Abstracts are listed in alphabetical order by last name of the corresponding author.
| Student Author(s): | Austin, Taylor G. Rouse, Douglas |
| Department(s): | Zoology Zoology |
| Teaching Mentor(s): | John Godwin/Zoology | Title of Presentation: | New Lab for ZO 250: "Glutamate Effects on Cockroach Grooming Behavior" |
During the 1998 fall semester, I gained lab teaching experience in the for the new Zoology 250 course "Animal Anatomy and Physiology." This course emphasizes a hands-on approach to anatomy and physiology by implementing frequent use of experiments with live animals. Last semesters' lab students were allowed to design a lab of their own which would include principles learned in the lecture. These original ideas were reviewed and considered for inclusion in the next year's lab manual. One student group found that glutamate appeared to increase cockroaches' frequency of grooming. This idea was chosen for development of a new lab. Taylor Austin and Douglas Rouse, one of the students in the lab, are carrying out this original experiment. The experiment currently underway is a double-blind observation of cockroach grooming behavior corresponding to different injected doses of L-glutamate solution. The roaches are given one of the four concentrations, one being a control, according to a random number table with volumes corresponding to their weight. This provides a useful experiment in behavioral neurobiology that takes advantage of an easily quantifiable behavior in a readily available non-vertebrate animal and one that can be completed quickly. Students will learn important elements of experimental design such as observers being blind to treatment, carefully defining what will be measured, and the importance of adequate sample sizes. The results will be evaluated and implemented in the creation of an entirely new lab experiment and published in the revised ZO 250 Lab manual. This teaching experience, in addition to last semester's assistant TA responsibilities, included selecting an original experiment idea, researching published accounts of Glutamate effects, designing an appropriate experiment, and publication as a lab exercise to be used by future ZO 250 lab students. |
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| Student Author(s): | Aziz, Sarah |
| Department(s): | Biological Sciences |
| Teaching Mentor(s): | David G. Presutti/Biochemistry | Title of Presentation: | Undergraduate Teaching Assistant Experience for Introductory Biochemistry Laboratory (BCH 452) |
The biochemistry laboratory course, Introductory Biochemistry Laboratory (BCH 452) complements the material taught in Principles in Biochemistry (BCH 451). The laboratory facilitates students to master the basic skills used in scientific research analysis, design and problem solving. The Honors Program at College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) has provided a valuable opportunity to work as a Laboratory Teaching Assistant (TA) and carry out some tasks of the graduate TA. As an undergraduate TA, I attended the weekly meetings, assisted students with their queries, graded pre-lab papers, demonstrated the proper handling of equipment, helped graduate TA and occasionally delivered lectures. I used this opportunity to develop and improve my tea ching skills. I think that teaching assistantship has contributed my greater appreciation of academic professionals. This teaching experience has instilled in me the discipline, the leadership, and the professional capability to work on academic, resear ch or any other assignment in the future. |
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| Student Author(s): | Boesmann, Carsten |
| Department(s): | Biological Sciences |
| Teaching Mentor(s): | C. Gerald Van Dyke/Botany Thomas R. Wentworth/Botany Jon M. Stucky/Botany |
Title of Presentation: | A World Wide Window to Plants and Ecological Regions of North Carolina |
I designed a web-page for the BO 200 Plant Life course offered by Dr. Van Dyke. This course is an introductory botany course that in additon to many botany, biological sciences, and horticulture majors includes many students outside of CALS who choose to gain insight into the world of plants and to meet their science requirements. Since students may not have had the opportunity to visit many ecological regions which are being introduced in this class I designed a web-page that supplements Dr. Van Dyke's lectures. The page gives students the chance to learn to recognize plant species discussed in class,and which are important to the state, by looking at images of these plants. Furthermore, the page enables the students to go on virtual field-trips to sites that are characteristic of North Carolina. These sites include the barrier islands with an overview from Cape Hatteras lighthouse as well as close-ups of plant species that are important in the dunes, the bog forests, maritime marshes, and brakish marshes. The trip brings students to the bald cypress swamps, pocosins, and savannas of the coastal plains where they can observe rare pitcher plants and pine trees that have adapted to frequent fires. Getting back on the information super highway the party travels to places in the Piedmont surrounding the campus of NC State University to study old field succession and dominant tree species of the region. The last stop is in the mountains to virtually climb to different altitudes, to take in the scenery, and to discover how the vegetation changes as students ascend. I will collect and analyze student's reactions on the effectiveness of the web-page utilizing a questionnaire at the end of the semester. |
