StAR PROPOSAL
Title:
Expanding the Scope: A Whole-Scale Digital Microscopy Upgrade for the
Biology Student
Point Person:
Florian B. Reyda, PhD
Biology Department
120 Science I
Telephone: 436-3719
E-mail: [email protected]
Amount Requested: $200,000
Proposal Summary:
The objective of this proposal is to enhance and modernize the experience of biology majors and
other majors in biology courses that utilize compound and/or dissecting microscopes. This will
be accomplished by a whole-scale upgrade of the compound microscopes and dissecting
microscopes in our teaching labs, and by integration of digital microscopy into our curriculum.
The proposed upgrade will enhance active and experiential learning via increased availability of
microscopes and via increased capacity for digital image capture with several state-of-the-art
wireless digital cameras. Instruction will also be enhanced by additional microscope camera
systems for on-screen projection.
PROPOSAL
Section I – Narrative
A. Significance and Objectives. Most organisms are microscopic. As a result, both compound
microscopes and dissecting microscopes are an integral part of any biology curriculum, and are
utilized in laboratory sessions throughout the course of study. This is true at SUNY Oneonta,
where our 650+ biology majors represent approximately 11% of the enrollment at the college. In
the Biology I and II core courses (BIOL 180 & 181), students first gain experience with
compound microscopes to examine either temporarily or permanently mounted specimens on
glass slides, viewed at magnifications of 40–1000 times. Further experience with compound
microscopes is gained in advanced courses such as ecology or microbiology, or advanced
courses in the topic areas within botany or zoology. While taking the core courses, students also
gain exposure to dissecting microscopes that are used to display larger intact specimens, or
dissected specimens, magnified 7–35 times. Dissecting microscopes are also an integral part of
many of our advanced courses. Biology faculty have prioritized instruction of proper microscope
use. We not only use microscopes as a means to study phenomena ranging from the cellular to
whole-organism and population scales; we view microscope use (i.e., microscopy) as a skill that
is fundamental, both for success during our program, and for success after, in graduate school or
in professional school in the allied health sciences, and in post-graduation careers.
In spite of the importance of microscopy for the biology curriculum, the microscopes that
are available to our students, with some exceptions, are woefully inadequate. The basis for this
statement is twofold. First, only one of the four teaching labs in which compound microscopes
are routinely used for majors is equipped with microscopes that are binocular. That set is
incomplete (i.e., there are fewer than 24 microscopes, the number of student seats in a teaching
lab); thereby limiting class size. Each of the other three teaching labs is equipped with compound
microscopes that are monocular rather than binocular. The primary problem with monocular
compound microscopes is that having only a single ocular with which to view a specimen can be
an impediment to the experiential learning we so deeply value; our vision is binocular, and it is
counter-intuitive to utilize only one eye to view specimens while closing the other eye or
allowing it to wander, and prolonged viewing can be tiring. In addition, monocular microscopes
limit our ability to train students in microscopy; students are unable to adjust the inter-pupillary
distance, as they would with binocular microscopes. In fact, most newly hired faculty express
surprise upon arrival to our department when realizing that we have monocular microscopes,
models generally considered barely appropriate in K-12 levels. The second reason our current
microscopy is inadequate is that most of the machines themselves are quite old, older than some
of our faculty. Although we do have binocular dissecting microscopes, two of the three teaching
labs in which dissecting microscopes are frequently used are equipped with models that date
back to the 1970s, or 1960s. The binocular dissecting microscopes are relatively good models
and have endured heavy usage, but their limitations when compared to newer models include a
smaller range of magnification capacity, a limited working surface for specimen placement, and
equally old accompanying light sources that are falling apart. Many of our monocular compound
microscopes are also so old and worn that the gears themselves do not turn easily, impeding use.
