These web page assignments are designed to let you practice what you have learned during the semester. They are open-ended so you can experience the same uncertainty researchers do when initiating research. To maximize the educational value of these assignments, you may work in groups on the process of your in silico research, but the writing must be done on an individual baiss. This work is covered by the Honor Code and if you have any doubts, please ask me. See the Department's plagiarism policy for further guidence.
There are certain guidelines I want you to follow for all your web pages for this course:
Before you produce your first web assignment, you should take a few minutes to think about your overall web site. You are going to produce at least 4 web pages. To make it easier for everyone to read your pages, you should have a "front page" that you must call "home.html". I will create a link to your front page and it will be easier for me if all of you use the same file name. From this front page, you can gradually add relative links to your web pages as you produce them. This front page is where you may put any bells and whistles that you want to have fun with your web page. I will only grade its functionality (i.e. do all the links work, are all the images visible, etc.)
I have provided a list of web resources that may help you with some aspects of creating web pages. If you have never created a web page before, tell me ASAP.
Two notes about second and third web assignments:
Some of you may know about Bloom's taxonomy of learning. His seminal work helped us identify 6 different types of learning from lowest to highest:
By this point in your college career, you should be moving beyond 1-3 and moving to 4-6. In particular, this web assignment calls upon you to synthesize and evaluate. These two levels of knowledge are the hardest to accomplish. My having you summarize key points, you must synthesize what you already know as well as what the authors have provided. By asking for your opinion, I am pushing you to evaluate the work. Did the authors convince you with data that their interpretations are valid? Did they make statements you are not sure are true? Did they provide equally compelling alternative interpretations? I hope you will continue to push yourselves to the highest levels of knowing.
Your first project is to select a trait that the popular press has dubbed a genomics issue. You may not use any of the traits from previous classes. The trait may be "a disease gene" but it does not have to be. You may choose any genomics story from any species as long as it has been published. You should find both a popular press citation and a scientific publication when choosing your genomics story.
The purpose of this web page is to explore the commonalities and differences between popular press and scientific literature. In your description, you should tell your readers about biology being described. Your writing should target Bio111 students.
Before you write your web page, you must read this paper that describes what a good popular press science story should do:
As a bare minimum, you must have the following features (in addition to the ones required on each of your web pages):
Your second project is to choose one paper and summarize the paper you have chosen. To begin, summarize the paper (main point and conclusions) and tell me your opinion of the paper. Then go through one figure at a time to summarize what each figure says. You do not have to comment on every single part of these figures, but you should summarize the question they were asking, what method they used, and the main take home messages. No draft necessary. Just post the final version by the deadline.
This should not be a super detailed review of the paper, but I want you to demonstrate you facility with the material and the big picture addressed in the paper.
Your third project is to choose one paper and summarize the paper you have chosen. To begin, summarize the paper (main point and conclusions) and tell me your opinion of the paper. Then go through one figure at a time to summarize what each figure says. You do not have to comment on every single part of these figures, but you should summarize the question they were asking, what method they used, and the main take home messages. No draft necessary. Just post the final version by the deadline.
This should not be a super detailed review of the paper, but I want you to demonstrate you facility with the material and the big picture addressed in the paper.