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| Student Author(s): | Brown, Jeanette A. Drummond, Amanda R. |
| Department(s): | Animal Science Animal Science |
| Teaching Mentor(s): | Brenda Alson-Mills/Animal Science | Title of Presentation: | Anatomy and Physiology Lab through the eyes of two student teaching assistants |
Completing the Anatomy and Physiology of Domestic Animals course introduced us to the Animal Science curriculum at N.C. State. Upon completion of the laboratory portion of the course, we both saw opportunities to improve its quality. This was done by becoming teaching assistants under the guidance of the laboratory coordinator and faculty currently teaching the course. Our responsibilities included basic lab set-up, assisting students, and grading reports and quizzes. We were also responsible for modifying and teaching information during one of the scheduled laboratory periods. This allowed us to research one of the body systems and discuss its anatomy and physiology. During our two semesters as teaching assistants, some changes were noted. First, the efficiency during scheduled laboratory time was improved. Next, the grades students received from the labs were higher. It is our opinion that improvements were observed because of a combination of different presentation techniques, altered lab exercises, and more experience of the assistants. |
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| Student Author(s): | Coffey, Mary V. |
| Department(s): | Department of Biological Sciences |
| Teaching Mentor(s): | Blanche C. Haning/Plant Pathology | Title of Presentation: | Refining Biology 106 Laboratory Exercises |
Biology 106, Biology for the Modern World Laboratory, may be taken alone or in conjunction with the lecture course, Biology 105. The Bio 106 course supplements understanding of the primary principles and concepts of biology. These include cell structure and function, metabolism and energy transformation, homeostasis, reproduction, heredity, diversity of life, ecology, evolution, and animal behavior. As an assistant teaching assistant (TA) during fall 1998, my role was to help and support the graduate TAs in leading the laboratory activities. My responsibilities included answering students' questions and helping conduct experiments and demonstrations. I also attended weekly staff meetings with Dr. Haning and the graduate TAs. During this time we discussed the previous week's lab and suggested possible additions or changes. We then cleaned the laboratory room and prepared for the coming week's laboratory. As a group we reviewed the forthcoming week's lab and addressed any areas of concern and made suggestions for possible improvements. During spring 1999, my role changed to modifying and rewriting specific Bio 106 laboratory exercises. Specifically, I helped revise the Genetics lab and the Classification and Phylogeny lab and helped select various human health related teaching aids. The goal of the modifications was to increase students' understanding of certain topics by providing more hands-on activities. |
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| Student Author(s): | Davis, Patience E. |
| Department(s): | Animal Science |
| Teaching Mentor(s): | William L. Flowers/Animal Science | Title of Presentation: | Effect of class and lab attendance on grades in ANS 063 - Reproduction in Farm Animals |
This class is taught in the Agricultural Institute with the students in this curriculum earning an Associate's degree rather than a Bachelor's degree. Often, students taking two-year classes as opposed to four-year classes are assumed to be less interested in their studies and more interested in returning home to work. I feel that the students in this class should work just as hard as four-year students and that their grades should reflect that effort. I also feel that the students who put forth more effort in attending lab and class will have higher grades than students who do not regularly attend. My intent with this project is to see how attendance in lab and class affect the students' performance on lab practicals and exams. I hypothesize that attendance will be positively correlated with average or above average grades. I will also compare the average grade of this class with that of a four-year class taught by the same professor. I hypothesize that the averages of the two classes will not be dissimilar. |
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| Student Author(s): | Dobbins, Stephanie S. |
| Department(s): | Biology |
| Teaching Mentor(s): | Robert L. Beckmann/Biology | Title of Presentation: | Nutrition and Digestion in Birds and Mammals |
