speakers

Speakers and Workshops

Speaker - MURDER AND MAGGOTS

Forensic entomology is the study of insects associated with a dead body in order to determine time since death. This talk will explain how insects can be used to determine time of death, as well as other factors such as position and presence of wounds, analysis of poaching cases etc. True case histories will be used to illustrate the science. Recent advances in the science in B.C. and Canada will also be examined.

Gail S. Anderson, Ph.D.
Forensic Entomologist, Diplomate of the American Board of Forensic Entomology

Dr. Anderson is the only full-time forensic entomologist in Canada. She is an Assistant Professor in forensic entomology in the School of Criminology at Simon Fraser University, a forensic consultant to the RCMP and City Police across Canada and a regular instructor at Canadian Police College and the B.C. Justice Institute. She has been analysing forensic entomology cases since 1988, and has testified as an expert witness in court. With the collaboration of colleagues and graduate students, she is presently developing a database of forensic insects across Canada, so that forensic entomology can be used with confidence across this country. Her work has been featured in several television programs including "Journeys - Grave Testimony", and "Forbidden Places - Silent Witness" shown on Discovery Channel, and "The Nature of Things - Postmortem". She was a recipient of Canada's Top 40 under 40 Award in 1999, received a YWCA Women of Distinction Award for Science and Technology in 1999, and the Simon Fraser University Alumni Association Outstanding Alumni Award for Academic Achievement in 1995.

Speaker - CULTURE AND COMPETITION IN KILLER WHALES

Humans have long been fascinated by killer whales. They roam every ocean, hunt in packs, and kill the largest animals that have ever lived on earth. They also form remarkably strong bonds and use vocal dialects. Fifteen years ago, researchers were astonished to discover another aspect of their social behaviour: in some areas, independent fish-eating and mammal-eating populations share the same waters. To learn how this unusual situation developed, I analysed several hundred DNA samples from Pacific killer whales. Among other questions, I asked whether individuals ever migrate between the two groups, and whether the populations are, in fact, cryptic species. In my talk, I will argue that the segregation reflects cultural rather than genetic differences, and that it arose and persists because it reduces competition and conflict. As far as I am aware, this is the first suggestion that cultural forces alone can be strong enough to isolate populations in any species other than our own.

Lance Barrett-Lennard, M.Sc.
Ph.D. Student, UBC Zoology Dept., Research Associate, Vancouver Aquarium

Lance Barrett-Lennard was born in the United States, raised in Australia, and emigrated to Waterloo, Ontario as a teenager. He did an undergraduate degree in biology and math at the University of Guelph, interested in evolutionary theory. After finishing his Bachelors degree, he moved west with his partner Kathy Heise. They spent seven years lighthouse-keeping at various stations on the B.C. coast, assisted killer whale researchers Mike Bigg, John Ford and Graeme Ellis. He and Kathy left the lightservice to set up a small biological consulting company conducting marine mammal research in B.C. and Alaska. He did his masters degree at the University of British Columbia with Supervisors John Ford and Jamie Smith. His thesis was entitled “A Comparison of Echolocation Behaviour by Fish-eating and Mammal-eating Killer Whales”. Currently, he is finishing his doctoral degree with the same supervisors on population segregation and mating systems in killer whales. The most important thing he and Kathy ever did: they had a child, born July 1999.

Speaker -BUILDING A SENSE OF BELONGING IN THE CLASSROOM

I teach under the assumption that students learn more when they feel that they are an integral part of the class. Creating class structures that engender this feeling can be challenging at the best of times, but especially in large classes. In this presentation, we will explore techniques that we have employed in a large introductory psychology class intended to reduce students' sense of anonymity and detachment. some of these strategies are "high tech", some are "low tech", but almost all of them have been fun and the results have been encouraging.

Gary Poole is a member of the Psychology Department at Simon Fraser University and an Adjunct Professor in the Faculty of Medicine at UBC. In addition to his research and teaching in Social and Health Psychology, for 10 years, Gary was the Director of the Centre for University Teaching at SFU, the instructional development program he helped initiate in 1988. In 1994, he was awarded a 3M Teaching Fellowship, a national award for excellence in teaching, and in 1998 he received an Excellence in Teaching Award from SFU.

