BIOC 3620 Experiental Learning

Course Objectives/Learning Outcomes

The purpose of this class is to provide credit to a learning experience that is relevant to the program but outside the scheduled curriculum. It is distinguished from special topics and laboratory research project classes in being focused on the application of accumulated skills in a practical context, or learning skills not provided in the regular curriculum, rather than on addressing particular experimental hypotheses. The specific Learning Outcomes for each lab placement will be provided in the Learning Agreement.

Syllabus coming soon.

To register in BIOC 3620:

1. In the fall semester of your third year (or earlier), you will have to find a professor who is willing to supervise your BIOC 3620 work experience in the winter term of your third year. The professor can be a Biochemistry & Molecular Biology department faculty member or hold a cross-appointment in the department. Alternatively, the supervisor can be a faculty member or cross-appointee in other Faculty of Medicine departments or in the Faculty of Science. However, their research must fall within the scope of biochemistry & molecular biology. 
2. To contact a potential supervisor, send a brief email indicating your degree program, your year in the program, and that you are interested in doing BIOC 3620 under their supervision. Ask if they would be willing to consider this, and if so, could you set up a time to meet them.
3. Once you have identified a supervisor, you and your supervisor will need to fill in and sign a Learning Agreement form. If the supervisor is a member of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology or cross-appointed to this department, the form to use is Learning Agreement Form (internal). If the supervisor is in the Faculty of Medicine or Faculty of Science, but not affiliated with Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, the form to use is Learning Agreement Form (external). The Learning Agreement should indicate the biochemistry and/or molecular biology knowledge and skills that will be learned (learning outcomes), and a description of the learning activities through which the outcomes will be achieved. It will also provide the criteria for assessment, start and end dates, a realistic date for completion of all evaluation components, and the name of the supervisor. Once completed, the appropriate form must be emailed to the BIOC 3620 course coordinator for review.
4. If the form is approved, the BIOC 3620 course coordinator will then put in an override to enable you to register for the class. This typically happens late in the fall term and prospective supervisors may make acceptance contingent on a student’s successful completion of one of the fall BIOC 3000-level courses (i.e. BIOC 3400 or BIOC 3700). If you have registered for 5 other courses for the winter term, do not drop one until the coordinator has given you permission to register for BIOC 3620.
5. Please feel free to arrange an appointment to meet with the course coordinator if you would like more information about the course.

PLEASE NOTE: Permission to do research for BIOC 3620 outside of this department does not extend to Honours research. Experiential Learning (BIOC 3620) is a separate course from the Honours research project (BIOC 4604/4605). The Honours research project must be within the Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology (i.e., under the supervision of faculty members within our department or cross-appointed to it) regardless of the location in which prior BIOC 3620 research has been undertaken.

Questions?