Introductory Biology II (BIO 183) encompasses the study of a wide range of biological concepts and processes, including reproduction, growth,energy transformation, nutrient processing, internal transport, and mechanisms of regulation and control. This project investigates nutrition in mammalian and avian herbivores, and incorporates information deriving from investigation into a tutorial for students. Attaining a comprehensive and integrated understanding of nutrition in birds and mammals is challenging for students. This tutorial is a valuable aid and resource that students will employ in developing their understanding of this complex topic. To enhance instructional effectiveness, this tutorial incorporates insightful comparisons between common species and exotic, less studied species. Such comparative studies between animals with very different internal structures, increases the student's appreciation of biological diversity. An example is the comparison of the respective digestive systems of the hoatzin and the pigeon. Both are distinctly avian species; however, their digestive systems and diets are remarkably different. While most students will easily recognize the pigeon, few will have been exposed to the hoatzin. This tutorial provides the student with diagrams and pictures of the respective digestive systems, so that they may explore and make their own comparisons. It is intended that the tutorial will engender questions about both the physiological processes in each species and the evolutionary significance of the respective evolutionary adaptations. The goals are both to assist the student in developing a knowledge of nutrition in herbivores and to provide the student with an alternative mode of acquiring and analyzing information about organismal biology. |
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| Student Author(s): | Ertel, Sarah E. |
| Department(s): | Biological Sciences |
| Teaching Mentor(s): | Blanche C. Haning/Plant Pathology | Title of Presentation: | Revision and Enhancement of the BIO 105, Biology of the Modern World, course pack |
BIO105, Biology for the Modern World, is a course for nonscience majors. As part of her instructional methods, Dr. Blanche C. Haning uses PowerPoint presentations and has developed the first edition of The Student Notebook, a "bare bones" version of her teaching points to facilitate student note taking in class. My honors project was to effect the next step in the design of the Notebook by incorporating specific questions and assignments for concept maps. We hope that these additions to the Notebook will help students focus on topics in a timely and effective manner. Additionally, I tracked topical changes in a draft version of the new edition of the textbook that will be used in the fall, and provided this information to Dr. Haning. I believe that both of these efforts will be helpful in the production of an improved second edition of The Student Notebook. |
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| Student Author(s): | Gillig, Megan B. |
| Department(s): | Biological Sciences |
| Teaching Mentor(s): | Scott Whisnant/Animal Science | Title of Presentation: | TA Experience in ANS 220L: Reproduction and Lactation of Domestic Animals Laboratory |
ANS 220L examines both the macroscopic and microscopic anatomy of reproduction and lactation. It also examines the overall body processes and uses different technologies and/or equipment to evaluate these processes. Labs are held weekly in both the ANS laboratory and the Equine, Swine, Dairy, or Beef teaching units, under the guidance of the instructor, Graduate T.A., and one or two undergraduate T.A.'s, for each section. In addition to giving verbal/overhead presentations of laboratory topics (before students participate in laboratory activities), answering or redirecting students questions during activities, setting up cleaning the lab, and organizing lab materials for each week, we identified two areas to help improve the lab. During the semester, students are required to write a research paper on any topic covered in class. Since students will be researching different topics, (1) a web site was created with approximately 25 links (under the categories of general subject browsing, milk, cloning and related topics, and semen and related topics) which I found on the web. This page is linked to the ANS 220 homepage. (2) Also two multi-page "lab practical reviews" were constructed for the two laboratory practicals. The lab practical reviews contain questions, definitions, fill-in-the-blanks, and short essays questions on ANS 220L topics. The two lab reviews were also added to the ANS 220 homepage. It is anticipated that these projects will (1) help encourage students to use computer resources, in addition to library resources, in researching their paper topics, as well as, help students proceed in researching their topics and (2) allow students to study more effectively for the two laboratory practicals. Additionally, I made a print out with a summary on how to find and download the lectures and lab notes from both the web and the CALS computers. I, in turn, experienced teaching and working with students, as well as presenting and creating materials for students in both laboratory and field settings. |
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| Student Author(s): | Goodson, Leigh Y. |
| Department(s): | Animal Science |
| Teaching Mentor(s): | Charlotte E. Farin/Animal Science | Title of Presentation: | Use of PowerPoint Quizzes as a Study Aid for ANS 220 'Reproduction and Lactation of Domestic Animals' |
