Biology Faculty Create Lab Kits for Online Human Anatomy and Physiology Courses
Lab kit boxing up • Photo: Yohannes Agegnehu
Lab kit boxing up • Photo: Yohannes Agegnehu
New lab kit saves each student roughly $600 over the two-semester course sequence
Biology faculty at Inver Hills Community College have created cost-saving lab kits for two important online and blended/hybrid courses, BIOL 2201: Human Anatomy and Physiology I and BIOL 2202: Human Anatomy & Physiology II. Lisa Tracy took the lead on developing the new kits. Planning for the project began more than a year ago.
Kristin Digiulio serves as Biology department chair at Inver Hills. Kristin reported that Lisa put considerable time and effort into producing a complete lab experience for her online Anatomy and Physiology students.
“Lisa has assembled her own ‘lab in a box,'” Kristin said. “She is committed to providing a hands-on, challenging lab experience for online students, making sure they don’t get short-changed. What makes this project unique is that the lab kit was created specifically for our students at only about 15 percent the cost of ‘canned’ lab kits. I am always impressed with Lisa’s hard work and innovative thinking. She exemplifies Inver faculty’s commitment to our students, their learning, and their success.”
Lisa began teaching biology at the college level in 2009; she started teaching at Inver Hills in 2013. She has an M.S. in Zoology from the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand, and a B.A. in Biology from the University of St. Thomas. Lisa reported that the Human Anatomy and Physiology two-semester course sequence is crucial for all nursing majors and many other students pursuing careers in healthcare.
Lab kit boxing up • Photo: Yohannes Agegnehu
“Since the pandemic, there has been increased demand for fully online asynchronous courses,” she said. “In these courses, it is very challenging to replicate the hands-on nature of the lab in an online environment. The on-campus lab experience includes dissection of fetal pigs, cow eyeballs, and brains, not to mention analysis of urine, blood pressure studies, and blood typing work.”
When she first taught Anatomy and Physiology online, Lisa piloted the use of commercially produced lab kits so that students could still perform the essential laboratory work. At the time, the kits were funded by CARES Act COVID money. Fall 2022 is the first semester students would have had to pay for the kit entirely on their own.
Prices for the commercial kits rose this year to well over $300 per student, which would have resulted in a final charge to students of more than $350 per course. The new lab kits sold in the Inver Hills Bookstore cost only $49 or $52 depending on the course. That’s a savings per student of approximately $600 over the two-semester course sequence.
“Anticipating this prohibitive cost, I began work to design kits created within our Biology department that would be high quality, but cost less for students,” Lisa said. “There were so many obstacles to overcome and concerns to address, including safety, liability, equity, cost-sharing, supply ordering, and distribution. That is in addition to the actual creation of written laboratory directions, instructional videos, and lab report-style assessments.”
Supplies for the lab kits were ordered July 1, 2022, at the start of the fiscal year. The goal was to have the kits assembled for student purchase from the bookstore beginning August 1.
“This felt like such a fast turnaround,” Lisa said. “On July 28, once all the supplies had arrived, our assembly crew converged in the biology labs to create the kits. Kristin Digiulio, our program director, Mariella Mackes, our lab manager, Ben Dvorak, our biology lab assistant, and James Schneider, one of our anatomy and physiology instructors, and I all counted, packaged, and boxed up the lab materials. We then delivered 156 kits to the bookstore that same day.”
Color strips for analysis of urine and enzyme digestion
Blood typing kit
“We appreciate the support for this project from our dean, Yohannes Agegnehu, and from our Biology department chair, Kristin Digiulio, for carefully considering and problem-solving so many concerns,” Lisa added. “I am ever grateful for the committed work of our lab manager, Mariella Mackes, for meticulously researching materials and pricing to ensure the lowest price possible, making these labs accessible for online students. I am also grateful for her patience as we worked through several iterations of pilot lab kits.
“Lastly, I am thankful for the support of the Martin Springborg and the Innovative Teaching Fellowship through the Center for Teaching and Learning that has helped me learn to apply technology needed for instructional materials associated with this project.”
Introduces students to the anatomy and physiology of the human body with special emphasis on the relationship between structure and function and homeostatic mechanisms of the body. Systems and topics covered include anatomical terminology, histology, integumentary system, skeletal system, articulations, muscular system, nervous system, special senses, and endocrine systems. Lab component will hands-on experience with tissue specimens, as well as dissections of organs and a representative mammal. This course meets Human Anatomy and Physiology Society learning outcomes and aligns with content for common healthcare admissions exams.
Covers anatomy and physiology of the human body with special emphasis on the relationship between structure and function and homeostatic mechanisms of the body. Systems and topics covered include cardiovascular system, lymphatic and immune systems, respiratory system, digestive system, urinary system, acid-base and electrolyte balance, reproductive systems, and development. The lab component will include hands-on experience with models, histology slides and one or more representative animal specimens. This course meets Human Anatomy and Physiology Society learning outcomes and aligns with content for common healthcare admissions exams.
Human Anatomy and Physiology I & II Welcome Letters
Human Anatomy and Physiology I Lab Kit Materials List
Human Anatomy and Physiology II Lab Kit Materials List
Human Anatomy and Physiology Lab Kits I & II available in the Inver Hills Bookstore in Aisle A
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Biology faculty at Inver Hills Community College have created cost-saving lab kits for two important online and blended/hybrid courses, BIOL 2201: Human Anatomy and Physiology I and BIOL 2202: Human Anatomy & Physiology II. Lisa Tracy took the lead on developing the new kits. Planning for the project began more than a year ago.
“Anticipating this prohibitive cost, I began work to design kits created within our Biology department that would be high quality, but cost less for students,” Lisa said. “There were so many obstacles to overcome and concerns to address, including safety, liability, equity, cost-sharing, supply ordering, and distribution. That is in addition to the actual creation of written laboratory directions, instructional videos, and lab report-style assessments.”
