The sheer magnitude of ‘foundational’ knowledge in a multi-disciplinary field like the biomedical sciences means that the task of transmitting this knowledge requires a significant investment of time. It is perhaps not surprising that a large fraction of the courses in the Life Sciences and Biochemistry degrees, especially in the first three years of the programs, are devoted to the delivery of foundational knowledge. The delivery of a good undergraduate degree in the biomedical sciences must i) ensure that all students have a sound grasp of the fundamental principles which form the foundation of the biomedical sciences and ii) empower students to become independent learners equipped with the skills to ask good questions, to seek, judge, and assimilate scientific knowledge, and to craft compelling oral and written arguments. Above all, students should experience the joy of discovery. Satisfying these demands, is not a trivial task. The opportunities to acquire high level skills that are described above and are essential for the process of discovery are therefore limited and fragmented. LISC 300: The Process of Discovery in the Biomedical Sciences is specifically designed to address this problem. By the end of the course, students are expected to be able to:
- Search for, identify, and critically assess sound scientific manuscripts and sources
- Work effectively in groups to integrate and present data from various scientific sources
- Produce written works that synthesize information they have gathered
- Present their findings in both lay and scientific language in either a scientific poster or oral presentation format.