Biol 180 Syllabus 2024W2 Sections 2J1/2L3

The Teaching Team

Thomas Whelan (Instructor) Pablo Sandoval (TA) Kathleen Gill (TA)

thomas.whelan@botany.ubc.ca pisandoval@zoology.ubc.ca k.gill@oceans.ubc.ca

The primary goal of Biol 180 is to help students develop skills and confidence in reading,
understanding and interpreting primary scientific literature. Through a scaffolding process, and
with the support of the teaching team, students delve deeply into a few selected pieces of
literature, carefully examining each piece of literature section by section to fully understand the
embedded biological principles and concepts as well as their potential application to human
societies. Through this process, students also learn to appreciate the non-linear, iterative
nature of scientific investigation. The skills students will develop along the way include the
following:
1. Learn to work in a group setting by negotiating different expectations, backgrounds and
the various needs of group members to achieve common goals;
2. Be able to distinguish between hypothesis and predictions and understand their role in
scientific investigation;
3. Be able to form hypothesis and predictions based on provided information;
4. Be able to interpret scientific graphs;
5. Be able to present data and results effectively in graph formats;
6. Be able to apply your understanding of experimental design elements (sampling,
controls) to designing a follow up study;
7. Be able to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of hypothetical studies designed by
peer groups
8. Apply all the skills you learned in this course to summarize and present what you have
learned from reading literature.

Course Structure
This course is scheduled for 3 hours a week. There will be lectures, discussion, individual and
group works. All aspects of the course are interactive and your active engagement in all in-class
activities is essential to your learning.
There will also be group tasks outside regular class time; your active involvement in these
activities are critical to your and your group members’ success in this course.
There is no textbook or any lab equipment required for this course. All learning materials for
this course will be provided in Canvas or accessible online.
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 Weekly Learning Objectives
Week 1 Introduction
• Meet and get to know classmates and teaching team members.
• Become familiar and comfortable with online platforms including Canvas and C.L.A.S.
• Be aware of the skills identified valuable by UBC alumni that students may develop in this course
• Clarify community expectations on student behaviour, language and attitude in the classroom by
constructing a community/classroom guideline;
• Explore important biological concepts and principles in the popular press sources

Week 2 Popular Press

• Demonstrate your understanding of important/relevant biological principles and concepts in the
popular press articles/sources;
• Appreciate the non-linear, iterative and often messy nature of scientific process by constructing a
process of science map using the contents of popular press articles/sources;
• Meet your group members;
• Establish guideline to facilitate group functioning and begin to work on a group contract.

Week 3 The process of science: hypothesis and predictions

• Distinguish between hypotheses and predictions;
• Explain the role and function of hypotheses and predictions in scientific research;
• Formulate hypotheses and predictions based on given scenarios;
• Based on observations or information provided, ask research questions, and where appropriate,
convert them into testable hypotheses.

Week 4 Concept Mapping

• Describe the structure of a scientific paper;

• Use information in the introduction section of a paper to build a concept map, identifying key
concepts, terms and depicting their functional relationships.
• Assess personal and team members’ contributions

Week 5 Data Analysis (Cartoon a figure)

• Describe random sampling and understand confirmation bias;

• Distinguish between correlation and causation);
• Distinguish between different types of graphs/figures and understand the kind of information each
type of figure can present;
• Analyze and interpret a figure;
• Understand the concepts of experimental design elements including controls, randomization, and
basic statistical principles;
• Cartoon an experiment

Week 6 Data Display + Pitch Next Experiment

• Ask research questions based on available data;

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 • Select appropriate figures to address the research questions;
• Identify limitations in a study and critically examine others’ conclusions or claims;
• Determine appropriate ways/figures to display different types of data collected in a study.
• Design a follow up experiment.

Week 7 Evaluate Studies Designed by Peers

• Review peers’ studies to gain deeper understanding and insights on, elements of experiment/study
design, graph presentations and designing a study.
• Appreciate the challenges and dynamic nature of public funding in research (for classes that use a
grand panel format to review studies).

Week 8 Midterm Assessment

• Demonstrate the skills of scientists you have worked hard to develop and strengthen

Week 9 Introduce Final project, literature search and evaluation

• Root value activity to identify one’s root value;

• Brainstorm final project focal topic incorporating members’ root values
• Conduct literature search;
• Use CRAAP test to evaluate sources for credibility;
• Use a citation management tool, if applicable.

