and licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
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Syllabus |
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2002 - 2010
Genetics is not like most subjects in Biology. While there are certainly plenty of terms to memorize, you will discover that an important part of Genetics is problem-based. You must be able to organize information, draw conclusions from that information and find solutions (answers) to problems. Genetics is more like Algebra and less like Anatomy.
Self learning (or self teaching) is not as easy as you might think. Most people read and comprehend their reading much more slowly than listening to lectures. Most lessons in our courses are based upon my one hour ("in house") lectures but they will take you more than an hour to read and understand. You can quickly read anything but understanding what you read takes time. Just because you read it doesn't mean you understand it. (Just attending lectures doesn't mean you understand them. Right?) The Study Guides will slow you down but their purpose is to force you to focus on what you are reading. The SAQs (Self-Assessment Questions) will consume a lot of your time but they are the "homework" you must do in order to learn. The Workshops also take time but you will get a great deal out of them. Time is always short and some students wait until the last minute to do things. Self-learning courses require self motivation and discipline. The bad news is that self learning is different and often difficult. The good news is that I am an expert in self teaching, I have produced these courses entirely and specifically as self-learning courses and I have been creating self-learning "hypertextbook" courses, like this one, since 1995.
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In 2017, I formally retired from my post at the University of Edinburgh and the following year decided to give my courses away for all to enjoy. My hypertextbooks (courses) are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
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EDUCATION
Postgraduate Certificate - Teaching & Learning in
Higher Education (2000) from the Education Development Unit, Napier University, Edinburgh (Scotland, UK).
Project - "A Web-based Self-study Program Teaching Evolution".
PhD - Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (1990) from Louisiana State University Medical Center, New Orleans, LA (USA).
Dissertation: "Avian Repetitive DNA".
MS - Biololgy (1981) from Saint Cloud State University. Saint Cloud, MN (USA)
Thesis: “Comparison of Blood Proteins from Allopatric Populations of the American Toad (Bufo americanus) by Isoelectric Focusing”
BA - Biology with Environmental Sciences emphasis (1978) from Northland College. Ashland, WI (USA)
Projects: "Paleolimnology of Lake Three by Diatom Analysis", "Density and Home Range of White-footed Deermice", "Reptiles and Amphibians of the Apostle Islands"
RELEVANT EXPERIENCE
2001 to 2008. Adjunct Associate Professor (part-time) at the University of Maryland University College, MD (USA).
Via distance learning teach "Selection and Evaluation of Biotechnology Projects" to students working towards a Master of Science in Technology Management.
1995 to present. Virtual Instructor (part-time) at Merlin Science (Internet).
and writer for Science Explained.
Create self-paced, self-learning "hypertextbooks" in Chemistry, Astronomy and Genetics for home schoolers and other distance learners. Wrote articiles on science subjects in the news.
2001 to 2005. Vice President of Business Development and Marketing ayt Mergen, San Leandro, CA (USA).
Worked at a small biotech company that manufactured microarrays and provided gene expression profiling services.
1998-2000. Teaching Associate (Permanent post = "tenured") at Department of Biology, Napier University, Edinburgh (Scotland, UK).
Responsible for developing the department's flexible (distance) learning modules including editing or co-authoring self-learning materials ("Molecular Genetics", "Food Microbiology
and Biotechnology" and "Monographs for Higher Still Biotechnology"). Taught Genetics (sole instructor) and parts of Biochemistry.
1997-1998. Laboratory Consultant for Ross Breeders Ltd, Newbridge, Midlothian (Scotland, UK).
Developed a high throughput (6000 samples per month) PCR-based screening procedure to detect avian retroviruses in the blood or feathers of stock poultry (chickens).
1997. Associate Professor at Saba University School of Medicine, Saba, Netherlands-Antilles.
Sole instructor for Medical Genetics and parts of Physiology and Biochemistry.
1994-1996. Post-doc. Department of Surgery/Urology at Western General Hospital, Edinburgh (Scotland, UK).
Characterized and isolated growth factors responsible for the development of prostate bony metastasis. Developed bioassays (tissue culture). Purified specific proteins.
1994-1996. Lecturer (part-time) at Department of Biology, Napier University, Edinburgh (Scotland, UK).
Sole instructor for Bio-Medical Investigations (undergraduate) and Pathobiology (graduate).
1990-94. Post-doc. Department of Reproduction and Development, Roslin Institute, Roslin, (Scotland, UK).
Created transgenic chickens by DNA microinjection. Team member in chick embryo culture. Independently and exclusively provided all molecular biology support.
1986-1990 Research and Teaching Assistant (part-time as a graduate student) at Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, LSU Medical Center. New Orleans, LA (USA).
