2008 UG Education Workshop Agenda

UG Education Subcommittee Members & Presenters

Adam Hott, Ricki Lewis, Yvette Conley, Bethany Vice Bowling, Vence Bonham, Abram Gabriel, Marlene Shaw, and Carl Huether
 

Session Descriptions

Stem Cells: Hope or Hype? 
Ricki Lewis
Keeping up with new ways to derive human stem cells, and how they can be used, is nearly impossible, so it is little wonder that the information getting out to the public is sometimes inaccurate or hyped – or both. Yet at the same time, harnessing these cells has enormous potential. This session will outline the steps, approaches, and limitations to obtaining, characterizing, and controlling human stem cells (including iPS cells) from a variety of sometimes bizarre sources. Oversimplification and other media errors will be explored, as well as a look at how web-based companies are already exploiting sick people in search of stem-cell based “cures.” The session will culminate with an exercise on designing a stem-cell based treatment for a specific disease that will tap students’ imaginations while enforcing basic principles of cell and developmental biology as they relate to stem cell science.

Online Resources
Yvette Conley and Bethany Bowling
Would you like to utilize some of the rich genetics resources available on the web in your course, but you don't know where to begin? Do you want to use authentic data and engaging stories to get your students excited about the topics you’re covering? This session will highlight some exceptional Web-based tools and illustrate ways to effectively incorporate them into your courses. Specific topics that will be covered include the use of human genetic databases and online video segments. Suggested activities for varying levels of undergraduate genetics education (introductory to more advanced courses) will be presented.
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Race and Genetics
Vence Bonham and Abram Gabriel
This session will discuss current and historical social and clinical issues regarding our understanding of race and genetics and the study of human genetic variation. It will use both genomic and social data to describe the relationship between race and ethnicity and patterns of human genetic variation. The session will emphasize teaching strategies for the study of social implications of race, ethnicity and human genetic variation with a focus on sickle cell anemia.
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Using Visual Media in the Classroom
Marlene Shaw and Carl Huether
Take a look at your local newspaper or The New York Times or popular magazines; at CSI or Law and Order; at Nova or The Charlie Rose Science Series and even YouTube. Genetics is the focus of feature articles, story lines, excellent video segments, and serious conversations. What propels this fascination with the double helix? Perhaps it’s gene testing and concern for privacy or gene patenting and the cost of gene tests. It may be SNPs and the hunt for predictive markers for complex diseases or the specter of gene doping in professional sports or the Olympics. Keeping up with the leading edges of genetics and its impacts on society requires diligence. This is a large part of the excitement and satisfaction of teaching genetics. The media show our lives intersecting with genetics in numerous ways. This workshop will give participants the opportunity to examine samples from various types of media. Participants will be invited to join in assessing the accuracy of the information and offering how these media samples can be incorporated into coursework assignments and classroom discussions.