Design Document for

Molecular Genetics Redesign (BI 320)

By Jessica Wilson

Purpose of the Course The Molecular Genetics course taught at the University of Oregon is a key
component of the biology program. It is an advanced undergraduate course
on how gene expression is regulated in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic
organisms. The focus is on the molecular and genetic approaches that have
been used to dissect specific examples of regulated gene expression. In this
course, students discuss the fundamental principles that can be derived from
such analyses, and students will learn how to apply these approaches to new
situations.
Audience Description

Typically, the course is comprised of 50% biology majors, 25%

biochemistry majors, and 25% human physiology majors. Approximately
half of the students in the course are pre-med, and all students arrive having
taken the same prerequisite courses (200-level genetics, biochemistry, and
molecular biology). The information acquired in the molecular genetics
course is used in 400-level and graduate genetics courses and in medical
school, so it is important that the students understand and assimilate the
material. A majority of the students are traditional (full-time college
students between ages 18 and 26).

1. Demonstrate an understanding of the molecular mechanisms that allow

Major Course
cells to regulate the levels of a given protein
Objectives (Terminal)
2. Analyze the properties of regulatory pathways, including those that
contain positive and negative feedback
3. Understand and apply the basic mechanisms that cause cells to adopt
distinct fates during development
4. Design and interpret biochemical experiments that test necessity and
sufficiency, including those that involve northern and western blots, and
gel-shift and DNA footprinting assays.
5. Design and interpret genetic experiments that test necessity and
sufficiency, including cis/trans tests, epistasis analysis, suppressor
screens, and the analysis of loss- and gain-of-function mutations.

CBT Design Document Jessica Wilson

6/26/2015

Course Enabling
Objectives

There would be a very long list of enabling objectives for this 10-week
course, so I fleshed out terminal objective #3 from above, in an effort to get
to the right level for my RLO:
Understand and apply the basic principles that cause cells to adopt
distinct fates during development.
1. Explain why each of the cells in the C. elegans 4-cell embryo is
different.
2. Interpret the results of experiments that distinguish which
mechanism was used.
3. Design new experiments to determine which mechanism is used
during cell division.
a. Formulate a hypothesis
b. Propose an experiment to test the hypothesis
c. Interpret results of the experiment

RLO Enabling
Objective

Formulate a hypothesis, propose an experiment to test the hypothesis, and

interpret the results.

Learning Assessment
for Course

Final exam (in-person, written)

Learning Assessment
for RLO

Knowledge check -- multiple choice

Virtual lab or guided analysis (still in the process of determining which is
the best fit for the activity and is realistic to accomplish without any prior
experience with the software)

Instructional Delivery In-person (lecture/discussion) and online

method for Course
(overall)
Instructional Strategy Tutorial & Simulation
for RLO
Media

Text, audio, graphics, video (outside source TBD may need captions)

508 Accommodations

No time limits, optional audio, keep pages as simple as possible (font,

colors, placement, graphics, and navigation), alt text for images, text with
video, and keyboard input (no mouse required)

Course Structure
Description

10 week course
18 in-person lessons on Tues/Thurs 80 minutes each
10 in-person discussion sessions on Fri 50 minutes each
2 midterm exams
1 final exam

CBT Design Document Jessica Wilson

6/26/2015

Seat Time of Course

150 hours (includes in-person sessions, self-guided online activities, and

studying)

Seat Time of RLO

15-20 minutes

RLO Outline

1. Introduction with objectives include short video of the

development of an organism to create interest in topic
2. Review of the mechanisms that cause cells to adopt distinct fates
during development (this is background info taught in prior lesson)
3. Knowledge check given an experiment and the result, identify the
mechanism that was used (3-5 scenarios/questions)
4. Overview of the scientific method (hypothesis, experiment,
interpret) with examples
5. Activity practice the scientific method by choosing a hypothesis,
then selecting/conducting experiment, and interpreting the result
6. Summary

RLO Flowchart

CBT Design Document Jessica Wilson

6/26/2015

Screens/Pages in RLO 32 (estimate)

Out of these 32 screens, 15 are used to show results of experiments in the
branching scenario (activity).
Knowledge Checks or Knowledge check multiple select
Other Assessments or
Scenario activity branching multiple choice selections
Practices
Rollovers/click events

45 click events (estimate), which includes all possible selections in

branching scenario

Course and Project

Navigation

Some pages will have skip buttons.

Navigation bar will include:

Return to start
Review of mechanisms
Knowledge check
Overview of scientific method
Activity

Screen Layouts
Menu

Menu

Graphic

Title

Instructional
text

Graphic

Title Screen

Instructional Screen
Menu

Menu

Scenario Description

Knowledge Check

Hypothesis 1
Hypothesis 2
Hypothesis 3
Hypothesis 4

Choice 1
Choice 2
Choice 3
Choice 4

Assessment Screen

Each answer
leads to a new
screen to select
an experiment

Activity Screen

Development Tools

Microsoft PowerPoint
Articulate Storyline 2
Adobe Illustrator

Ownership

Jessica Wilson will develop the initial course. Tory Herman will maintain
the course. The course is being developed for the University of Oregon.

CBT Design Document Jessica Wilson

6/26/2015

Development Time

45 hours

Support requirements Tory Herman (SME)

CBT Design Document Jessica Wilson

6/26/2015