ANS 220 'Reproduction and Lactation of Domestic Animals' is a class that offers PowerPoint materials accessible online or on the CALS server, including study quizzes that students can use as additional study aids for lab practicals. The objective of this project was to develop additional study quizzes with an attached questionnaire used to determine whether or not the students benefited from these quizzes and used them as additional study aids. Three quizzes were developed using PowerPoint from materials in the lab notes, along with using a special camera to incorporate images into the quizzes. A questionnaire attached to each quiz was designed to determine if the students were benefiting from the quizzes and using them as additional study aids. The students were encouraged to send their responses via e-mail for extra credit points. The responses were analyzed to determine the overall effectiveness of the quizzes. Over 60% of the class used the quizzes, and the majority of those students used all three quizzes. Only a small percentage of students used the quizzes for their intended purpose as study aids for the lab practicals. However, the majority of the students felt that the quizzes helped them understand the lab material better. In addition, they felt the format of the quizzes was either good or excellent. Over 90% of the quiz responders received a final grade of C or better in the class, while only 60% of the nonresponders received a C or better. From the results, it was determined that the majority of the students used the quizzes in some way, and they felt that the quizzes were effective in helping them understand the lab material better. |
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| Student Author(s): | Jablonski, Eva Ann |
| Department(s): | Animal Science |
| Teaching Mentor(s): | Joan H. Eisemann/Animal Science | Title of Presentation: | SPARTAN Computer Diet Formulation and its Application in Domestic Animal Nutrition |
This semester I have been engaged in writing a laboratory exercise for ANS 230. In past semesters, two of the laboratories dealt with computer diet formulation programs, namely MIX-IT and DART . DART has been a successful teaching tool, when teaching the applied principles of dairy cattle nutrition. MIX-IT covers a broader range of species, however it is rather difficult to use. My goal this semester was to introduce a new computer diet form ulation exercise into the ANS 230 course content. SPARTAN is a relatively new program developed by Michigan State University, with versions available for all livestock species. After obtaining a copy of the swine version of SPARTAN, to successfully accomplish my goal, I first had to gain familiarity with the program myself. Only then could I commence writing a laboratory exercise for SPARTAN. Using past laboratories as guidelines, I have designed an effective laboratory exercise that demonstrates the versatility of SPARTAN. The lab presents students hands-on practice using the program to work through real life situations, such a formulating a diet specifically for lactating sows, or evaluating a French diet for growing pigs to determine its nutritional adequacy. My underlying goal was to provide students with real-life nutritional scenarios that are present in the swine industry. By completing this endeavor, I have reinforced and solidified my own knowledge of applied swine nutrition, and have increased my interest in animal nutrition overall. I have also become more accustomed to working with c omputer diet formulation programs, which in this day and age is very useful. More and more of what is being done in livestock industries, not only with swine nor only relating to nutrition, is becoming computerized. Computers are more efficient and less likely to err, but they do not replace the need for knowledge. |
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| Student Author(s): | Goff, Brian D. Howes, Brendan L. Quinlan, Kelly M. |
| Department(s): | Biological Engineering Biological Science Zoology |
| Teaching Mentor(s): | Joan H. Eisemann/Animal Science Leon C. Boyd/Food Science Robert M. Grossfeld/Zoology Amaechi R. Okigbo/Horticulture Science |
Title of Presentation: | Dynamic Components of ALS 398H Teaching Experience |
The purpose of the CALS Honors Program is to provide an enriched experience for outstanding students. The program is a three course sequence which consists of an introductory course, ALS 398H, and a two-part teaching or research experience. The students are also required to complete six hours of honors credit, three of which must be completed outside of CALS. Besides being exposed to various honors opportunities, students in ALS 398H were divided into small groups of approximately ten to twelve members, where they were responsible for producing a unified research paper. As teaching assistants for ALS 398H, our goal was to foster effective group interaction among enrolled students. This process started during the previous semester by planning and implementing the syllabus through contributions to the CALS Honors Program Committee. Firstly, this included aiding the committee in setting dates for a number of activities as well as providing "student" feedback based on our experience in ALS 398H (299H) during previous semesters. In some cases, this meant removing certain activities from the syllabus and adding or modifying others. Additionally, each teaching assistant agreed to assist faculty members in various subcommittees, such as the Undergraduate Teaching Symposium, the "How to give a presentation" session, and the initial team building exercise. While this process produced a detailed agenda for the course as a whole, each small group was responsible for setting its own deadlines and activities. Thus, as teaching assistants it was imperative to decide when to facilitate and when to let the group progress on its own. In general, we found that the students required significant amounts of leadership early in the semester as compared to a much lesser requirement as the class progressed. As a consequence, the nature of our leadership roles had to be frequently reevaluated, making the ALS 398H teaching experience highly unique and challenging. |