Week 10 Diversity in Science

• Appreciate the value of diversity in science;
• Recognize the barriers individuals from under-represented groups experience in science;
• Work on the final project, evaluating and incorporating feedback to improve the project.

Week 11 Science Communication

• Present and communicate science effectively using visuals

Week 12 Final Project Presentation or Mock Talk

• Present final project to receive final feedback to refine the project
• Evaluate teaching team effectiveness
•

BIOL 180 Final Gallery

April 10, 2025 Thursday A showcase of BIOL 180 final projects

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 COURSE EVALUATION
Assignments and Engagements 50%
Midterm assessment 15%

Final Group Project 35%

Assignments Each week you will complete assignments or quizzes. These assignments and
quizzes prepare you for the upcoming in-class discussion or activities, help focus your attention
during class, or assess your understanding of important concepts and principles. The
instructions and due dates for these assignments and quizzes are outlined in the weekly lesson
plans on Canvas.
Engagements in and out of class You are expected to attend and actively engage in
discussions, polls, group groups and activities with your teaching team each week. Outside of
class, you may need to engage in additional group activities. Engagement in BIOL 180 is critical
for your success in the course.
Engagements and assignments together account for 50% of your final course grade.
Midterm assessment will take place during Week 8 in class. It accounts for 15% of your final
course grade and may comprise both individual and group components.
Final Group project: In lieu of a final exam, you will work with your group members to
construct a final project. The goal of this project is to synthesize and communicate the science
in the field of your course focal topic to the general public. The project will be a collaborative
effort of your group members. This final project accounts for 35% of the final course grade.
MARKS IN BIOL180
While some of your work in BIOL180 will have only once chance of submission, for other work
in the course your instructor may allow opportunities for revision and resubmission to meet
specified standards (criterion). Make sure to clarify with your instructor which assignments can
be revised and resubmitted.
Collaborative Learning Annotation System (C.L.A.S.)
BIOL 180 uses a UBC platform called C.L.A.S. to annotate videos and papers throughout the
term. CLAS creates a collaborative space for us to discuss and interact with course material. You
can flag important points in media and start conversations around these points with your group
members. We will all ask and answer questions on course material using C.L.A.S. throughout
the term as we learn how to unpack scientific literature together.

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 Digital Etiquette
This course requires you to use your laptop and/or cell phone during class time. While you may
consider yourself an excellent multi-tasker, research evidence indicates otherwise, and your
peers are certainly not. Please respect your classmates and restrict your use of digital devices to
course content. If we see that you or your peers are distracted, we will ask you to put your
devices away and this may compromise your ability to participate in class polls. There will be
times when you have completed your work or answered a poll question, but your peers have
not, please help your peers when appropriate or use the time to review your notes while you
wait. You will learn more if you concentrate on the course while you are in class and your
classmates will thank you for not impeding their ability to learn.
USING GENERATIVE AI IN BIOL 180

If you use ChatGPT (or a similar tool) to get ideas for an assignment and/or to generate answers
for any part of an assignment, you must clearly declare that you have used it, with a couple
sentences describing the extent to which it was used, and you must save any generated text
from this tool in case it is requested.
You will not be penalized for using this tool, but a TA or the instructor may ask you to provide
the generated text to help with grading decisions. In this case, your (or your group’s) original
contributions will be evaluated. Failure to fully declare the use of this tool will be considered
academic misconduct.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

Academic integrity is essential to the functioning of the University of British Columbia as an

institution of higher learning. All UBC students are expected to behave as honest, responsible
members of our community and to follow the appropriate policies, principles, rules, and
guidelines of the University with respect to academic integrity. Cheating on exams or projects,
plagiarizing or any other form of academic dishonesty are clear violations of academic integrity
and will result in disciplinary action. https://academicintegrity.ubc.ca/
UNIVERSITY POLICY
UBC provides resources to support student learning and to maintain healthy lifestyles but

recognizes that sometimes crises arise and so there are additional resources to access including
those for survivors of sexual violence. UBC values respect for the person and ideas of all
members of the academic community. Harassment and discrimination are not tolerated nor is
suppression of academic freedom. UBC provides appropriate accommodation for students with
disabilities and for religious observances. UBC values academic honesty and students are
expected to acknowledge the ideas generated by others and to uphold the highest academic
standards in all of their actions. Details of the policies and how to access support are available
on the UBC Senate website.