Strengthening alignment between secondary and tertiary biology education and enhancing student transitions in the sciences

It would be unwise to think that implementation of the national secondary school biology curriculum will not affect what universities teach. Educators will face challenges but there is also a unique opportunity for a simultaneous curriculum reform at the tertiary level. Our primary aim is to align the biology curricula offered in the two sectors. This alignment has the potential to improve the opportunities for success in higher education among entry level students with diverse backgrounds when there is better integration between two sectors operating independently. Our goal is to foster a dialogue between these two sectors to develop a collaborative network that will inform curriculum development to address the immediate needs arising from the national curriculum. An interactive website that promotes constant dialogue and refinement, will in the long term help maintain consistency in educational standards

Scientific inquiry skills in first year biology: building on pre-tertiary skills or back to basics?

The introduction of the Australian secondary education curricula (ACARA, 2012) provided a unique opportunity to benchmark first year biology across the tertiary sector. Specifically we asked will first-year undergraduate subjects build on and offer further development of the skills and capacities that students will acquire once the Australian curriculum is implemented? The answer to this question has important implications for student transition to, and success at university. Overall first year biology subjects are well placed to build on the skills that pre-tertiary students bring with them when the national senior biology curriculum is fully implemented. However if secondary schools choose to focus on open inquiry methods, then given the status of current curricula, universities will not build on the skills developed at secondary level, and curriculum developers need to aware of this potential difference. Other notable differences and their implications for first year biology courses are highlighted

Scientific Inquiry Skills in First Year Biology: Building on Pre-Tertiary Skills or Back to Basics?

The introduction of the Australian secondary education curricula (ACARA, 2012) provided a unique opportunity to benchmark first year biology across the tertiary sector. Specifically we asked will first-year undergraduate subjects build on and offer further development of the skills and capacities that students will acquire once the Australian curriculum is implemented? The answer to this question has important implications for student transition to, and success at university. Overall first year biology subjects are well placed to build on the skills that pre-tertiary students bring with them when the national senior biology curriculum is fully implemented. However if secondary schools choose to focus on open inquiry methods, then given the status of current curricula, universities will not build on the skills developed at secondary level, and curriculum developers need to aware of this potential difference. Other notable differences and their implications for first year biology courses are highlighted

Comparative analysis of the ATRX promoter and 5' regulatory region reveals conserved regulatory elements which are linked to roles in neurodevelopment, alpha-globin regulation and testicular function

BACKGROUND ATRX is a tightly-regulated multifunctional protein with crucial roles in mammalian development. Mutations in the ATRX gene cause ATR-X syndrome, an X-linked recessive developmental disorder resulting in severe mental retardation and mild alpha-thalassemia with facial, skeletal and genital abnormalities. Although ubiquitously expressed the clinical features of the syndrome indicate that ATRX is not likely to be a global regulator of gene expression but involved in regulating specific target genes. The regulation of ATRX expression is not well understood and this is reflected by the current lack of identified upstream regulators. The availability of genomic data from a range of species and the very highly conserved 5' regulatory regions of the ATRX gene has allowed us to investigate putative transcription factor binding sites (TFBSs) in evolutionarily conserved regions of the mammalian ATRX promoter. RESULTS We identified 12 highly conserved TFBSs of key gene regulators involved in biologically relevant processes such as neural and testis development and alpha-globin regulation. CONCLUSIONS Our results reveal potentially important regulatory elements in the ATRX gene which may lead to the identification of upstream regulators of ATRX and aid in the understanding of the molecular mechanisms that underlie ATR-X syndrome.This work was supported by Department of Zoology research grants

Characteristics of the Endoderm: Embryonic and Extraembryonic in Mouse

In mouse, four endodermal lineages are generated during the period from the late blastocyst to the end of gastrulation. The characteristics of each lineage and the proposed genetic cascades involved in their formation are reviewed. In addition, a list of the current markers used to identify these lineages in vivo and in vitro is presented

Embedding case studies into statistical teaching to enhance appreciation of quantitative skills for Biomedicine students

