An audience of peers: Topics in Experimental Biology

Courses having a component of scientific communication usually revolve around pre-fabricated laboratory assignments or laboratory work pertaining to a single topic. Students taking such courses have little opportunity to explain their discoveries to a fresh audience; communication may seem contrived. Topics in Experimental Biology (TEB) provides a lively contrast: students do not initially know what their peers are doing, as each works in a different laboratory. Students begin their research one semester prior to taking TEB, so they are familiar with their topic at the outset. For oral presentations and the research paper, students serve as peer reviewers for each other, along the lines of standard disciplinary practices. Thus, students encounter an audience of peers similar to that at a scientific meeting-engaged, curious, responsive, critical. Classroom time involves analyzing published articles and discussing authorship, bioethics, and other topics. Not only do the students learn a great deal of biology, they also experience the pleasures and responsibilities of participating in an authentic scientific community, albeit a microcosmic one. TEB, by effectively integrating the learning of science and communications, offers students a realistic glimpse of their future professions.