Workshop - THE CONCEPT OF ‘ELECTIVE’ SCIENCE

Contrary to deeply held prejudice, elementary and secondary students can do original research. They only need curiosity and guidance on the basic processes of scientific investigation. Science Fairs are annual evidence of these realities and UBC’s First Year Biology Elective Program has allowed more than 30,000 inexperienced students to do a little piece of original work during the last 31 years. This workshop is about how we, as instructors, can support students in research activity regardless of either our expertise or that of our students. Participants, working in pairs, will each develop one assigned project and one of their own choice. We will discuss how to ensure that this kind of research experience can be made into a major motivator for science classes regardless of level.

Iain E.P. Taylor, Ph.D.
Professor of Botany, UBC and Professor in the Botanical Garden

Iain Taylor received his B.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Liverpool. He taught in a high school where research experience was a critical part of the informal curriculum. After an 18-month teaching post doctoral position at the University of Texas, he came to the University of British Columbia in 1968. He developed the Elective Program based on experiences in Texas. After 25 years researching on the biophysics of plant cell walls, he is now working in science ethics, particularly on professional ethics and public accountability by scientists in biotechnology.

Workshop - A PEDAGOGICAL ROLE FOR THE INTERNET AND INTERACTIVE MULTIMEDIA IN THE BIOLOGY LAB AND LECTURE HALL

A demonstration and discussion of the role new media technologies are playing in the Second Year Comparative Invertebrate Zoology course at the University of British Columbia.

Since 1996, the Internet and interactive multimedia technologies have had an increased presence in both lecture and lab settings providing students with alternative strategies for learning and studying. In the lecture hall, the standard method of presentation is augmented with video, 2D and 3D animation, and interactive quizzes to engage students and help them quickly grasp concepts pertaining to biological processes and mechanisms. Students may further their study efforts by purchasing or borrowing from the library an interactive multimedia CD-ROM which covers important concepts discussed in lecture. A much improved level of access to lab materials and practice quizzes is achieved via the Internet allowing students to better prepare themselves for lab and written exams.

1) Thomas H. Carefoot, Ph.D.
Professor of Zoology, University of British Columbia

Thomas Carefoot has been researching and teaching in the field of marine biology for over 30 years. His interests and expertise cover a wide variety of organisms but he is most known for his body of work on marine and semi-terrestrial isopods, as well as the tropical marine mollusc, Aplysia.

2) Cindy L. Young, B.Sc.
Instructor, Publishing Techniques & Technologies and Professional Photo-Imaging Programs, Langara College

Cindy Young has over 17 years of experience with computer graphics, a good portion of which has been as a supplier of computer generated audio-visual materials to corporate business in British Columbia. She has spent the last five years focussing on production of multimedia materials for CD-ROM and the internet and teaches these skills to career program students at Langara College.

Workshop - LEAD EFFECTIVE FIELD TRIPS WITHOUT BEING A SUBJECT EXPERT

After a brief introduction, we will take a walk illustrating how our students can learn a lot about nature without the leaders (us) being experts. Supporting materials/responses/references will be provided.

Peter J. Ballin, M.Sc.
Head, Science Department, Vancouver Community College

Peter Ballin teaches BIOL 11 and 12 equivalent to adult studies at VCC. He teaches biology methods and general science matters to student teachers in the Faculty of Education, Curriculum Studies Department at the University of British Columbia. Currently developing a human ecology course for Grade 12 equivalent for adult basis education in B.C. Also, he is in the process of developing a BDG activity book for Wild B.C. and the Habitat Conservation Trust Fund, for use in Grade 11 Biology. Sometimes, he researches about fish sex. He is the regional resource person for Wild B.C. and he serves as environmental education consultant.

Workshop - INCREASING STUDENT PARTICIPATION IN LECTURE-BASED CLASSES

Most of us use lecture as our primary teaching method. At the same time, however, we know that students must experience and interact with the information to really learn. The shift from teacher-centered to learner-centered classes need not be traumatic for us, nor require that we stop lecturing. This workshop will demonstrate several participatory techniques with which you can punctuate your lecture, adding variety and requiring students to apply the material. These include group learning of various kinds, brief case studies, and other creative and practical methods which you can begin to use immediately in the classroom. You will also have an opportunity to share your own successful experiences.

