|
|
In
1986, the Graduate Program in Neuroscience was a newly formed
amalgamation of a half dozen bits and pieces of various graduate
programs, and it needed a clear identity. Itasca seemed to some an
improbable identity medium, located over 200 miles north of campus in a
state park established to save the red pine forest. The 5-week long
neuroscience lab course at Itasca was designed on the Woods Hole model,
a kind of "boot camp" for students entering the Neuroscience PhD
program.
|
|
|
Course Details All students in the graduate program are required to take the course.It occurs in July and is the first course in the curriculum. The core curriculum begins in September.There is a different module each week for 5 weeks. Each module is based on a different experimental model used in neurobiology.Each module is taught by 2-3 faculty; postdocs and senior graduate students assist in some modules.
Curriculum
Each year, the course is compose of 5 modules out of 7 that have been designed.
Neuroscience at Itasca
The University of Minnesota Biological Station at Itasca State Park is the site for the laboratory course.
|
|
|
|
What educational purpose does this element serve? Our diverse student body acquires similar laboratory skills before they begin their laboratory rotations in the Fall. Different
faculty members rotate each week, providing students an array of
faculty interests and expertise to interact with on both a scientific
and personal level. Students live and work together throughout the course, providing a unique opportunity to interact in an intimate manner. At
Itasca, strong bonds are formed between students and faculty both in
and out of the lab. Indeed, sometimes the best discussions occur over
the breakfast table or during canoe excursions on the lake.
|
|
|
What tells us this works? 90%
of students agreed that the Itasca course enhanced their interaction
with faculty and 75% agreed that peer bonding occurred (2000 Student
Survey).Peer bondimg carries over into the formation of study groups that correlate with success in the core curriculum.Faculty have designed more modules than can be offered in a 5 week course.Other programs at the University have created similar courses.
|
|
|
Bonding at Itasca In
the evenings, the 6:00 dinner bell at the field station signals the end
of the day's experiment. A day may end with exploration of the
breathtaking park by bike or canoe, an energetic volleyball game,
relaxation and conversation around a bonfire, or gazing at the Perseus
meteor shower or Northern Lights. Students have also returned to the
laboratory after dinner to continue their scientific explorations!
|
|
|
|
Reflection from a faculty member My
experience as director of the Itasca program for 10 years gave me
unique insight into its role in our graduate education. In addition to
providing the important "cohort bonding" that I believe is essential
for an interdisciplinary graduate program, it introduced neuroscience
with a hands-on approach that encouraged students to explore ideas with
experimental models. As a result many students and some faculty formed
collaborative working relationships that began at Itasca and continued
throughout their graduate and even post-graduate careers. --Richard Poppele, Professor, Department of Neuroscience
|
|
|
Reflection from a student The
Itasca course introduced me to an array of themes studied by
neuroscientists and a range of techniques used to understand the field
of neuroscience. I was taught to develop hypotheses, design
experimental paradigms, interpret data, and communicate findings. I
used these skills to develop my thesis project. One of the most
important aspects of the Itasca program is that it enabled me to
cultivate relationships with current and future researchers. By being
removed from the distractions of everyday life, it encouraged me to
focus not only on neuroscience, but on how to collaborate with others
in the scientific community. ---Lyric Jorgenson, entered 2000
|
|
|
