CALIFORNIA STATE POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY, POMONA



CALIFORNIA STATE POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY, POMONA

ACADEMIC SENATE

GENERAL EDUCATION COMMITTEE

REPORT TO

THE ACADEMIC SENATE

GE-003-045

BIO 307, ORIGINS OF LIFE

GENERAL EDUCATION SYNTHESIS COURSE – AREA B4

General Education Committee Date: 2/9/05

Executive Committee

Received and Forwarded Date: 2/23/05

Academic Senate Date: 3/9/05 First Reading

Background

The College of Science is proposing BIO 307 Origins of Life as a General Education Synthesis Course for Area B4.

Resources

Lenard Troncale

Discussion

This course was presented to the General Education Committee on January 05, 2005.

After review, it was determined that revision of the ECO was unnecessary except for a couple of minor changes in the catalog description. The course has appropriate prerequisites, a significant writing component, is clearly justified as appropriate for area B4 by integrating material from both the physical and biological sciences, and the assessment section properly addresses learning outcomes.

Recommendation

The GE Committee has found this course to be in compliance with the synthesis course guidelines for GE sub-area B4. There were no comments on the Undergraduate Studies website. The course was approved by the GE Committee on February 09, 2005 and is now forwarded to the Academic Senate for consideration.

GE Synthesis Course Proposal - Expanded Course Outline

Prepared By: Dr. Len Troncale, January 7, 2004

CURRICULAR PROPOSAL: Add BIO 307, Origins of Life, 4 units as a GE Category Area B4, Science and Technology Synthesis Course.

Catalog Description

Title: Bio 307, CSA 307 – Origins of Life (4)

Catalog Description: Comprehensive survey and comparison of the alternative mechanisms of origins of the cosmos as the context for specific origins of biomolecules, pre-cells, organelles, cells, organisms, species, ecosystems, behavioral systems, humans, languages, neural nets and civilizations. Emphasizes the similar systems mechanisms responsible for emergence across the different sciences.

Required Background or Experience

Completion of GE Area A, Sub-areas 1, 2, and 3; and Area B, Sub-areas 1, 2, and 3.

III. A. Rationale for use as GE Synthesis in Area B.

Evidence for significant integration of subject material in the proposed course, Origins, includes the following. (1) Key information from all of the natural sciences are included both physical and life. (2) The foundations of social sciences as they emerge from the physical and life sciences are included. (3) Throughout the quarter there is uniform and integrated treatment of the details of cosmological, physical, and life systems as they arise, one from the other in an unbroken sequence. (4) Physical systems are presented as the “context” in which life systems arose. (5) Throughout the quarter there is uniform and integrated treatment of ten hierarchical levels of biochemical to ecosystem living systems as they arise, one from the other. (6) Course presents numerous similarities discovered between the mechanisms of origins of 25 different scalar levels of natural and behavioral systems. (7) Course describes and compares how scientists from different disciplines learn how origins happened even if they weren’t there to witness the origin (a compelling detective story). (8) Systems processes like self-organization, chaos, feedbacks, cycles, and hierarchies are shown to be present in the alternative mechanisms of origins studied by the sciences. (9) At the end, the course presents a unified, systems-level process for emergence whatever the systems level.

B. Expected Outcomes

Students will demonstrate knowledge of current theories/mechanisms and facts on how a wide range of natural systems first appeared, and how natural systems might bridge into life systems and life systems into social systems. Students will be able to:

1. Cite the current best estimate of the unique origin time for several natural and behavioral systems.

2. Describe the interdependence of an unbroken sequence of origins of new scalar levels. They will be able to describe alternating periods of integration & diversification.