Eleanor Boyle, Ph.D.
Instructor, Capilano College

Eleanor Boyle has taught for more than 10 years at college and university, and is an instructor of Psychology at Capilano College. She has an Honours B.A. in Behavioural Sciences from the University of Chicago, and a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the University of British Columbia. Passionate about post-secondary teaching, she has led numerous workshops on the topic.

Workshop - EXPLORING THE SOCIOLOGY OF SCIENCE USING THE MOVIE, “RACE FOR THE DOUBLE HELIX”

One of the stated objectives of our introductory majors Biology sequence
(201, 202, 203) is to introduce students not just to the facts and
methodology of science, but also to the implications of the fact that
science is a human endeavor. As a means of doing this, we show the
students the video "Race for the Double Helix", which is a Hollywood movie
dramatizing the discovery of the 3-dimensional structure of DNA. In this
workshop, I will discuss how we use the video to illustrate various
philosophies of science, various approaches to doing science, and the
interplay among the personalities involved.

Hans Landel, Ph.D. and Peter Lortz
Division of Science and Mathematics, North Seattle Community College
Biology instructor, North Seattle Community College

Biographical details:
BSc - University of California, Davis
PhD - Behavioral Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Purdue University

Workshop – ACTIVE LEARNING IN GENETICS

Genetics is one of the most difficult areas of biology for students to learn. Listening to lectures doesn’t work. Even doing problems often doesn’t work. We will explore methods to help students construct a deep understanding of genetics, manifested by flexible performance.

Tony Griffiths, Ph.D. (with Barb Moon)
UBC Botany (UCFV Biology)

Ph.D., McMaster 1967 Molecular Biology.
PDF, Agronomy Kansas State University 1967 – 1968.
NIH Postdoctoral Fellow, Oak Ridge National Lab 1968 – 1970.
Assistant, Associate, Full-professor, UBC Botany 1970 – present.
Teaching: Third year genetics, First year biology.
Research: Fungal genetics.

Workshop – OVERCOMING STUDENT RESISTANCE TO CHANGES IN TEACHING TECHNIQUES

Anyone who has tried non-traditional teaching methods in undergraduate biology classrooms soon comes up against students’ traditional expectations of teaching – good lectures to fill up their notebooks! This workshop will explore student resistance to non-traditional teaching methods by investigating causes, symptoms and solutions to this problem.

Barbara Moon, Ph.D (with Tony Griffiths)
UCFV Biology (UBC Botany)

Barbara teaches ecology, invertebrate biology and evolution as well as first year biology at UCFV. Her B.Sc. (UBC) was in physiological ecology and her Ph.D. (SFU) examined the connections between the self-reinforcing cycle of undergraduate science teaching and high school science teaching. Her current research involves teaching and learning in undergraduate biology.

Workshop - BIOLOGICAL EXPERIMENTATION FOR UNDERGRADUATES

At the University of British Columbia we have developed a program in experimental design for first year students. In research teams of four, the students develop hypotheses, design an experimental protocol, carry out their experiment and finally present their research in a seminar. Each student submits a formal written report. Students gain an understanding of the elements of scientific investigation and an appreciation for the meaningfulness of reported data. We accomplish all this with 1500 students! That translates into 350 unique experiments running each week.

Carol Pollock, Douglas Torrance, Victoria Campbell-Arvai, Kathy Nomme
Lab Faculty, First Year Biology Program, University of British Columbia
These presenters are all hard-working and dedicated to quality laboratory experience for undergraduate students.