The objective of this proposal is to transform the experience of the biology major, and for
other majors enrolling in our courses. This will be accomplished by a whole-scale upgrade of the
compound microscopes and dissecting microscopes in our teaching labs, and by integration of
digital microscopy into our curriculum. This is a request for funds for 75 binocular compound
microscopes, 18 of which will be equipped with wireless digital cameras, 50 dissecting
microscopes with light sources included, one digital microscope camera system complete with
compatible compound and dissecting microscope, compatible compound and dissecting
microscopes for the completion of two other currently owned digital microscope camera
systems, and two other compound microscopes specialized for phase contrast and dark-field
applications. This newly acquired equipment will result in the following:
•Microscopes available for individual student use: Three teaching labs each with sets of 24
compound microscopes, a subset of which will be equipped with wireless digital microscope
cameras; two of three teaching labs will also be equipped with sets of 24 dissecting microscopes.
•Microscopes equipped with wireless digital cameras available at each student lab table:
Each student lab table, which seats 4-8 students, will have one compound microscope equipped
with a wireless digital camera enabling images to be captured and sent to student-owned or
college-owned electronic devices (e.g., tablets, laptops), or to course websites, so that image
libraries can be built by student working groups who will then use those image libraries as study
references. These cameras can be switched between compound and dissecting microscopes.
•Three teaching labs equipped with microscope camera systems for on-screen projection:
Instructors will be able to project images of specimens observed with either compound or
dissecting microscopes onto the large screen in front of the lab via a digital camera that can be
interchanged between the two types of microscope.
•A Microscopy laboratory for student research: There is designated space in the basement of
Science I for a small microscopy research laboratory. This would be equipped with 3 compound
and dissecting microscopes, a phase contrast microscope, and a dark field microscope.
B. Contributions to the Strategic Plan of 2010. This proposal supports two of the six pillars of the
SUNY Oneonta Strategic Plan: 1) Teaching, Learning and Scholarship; 2) Student Engagement.
The requested equipment will allow us to more effectively teach both biological content and
microscopy skills to the many biology majors and other majors who take our courses. The
acquisition of microscopes will promote active learning because every student in the relevant
courses will have access to a microscope. The enhanced microscopy infrastructure in the
department will promote scholarship by making available the necessary microscopy for our
many students involved in undergraduate research projects. The digital component of this
microscopy upgrade will facilitate student engagement by enabling students to take ownership of
the process of observing specimens (by doing it themselves) and by enabling students to build
their own digital image libraries (i.e., study guides) using the wireless digital cameras.
C. Linkage to College Priorities. This proposal will increase the amount of experiential learning
in our courses because students will be able to individually use microscopes during the
laboratory process of observing biological specimens. It will result in the curricular infusion of
pillars as described above in section B. A major thrust of this proposal is technology-enhanced
learning in an area unprecedented in our program. Students will benefit from the most recent
technological advancements in educational microscopy (i.e., affordable, digital wireless
microscope cameras). These advancements are exciting for both students and faculty. One
component of this proposal, the dark field microscope to be used for Lyme disease diagnostics,
will promote interactions with public and private entities by offering a diagnostic service to the
surrounding communities.
D. Description of Evidence that Contributed to the Proposal. The primary motivation for the
number of microscopes requested in this proposal is the glaring gap that microscopy represents
in our curriculum. Both students and faculty have provided feedback on this issue for several
years. The need for microscope improvement has been clear in both introductory and upper-
division courses where significant amounts of instruction time were lost to helping students with
issues related to outdated microscopes, and where coverage of biological content has been
limited due to the limited number of usable microscopes. The partial sets of new compound and
dissecting microscopes that have been available during the last few years have enabled us to
assess the benefits of using new microscopes. One example is BIOL 244 (Entomology), a course
that has been taught by the same instructor before and after the acquisition of new dissecting
microscopes. Prior to acquiring new microscopes, the instructor was not able to teach the use of
insect wing vein patterns as a means of insect identification because the field of view in the old
microscopes was too small. The acquisition of new dissecting microscopes with larger fields of
view enabled the addition of this critical component of insect identification.
