Course Structure & Navigating Pressbook

START HERE – Microbiology Lab Course Structure

Introduction

This is a microbiology laboratory course for a variety of learners: virtual, at home or in the lab. Students learn and explore a variety of microbiological techniques, skills, and concepts. Topics that will be covered include growing, visualization and enumeration of microbes, traditional, molecular, and immunological diagnostic techniques, basic techniques used in parasitology, virology, and mycology. Students will generate, analyze, and interpret data, design, and conduct a small research project and gain experience in technical writing and presentation skills. Awareness about the ubiquity and diversity of microbes and the good and bad roles they play in your everyday life. 

What will you learn in this course?

You will learn a variety of microbiology related techniques, data analysis, and lab skills. Additionally, we designed this course so that you have to think critically and analytically, providing you ample opportunities to use the creative side of your brain.

What do you need to know to be successful?

• Be prepared and motivated as you proceed through the course
• Don’t worry if the experiments don’t turn out the way you think they should
• Don’t slack on work and keep up
• Ask as many questions as you want – we are here to help
• Be creative and adventurous
• Our expectations are high, but we trust that all students can be very successful in the class as long as the time is put into learning and completing the work.

How will you learn in this course?

• Most activities are aligned with an assignment or a quantitative activity, so you can demonstrate your learning gain.
• We provide a variety of instructional material to you, including the lab modules, audiovisual videos to master the techniques, tutorials, and TA support.
• You will encounter a variety of different learning activities, ranging from discussion to small group work, ongoing projects, and independent investigations.
• We will try to provide feedback during class on your activities and also on your assignments and projects.