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| Student Author(s): | Stewart, Amber R. |
| Department(s): | Biological Science |
| Teaching Mentor(s): | Robert L. Beckmann/Biological Science | Title of Presentation: | Using Technology as a Supplement to Introductory Biology Laboratory Courses |
Laboratory exercises are not merely reinforcements of material presented in lecture. Labs provide students "hands-on" experience in learning about basic lab equipment, techniques, and procedures. Dissection labs are extremely important, especially for those students planning to attend medical or veterinary school upon completion of their undergraduate curricula. Learning the proper dissection techniques is useful, but equally important is gaining a better understanding of the physiology of a given organism and being able to compare it to that of other organisms. To aid in this understanding, two Powerpoint presentations were developed to supplement the Biology 183 dissection labs. One of these programs is to be used in the lab by the teaching assistant both to reinforce basic principles and to present questions linking the labs. This program will benefit the students as well as teaching assistants who may be inexperienced. The second program is designed to aid the students. It is a more detailed program created to assist students who either missed lab or who would like to review material for a better understanding of the information. Each version of the program was burned on a separate CD, with the student program available through the Biological Sciences office. The goal of this project is to encourage the students to link the labs by analyzing each organism dissected. It is important for students to appreciate both the similarities and differences between the organisms. These programs encourage the students to develop analytical skills in thinking about why these similarities and differences have evolved. |
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| Student Author(s): | Vernon, Matt |
| Department(s): | Agricultural and Extension Education |
| Teaching Mentor(s): | Barbara M. Kirby/Assistant Director Academic Programs | Title of Presentation: | Skills for a New Century |
Spam, Y2K, Java, HTML and Melissa-new terms for a new age? In just a few short years, new words and acronyms have become part of our daily language. Spam was once an exclusive reference to a product by Hormel, and Java-a cup of coffee. Now these and other familiar words have taken on meaning-a meaning that can cause stress and anxiety. If, as many believe, our successful economy rests on our technological advances, then it is more important than ever that students have an understanding of computers and basic applications. New advances bring change, and our continued successes depend on reducing computer anxiety and changing attitudes toward computers. The purpose of this project was to provide students with hands-on training in order to reduce anxiety and increase literacy and attitude levels. The objectives of the study included: (1) Collect baseline literacy and computer anxiety data on students in entry level computer application classes; (2) Determine if student anxiety can be reduced and literacy levels improved through AEE 226 - Computer Applications and Information Technology in Agricultural and Extension Education. The study included a pre-test post-test design, utilizing a written survey and a hands-on test of computer skills. The instrument developed by Raven and Newman at Mississippi State University in 1996 was adapted for use in this study. The written survey collected data on computer anxiety with questions such as "It scares me to think that I could cause the computer to destroy a large amount of information by hitting the wrong key," "Computers make me feel uneasy and confused." Sample questions relating to attitudes toward computers included-"I dislike working with computers," "Computers motivate students to do better work." The computer portion of the survey included basic exercises in email, word processing, and spreadsheets. Results from the pre-tests indicated that 50 percent of the students demonstrated high anxiety levels and a lack of self-confidence when working with computer and software applications. Students had a limited knowledge of computer application skills. AEE 226 provided traditional lecture, discussion and demonstrations. Students learned basic word processing, database, spreadsheet and Internet skills. The course allowed students with advanced skills to progress at their own pace while students who required more attention were nurtured and given the opportunity to develop their skills in a non threatening environment. An extensive web site was created to support activities of the classroom and lab, giving students the opportunity to review course material for reference. Additional tips, links and fun stuff were included on the web site. Post-test results indicated that student anxiety was ameliorated, literacy levels and computer attitudes were dramatically improved. Computing and technology skills helped students be more productive and efficient in their career areas. In the global workplace, these skills will allow the student to contribute and compete more effectively. |
