The Current Course Introductory Biology, taught in the fall semester, is the first course in biological sciences for incoming students from eleven majors at the University. The course is designed to provide a foundation for all further study in the life sciences by providing students with both a solid conceptual foundation in biology and an enthusiasm for the subject matter to motivate advanced study in the field. Teams of two instructors teach each of the two sections of the course. Classes meet three times a week for 50 minutes sessions.
Students also participate in labs that meet once a week for three hours.
Introductory Biology has been in the process of revision for some time. Previous redesign focused on the lab sessions, which have been changed to include strong data collection and analysis components. Using ClassTalk, class time is divided into 10-15 minute lecture segments followed by sessions in which students work in small groups applying concepts to solve problems posed by the instructor. Students discuss the questions to facilitate initial problem solving and then share the rationale for their responses with the class once the data has been compiled and displayed. The instructor moderates the discussions and draws out key issues to reinforce specific ideas or reveal misconceptions.