Workshop - MULTIMEDIA CD WEB HYBRID TECHNOLOGY WITH HIGH LEVEL INTERACTIVITY FOR AN INTRODUCTORY CELL BIOLOGY COURSE

A cross-platform CD-web hybrid technology has been developed to enable a class of 1,100 Introductory Cell Biology students to interactively examine and answer questions regarding high-resolution digital cellular images from large files (~10 Mbs) and digital movies of cellular processes from remote locations. We have produced several modules which examine different aspects of cell biology. We can use large image and movie files because they reside on the user’s CD and therefore their access is not limited by the speed of the user’s internet connection. Whereas the material on the CD is static the interactivity resides on the website and can be changed quickly thus giving a dynamic feel to our product by linking images in different combinations or utilizing different interactivities. The interactivity allows the student user to navigate freely through each module answering questions with single words, sentences or short paragraphs. These answers are then evaluated by our system. At the end of a module the student’s navigation history and answers are FTPed to a course instructor. This FTP function enables us to evaluate student progress continually by enabling us to examine their answers that are automatically sent back to us. This permits us to determine student understanding of concepts well before midterms and final exams. Lastly, our technology can be used in any class where remote learning is a component and high-level interactivity a requirement.

Brian Oates, Ph.D. and Cyprien Lomas, Ph.D
Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B. C.

Workshop- BIOLOGY ON THE WEB: USING WEBCT TO PRODUCE A FIRST YEAR BIOLOGY COURSE ON THE INTERNET

Using examples from my internet Biology course (Biology 1115/1215), the
various features of WebCT will be demonstrated as they are related to
producing an internet Biology course.

Mike Holmwood, RPBio, MSc
Division Chair, Mathematics and Sciences, Langara College

Instructor at Langara College since 1969 in Biology, Biochemistry, Microbiology
BSC 1966 UBC Microbiology
MSc 1969 UBC Biochemistry/Botany
1996-1997 Awarded Association of Canadian Community Colleges 'Teaching
Excellence Award'
1998 Awarded Council for Advancement and Support of Education/ Canadian
Council for the advancement of Education 'Canadian Community College
Professor of the Year'

Workshop - USING REAL (T) SLIDE SHOW FOR WEB COURSES

This workshop will demonstrate the production of Real Slide
Show presentations, combining audio and slides for use in web courses.
Each participant will produce a short slide / audio presentation and place
it on the web.

Mike Holmwood, RPBio, MSc
Division Chair, Mathematics and Sciences, Langara College

Workshop - SHOULD ETHICS BE PART OF THE BIOLOGY CURRICULUM?

At national Bioethics conferences, more and more frequently the question
arises whether students studying science should be made aware of ethical
issues that may occur because of increasing technology. Citing these
technology advances, such as advances in life-prolonging treatment and
completion of the Human Genome Project, we will discuss ethical issues
created by them and if and how ethics should be part of the biology
curriculum. Other issues to be considered are animal rights and
dissections in the laboratory and problems of environmental destruction.

Dr. Erleen Whitney
PhD Portland State University

A member of the Biology Department at Clark College since 1971. During
that time, I have taught Microbiology, Botany, Principals of Biology,
General Biology, Environmental Biology, Marine Biology, Human Genetics,
Biology in Baja, Pathogenic Microbiology, and Bioethics. Presently I am
Chair of the Science Division and member of the Ethics Committee at
Southwest Washington Medical Center.

Workshop - WHAT IS PBL AND HOW CAN I USE IT?

This workshop is an introduction to Problem-Based Learning (PBL) - what is unique about this
method, how can it be applied, and experiences with introducing PBL courses into the curriculum.

David Shackleton, Michael Pitt, Brian Holl (all PhDs)
Agroecology, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, UBC

Brief biographic details:

David Shackleton
25 years at UBC, area of interest: wildlife and behavior
Michael Pitt
25 years at UBC, area of interest: range management
Brian Holl
23 years at UBC, area of interest: turf grass

All three are involved in teaching in PBL classes and leading PBL workshops.

Workshop - MAKING INTERDISCIPLINARITY WORK AT UBC: SCIENCE ONE AND BEYOND

Science One is an interdisciplinary, honours level first year program offered to 72 students each year. I will talk about the inner workings of this program, and how, over its six year existence, Science One has gradually inspired a variety of new undergraduate programs and courses that are changing both student and faculty expectations of undergraduate learning in science. While some of the characteristics of Science One clearly contribute to its success, their impact is difficult to assess. I, therefore, want to explore with you how to progress systematically from implementing educational innovation “intuitively” to an understanding of the basic principles of interdisciplinary learning that can be consistently reproduced in diverse settings, and assessed.

