Project overview: I initiated a research project called ‘Skateboards, roundabouts & blood (SRB)–An investigative case study of Human ABO/Rh blood types’. The purpose was to combine a case study approach with inquiry-based undergraduate laboratory investigation in order to improve students’ learning experience and gains at Thompson Rivers University. My collaborator and I received an Emerging SoTL Scholars Grant in support of this ethics-approved project (see dropdown below) to foster deep learning of core biological concepts in undergraduate majors (Introductory Cell Biology-2nd yr) and nonmajors (Human Biology-1st yr) labs. The case study is illustrated by my former cell biology student (Sage Raymond) for TRU students!
Project significance: Blood typing has a worldwide audience in laboratory/lecture instruction in a variety of biology courses at multiple levels. “SRB” can facilitate interdisciplinary learning to highlight connections between specific academic topics and real-world global societal issues (Bonney, 2013). The SRB case study is associated with a variety of global public health/social/economic issues, including blood transfusion/transplantation medicine; blood donation/disease; and evolution/selective pressures (malaria/sickle cell) (Bonney, 2013). Interdisciplinary extensions can include collaborations (nursing; economics; social work) to address students’ attitudes towards stigmas associated with blood diseases (cancers-leukemia; HIV; sickle cell anemia; haemophilia, thalassemia) and address blood type diversity in the Human population.
Case overview: I wrote SRB as a forensic case study centering around a hit-and-run accident involving Georgia–a fictitious cell biology student attending Thompson Rivers University. Students assume the role of crime scene investigators and work in groups to analyse blood evidence gathered from the roundabout crime scene on campus (click below to see the crime scene evidence). Students use multiple methods to analyse whole blood from Georgia and two unknown subjects left at the scene. It introduces students to Human ABO blood cell types and their diversity as well as to biomedical, molecular and cytogenetic methods of analyzing blood disease and DNA. Qualitative and quantitative feedback survey results show that this approach of using a real-life scenario combined with guided-inquiry investigation successfully engages students and promotes deep learning of human ABO blood types (click below on Survey results). An important component of the design is that students write their own conclusion of the events so that they can prosecute in court and is based on their analyses of the evidence gathered from the crime scene. This allows for some creativity/ownership while giving priority to evidence in generating explanations.
Hypothesis: We propose that the case study approach combined with inquiry-based lab investigation will enhance engagement and promote deeper learning of the Human ABO blood system than noncase-based, hands-on laboratory exercises.
Course outcomes: This laboratory investigation meets the following course outcomes in general biology and anatomy & physiology:
1) Identify the basic building blocks of life, from atoms to molecules to polymers and describe how the chemical properties of these support life at the molecular level.
2) Understand how genetic information encoded in genomes is transcribed and translated into regulatory nucleic acids, and structural and functional proteins.
3) Understand information flow, exchange and storage by learning how genetic information is passed from one generation to the next in sexually reproducing organisms and how this relates to evolution driven by natural selection.
4) Develop skills in effective scientific communication, through writing and other appropriate methods of data presentation.
5) Work in small groups to analyze, discuss, and solve problems.
6) Demonstrate an ability to use laboratory equipment including the microscope and micropipettes.
Dissemination: Christine Petersen and Margaret Sonnenfeld. “Skateboards, Roundabouts & Blood” – An Investigative Case Study of Human ABO Blood Types: Does a CSI Context Improve Learning and Engagement? Association for Biology Laboratory Education 2022.
Students learn more effectively when actively involved in the learning process (Barkley, 2010). Therefore, I converted a blood-typing laboratory into an enquiry-based learning (EBL) exercise using a case study format. The goal is to determine the efficacy of case studies in engaging students and promoting critical-thinking skills in laboratory investigation. All students in the class participate in all aspects of the lesson including lab activities. The laboratory exercises were designed with diversity in mind to engage a variety of learners (discussion, data interpretation, lab techniques, modeling).
In a well-designed case, students assume the role of key examiner requiring analysis, problem-solving, data gathering/interpretation and decision making skills. The SRB lab was designed as a two-part laboratory investigation to incorporate as many aspects from the National Science Education Standards as possible.
In part I, students learn about human blood composition and ABO blood types using online simulations and hands-on techniques.
In part II, students apply their knowledge to solve problems within their groups. This is an open-ended method of inquiry with the onus on the groups to apply the knowledge and skills learned in Part I to analyze the blood evidence and solve the crime. In the end, students take ownership in writing their own evidence-based conclusions to the case study. Students must justify their explanation of the cause of the hit-and-run accident based on the biological evidence that they have gathered. In summary, students are encouraged to do the following:
- give priority to evidence in responding to questions,
- formulate explanations from evidence,
- connect explanations to scientific knowledge, and
- communicate and justify your explanations.
This two-part laboratory exercise would be an excellent exercise for open learning courses in Introductory Biology, Introductory Cell Biology and Introductory Genetics and Anatomy and Physiology.
It can be easily adapted into a self-guided online investigation exercise or alternative assessment using the H5P branching scenario.
I have already supplemented the case investigation with open online biointeractives in both remote and F2F delivery modes.
