Course:

MicroBiology for Allied Health is a hybrid course with lectures online and labs on campus. It is worth 4 credits and has 24 students. The prerequisite is chemistry, but the majority of students have already taken biology, chemistry, anatomy 1 (and some have taken anatomy 2).

Assessment:

Scores are comprised of:

• 20% lab work
• 50% chapter quizzes and unit tests
• 15% case studies
• 15% presentation (research paper)

MasteringBiology Implementation:

Students are required to complete practice tests within MasteringMicrobiology. Cumulatively, these individual quizzes count towards on exam grade. The quizzes are comprised of 60–70 items for about 90–100 minutes. The rigorous practice tests are meant to replicate a real exam. Students complete four practice tests throughout the semester on each unit.

Trends:

The students are using MasteringMicrobiology. They might have an argument with one of the correct answers, prompting them to consult the text, review the problem, or raise questions. The system's diagnostics information is useful.

Conclusions:

MasteringMicrobiology is helpful and easy to use. It is a good motivator. It forces students to go over the information in more detail.