The motivation for the digital microscopy component of this proposal is based on two
observations. First, the use of compound and dissecting microscope camera systems that were
purchased with funds from TLTC grants has enhanced the courses that are offered in the
teaching lab where this equipment is housed, such as Parasitology (BIOL 346). In Parasitology,
the compound microscope with camera has enabled the instructor to teach, for example, the
detailed reproductive anatomy of a tapeworm by projecting an image of the specimen transmitted
from compound microscope via camera to the big screen and pointing out individual structures
while students view the same structures in similar specimens at their individual microscopes.
This type of experience has intrigued other faculty in the department and increased demand for
class time with the microscope camera systems. I therefore wish to extend these capabilities to
the other teaching labs in the department. The second observation that motivated the choice of a
digital microscopy component of this proposal is more recent. In both General Biology II and
Parasitology during the last few semesters I have noticed that students are using their iPhones to
take pictures of specimens on microscopes by positioning their iPhone viewfinder directly above
the ocular of the microscope. The resulting image is generally poor in quality, but the students
are motivated to do this so that they have images available for study back in their residence halls.
The availability of wireless digital cameras at each student table in the three teaching labs will be
a powerful study tool.
E. Assessment of Activity. It would be poor educational practice to continue to force some
laboratory sections to use outdated microscopes for the purpose of assessing increased efficacy.
For that reason, the value added of the proposed microscopes will be assessed in two alternate
ways. First, laboratory grades in General Biology II will be compared from before and after the
deployment of new microscopes for those laboratory sessions that use the microscopes, and on
the laboratory practical in the course. Similar data will be collected for BIOL 236, an upperlevel botany course that also heavily uses microscopes. Second, teaching faculty will be
surveyed in the Spring 2014 semester to determine the approximate amount of classroom time
spent on operational issues with the new microscopes. Faculty will be re-surveyed after the
deployment of new microscopes to assess whether there has been a decrease in lost time.
F. Implementation Strategy and Timeline. The newly acquired equipment will be implemented
into the curriculum in a variety of course offerings beginning in fall 2014.
G. Additional Information. The list of courses that the proposed microscopy upgrade will
directly affect includes, but is not limited to: BIOL 180, 181, 203, 205, 206, 236, 238, 244, 250,
282, 296, 342, 346, 362, and 367. Majors served by these courses include Biology, Education,
Dietetics, Environmental Sciences, and Biochemistry. This proposal was prepared following
discussion and input from Biology Department faculty J. Heilveil, D. Vogler, S. Robinson, K.
Schillo, J. Withington, G. Chen, D. Wong, K. Yokota, P. Lord and C. Nersesian.
Proposal Title:
Point Person and contact information
Name:
Campus Phone:
Campus e-mail:
Department/Unit:
2013-2014 StAR Proposal -- Budget Template*
Expanding the Scope: A Whole-Scale Digital Microscopy Upgrade for the Biology Student
Florian Reyda
436-3719
[email protected]
Biology
Budget Detail
please enter whole dollars; enter fractions of positions in decimals (e.g. 1/2 time = 0.50)
1-time Costs by year
Recurring
Number of
(ongoing)
2014-15
2015-16
2016-17
Use of Funds Description
Positions
Costs:
Personnel Costs:
Ongoing Salaries (PSR)
Temporary Salaries (Temp Service)
Student Employment (Student Temp Service)
Other Than Personnel Costs (OTPS) and Campus Recharges:
Materials & Supplies
Travel (not related to Professional Development)
Contractual Services
Student Scholarships
Professional Development
General Equipment
Contracts related to Equipment Maintenance
Campus Storehouse
Campus Telephone
Campus Mail
Campus Print Shop
Capital Costs -- renovation
Capital Costs -- new construction
Total Costs:
$0
$0
$0
$200,000
0.00
Other Funding Sources:
New Funds (i.e. projected revenue generation)
Lyme disease bacterium screening at $30/tick * 100ticks/year (estimated)
$0
$200,000
Projected
Amount
Available:
$3,000
Reallocation of funds from existing resources (include account number, funding source)
Total Projected Other Funding Sources:
* Updated 12/2/2013
Total 1-time
Costs
$3,000
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$200,000
$0
$0
$0
$0
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$200,000