I’ve introduced a cytogenetics aspect using the open online Howard Hughes Medical Institute biointeractive called Cancer protein structure and function (HHMI interactive http://media.hhmi.org/biointeractive/click/bcrabl/).
I’ve also introduced aspects involving sickle cell anemia (malaria and natural selection as well as gene editing) using two open online interactives.
Together, these online modalities significantly enhanced the remote learning experience of students in my Cell Biology course in W2021.
To obtain a qualitative measure of the students’ overall impression of the case study approach, I asked open-ended questions that will be subjectively categorized into separate response variables in our final analysis. Preliminary evaluation of open-ended comments of what students liked about the SRB lab suggests that the crime scene investigation aspect was helpful, including the following comments:
- “The fact that I was involved in the planning and problem-solving skills with the collaboration of my lab partners. That was absolutely beautiful. I did not expect that I was being part of forensic science in a lab like that. Amazing.”;
2. “I enjoyed being able to work through the crime scene and figuring out how all the evidence comes together.”;
3. “It didn’t feel like a regular boring lab report. It brought in real life issues that happen outside of a lab setting. It provided insight into an important job that uses this type of science and how it is used in the approach to solve a crime.”;
4. “I liked collaborating with my group because it was useful to share information with each other. I also enjoyed the case study because of the story because it was nice to have fun while learning at the same time rather than do the activities without a back story.”
These comments suggest that we created a supportive and thought-provoking guided-enquiry lab.
In the Likert-type questions, students were given a statement to which they could choose various levels of agreement. Most students (90%; n=29) agreed that the story about Georgia’s hit-and-run accident helped them to see the real-life value of understanding human ABO blood groups, and 91% reported that the lab was more enjoyable in this context. Many students felt that the case-based scenario helped them to better understand antigen-antibody interactions (90%; n=29), while most reported an increase in their general knowledge of the ABO blood groups (93%; n=29) and that they were encouraged to think critically about forward and reverse blood typing concepts (79%; n=29).
Student opinions about their learning were assessed using rating questions. The majority (93.1%) of students felt that ‘being creative and enjoying what they learned was very important/important. In support, ALL respondents rated ‘Learning subjects that have a clear meaning with life connections ‘having a serious, important, or useful quality or purpose (this is real world)’ and ‘Learning the subject matter’ as very important/important.
Student perceptions of their learning gains were assessed using rating questions. Interestingly, 86.21% of students felt that the hematocrit analysis of leukemia patients helped them learn a good/great amount. Most students (79.3%) also found that determining the blood types of Georgia and her family helped a good/great amount.
In 2020, I introduced some new aspects to the SRB lab, including blood disease (leukemia) and an associated cytogenetic analysis along with a related pre-lab Howard Hughes Medical Institute tutorial and assessment worksheet. I believe this accounts for why students rated “determining the amount of red blood cells by hematocrit analysis and their relation to leukemia” highest amongst the lab activities in helping them learn about human ABO blood types and their analysis. I have also eliminated some of the tedious aspects from the lab design based on student feedback comments.
In 2021, SRB was run in a synchronous remote format. I added sickle cell anemia to the hematocrit and microscopic analysis paired with a CRISPR-CAS-9 exercise to repair the sickle mutation in one of the crime scene unknown subjects.
This year (2022), I am adding a simple molecular genetic exercise to identify the sickle mutation using Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP) and agarose gel electrophoresis that is accessible to both majors and nonmajors (Arwood, 2004; miniPCR, 2018). This reinforces the Central Dogma of Biology. We will also be adding a hands-on modelling exercise in which students can role decipher various agglutination reactions to better conceptualize blood-type compatibility.
A future endeavor will be to have student groups defend their crime scene cases to their classmates. A variety of creative methods of presentation can be used, including videos simulating the court proceedings, H5P interactives, interactive jamboards, ppt presentations and/or posters. Along this lines, multiple crime scene anecdotes that highlight various aspects of blood and forensic analysis could be provided for students to solve.
My first goal is that this project becomes an open resource available for other institutions running blood typing labs. My dissemination goal is CourseSource, an open-access journal of peer-reviewed teaching resources for undergraduate biology (https://qubeshub.org/community/groups/coursesource/).
My second goal is to adapt SRB into an active-learning exercise for distance education courses including Biology 2131 at TRU using H5P interactive technology. This would be a perfect way for students to simulate laboratory exercises and add more of an experimental perspective to this open learning course.
Arwood, L. (2004). Teaching Cell Biology to Nonscience Majors Through Forensics, or How to Design a Killer Course. Cell Biology Education. Vol. 3, 131-138. http://Teaching Cell Biology to Nonscience Majors Through Forensics, or How to Design a Killer Course
Barkley, E. F. (2010). Student engagement techniques: A handbook for college faculty. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Pp. 272-274.
Bonney, K. M., (2013). An argument and plan for promoting the teaching and learning of neglected tropical diseases. Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education, Vol. 14, 183–188. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3867755/
MiniPCR, 2018. miniPCR™ Sickle Cell Genetics Lab: Diagnosing Baby Marie