Using the Bio2250 website

How to use the Bio2250 website

The purpose of this website is to assist you in studying and understanding genetics. It is a supplement, not a replacement, for coming to the lectures.

From my standpoint as lecturer, the principal advantage of the website is that an outline of the course, as well as complex illustrations and additional material not in the regular text, are available before & after as well as during lecture. This allows all of us to focus on concepts during lecture, knowing that facts & details are available anytime. The website material is updated, added to, and clarified continuously during the course. The latest version is always available on-line. For this reason, I do not maintain paper copies in the library.

The website includes my complete lecture notes, along with illustrations and supplemental material. Many of the illustrations do not come from the assigned text, and are included either because I think they are clearer than the text figures, or address questions not covered in the text. Many of the text figures have been drawn or modified by me.

Key terms are in red the first time they appear. You should be thoroughly familiar with those terms.

The current text is TA Brown (2012) "Introduction to Genetics" (1st ed.). It is available new and used (and from Amazon), and is also available from the publisher as an e-book for purchase or three-month e-book rental, each succesively cheaper.

Exams are based on my lectures: the Homework assignments are especially important. The textbook is a supplement to the lectures; I like this one because it takes the DNA First, Peas Later approach. Figures from the text are linked as (IG1.XX-YY). Other figures and materials, including original art and internet links, are shown as underlined links. See the Acknowledgements for sources.

Comments and suggestions for the website are welcome: please e-mail me at scarr@mun.ca .

Different students will use the website in different ways. A key question to ask yourself is whether you take in information better by hearing it or reading it. Some of your options are:

1. COME TO LECTURE. Print out the lecture outline before lecture; annotate these notes during lecture. This seems to be the preferred method for most students. My original expectation was that students would take lecture notes as usual, and review linked figures afterward. As an undergrad, I found taking written notes focussed my attention. However, since the web material has grown from a short topic list to a complete outline, this no longer seems feasible for most students.I do not recommend printing out the IG1 figures: buy the book. It is not necessary to print out most of the other figures, though some of them are probably useful that way.

2. COME TO LECTURE. Bring up the webpage on a laptop, annotate electronically during the lectures. Although I have done this, it's not the way my mind works, so I don't know if it works or not. This method is increasingly common: If it works for youy, go ahead.

3. COME TO LECTURE. Print out web material before lecture & study them; listen with focused attention to lectures, without taking complete notes. This might work if you are very good at absorbing complex material on first hearing. I don't take notes during a seminar, however I do read the background stuff ahead of time, and I'm not going to be tested on the material. Don't fool yourself!

4. SKIP LECTURES, because it's all there on the web. Review web material for content just before exams. WON'T WORK. The lecture notes are an outline and not a complete course in themselves.