Biology kits make at-home laboratory experiences possible for students
While laboratory work is a key element to understanding science, it can prove challenging in a remote learning environment. However, two Citrus College faculty members have found a way for their students to receive this vital hands-on experience in the safety and comfort of their homes.
Prior to the start of the fall 2020 semester, biology instructors Dr. June Han and Dr. Nora Sullivan were brainstorming ways they could help students acquire practical experience remotely. Their solution was a mini at-home lab kit containing basic materials for three different exercises: a concentration lab, a microscopy lab and a biochemistry lab.
Working with Dr. Eric Rabitoy, dean of natural, physical and health sciences, and Kateri McKinney, instructional lab technician, Dr. Han and Dr. Sullivan ordered materials that could be used to build inexpensive kits for each of the 150 students enrolled in BIOL 124, Molecular and Cellular Biology.
"Since the kits were needed at the start of the fall semester, we rushed to get them done during the first week of classes," Dr. Sullivan said. "All of the materials were shipped to my house and were put together over the course of a week."
The kits include tiny pipettes, test tubes, paper fold-scope microscopes and a variety of other supplies. The students used these items, as well as common household materials, to study the concentration of red food dye, visualize cells and test food items for carbohydrates, proteins and lipids.
"The students were really excited about the at-home lab kits and enjoyed doing a little bit of science themselves at home," Dr. Sullivan said. "They did a great job using their kits and performed some excellent experiments."
In fact, the at-home kits were so successful that there are plans to use them again in the spring 2021 semester.
"I continue to be impressed by the creativity and innovation that our faculty and staff have demonstrated in this remote learning environment," said the college superintendent/president. "These at-home biology kits are another example of how Citrus College continues to provide a high-quality education in the midst of the ongoing global pandemic."
This article originally appeared in the December 2020 edition of the Citrus View.