Students often find it difficult to appreciate the relevance of statistical analysis to their future profession in the health sciences. In particular, a survey of first year Biomedicine students in 2010 who had completed a compulsory statistics subject revealed that many students continue to hold misconceptions about the relevance of the subject to their future careers. Recent studies have pointed to the use of context-based approaches to teaching statistics (Wood & Solomonides, 2008; Matthews et al., 2009). We attempted a context-specific approach to teaching statistical concepts in order to provide more effective education to Biomedicine student in 2011, than teaching biology and statistics in isolation from each other, as is the current practice. Students’’perceptions of the initiative were determined through the use of a questionnaire asking students to give their opinions about the relevancy and importance of studying quantitative skills, and their application to biology cases. We found a positive shift in student perception about the importance of statistical analysis in the health sciences and in their future decision making, supporting the use of context-based teaching approaches to enhance appreciation of quantitative skills in 1st year undergraduate biomedicine students

Placenta-derived extracellular vesicles : Their cargo and possible functions

The literature on extracellular vesicles consists of rapidly expanding and often contradictory information. In this paper we attempt to review what is currently known regarding extracellular vesicles released specifically from human placental syncytiotrophoblast cells with a focus on the common but complex pregnancy-associated syndrome pre-eclampsia, where the level of syncytiotrophoblast extracellular vesicle release is significantly increased. We review common methods for syncytiotrophoblast extracellular vesicle derivation and isolation and we discuss the cargo of syncytiotrophoblast extracellular vesicles including proteins, RNA and lipids and their possible functions. A meta-analysis of available trophoblast-derived extracellular vesicle proteomic datasets revealed only three proteins in common: albumin, fibronectin-1 and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, suggesting some variability in vesicle cargo, most likely reflecting stage and cell type of origin. We discuss the possible sources of variability that may have led to the low number of common markers, which has led us to speculate that markers and density in common use may not be strict criteria for identifying and isolating placenta-derived exosomes

Embedding case studies into statistical teaching to enhance quantitative skills of biomedicine students

Students often find it difficult to appreciate the relevance of statistical analysis and the role of quantitative skills (QS) to their future profession in the health sciences. Recent studies have pointed to the use of interdisciplinary or context-based approaches to bring relevance to the role of statistics and mathematics in the life sciences. We speculated that the choice of case studies that cater to the interests of biology students undertaking introductory statistics subjects may improve the relevance of QS to them. This paper reports a strategy we used to teach statistical concepts and building QS of biomedicine students by linking the teaching of biology and statistics using interdisciplinary case studies. We asked, would the use of authentic case studies drawn from influential health science discoveries lead to an improved perception of the relevance of QS? Students’ perceptions of the initiative were determined through the use of a questionnaire asking students to provide their opinions about the relevancy and importance of studying QS. We found pre and post survey students held negative views about mathematics and statistics, and although students’ comments indicate the use of real-life case studies kept the lessons in statistics interesting, they did not think statistical analysis was important to them or their careers

Comparative analysis of the <it>ATRX </it>promoter and 5' regulatory region reveals conserved regulatory elements which are linked to roles in neurodevelopment, alpha-globin regulation and testicular function

Abstract Background ATRX is a tightly-regulated multifunctional protein with crucial roles in mammalian development. Mutations in the ATRX gene cause ATR-X syndrome, an X-linked recessive developmental disorder resulting in severe mental retardation and mild alpha-thalassemia with facial, skeletal and genital abnormalities. Although ubiquitously expressed the clinical features of the syndrome indicate that ATRX is not likely to be a global regulator of gene expression but involved in regulating specific target genes. The regulation of ATRX expression is not well understood and this is reflected by the current lack of identified upstream regulators. The availability of genomic data from a range of species and the very highly conserved 5' regulatory regions of the ATRX gene has allowed us to investigate putative transcription factor binding sites (TFBSs) in evolutionarily conserved regions of the mammalian ATRX promoter. Results We identified 12 highly conserved TFBSs of key gene regulators involved in biologically relevant processes such as neural and testis development and alpha-globin regulation. Conclusions Our results reveal potentially important regulatory elements in the ATRX gene which may lead to the identification of upstream regulators of ATRX and aid in the understanding of the molecular mechanisms that underlie ATR-X syndrome.</p