Jülyet Benbasat, Ph.D.
Senior Instructor, Dept. of Microbiology and Immunology, UBC

Jülyet Benbasat is a senior instructor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of British Columbia. She holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Chemical Engineering and a Ph.D. in Biochemistry. Jülyet is the Founding Director of the Science One Program and has recently completed a term as Associate Dean of Science, Academic - Curriculum Initiatives. Her current interests centre on science education and program evaluation. Now on sabbatical, she is delighted to have time to think!

Workshop - DOT COM PHYSIOLOGY: LIVE LABS AND THE WEB

This workshop will illustrate how to broadcast data recordings from live labs via the iWorx teaching system, a distance learning web-based physiology program. This is a hands-on demonstration of iWorx "one button" data collection from traditional cardiovascular, respiratory and neuromuscular physiology
labs. The lab PC becomes a physiograph. Instructors will have the opportunity to work hands-on with the just released iWorx system for physiology. Stations will be set up to allow the instructors to connect and
record physiology data themselves as the students would to see the ease of use and functionality of the software. The software includes on-line manuals, web ready tutorials, simulations, web page builders and broadcasting or multi-casting for in lab or distance learning labs. I would welcome discussion of the merits, problems of such systems, their use versus simulations, use for investigative labs, distance learning live labs, etc.

Perry Page, B.A. Ripon College, WI.

Perry Page is currently residing in Denver and for the past 14 years has been roaming the western U.S. visiting schools and research labs. These visits for instruction and demonstration cover several different types of computer based data acquisition and related physiology equipment for use in teaching and a wide range of research applications. Perry is a representative of iWorx, Inc. and can be reached at www.iWorx.com

Workshop - EXPLORING BIOLOGY ONLINE - A COLLABORATIVE, STUDENT-CENTERED APPROACH

Learn biology by experiencing biology! Join us and experience a non-majors biology curriculum that is a student-centered model, consisting of inquiry based collaborative activities, hands-on demonstrations, critical thinking activities, and short and long term investigative labs. This format includes the integration of ethical, economic and social issues and concepts that focus on the applicability of biology to current issues and to the development of scientific literacy. And it all happens online.

Lillian Mayer, M.A. and Christina Strickland, M.S.
Both are Life Science Instructors at Clackamas Community College, Oregon City, OR and both are Faculty Fellows of OCEPT (Oregon Collaborative for Excellence in the Preparation of Teachers), an NSF funded grant through Portland State University and members of the biology and math committee of ONE (Oregon Network for Education).

Lillian Mayer has a B.A. in biology and an M.A. in interdisciplinary botany/plant sciences from Cal State University, Chico. Lilly was an adjunct faculty for five years and has been full time at Clackamas since 1992.

Christina Strickland has a M.S. in molecular biology and zoology from Texas Woman's University; she was an adjunct for nine years and has been full time since 1982.

Both Lilly and Chris have been instrumental in the non-majors curriculum revision from the traditional lecture/lab format to the collaborative, student-centered format for the past seven years. The implementation of the online class was funded by grants from OCCDEC (Oregon Community College Distance Education Consortium) and the Clackamas Community College Foundation.

Workshop - TRANSFERABLE EXPERTISE IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE: REASONING, GOALS AND APPROACHES

I am working with the Capilano College Post-Baccalaureate Environmental Science Program, to apply recent ideas of educational psychology to redesign the program. Our goal is to help students become more self-directed managers of their knowledge and practice and to support more effective transfer of school experiences to other contexts, including the
workplace. We are working with the various steps necessary to move from a focus on knowledge to a broader perspective of "transferable environmental expertise" that entwines knowledge, subject-specific techniques and diverse problem-solving practices. I will describe the main elements of our experience so far and how it could apply to biology programs.

Glenn Brown, Ph.D.
Educational Researcher,
Arbutus Institute

Glenn Brown has an educational background in geography and biology and six years work experience as an ecologist and environmental consultant. He worked five years with a nonprofit science education organization. He recently completed
a doctoral program in education, emphasizing psychological contributions to the design of curriculum and instruction, especially in environmental and science education and in assisting the school-to-work transition. His particular interest is in supporting the development of expert practice in science.