FEZ members are also involved in academic teaching. This year, as for many others in the world it was special experience due to Covid. We will provide her an example of two Master level courses.
This spring many members of the group as well as others from the NHM taught the class BIOS4215 ‘Evolution and Systematics of Organismal Groups: The Animal Kingdom’, which is provided every other year and coordinated by Torsten. In the class we present the recent knowledge across different animal groups concerning the evolution of their diversity and adaptive solutions to similar ecological challenges in different groups. The evolution of these traits are set in relation to the recent understanding of the animal phylogeny, and taxonomy. Additionally, the classes also comprises outlooks about career opportunities as collection management or in exhibition development. The class started completely normally this year, but when we were one third into the course we had to switch from one day to the other to complete online teaching. Mostly, we managed to also shifted many of the practical aspects to an online format. However, we also felt that we missed teaching personally and having more direct interactions with the students.
Lutz coordinates the BIOS4200 ‘Molecular Evolution’ course that is held each year during the autumn semester in cooperation with Glenn Peter Sætre from the Department of Biosciences. The course deals with the principles for evolution of DNA and gene products as well as the use of genetic data in evolutionary studies of organisms. It includes a theoretical introduction to important evolutionary processes in the eukaryotic genome and genome components. In addition the course has a practical component, this year with carefully following the corona restrictions, with teaching of molecular techniques, bioinfomatics and evolutionary bio-statistics. Preparing the practical part involved a lot of back and forth with respect to distance and feasibility, but in the end with a few people in a large teaching lab it was an unique experience.
Molecular Population Genetics by Matthew W. Hahn shown below serves as textbook for the course.
Further details on the courses can be found at here for BIOS4215 and BIOS4200.
Text in the teaser: At this day we will reveal a bit about our teaching activities and how they were affected by Covid this year.
Picture in the teaser:
