Syllabus for Biol 294H (APPLES):
Community Donations of the Cellular Components of Blood.
11:15AM-1:15PM Mondays
Genome Sciences BLDG 1377
Instructor:
Marshall Mazepa, MD
Blood Bank and Transfusion Medicine Service, UNC Hospitals
Assistant Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
Director, Blood Donation Center
1021 East Wing, Memorial Hospital, CB 7525, 966-9064
[email protected]
Service Partners
Tom Neish
Supervisor of the UNC Hospitals Blood Donation Center
[email protected]
Bridgit Schmidt
Donor Recruiter for the UNC Hospitals Blood Donation Center
[email protected]
Textbook: no additional text required for the APPLES section; an introductory biology textbook is needed as
reference; readings will be posted on Sakai. Sakai will be heavily used by instructor and students.
What is Service Learning?
Service-learning is an instructional strategy throughout the length of the
course in which the service component aligns with and enhances the
course content. There is collaboration between the community partners,
students, and faculty. The community needs are central to the course; the
community partners are involved throughout the course in identifying
and assessing their needs. Students, think, share and create reflective
products as evidence of learning. Students have a minimum of 30 hours
service requirement with the community partner.
Biol 294H Community Partner:
In this course, our community partner is the UNC Healthcare
Blood Donation Center located in the NC Cancer Hospital. Class
time will be spent with the organization representatives to learn the biology of blood donation
(including donation of blood cells, stem cells and bone marrow) and how these blood products are
used for the treatment of blood disorders and other medical conditions. In addition, class time will
be spent actively developing, implementing and evaluating a social marketing plan with a goal of
helping the Blood Donation Center to increase collection of blood products to meet the everincreasing needs of patients at UNC Hospitals. Students provide a large base of donations, making
the partnership between this community partner and UNC students critical.
More about the UNC Hospitals’ Blood Donation Center:
http://www.uncmedicalcenter.org/uncmc/patients-visitors/blood/
Goals of the Course:
1. To gain an understand of donor motivation through reading and donor recruitment efforts
Students will study what motivates donors and barriers stand between potential donors and their first
blood donation. Reading will be provided about research on donor motivation and students will learn from
their own experiences recruiting student donors about how to motivate potential donors. Students will write
a reflection about their experiences. Community hours in holding drives and educational events.
2. To describe: 1) the function of platelets, red blood cells, and bone marrow 2) why patients need
platelets, red blood cells and marrow, 3) and what the donation process entails for platelets, red blood
cells, and marrow.
Students will achieve these goals through readings/homeworks and community hours in the platelet
donation center, and during community hours at blood drives and bone marrow drives.
3. To synthesize a social marketing plan based upon the content learned from the previous goal.
What is social marketing? A commercial marketer looks for ways to convince customers to purchase
a product. Similarly, a social marketer tries to influence the behavior of a target audience. The behavior in
this case is to get to the platelet center at the hospital and donate!
4. To implement and evaluate marketing plans.
Students will use the material they create in goal #3 and design their own service event using the
material. By engaging with the public, the students become the educators, thereby reinforcing the content
they have learned.
5. To plan for the future.
Students will write a reflection that details for future students and the platelet center where they left
off on their understanding of community ideas. Students will make suggestions to future students and the
platelet center based on their learning.
Course Objectives: At the end of the course you should be able to:
1. Define service learning.
2. Compare/contrast intrinsic vs extrinsic donors and their motivations.
3. Describe the platelet donation process.
4. Define the four P’s (price, place, product, promotion) for social marketing blood donation
specifically.
5. Distinguish the platelets and red blood cells function and cell biology. Explain how cell surface
biology (HLA and ABO blood system) defines how donors and recipients are matched.
6. Discuss differences between four major types of leukemia (ALL, AML, CLL, CML) and the need
for bone marrow donation.
7. Describe the genetics of HLA haplotypes and the biology of bone marrow matching HLA
markers.
8. Describe the bone marrow donation process, distinguishing between apheresis and needle biopsy.
9. Reflect on how your service affected your understanding of the biology of blood components and
the need for donors.
Course Grading:
Note: you are graded on your academic contributions—not your service. Service plays into
participation.
Reflection Papers: 20% of final grade
Reflection #1 (5 pages); knowledge gained by interacting with the community and reading
previous efforts
Reflection #2 (5 pages); letter to future Biol 294 APPLES students reflecting on community
success/progress and future plans for them to start from
Homework: 20% of final grade
See schedule for assignments
Final Exam: 20% of final grade
Content focused on blood cell biology and donation procedures
Participation and Group projects: 40% of final grade
Attendance, effort, and quality of effort for class discussion, drives, and service
August 24 –
1. Discussion:
a. Overview of the course and the UNC Hospitals Blood Donation Center
b. Lecture: Intro to blood donation
c. Last semester’s marketing plan discussion
2. Service: Email Tom Neish to arrange a tour of the donor center or to donate platelets
3. Homework: Homework #1: Assigned readings and written assignment due class August
31
August 31 –
1. Discussion:
a. Guest lecture: blood donation from the patient’s point of view
b. Lecture: Biology of blood
c. Brainstorming for this semester’s marketing theme
2. Service – Recruit a friend to donate at the Blood Donation Center with you (if you
aren’t eligible or do not want to donate, please still accompany your friend through the
donation process). Please have this complete for discussion in class Sept 14.
3. Homework – Homework #2: Social Marketing due Sept 14 (time in class to work with a
partner on this assignment)
September 7 – no class, Labor Day
September 14
1. Discussion:
a. Class discussion on recruiting a friend: What worked and didn’t’?
b. Lecture: Blood donation and Blood Banking
c. Class decision on the marketing strategy for this semester
d. Assign groups for the 3 group projects this semester
2. Service:
a. Marketing materials for your group to review Due Sep 21
b. Class/dorm/club presentation complete by Oct 5
3. Homework: none (work on marketing materials)
September 21
1. Discussion: Lecture: Blood cancers
2. Service: Group work: marketing materials, recruitment efforts
3. Homework: Homework #3: review and critique prior year’s reflections
September 28
1. Discussion: Group presentations of marketing materials
2. Service: Marketing planning for Pit Sit as a class
3. Homework: none
October 5
1. Discussion:
2. Service:
a. Discussion on recruitment presentations
b. Marketing Planning for Pit Sit
c. Groups: planning for final project – Marketing Plan is Due Oct 19
3. Homework: Reflection #1 due Oct 19
October 12 – No class- University Day
October 19 –
Refection #1 is due
1. Discussion: none
2. Service: Pit Sit
3. Homework: none
October 26
1. Discussion: Debrief Pit Sit
2. Service: Group time: Marketing plan for final project
3. Homework: homework #4 Bone marrow/Stem cell donation and transplant
November 9
1. Discussion: Lecture: Transfusion Medicine
2. Service: Group time: Social Marketing plan for final project
3. Homework: none
November 16
1. Discussion: Bone marrow and stem cell donation
2. Service: Group time: Social Marketing plan for final project
3. Homework: Reflection #2 due Nov 30
November 23
1. Discussion- none
2. Service: open for class presentations
3. Homework: Reflection #2 due Nov 30
November 30
– Reflection #2 due
1. Discussion: none
2. Service: open for class presentations
3. Homework: none
Dec 4 12 Noon – Final Exam