3. Explain the alternative origin theories/mechanisms for the universe.

4. Explain the alternative origin theories/mechanisms for galaxies.

5. Explain the alternative origin theories/mechanisms for stars.

6. Explain the alternative origin theories/mechanisms for elements.

7. Explain the alternative origin theories/mechanisms for planetary systems.

8. Explain the alternative origin theories/mechanisms for earth’s ocean and atmospheres.

9. Explain the alternative origin theories/mechanisms for biopolymer subunits and biopolymers.

10. Explain the alternative origin theories/mechanisms for genomes, especially DNA and RNA information transfer.

11. Explain the alternative origin theories/mechanisms for primitive metabolic networks and their evolution into more complex ones.

12. Explain the alternative origin theories/mechanisms for pre-cells.

13. Explain the alternative origin theories/mechanisms for organelles.

14. Explain the alternative origin theories/mechanisms for advanced cells.

15. Explain the alternative origin theories/mechanisms for tissues & organs.

16. Explain the alternative origin theories/mechanisms for new organisms.

17. Explain the alternative origin theories/mechanisms for ecosystems.

18. Explain the alternative origin theories/mechanisms for behavioral, conscious, and meme-based systems.

19. They will be able to discuss the similarities and dissimilarities of the origins of each of these levels and the new characteristics, potentials, and qualities that emerged with each level.

20. They will be able to describe a general mechanism for origins and emergence in terms of interacting systems science processes.

Text and Readings

Main Texts: Lurquin, P.F. (2003) The Origins of Life and the Universe. Columbia U. Press. Morowitz H.J. (2002) The Emergence of Everything: How the World Became Complex. Oxford U. Press. Smith, John Maynard, and E. Szathmary. (2000) The Origins of Life: From the Birth of Life to the Origins of Language, Oxford Univ. Press.

There are many books on origins that cover a constrained part of the full spectrum presented here. We intend to present most of the material by computerized multimedia lessons supported by assigned reading excerpts from the following, more specialized texts.

Chaisson (2002) Cosmic Evolution: How Life Emerged in the Universe. Harvard U. Press.

Weinberg (1996) The First Three Minutes.

Guth & Lightman (1998) The Inflationary Universe.

Kauffman, S. (1996) At Home in the Universe: The Search for Laws of Self-Organization and Complexity

Hawking, S. (2002) Theory of Everything: The Origins and Fate of the Universe.

Barrow, J.D. (2003) …The Latest Ideas About the Origins of the Universe.

Camazine, S. et. al. (2001) Self-Organization in Biological Systems, Princeton University Press, Princeton, N.J., 538 pp. ((Part I is an excellent description of what is common to many diverse cases of bio self-organization (origins) esp. in the 13 case studies of origins of behavior in bacteria, molds, several insect species, and fish described in Part II).

Popular Science Library: The Institute for Advanced Systems Studies maintains a library of private books specifically written by astronomers, physicists, chemists, geologists, biologists, and social scientists for the general adult audience. Some of these popular books contain a great deal of material on “origins” and this course will introduce students to these book titles, covers, and coverage in the hopes that some will later read them for entertainment and enlightenment. (Stimulate and enable life-long learning).

Journal articles and Websites: Much of the material in the lectures and the multimedia modules will be synthesized from the primary scientific literature that we integrate and translate to non-science student levels for GE courses. Science students will be asked to read at least three of these primary articles to get a sense of where the popular texts get their information. Non-science students will be asked to find and read at least three articles on origins contained in popular publications (Discovery, LA Times, etc.). There are an increasing number of relevant websites that we will bring to the attention of the students during the course so they can explore them in CLA C5-8. (Stimulate and enable life-long learning).

Extra-Credit Films: It is useful to offer the GE students additional stimulation for enjoying science. There are several rigorous, science-based documentaries on the origins of objects described in the class that will be made available for student viewing in the Institute Multimedia Computer Lab, CLA C5-8. These include “Origins of Life: Four Billion Years in the Ocean (2002)”, “Cosmic Voyage”, and “Stargaze: Hubble’s View of the Universe.” (Stimulate and enable life-long learning).

Minimum Student Material

Two paperback texts; notebook; diary; home computer recommended.