Used a variety of techniques in genomic analysis to determine phylogenetic relationships with an emphasis on studying repetitive
DNA in birds. Team taught Biochemistry.
1985-1986. Research Assistant. Center for Reproduction of Endangered Species, San Diego Zoo, San Diego, CA (USA).
Studied the molecular evolution of alpha-globins in Equids (horse family) using a wide variety of molecular genetic techniques (Southerns,
in situ hybridization, etc.).
1984-85. Research Assistant. Department of Virology at University of California Medical Center, San Diego, CA (USA).
Identified changes in the population dynamics of cytomegalovirus (CMV) in various types of leukocytes collected from men infected with HIV.
1983-84. Research Assistant. Hematology Department at Scripp's Clinic and Research Foundation, La Jolla, CA (USA).
Raised and purified MAbs. Used them to analyze the enzymology and immunochemistry of phosphofructokinase from humans and dogs.
1982-83. Research Assistant. Gene Mapping Unit at The Agouron Institute, La Jolla, CA (USA).
Determined the position of naturally occurring DNA fragments (mostly
oncogenes) and sites of integration of retrovirus on human and
ape chromosomes, by in situ hybridization.
1981-82. Research Assistant. Human Cytogenetics Department at University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN (USA).
Identified chromosomal rearrangements involved in leukemia. Cultured,
synchronized, and harvested cells from patient's peripheral blood
and bone marrow. High resolution G-banding.
1978-1981. Teaching Assistant (part-time as a graduate student) at Department of Biology, Saint Cloud State University, Saint Cloud, MN (USA).
Assisted in teaching General Biology and Genetics. Taught "fly
genetics and husbandry", human blood typing and some cytogenetics.
This section explains the courses and how to get the most out
of them so please read it carefully BEFORE starting your coursework.
There are five courses (sections) and they increase in difficulty
as you work through them so do them in the sequence in which they
are presented. Each section has its own particular emphasis and
"target student". For example, students who already
have an advanced education might find the course starts a little
slow but I encourage them to work through all the courses, in
sequence, in order to get the most from them. A better example
would be students new to Genetics (or perhaps new to Biology)
who try to go too far too fast. Work at you own pace and remember
that you are here to learn Genetics not to simply "finish"
Genetics.
I assume all students have at least a fundamental knowledge of
cells (such as, "What is a nucleus?").
Reading and scrolling down the screen is no way to learn (anything). You must interact with the reading. The Study Guides will help you to do that but I also encourage you to keep a (proper) Genetics Notebook. Taking notes is a great way to learn. Jot down ideas and definitions, draw your own Punnett squares and do your own math. There is no substitute for a notebook that YOU create as YOU learn. You might want to use one that allows you to place sheets of paper into it (that you print out and use during the course).
The bulk of the courses is in the Lessons (Lectures). As you will see, the lessons are not like a standard textbook. Instead, my style is in keeping with the best methods of self-learning courses. The reading is more "friendly" and "relaxed" with some light-hearted moments. Indeed, I try to make the courses read like my lectures but they are not transcripts.
Before you start a lesson, print a copy of the Student's Study Guide so you can fill in the blanks as you read and learn. (There are no Study Guides for the last course, Medical Genetics.) These guides are meant to help you "interact" with the lessons. They are NOT intended to cover all the information presented in the lessons. They are to help you focus on the salient features by encouraging you to fill in the missing information. Once you have finished the lesson, check the completed Study Guide (the Teacher's copy) to make sure you have filled in yours correctly. Note - these study guides are NOT what an exam will look like.
Another way to learn is through self assessment. After you have completed a topic (lesson or workshop), answer all the Self-Assessment Questions (SAQs) by writing them in your notebook. The answers to your self-assessment questions are found by clicking the hyperlink at the bottom of each question. The SAQs will not be graded but you would be wise to use them to solidify your understanding of the subject and prepare for the exams. Unless you feel particularly confident with the materials, it is best to do each question one at a time. That is, write your answer to the question, in your notebook, then check the answer immediately. (Some questions refer to previous questions and their answers.)
There are four Workshops scattered throughout the course.
Some are designed to reinforce the lessons and SAQs while others
prepare you for the SAQs - that means, some workshops are done
after the SAQs and some are done before the SAQs.
Do the workshops in the correct order by following the instructions
telling you what to do next (which are either at the bottom of
a lesson or obvious from the main page). Each workshop begins
with a short introduction and instructions to print out a copy
of the workshop worksheet (which is NOT the Study Guide).
These workshops are based upon "tutorials" I give during
my "non-virtual" (classroom) teaching. Take these workshops seriously!
