Comparative Vertebrate Physiology Lab Manual OER Project

Course ID: BIOL 4505

Instructor: Dr. Curt Walker, Professor of Biology

Abstract: The content of this manual was produced during the fall semester of 2021 at Utah Tech University. The students enrolled in the course designed and wrote the laboratory experiences themselves, with guiding input from the professor making it an excellent example of student-centered and open pedagogy. They were then combined and released openly for others to freely use. The manual provides specific examples of how a series of hypothesis-driven laboratory and field experiments in Comparative Vertebrate Physiology (CVP) were conducted. 

  Peer Reviewed

Textbook Title: Comparative Vertebrate Physiology Laboratory Manual

Description: The manual provides specific labs of how a series of hypothesis-driven laboratory and field experiments in Comparative Vertebrate Physiology (CVP) were conducted. A unique attribute of the manual is that it's highly adaptable, suitable for nearly any CVP lab course, using any textbook or no text. The fact that the students themselves created the laboratory experiences, with guiding input from the professor, makes the impact of the exercises especially great, and all of the students said it was likely the best laboratory experience of their lives. 

Authors: Student authors are listed at the beginning of the text. The manual was edited and the appendix written by Dr. Curt Walker. 

Formats: The lab manual is available through Pressbooks and can be downloaded in a variety of formats.

License: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Course Number: BIOL 4505 Comparative Vertebrate Physiology Lab

Prerequisites: CHEM 1225

Corequisites: Lab portion of BIOL 4500

Learning outcomes:  1. Design and conduct original laboratory experiments measuring physiological data to evaluate relevant hypotheses. 2. Explain the advantages and limitations of various methods used by vertebrate physiologists. 3. Design and present original, hypothesis-driven research in a university setting. 

Teaching and learning impacts: Students indicated they felt more engaged and learned the material better knowing it was going to be shared with others, and a majority were excited by the prospect of the manual being used by other students. Additionally, students responded they are planning on using their contribution to the lab manual in their resume or as an example of experience in the future.

Institutional support for OER: The Utah Tech University Library supported this OER creation project with a small faculty stipend, licensing guidance, project management, organizing peer review, layout, and design.  

Dr. Curt Walker, Professor of Biology

I am a biology professor at Utah Tech University. I teach human anatomy, biological evolution, comparative vertebrate anatomy/physiology, and animal behavior.

I try to be very creative in the classroom, making information easy to understand (but still plentiful).