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The majority of students arriving at Kingsborough Community College with hopes of entering the nursing, physical therapist assistant, and other allied health programs (concentrations in pre-physical therapy, pre-occupational therapy, pre-pharmacy, and pre-physician's assistant) are at-risk students. A Foundations of Human Anatomy and Physiology course (three credits, three hours) is being given by the Department of Biological Sciences at Kingsborough as one of the prerequisites for students in the pre-nursing curriculum and all the other allied health programs. Prior to enrolling in the yearlong Human Anatomy and Physiology (A & P) courses, students must take this course or the first semester of General Biology. However, students may opt to take and pass an examination, which exempts them from the Foundations course. The rationale for this course was to help students better understand the material that would be covered in the A & P courses down the road and, thus perform at a higher level in these courses. In this study, the authors surveyed the students who were currently enrolled in the first semester of A & P, after having taken and passed the Biology Foundations course. The purpose of the survey was to determine students' input concerning the Foundations course. Students in this study responded very positively to the Foundations of Biology course. Despite students' positive responses to the survey concerning the Biology foundations course, some students still resist taking this course. (Contains 3 tables and 12 figures.)

A laboratory exercise incorporating biological keying into student learning, where students work together in cooperative learning setting is presented. The exercise fosters cooperative learning and accountability because the whole group is responsible for the final product.

Compares the success of two approaches to biology courses for underprepared community college students, one involving a hands-on approach emphasizing practice in basic scientific skills and the other involving a remediation-based approach focusing on basic vocabulary, reading, library, and math skills. Suggests that the hands-on approach provided better preparation for subsequent biology courses. (ECC)

Described is the College Success Program designed to enhance retention of at-risk individuals. The goals, bioethics course offerings at various colleges, course outline for a bioethics course taught in the humanities, and evaluation of the course are discussed. (CW)

This study was undertaken to determine whether a biology preparatory course given at an urban community college was helping students to develop the proper skills and background necessary to successfully complete follow-up courses in biology. Data indicated a mathematics score was the main discriminator between pass/fail groups of the preparatory course. (Author/YP)

Presented is an activity designed to teach the use of the scientific method to non-science majors. Collecting, classification, and follow-up activities for a beach trip are discussed. Two simple dichotomous keys are included. (CW)

Described is a study designed to introduce students to the behavior of common invertebrate animals, and to use of the chi-square statistical technique. Discusses activities with snails, pill bugs, and mealworms. Provides an abbreviated chi-square table and instructions for performing the experiments and statistical tests. (CW)

Describes a lesson in which instruction is initiated through the right cerebral hemisphere by using visualizations as concrete aids to learning. Explanations include a hand model which is used to illustrate the dynamics of guard cell activity of stomates and a paper folding model to show increase in surface area. (RT)

Reviews research on the use of analogies to teach difficult concepts to students in biology classes. Presents an analogy used in a class for liberal arts students in a community college setting to teach protein synthesis. (CW)

Reports on the development of an approach to aid genetic defect and medical diseases research. Determination of DNA abnormalities; Method of correcting DNA or proteins in afflicted cells; Utilization of chemical treatments.