(If you are pressed for time, skip a few SAQs but NEVER miss a
workshop.) They review the most important parts of the lessons
(lectures) and address the main problems students have with the
topics. Some workshops are particularly heavy in math but they
are designed to walk you through the process, step by step. As
you progress through our workshops you are expected to attempt
each question (step) before moving on to the answer that appears
immediately below the DNA strands that say "Answer that before
paging down". (You'll see what I mean.) Feel free to take
a break during the workshops. When you come back just pick up
the topic where you left off. Work your way to the bottom of the
workshop. At the end you will find a link to the workshop answers
which you should compare to your own. Make sure you are comfortable
with the answers.
After you have completed each course you will be challenged by
an Exam! Each exam consists of 20 questions with 4 (multiple)
choices. When you choose an answer, a "pop-up" response
immediately indicates whether the answer is right or wrong and
provides some feedback. This instant feedback is a learning tool
so read each reply carefully. The first time you take the exam, read the pop-up response but stick with your original
answers, complete the test and submit it for a grade. This will
give you an idea of what you have learned so far and is more like
a "regular" test. (Whatever that is. 
) Your answers will
be graded and each one will be scored Correct or Wrong. Once you
have the score and the list of incorrect answers, use the "Back"
button of the web browser to return to the exam and correct the
errors. (If you click the "Refresh" button or the exam no longer
has your answers, try the "Back" button again. If that
still does not generate your original answers you might have the
misfortune of owning a strange browser - and you will have to input
all your answers again. 
) This second time with the exam you should
carefully read each response, learn from it and choose the right
answer - then submit the perfect answers for a final (perfect)
grade.
No textbook is required or even recommended for this course. All the materials you need are provided here.
These five courses are designed so that you can stop at the level that meets your goals - but I hope you will try to complete all five sections eventually. Here is an overview and explanation of the five courses.
Cytogenetics is a fundamental course comprising six lessons. High school or Freshman university students find that Cytogenetics mixes well with Introductory Biology courses offered at most schools. However, I go into much more detail to build a base upon which to understand the subsequent courses (sections). There is one workshop in Cytogenetics and some students "complain" that it is too childish because it requires that you draw cells - but I have learned (from my "non-virtual" students) that drawing cells in various stages reinforces the details that I am teaching, so it's critical to understanding cytogenetics. There is no math in this course (unless you think that multiplying or dividing a number by two is math). There are 33 Self Assessment Questions (and 33 Self Assessememt Answers) that will reiterate the most important parts of the lessons to make sure you are on track. Like all courses, there is a self-administered exam at the end to test your newly acquired knowledge.
Your second course, Mendelian Genetics, is also often covered in Introductory Biology courses. Here you will be introduced to the most important principles of inheritance and learn how we solve genetic "puzzles" using logical deduction and diagrams (called "Punnett squares"). The first workshop is broken into three different pieces and walks you through increasingly more complicated Mendelian Genetic puzzles. Pay attention to the instructions at the end of the lessons so you will know when to do a workshop before trying the SAQs. It is very important to do both the workshop and the SAQs because it takes practice to master these puzzles and understand what it happening. (By the way, "what is happening" was taught in the Cytogenetics course but here you see how it applies.) Math skills in this part of the course are limited to ratios and simple fractions. The last lesson in Mendelian Genetics is the chi square and it is followed by a chi square workshop. For most students, this is the first time they will use "advanced" math skills to find answers. (Don't panic!) I will walk you through this step by step. You will need a calculator. By the end of this course you will have mastered one of the most important statistical test commonly used in Genetics (and other areas of research). There are only five lessons in Mendelian Genetics and 28 SAQs but be sure to do the appropriate workshops before working them. An exam concludes the course.
Advanced Genetics is composed of seven lessons that form
a collection of important subjects often taught in Freshman Biology
courses. After the lesson on Hardy-Weinberg you will have a Hardy-Weinberg
workshop. That will require a calculator - and perhaps some courage. (Just kidding. ).
No college level Genetics course would be complete without this
important topic because the Hardy-Weinberg equations are fundamental
to understanding the genetics of populations and evolution. Like
the chi square, I will walk you through the process and teach
you how to approach each problem. There are 35 SAQs and, of course, an exam finishes this course.
Having completed these first three courses (Cytogenetics, Mendelian Genetics and Advanced Genetics) you will have completed the equivalent of a university level Freshman course in Genetics but a little weak on the molecular side of things - and that is why you have a fourth course!
