Assumed background

BC 214 builds on BL114, Molecular and Microbial Biology, and in particular the content of Part C (Metabolic Processes) of that subject. Prerequisites are BL114 (or BL 103) and a first level chemistry subject. BC 212 and BL 209 are recommended companion subjects. BC 208 is incompatible.

Teaching Mode

Lectures (29)

Laboratory practicals (8)

Self-directed learning exercises (8)

Tutorials (4)

(#12, 3L3C)

There are two-three scheduled BC 214 lectures per week. At regular intervals throughout the semester, lectures are replaced with web-based Self-Directed Learning Exercises (SDLs). Laboratory sessions or tutorials are also held each week. A laboratory manual is available and should be brought to each practical session.

Text

The prescribed textbook for BC 214 is "Fundamentals of Biochemistry" by D. Voet, J.G. Voet & C.W. Pratt (John Wiley & Sons, 1998). This text represents an updated and condensed version of the previous text for BC 208: "Biochemistry" 2nd ed. by D. and J.G. Voet (John Wiley & Sons, 1995), which is also suitable for BC 214. Multiple copies of these and other very good recent Biochemistry textbooks (e.g. A.L. Lehninger et al.; C.K Matthews & van Holde; Garrett and Grisham) are available in the Biological Sciences Library.

Assessment

Assessment in BC 214 consists of:

• A mid-semester written examination- 20%
• A final written examination- 70%
• Four practical reports- 10%

The mid-semester and final written examination will incorporate material covered in lectures, tutorials and SDLs. Material examined in the mid-semester test will include lecture material up to the end of week 5 (Carbohydrate and Lipid Metabolism), the first four SDLs, (scheduled before week 6) and the Carbohydrate tutorial. All material covered in lectures, SDLs and tutorials may be assessed in the end of semester examination. In addition, students must complete the Web-based assessment tasks associated with each of the four tutorials.

Access to computers

The Molecular Biosciences Computer Laboratories are available to second and third year students enrolled in selected Biochemistry, Microbiology and Parasitology subjects for work on official projects in those subjects. In addition to the scheduled hours, students may work any time between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday to Friday if computers are available and with the permission of the tutor in charge of the computer lab if a class is present.

Any student who does not already have one should obtain a free Network Access account at the Client Service desk of the Information Technology Services (ITS). If your login is rejected, see a tutor. If your password is lost or not known, you will have to visit the Client Services desk at Information Technology Services (ITS) to obtain a replacement "on the spot" (if possible). This account allows up to eight hours per week of free access to email and the World Wide Web.

Undergraduate students may print on the Laserprinter located in each of the Molecular Biosciences Computer Laboratories. Each student is given 10 free printing credits (pages) per year. Additional printing credits may be purchased from the office of the Department of Biochemistry (Molecular Biosciences Bld) via a special application form accompanied by a receipt from the University.

WebCT

Much of the course material for BC 214 is available through a separate WebCT (Web CourseTools) site that can be accessed either through the BC214 subject page on the Biochemistry website at http://www.biosci.uq.edu.au/Subjects/BC214/index.html or through the University WebCT server at http://flex.uq.edu.au/. Access to this site is restricted to students enrolled in BC 214- you will have to provide a password to enter the site and you will not gain access unless you are currently enrolled in BC 214. Your password and username will be the same as that provided to you by ITS. Material that will be accessible through the BC 214 WebCT site includes lecture notes, SDLs, practical notes, and with some restrictions, tutorial problems. There will also be formative assessment exercises. The WebCT site contains links that allow you to follow your progress through the course, email your lecturer or tutor, check your timetable and attempt formative assessment exercises. Much of this material will not be available through the main Biochemistry homepage.

Assistance:

If you have a question or need some help, you should feel free to contact any of the lecturers in this subject. You may do so by sending an email message (see paragraph directly above), or by contacting the lecturer directly, preferably by telephoning to make an appointment first or by asking your question at one of the tutorials. Questions relating to the content of the subject which come by email, together with the answer, will appear on the "View answered questions page" on the BC 214 Web site.