Minimum College Facilities

Need Iarge lecture room with appropriate “smart” presentation capabilities and Internet access. 3-215 or 3-217 would be good examples. Students will use the Science Multimedia Learning Center (CLA C5-8) for on-campus use of supplied multimedia lessons, Internet exploration, popular science library, and viewing films.

Course Outline (see four attached pages)

Instructional Methods

Most of the information will be delivered through lectures that use extensive multimedia demonstrations (explanatory graphics, summary matrices, animations). Additional material will be available through take-home multimedia modules on CD-ROMs. Instructors for this course have extensive experience in producing such multimedia for non-science majors. Our current experience is that every student has adequate computer resources at home to take these supplementary materials.

Two Required Writing Components: Students will research, find, and pick three popular science articles (or one popular book) on any of the ca. 25 origins covered during the course. Lists of appropriate journal sources, internet sites or databases, and popular books will be provided. After the instructor has approved of their selection, they will write a short paper that synthesizes the results of the 3 articles into one integrated report. They will be asked to emphasize differences and similarities between the articles and include a final paragraph that cites how the knowledge gained might influence their beliefs or philosophical positions, or not. Instructors for this course have used a similar assignment for large classes in Biology of Cancer for 25 years with good results. Students will also keep a weekly diary of one-paragraph entries that cite their personal daily reactions to the facts and theories they encounter. They would be expected to use this to reflect at least once per week on what they are learning and how it might change their actions. A copy of the diary would be submitted at the end of the quarter for basic points.

Evaluation of Outcomes

Grading Student Performance: Students will earn circa 500 points over the quarter from a combination of testing and special assignment modalities.

Quizzes (biweekly, objective, 10 questions, 20 points each, x4) 80

Midterm (objective and essay) 100

Final (objective and essay) 150

Diary (weekly entries, 10 points each x 10) 100

Synthesis of Literature Paper (as cited above, 70 points) 70

✓ Total quarter points = 500

Possible extra credit points (limited to 100 points)

• Submission of results of computerized quiz at end of extra credit modules.

• Evidence of reading popular science texts on origins.

Assessment of Course Learning Outcomes: An assessment instrument modeled after those used for the 105-question Integrated Science General Education (ISGE) program will be created. The questions will follow directly from the 20 learning objectives cited in section IIIB on Expected Outcomes and on student reaction to the Instructional Methods utilized to deliver the course. Student judgement of the effectiveness of each method and their success in meeting each outcome will be recorded on a 7-point Likert scale (where 1 is best) as follows.

I feel I achieved considerable new knowledge of the “xxxxxxxxxxxxxx” topic in this course…..

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

strongest stronger agree neutral disagree stronger strongest

agreement agreement a bit a bit |---disagreement---|

The instructional method of (supplementary multimedia modules /or/ biweekly quizzes /or/ keeping a diary, etc) in this course helped me learn the material [phrase] than a conventional course.

very much better same worse much very

much better than as than worse much

better than than worse

We use the 7-point Likert scale because the student is provided with the normal set of three levels of superlative typical of natural languages on either side of neutral. We believe this yields better results than other scales. The statement’s on methods experienced by the student are being compared to methods of other college courses. We also use the mode score as the best measure of central tendency, as the mean is not a real arithmetic mean in cases such as this where the ordinal numbers are being used as feelings or judgement, not newtonian measures of quantity. This practice is more typical of the natural than the social sciences. Each question will have a small space for text comments if the student desires to submit such a comment. We will also video record sample focus group interviews to evaluate and normalize the assessment instrument designed, and provide opportunity for additional commentary and probing analysis. We will use this experience as practice in oral communication.

Evidence of Fulfillment of Requirements

This course covers a fascinating breadth of material using a single integrating theme of origin processes. While extremely broad, this course also contains a summary of very detailed findings on origins in virtually every physical, life, and information science. So it represents the best intention of truly interdisciplinary courses of combining both capstone breadth and rigorous depth for science and technology synthesis. The role of mathematics in modeling and simulating origin processes is also discussed vis a vis each of the five natural sciences. Outline follows.

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