Your fourth course is Molecular Genetics. Sometimes you
will find these topics briefly covered in an Introductory course
but I frown upon that kind of course structure because it waters
down important information in order to fit it into the framework
of an Introductory course. Instead, my course in Molecular Genetics
teaches more details and prepares the student to learn more so
as to understand this exciting area of research and technology.
This course in Molecular Genetics would be equivalent to a Sophomore
(or higher) university level course so there are some important
differences between this course and the previous three courses.
First, there are no workshops because that format is not useful
in this setting. Instead, there are 74 SAQs!
Second, I assume that you have an understanding of "descriptive chemistry"
(as opposed to the more difficult "quantitative chemistry").
That is, you should feel comfortable with the idea of molecules
and structures. [My course "Principles of Alchemy (Chemistry)"
is for a much younger student but teaches far more chemistry than
I assume in our Molecular Genetics course.] By the way, I (worked
very hard to) provide detailed drawings of nucleic acid molecules
but they must be shrunken down to a size that fits well on the
computer screen. So, I have set up special images throughout the
course that you can click on in order to see clearly the details
of the molecules. It is not necessary to learn them in this kind
of detail but it might help you to understand the basic chemistry
and appreciate the complexity of these molecules.
Third, our six lessons in Molecular Genetics are much, MUCH longer than previous
lessons. Each one of the lessons in Molecular Genetics would amount
to several hours of lectures presented over the course of a week.
I decided to stick with a broader lesson group - the six "lessons"
- because breaking them up along the way would have made for
some "messy" splits and lose the consistency that is
useful in each topic (lesson). However, to help you work through
these "mega-lessons", I provide breaks along the way
and hyperlinks to each "chunk" of information. Importantly,
you should allocate two to three times as much time to work through
Molecular Genetics as you allowed in your previous courses. (Molecular
Genetics is a course equivalent to all three previous courses
combined.)
The "lessons" in Medical Genetics are very different
from previous lessons because they are for a different type of
student and different type of course. Specifically, these lessons
are derived from the Medical Genetics course I taught to medical
students at a medical school! ( 
) All those students had passed undergraduate
courses, including Genetics, so they had a genetics education similar
to what you learned from our previous four courses. However, due
to the amount of information they are expected to assimilate,
Medical Genetics (like most medical courses) is very "high
density". There is no "hand holding" and students
are expected to digest complex materials presented in a succinct
manner. Also, the goal of Medical Genetics is to provide the student
a foundation on which to understand more advanced courses (such
as Pathology, Obstetrics and Pediatrics). Another, less well-publicized
goal is to prepare the student to pass the United States Medical
License Exams (USMLEs) which are exams foreign-trained
doctors must pass in order to practice in the US and sometimes used by US medical schools to gage their students' knowledge.
How does this pertain to our course? Unlike the previous materials, there are no Student Guides to fill in and no series of Questions and Answers. Instead, I have rewritten my Medical Genetics Notes into a series of "lessons". I put the word "lessons" in quotes because they read more like notes than lessons.
I decided to include Part Five as an "add on" to our
courses for several reasons. First, it was not too difficult turning
my 30 hours of lecture notes into 16 additional lessons (notes).
Second, this course in Medical Genetics starts with a fast-paced
review of material so it acts as a good summary. Third, it gives
me an excuse to include some additional information that you will
find interesting (such as common techniques in molecular genetics and cytogenetics)
as well as information that some Genetics teachers might feel
I have left out (such as linkage analysis). Fourth, you will get
a feel for how genetics is applied.
On the other hand, I had some doubts about adding a Medical Genetics
course. First, some students will not like learning from notes
(even very good notes like these) and be disappointed but I remind
them that Medical Genetics is "extra credit". Second,
the details and "matter of fact" way in which awful
disorders are presented might put some people off but I hope they
will understand that's the way things are taught in medical school.
Third, I decided to include medical terminology in the notes in
spite of the fact that most students are not going to have
the detailed knowledge of pathology or anatomy to full appreciate
or understand what I am talking about! Ignore those "big
words" or feel free to "goggle" them. Fourth and
finally, I worried that presenting medical information to a non-medical
"audience" might be considered uncouth and precipitate
nagging concerns. However, I decided that a six year-old can easily
find this kind of information all over the Internet so I couldn't
be doing any additional harm.
By the way - it is HIGHLY UNLIKELY that you or anyone you know has any of the medical conditions that I will be teaching. Some students will see in themselves, friends and family what they perceive as symptoms and signs of disorders. This can lead to serious "misunderstandings" that can be emotionally traumatic and completely unnecessary. My point : only well-trained technicians should be trusted to conduct diagnostic tests and those tests should only be interpreted by a properly-trained doctor (not a Genetics teacher like me or a Genetics student like you)!
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