Guidelines for students sending questions to staff via email

Appropriate uses of email are, for example, to:

• seek clarification regarding subject organisation, etc
• seek clarification on a specific issue or problem from the lectures or practicals, which might be dealt with in a brief response
• flag to the lecturer that a topic or problem was not clear in lectures and might be dealt with again in a lecture or tutorial
• draw attention to a problem in the practical class
• ask for an appointment to discuss progress in the subject or performance in a progressive examination or other personal problem

To avoid repetitive questions, please read the "View answered questions" page before submitting your question. Issues which are better dealt with by other means might include: requests for broad review of an area dealt with in detail in lectures, with no specific problem identified. (Alternative: come to a tutorial, or go to the text book), questions which are beyond the scope of the subject (remember the questions and answers go to the "View answered questions" for all students to read)

Missed lecture handouts, questions about places, times, dates for practical reports, exams etc are all dealt with by the office staff, level 3, MBS building in the first instance. Alternatively, much of this material is available via the BC 214 web page and the WebCT site.

Self-Directed Learning Exercises

As part of the University’s ongoing commitment to flexible delivery and to providing students with a variety of learning experiences, a number of formal lectures have been replaced with Web-based SDLs. It is anticipated that students will attempt these exercises either during the scheduled lecture time, or at another time that suits individual students. The objective of these exercises is to extend lecture material and particularly to highlight the interface between nutrition and metabolism. Each exercise consists of a mixture of text and diagrams, with some references. Learning goals are clearly stated at the beginning of the exercise and a series of questions will accompany each SDL. Questions will be a mixture of multiple choice and short answer. Some of these questions will appear in the written exams.

The SDLs are available through the BC 214 Web-CT site. SDLs may be attempted at any time in the semester, but the lecture timetable sets out nominally when each SDL should be attempted. This is a guide to the most appropriate order to attempt the SDLs to fit in with the lecture and practical program, but is not prescriptive. However, it is mandatory to complete each exercise and students who do not meet this requirement may be regarded as not having completed the assessment for the course. This will be monitored through WebCT.

The Tutorial Course

An important component of the BC 214 course is the tutorials. These tutorials are an opportunity for you to revise, extend and consolidate lecture material. In particular, the emphasis of these tutorials is on whole body biochemistry and the integration and regulation of metabolism. Some new material will be covered in the tutorials, but the main objective is to bring together information that has been covered in the lecture course. Nevertheless, you will need to consult your textbook and seek out other information to successfully participate in the tutorial process.

At the beginning of the tutorial you will be given a problem that will form the basis of discussion during the session. The problem will be presented to you in stages. At each stage you should develop hypotheses to explain the problem and think about ways to test your hypotheses. With each successive stage of the problem, you will be asked to refine your hypotheses in the light of the new information presented. You may need to consult textbooks and lecture notes, but the emphasis should be on working through the problem with what you know, rather than what you can look up. If questions arise that you do not understand you may ask for help from the tutorial group and the tutor. However, the role of the tutor is not as a teacher, but as a facilitator. The tutor will ask questions, monitor the quality of your answers, keep the discussion focussed and on track. She/He will not "give a lecture". In this respect, tutorials are more like PASS sessions than traditional tutorials.

Assessment of tutorials

Attendance at tutorials is mandatory and failure to attend without a legitimate excuse (as evidenced by a medical certificate) may result in exclusion. A roll may be taken at the beginning of each session. In addition, it is a requirement of the course that each student completes a short Web-based assessment task at the end of the tutorial. The quiz can be accessed through the BC 214 WebCT page. This should take no longer than 15 – 20 minutes and can be completed either at the conclusion of the tutorial in the CAL labs or within 2 weeks of the tutorial session. Your score in the assessment task will not count towards your final grade, although questions similar to those used may appear in the final written exams. If you do not complete the assessment task you may be precluded from the course. This will be monitored through WebCT.