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| Student Author(s): | Ward, Shannon L. |
| Department(s): | Biological Engineering |
| Teaching Mentor(s): | Sam L. Pardue/Poultry Science Shannon D. Peak/Biomathematics |
Title of Presentation: | Factors Influencing Honors Course Participation |
The College of Agriculture and Life Science at NCSU offers a unique Honors Seminar as a component of the undergraduate Honors Program. The students in ALS 299H are sophomores and juniors with a grade point average of 3.25 or above. The objective of the present study was to examine the influence of gender, ethnicity, and major on eligibility and participation in ALS 299H. Data were obtained from University Planning and Analysis which described the demographics of the selection pool for ALS 299H from the fall semesters of 1996, 1997, and 1998. During this three-year period, 67.5% of the enrolled students were female, 91.4% were White, and approximately 80% were Life Science majors. Within the same time period, women and Whites represented 54.5 and 84.5% of all undergraduates in CALS, respectively. Following statistical analysis (GENMOD, SAS, version 6.12) it was determined that gender, ethnicity, and major significantly influenced both ALS 299H eligibility and enrollment. Females qualified at a significantly higher rate (p <= .0001) than males. Moreover, females in traditional agricultural majors achieved eligibility rates of approximately two times that of males in similar majors. Eligible females also chose to participate in ALS 299H at a significantly higher rate (p <= .02). Whites enrolled in ALS 299H at a rate of 21.8% (246/1127, enrolled/eligible) from 1997-1999. Hispanics qualified at rates above that of Whites. However, only one Hispanic student (3.8%, 1/26) enrolled in the course during the three-year period evaluated. Among African Americans, Asians, and Native Americans, participation rates were 12.5 (4/32), 16.5 (16/97), and 28.6% (2/7), respectively. These findings suggest that course structure and content and personal perception may inhibit participation in ALS 299H. Better defining the influence of these elements may encourage a more diverse participation in ALS 299H by attracting males from agricultural majors and ethnic minorities. |
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| Student Author(s): | Watson, Derek P. |
| Department(s): | Zoology |
| Teaching Mentor(s): | John Godwin/Zoology |
| Title of Presentation: | Implementation of Hypertext Media for Animal Anatomy and Physiology |
The dawn of the information age is clearly upon us. Higher education institutions such as North Carolina State University should make full use of any technology, which integrates information technologies into the learning process of its faculty and students. It is not only important that this university and its staff provide students with the opportunity to learn to use new technologies, such as web-based learning materials and the internet, but also that they use this technology to provide an improved learning experience. It has been my goal to help facilitate this important undertaking by creating tools useful to students in Zoology 250 (Animal Anatomy and Physiology). In creating the homepage and materials for this course, I hoped not only to present the students with critical information about the course and its material, but to also be innovative in the way I displayed the contents and ideas. The two portions of the website which I feel best meet this requirement, are the Online Self-Quizzes and the Course Message Board. The Self-Quizzes allow students to test their comprehension of course material and receive instant feedback. The Course Message Board allows the class to interact as a whole outside of the classroom. This should make it easier for students to have their questions about the material answered by the instructor and have the whole class benefit from this exchange. It is my opinion that the World Wide Web and the Internet's greatest influences on education have not been fully realized at this point. These new technologies can continue to increase the value and effectiveness of education in the years to come. Through my honors work here at North Carolina State and specifically with Dr. John Godwin it is my hope that I can be a small part of this exciting undertaking. |
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| Student Author(s): | Bidwan, Salam Gray, Georgia Weaver, Catherine |
| Department(s): | Biochemistry Zoology Biochemistry |
| Teachin Mentor(s): | Wendell H. McKenzie/Genetics | Title of Presentation: | GN 301 Genetics in Human Affairs: Teaching Genetics for the Future |
