminar (BIOL 491/CHEM 491) course has been taught at Columbia Union College* for many years and is the capstone course for the science majors. I have included this syllabus to demonstrate the addition of a service-learning project to the course; this change was made in the fall of 2006. To gain an overview of the service-learning project, please see the summary of the project that was written for the Columbia Union College Board of Trustees meeting in the fall of 2006.
For further details on each course, please see the description of New Courses and Contributions to the Program, or the statement of teaching responsibilities.
Analyze: I have chosen to include these syllabi in my teaching portfolio since they demonstrate my unique contributions to the science program.
The Immunology (BIOL 494) syllabus demonstrates a strengthening of our pre-professional program. The majority of the science majors at Columbia Union College are interested in professional (medical, dental, or physical therapy) or graduate programs. The addition of an immunology course to our major has increased the number of life science offerings for the science majors. This is beneficial since it enhances the course flexibility for our students, allowing them to choose courses that best fit their career interests.
The Senior Seminar (BIOL 491/CHEM 491) syllabus demonstrates how I have applied alternative teaching methodologies to enhance the science courses. (A further example of this can be seen in the small-group microbiology research projects.) It is important to be aware of current teaching methodologies since some students learn better using different techniques. By using a number of different teaching methodologies, the science teacher can accommodate the diverse learning styles of their students. This will increase the students’ chances of success while strengthening the overall program.
The Senior Seminar syllabus also demonstrates how I have combined the writing and service-learning components of the course. In this way, students acquire “real-life” experiential learning while practicing their oral and written communication skills.
It should be noted that the service-learning teaching project, and the small-group microbiology research projects have also enhanced the science program by providing students with “real-world” experience. This increases student engagement in these courses since the students are able to see the immediate application of their knowledge. The students also gain valuable experience, or make contacts in their field of interest, as they carry out these course-related projects.
Appraise: The contributions that I have made to the school’s science program have been very successful. Particularly, as mentioned, the addition of active learning real-world strategies has enhanced student engagement. The students work very hard while planning and implementing the service-learning experiments or the small-group microbiology research projects. In the process, they learn science content. The active learning changes that I have made demonstrate the power of experiential learning. The addition of active learning, or service-learning, to all courses is something that I would like to see implemented across the school’s science curriculum.
Transform: The main contributions that I have made to the school’s science program include development of new courses and addition of active learning strategies to existing courses. These changes are valuable since they keep the program energized and responsive to students’ needs. However, these changes only affect the existing program. Therefore, one of my goals for the next five years is to become more involved in shaping the overall science program; this will include helping to clarify the program’s role within the larger college community. It is important to participate in this planning and development in order to see the program grow and expand in harmony with national and state science teaching standards.
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Click here for the Immunology (BIOL 494) syllabus.
Click here for the Senior Seminar (BIOL 491/CHEM 491) syllabus.