Introduction to Laboratory and Scientific Methodology

Lecture, one hour; laboratory, three hours. Requisite: course 2 or 7B. Recommended to be taken concurrently with course 7C. Introductory life sciences laboratory designed for undergraduate students. Opportunity to conduct wet-laboratory and cutting-edge bioinformatics laboratory experiments. Students work in groups of three conducting experiments in areas of physiology, metabolism, cell biology, molecular biology, genotyping, and bioinformatics. Letter grading.

Review Summary

Clarity
8.3 / 10
Organization
6.7 / 10
Time
5-10 hrs/week
Overall
5.0 / 10

Reviews

    Quarter Taken: Fall 2021 Online
    Grade: A+

    This class was very easy, it is just a lot of busy work. I took it when it was online, and all I had to do was do the online labs every week and write papers every few weeks. The papers were very easy, as there was a specific template to follow, and it was peer graded. Your peers tended to be nice and helped you out when they could.

    Quarter Taken: Winter 2022 Online
    Grade: A

    Very straight forward class. Just be sure to read procedures and do the pre and post-lab quizes.

    Quarter Taken: Spring 2022 Online
    Grade: A+

    This class was pretty easy and didn't require too much work outside of Lab. Labs are mandatory, but not too bad as the TAs and LAs are helpful and make sure you do it right. Usually labs did take the full three hours but a couple times we would get out early. The class consisted of three writing assignments that are peer graded, so just make sure you write with the rubric in mind and you will do just fine. The class may seem like a lot during the first week (I honestly think they do that on purpose so that some people will drop since it is an impacted course) but after you start the class it is quite predictable and clear. As for the final it was an online final with a group portion that allowed you to discuss with your group to change answers. If you do well enough on labs and writing assignments, the final is no stress. Finally, there is a small group project throughout the course that culminates into a presentation during the final lab, your work on it a little each week, and it was a simple project that didn't count for much.

    Quarter Taken: Spring 2022 Online
    Grade: A+

    Overall, class is not too hard, just a lot of busy work for writing the lab reports.

    Quarter Taken: Spring 2022 Online
    Grade: A+

    This class is very straightforward and low-stress. As long as you do the assignments on time and meet the requirements, you will get a very high grade. The lecture at the beginning of the week is recorded and you really don't have to listen to it in-depth. There are pre-lab quizzes, in-lab quizzes, and post-lab quizzes almost every week, and then there is an in-lab worksheet that you also finish in lab. These are very straightforward. There are also group slides due every week regarding a COVID-19 vaccine, which you will then compile at the end of the quarter and present during week 10. The presentation is graded very leniently. There is also one mini presentation you have to do anytime throughout the quarter which is also very straightforward. The most difficult part of the class is the scientific writing assignments which are basically like a basic research paper. As long as you follow the rubric, you will get a high score. These are entirely peer graded, and you yourself have to grade 6 other peers using the rubric as well. You can make up 5 points on these writing assignments by simply doing a reflection. The final is also a 40 question multiple choice exam which is based on the labs and is relatively simple as well. There is an individual and group stage which is then added up to get your final score. During the group stage, you can change your answers from the individual stage.

    Quarter Taken: Spring 2022 Online
    Grade: A+

    The lectures were slowly paced so I watched them on higher speed. The writing assignments were manageable and if you completed most things on time you will get a good grade.

    Quarter Taken: Spring 2022 Online
    Grade: A

    There were a few lab reports assigned throughout the quarter. Each report was graded based off of an average of scores given by peers.

    Quarter Taken: Spring 2022 Online
    Grade: A+

    Lectures were not particularly useful - most of the information covered in lecture revolved around course logistics, which can be found through the weekly updates. Each week, I read the lab manuals and watched the lab videos, which covered material for the pre-lab quizzes, post-lab quizzes, and labs. The labs themselves were engaging in-person, although there was a lot of time spent doing preparations for the experiment. For the three writing assignments, I followed the format of example texts provided for review, since they were high-quality. I spent more time doing the peer reviews, since they required me to check my peers' texts against a rubric. One tip for the reviews is to copy and paste comments. Overall, the class is tedious, but Dr. Pfluegl is accommodating.

    Quarter Taken: Spring 2022 Online
    Grade: A+

    Pfleugl is a great instructor, and really cares about his students. To do well in this class, just go to lecture, and go to lab. During lecture, takes notes on laboratory methods. This will be on the final.

    Quarter Taken: Fall 2022 Online
    Grade: N/A

    very chill lenient manageable class with online lectures and in-person labs, overall very doable and accommodating structure

Course

Instructor
Gaston Pfluegl
Previously taught
24S 24W 23F 23Su 23S 23W 22F 22Su 22S 22W 21F 21Su 21W 20Su

Grading Information

  • Has a group project

  • Attendance required

  • No midterms

  • Finals week final

  • 36% recommend the textbook

Previous Grades

Grade distributions not available.