The course GN 301: Genetics in Human Affairs has had to adjust to remarkable growth in the genetics field since it first began in 1973. The course hopes to demonstrate to students how genetics has come to affect the lives of humans in scientific, social, and ethical ways. Enrollment in the course has grown steadily over the years, and the need for teaching assistants has also grown. Teaching assistants for the class have the opportunity to practice teaching skills and to learn from their experiences. As teaching assistants we learned a variety of teaching skills while trying to develop new components of the course. Several additions were made to the course including: putting together a lecture/discussion on career and internship opportunities for the undergraduates, developing a lecture/discussion on new techniques and technology being used in the genetics industry, adding a supplement to the course notes on the Human Genome Project (with TA Stephanie Gillis), and developing and leading discussions on current ethical issues raised in student summary reports. Inherently, the teaching assistant also learns public speaking skills, how to grade fairly but adequately, and maintains a high level of knowledge in the genetics field in order to lead exam review sessions. These additions to the GN 301 curriculum all hope to increase the students' knowledge of the ever-changing technology, the quickly-evolving ethical questions, and the never-ending opportunities for careers in genetics. |
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| Student Author(s): | Winchester, Meri F. |
| Department(s): | Animal Science |
| Teaching Mentor(s): | Sarah Ash/Animal Science | Title of Presentation: | Human Nutrition and the World Wide Web |
Purpose: To increase the awareness and comprehension of the information available via the Internet for students enrolled in the Introduction to Human Nutrition course. Methods: I consulted with the College of Agriculture and Life Science Computer and Information Center for the proper procedures for publication on North Carolina State Servers to update and publish a web page. I then consulted with several computer experts to learn how to construct a new page and to revise a current page. I also met with my mentor and the creators of WWW assign, North Carolina State University's online quiz system, to explore the possibility of incorporating an online quiz system within the scope of the course. I also updated my mentor's understanding of how to utilize the Netscape program to update the web page as needed in the future. Results: I updated the course information available on the web site. There were also new links to other related nutritional web sites and a revision of the images on the current page. We discovered that at this time, it is not feasible to use WWW assign as an option for this course. I created new sample exam questions that enrolled students may use as a study tool. My mentor can also utilize the Internet during lectures to share the information with the students. Conclusions: The upgrading of the home page is the first step to increasing the information flexibility of the Introduction to Human Nutrition course at North Carolina State University. The additional technological resource will permit my mentor to use the World Wide Web as a companion teaching tool in this course. The use of the technology available will enable the professor to enlighten more students in a shorter time period. |
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| Student Author(s): | Woolard, Kevin D. |
| Department(s): | Animal Science |
| Teaching Mentor(s): | Joan H. Eisemann/Animal Science | Title of Presentation: | Web Based Quiz Development for Nutrition of Domestic Animals |
I was a teaching assistant for the laboratory portion of ANS 230, Nutrition of Domestic Animals in the fall semester of 1998. During this experience, I was repeatedly concerned with the level of preparation students exhibited prior to the laboratory procedure. Some degree of prior exposure to the material is vital to maximize the instruction provided in the lab. Therefore, I wanted to establish a means by which students would gain this exposure through targeted questions designed to highlight both methods and concepts covered in particular labs. I established a World Wide Web page for this nutrition laboratory with links to an on-line quiz generator. This generator contains quizzes specific to each lab, with questions complementary to the concepts covered. My goal in establishing such a system was to provide a "pre-lab" experience that was both easy to access by the students and would provide the instructor with instantaneous feedback on the performance of the students. The students will be required to submit the quizzes prior to the laboratory through a North Carolina State University secure log-in system. This will provide a means by which individual students may be tracked to ensure the completion of the assignment, and equally important, the instructor may view the results to identify any questions frequently missed. Once these questions are identified, the lecture prior to the laboratory procedure may be targeted to reinforce the concepts that students are lacking. As an instructor, frequently the most difficult task presented is identifying problems that affect the class as a whole. This mechanism will provide a readily accessible means by which this may be accomplished. Finally, it is my hope that through the establishment of this web page, it will facilitate future instructors in the updating of the laboratory questions as the class continues to evolve. |
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