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- Title
Promoting student engagement in the animal sciences: Incorporation of an academic pedigree project into an undergraduate animal breeding and genetics course.
- Authors
Kojima, C. J.
- Abstract
Undergraduates majoring in Animal Science often progress through their program without learning much about the history of the discipline or the faculty who make up the department. In an effort to increase student-faculty interaction, stimulate interest in research in Animal Science, and increase general engagement of students in a genetics course, an "Academic Pedigree" project was incorporated into the UT Animal Science core Animal Breeding and Genetics class. Groups of 3-4 students were each assigned a faculty member; the project was to trace the faculty member's "lineage" as far as possible through personal interviews, email, telephone, and internet searches. The faculty member provided the students with two "parents" (most often thesis advisors and dissertation mentors), institution where the member studied under that parent, the years that the student studied with that parent, and any other pertinent information the member wished to volunteer. One set of students were responsible for the general summation of results for the department as a whole. The students were required to present a poster of their findings, including a brief summary or abstract, calculation of inbreeding coefficients (if any), and a pedigree-styled depiction of their faculty member's lineage. A seminar was arranged so that all posters were presented and faculty and graduate students of the department could view the posters and discuss the findings with the presenters. Each faculty member graded the posters on accuracy, style, and participation of the presenters. The project grade was determined by averaging the faculty evaluations. The project was very well received by faculty and students alike; many students greatly enjoyed their telephone and online conversations with "parents" and "grandparents" of their faculty member. The excercise served not only to increase the interest level of the students but also to teach basic breeding principles. Further modifications of this teaching tool may be to single out sub-disciplines each semester the course is taught; this semester the theme is "geneticists".
- Subjects
ANIMAL science; ANIMAL genetics; ANIMAL breeding; STUDENT engagement; GENEALOGY; GRANDPARENTS
- Publication
Journal of Animal Science, 2006, Vol 84, p380
- ISSN
0021-8812
- Publication type
Article